There was also a man named Ananias who with his wife, Sapphira, sold some property. He brought part of the money to the apostles, but he claimed it was the full amount. His wife agreed to this deception. (Acts 5:1-2).
God is intimately familiar with who we are as David said, for he himself knows our frame; He is mindful that we are but dust. (Psalm 103;14). Why then do we foolishly pretend to be someone we are not? Why do we try so hard to convince others that we are spiritual when we know in our hearts that we miss the mark? The Bible calls it hyprocrisy!
Ananias and Sapphira were guilty of being hypocrites. They saw Barnabas being praised and elevated for his generous gift of money to the church, and saw it as a way for them to gain spiritual status. So they contrived a scheme to sell a piece of land and give all the money to the church, but held back part of the price for themselves. This was their way of crashing the party. Their deceit, however, did not work because the crashers were exposed. Then Peter said, Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and to keep back some of the price of the land? No getting around it, their deception has been discovered and they are about to pay the price for their sin. The Bible says, And as he heard these words, Ananias fell down and breathed his last; and great fear came over all who heard of it. (Acts 5:3). The crashers were removed from the assembly and their names stricken from the roll.
How many times have I been guilty of hypocrisy? When I point my finger of judgment at a brother or sister in Christ, am I not being a hypocrite? When I sit in judgment upon our fallen society, but partake of its pleasures, am I not being a hypocrite?
Are you pretending to be someone you are not? Beware of hypocrisy! It is deceptive and insidious. Satan loves pretense -- guard against it. Make every effort to be real.
Thought for the Day: God loves a real person; not a pretender.
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