Today’s reading is Acts 5:1-6:15.

To me, Acts 5 contains one of the most shocking stories of the entire New Testament. Ananias and Sapphira lied about the price of their property when they laid the money at the apostles’ feet. With very little time to repent, God took extreme measures and killed the couple. Admittedly, that seems a little harsh to us. Death for lying? When some read this today, they believe God is immoral, hateful, cruel. That is sad, because they are missing the point.

The story is not to teach us that our God is an immoral killer. The story is to teach us exactly how bad sin is. Ezekiel 18:20 had said, “The soul who sins shall die.” Romans 6:23 says, “The wages of sin is death.” 

Here, at the beginning of the new covenant, God gave a great demonstration. Our sins are not light matters. Our sins make us worthy of death. God, as judge of the universe, has every right to meet out that judgment immediately. The fact is with every lie we’ve told, we deserved death from God for sinning against Him. When we think that is harsh, that doesn’t mean we are more enlightened than God; it means we lack the understanding of how tragic every sin really is. Have you ever lied? Then you need a Savior.

What is truly amazing is not that God struck down Ananias and Sapphira immediately. Rather, it is amazing that the pages of Scripture are not covered with the blood of sinners. It is amazing that you and I are still standing, having been given time to repent and receive the free gift of God which is eternal life (Romans 6:23). The pages of the New Testament are not covered with the blood of sinners because they are covered with the blood of Jesus who died so we don’t have to. Praise God!

***Question: What are some other shocking things you find in Scripture and what do you learn from them?

Keep the faith and keep reading,

ELC