ACTS 4:34

The Bible says in Acts 4:34-37, “Neither was there any among them that lacked: for as many as were possessors of lands or houses sold them, and brought the prices of the things that were sold, And laid them down at the apostles’ feet: and distribution was made unto every man according as he had need. And Joses, who by the apostles was surnamed Barnabas, (which is, being interpreted, the son of consolation,) a Levite, and of the country of Cyprus, Having land, sold it, and brought the money, and laid it at the apostles’ feet.” Of course, this is a continuation of the description of how gracious and how generous were the believers in the church of Jerusalem. Evidently there were some in great need, probably because of persecutions. There were others who had significant material possessions, but who took some or all of those possessions and sold them for the benefit of other believers.

We find this generosity and love for other believers remarkable, and so did many of those in the church in Jerusalem. Barnabas had evidently been greatly acclaimed because his sacrifice was so noticeably great and beneficial to those in need. That is how he got the name of Barnabas, which means “son of consolation.” Whenever someone receives attention in the manner that Barnabas received it, anyone around who is carnally minded or selfishly minded will become jealous of that attention and will try to use human selfish means to get attention for themselves. That is what happened to Ananias and Sapphira. Getting attention and fame is what became important to them, and they were willing to lie to do so.

Acts 5:1-3 says, “But a certain man named Ananias, with Sapphira his wife, sold a possession. And kept back part of the price, his wife also being privy to it, and brought a certain part, and laid it at the apostles’ feet. But Peter said, Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Ghost, and to keep back part of the price of the land?” The sin was not that they kept back part of their own possession, but that they lied. You cannot serve the Lord and be a liar. Jesus is the truth, and those that serve Him must speak the truth about all things in order to truly be serving Him. The spiritual battle in the world has a lot to do with the difference between truth and lying. That is why those who do not believe the truth, even if they do not speak lies to the degree of Ananias and Sapphira, end up believing one or more lies. You either become a part of the lie, or you become part of the truth.

Second Thessalonians 2:9-11 says speaking of the antichrist, “Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders, And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved. And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie.” Of course, the antichrist will be a liar, but those who claim to be believers in Jesus should never lie. No man is any better than his word. Colossians 3:9 says to believers, “Lie not one to another, seeing that you have put off the old man with his deeds.”

Why did Ananias and Sapphira lie? They lied because they wanted something too badly. They wanted attention and fame and notoriety so much in the church that they were willing to do whatever they had to do to get it. Any time that you want something too badly, you are headed for trouble. That is why one of the ten commandments says, “Thou shalt not covet.” Be careful of your own will. You must always be able to say to the Lord, “Not my will, but thine be done.”

There is another lesson that can be learned from the sin of Ananias and Sapphira. Listen again to what the scripture says, “But a certain man named Ananias, with Sapphira his wife, sold a possession. And kept back part of the price, his wife also being privy to it.” What Ananias and Sapphira did, they did together as a couple. More than likely one of them had the stronger urge to be prideful, materialistic, and then lie; but the other went along with it. That is one of the reasons to be careful who you marry. What they are like just might go a long way to determining what you become, unless you are a very strong person. Many people who have committed sins have committed them not because of their own weaknesses, but because of the weaknesses of those with whom they were associated and whose way they followed.

One thing about the case of Ananias and Sapphira was the fact that they gave one half of their possessions was perfectly fine. The first part of Acts 5:4 makes this clear. Peter said, “While it remained, was it not thine own? And after it was sold, was it not in thine own power?” Even though many of the believers in Jerusalem sold their possessions and gave them to the apostles for the benefit of all, it was never a commandment to do so. Peter did not even tell Ananias and Sapphira that they owed ten percent. They were free under God to keep one hundred percent or any percent that they chose. The problem was that they lied.

When you speak, your words are not just heard by man, they are also heard by God. That is the point that Peter was making in the second half of Acts 5:4. He said, “Why have you conceived this thing in your heart? You have not lied unto men, but unto God.” Notice also that this sin started in their heart, and then it came out in an overt way. If you can think what you ought to think, then you will do what you ought to do. Proverbs says, “Keep thy heart with all diligence, for out of it are the issues of life.”

One of the negatives of doing the wrong thing is the consequences that will be experienced. “Be not deceived. God is not mocked. Whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.” Ananias and Sapphira paid with their lives. A Christian can sin to the degree that God takes them off the earth. That is what is meant in First John 5:16, “If any man see his brother sin a sin which is not unto death, he shall ask, and he shall give him life for them that sin not unto death. There is a sin unto death: I do not say that he shall pray for it.”

Ananias and Sapphira sinned a sin unto death. Acts 5:5-10 says, “And Ananias hearing these words fell down, and gave up the ghost: and great fear came on all them that heard these things. And the young men arose, wound him up, and carried him out, and buried him. And it was about the space of three hours after, when his wife, not knowing what was done, came in. And Peter answered unto her, Tell me whether you sold the land for so much. And she said, Yes, for so much. Then Peter said unto her, How is it that you have agreed together to tempt the Spirit of the Lord? Behold the feet of them which buried thy husband are at the door, and shall carry you out. Then fell she down straightway at his feet, and yielded up the ghost, and the young men came in, and found her dead, and carrying her forth, buried her by her husband.”

If Ananias and Sapphira were believers, and they may very well have been, then in dying they simply went on to heaven. Therefore, what was the purpose of their death? For one thing we are reminded that life is a privilege and an opportunity. If a Christian is taken off the earth as the result of sin, then that Christian has lost precious opportunities. In the case of Ananias and Sapphira it was probably that and more. It was also so that what happened to them would be a lesson to the other believers. “And great fear came upon all the church, and upon as many as heard these things.”

Godly fear is an understanding that sin is punished. Jesus said, “Except you repent, you shall all likewise perish.” That applies to believers a well as unbelievers. In a spiritual sense the church is holy because He has given us the standing of holiness by His grace that is in Christ Jesus. But He also wants us to be holy in a practical sense. The Holy Spirit cannot do His works of power if the believers are walking in sin. Why is the church weak and without power? Because of sin, and not the sin of the world, but the sin of the believers. The fear of God came upon the church in Jerusalem when it became clear to them the horribleness of sin and the consequences of sin.

Quality is more important than quantity. Yes, get as many church members as you can, but only get those whose hearts are right with the Lord. Any others are not qualified to be a part of the holy church of Jesus Christ. Once a church turns from its sins, and once a church is purged of its sinful members; the power of the Spirit will return to the congregation. Acts 5:12-16 shows what can happen when there is a holy church filled and led by the Spirit. It says, “And by the hands of the apostles were many signs and wonders wrought among the people; and they were all with one accord in Solomon’s porch. And of the rest dared no man join himself unto them: but the people magnified them. And believers were the more added to the Lord, multitudes both of men and women. Insomuch that they brought forth the sick into the streets, and laid them on beds and couches, that at the least the shadow of Peter passing by might overshadow some of them. There came also a multitude out of the cities round about unto Jerusalem, bringing sick folks, and them which were vexed with unclean spirits: and they were healed every one.”

In this situation in Jerusalem two thousand years ago there were three main results listed here: the salvation of souls, the healing of the sick, and the casting out of unclean spirits. The most important thing to remember about these happenings is the fact that they were the automatic result of believers living holy lives and being filled with the Spirit. These things were the works of the Spirit, not the works of the believers. That is one of the big mistakes that churches make nowadays. They want to have the same results that the early church had, and they try to achieve those results through human effort and organizational mechanisms. The best that they can do is build a big organization full of unspiritual people. That is the same thing that the cults do and that the secular clubs do such as the Elks club and the Moose club.

The lesson that we are being told over and over again in the book of Acts is the importance of the Holy Spirit in the lives of believers if the work of God is going to be done through their lives. The first time that the Holy Spirit was manifest in this way was on the day of Pentecost. As we study the epistles we see that now every believer has the Holy Spirit. When we believed on Jesus, the Holy Spirit entered into us along with Jesus. The Holy Spirit has given to every believer one or more gifts of the spirit to be used to glorify the name of Christ. If we live a life of turning from our sins, and if we walk in fellowship with the Lord because of finding daily cleansing from sin, we can be led by the Spirit and empowered by the Spirit to do His will. Do not quench the Spirit, and do not grieve the Spirit because you need the Spirit to serve God and Christ.

The early Christians in the city of Jerusalem turned from their sins and purged their membership of those who were living in sin. The result in their case was that the Holy Spirit, with an emphasis on the word “holy,” filled them and led them and empowered them. Every believer will have the same Spirit, but not necessarily the same results. One of the reasons that so many people were saved in Jerusalem is because their hearts had been prepared ahead of time. This was the time of reaping the harvest of souls because there had already been a time of planting and sowing of the seed. Some believers will plant the seed by the Holy Spirit and others will reap the harvest by the same Holy Spirit. As Paul said in First Corinthians 3:6, “I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase.”

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