Scripture Reading: Acts 5:1-11

Ananias and Sapphira were a couple in the early church who sold a possession and gave part of the proceeds to the church, then lied about how much they made off of the transaction. Their sin wasn’t in giving less than the full amount; there was no requirement that they do so. But in saying they were giving it all when in fact they were giving only a portion, they were guilty of lying to the Holy Ghost. The sin was so grevious that they were struck dead on the spot.

Their story is a great illustration of why we should examine our motives in everything we do. Had their motives been pure, even though they weren’t giving everything, they would have seen no need to lie. But their underlying motive was not the noble intent to give to the work of God, but to be thought of as more generous than they were.

When we act out of improper motives, we are in essence lying to the Holy Ghost. As a child, I remember sitting a Sunday School class and hearing a teacher tell us the story of Ananias and Sapphira, warning us that though it is unlikely that God will strike us dead for lying to the Holy Ghost, He could if He wanted to! While such teaching seems out of place in our hypersensitive society, as you might imagine, it was one of the few Sunday School lessons that made a lifelong impact on me!

As a pastor for twenty-four years, I’ve worried about people who gave one excuse for why they didn’t attend church services when in fact they were missing for other reasons. They didn’t seem to realize that they weren’t lying to me; they were lying to the Holy Ghost.

What are your motives for what you do today? Is your worship to be seen? Is it to attract attention to yourself? Do you sing to be heard, or is it a sincere offering of praise to God? Everyone has motivating factors in his or her life. For some, it is to be wealthy. For others, it’s fame or power. Some work for a comfortable retirement. What is your driving force today? Why are you doing what you’re doing? What is your ultimate goal in life?