WHO ARE YOU… REALLY…
WHO YOU ARE… REALLY…
Why is it that you have contrived this deed in your heart? You have not lied to men but to God. —Acts 5:4
But Peter and the apostles answered, “We must obey God rather than men… And we are witnesses to these things, and so is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who obey him…” Then they left the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer dishonor for the name. —Acts 5:29, 32, 42
I lift up my eyes to the hills. From where does my help come? My help comes from the LORD, who made heaven and earth. —Psalm 121:1-2
Ananias and Sapphira made it look like they were being very generous, faithful, obedient and loving. But they were lying and disobedient. They made it look they were something they were not. Peter said that they were actually lying to God when they kept back some of the money for themselves when communicating that they had given all the proceeds of the land sale to the Apostles for distribution among the needy. Ananias and his wife, Sapphira, conspired to lie together… against God! Their dishonesty and disobedience cost them their lives! God judged them on the spot!
Peter and the apostles were committed to be honest and obedient— “We must obey God rather than men.” It is in obedience that God’s Holy Spirit’s power is unleashed and unless we are being obedient to God we will not see the power of His Holy Spirit working in and through us. As we serve Him His Holy Spirit so works in a person’s life that even when they are persecuted for His Name’s sake they can rejoice!
Does this describe you? Are you living honestly before God? Or, are you living a dualistic life by appearing to be something or do something in obedience and honesty, but instead you are being deceptive and dishonest? That is a very dangerous place to be! Does not God know what you are doing? Are you putting God to the test? If you are in this situation you had better repent before God takes action!
Our help comes from the Lord, but we need to be co-workers with Him and be faithfully obedient to His desires. We are not to be liars, complainers, dividers, unloving, selfish, prideful… and the list goes on. We are living in an era, it appears more that other eras, where people are so selfish and self-centered. It is more about what a person wants rather than what God wants. This has seeped into the lives of those professing Jesus as well. Check your life out and see how honest you are being to God in the basic disciplines in the Christian life: time in prayer and in His Word (building relationship with God), time spent being a witness/disciple (building relationship with other who have believed and the lost), giving of resources (generosity), spending time with the needy (compassion), spending time with other believers (fellowship)… worship (offering our whole life to God and not just a compartment—Romans 12:1-2)… Are we truly living for Jesus or putting on a front in compartments of our lives? God knows…
Dear Father may I be faithful with the gifts, talents and resources that You have given me. Yes, may this be so by the power of Your Holy Spirit and in the authority of Jesus. Oh, that it would be so! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_eQd3K2Fxp4