Friday 31, July 2026

We’re often very surprised when we are caught in our lies. But the truth is, we aren’t intended to be defined by deception. Rather, God desires us to be characterised by Truth. Truth that restores, redeems, and transforms. Moreover, from the very beginning, we see that deception produces death, spiritually and literally. Today’s Holy Nougat is our warning and reminder of what can happen when we lie to God.

Acts 5:5 CEVDCI

[5] As soon as Ananias heard this, he dropped dead, and everyone who heard about it was frightened.

Wages

Did you ever chant the saying, ‘Every whisperer is a liar’? I can’t remember all of it now, but one version we had said, ‘Every whisperer is a liar; every liar is a thief; every thief goes to jail …’. I believe that somehow we ended with either the grave or hell being the final consequence of whispering. We do know that all whisperers aren’t liars; nevertheless, the saying invites a moment’s pause as we bear in mind the potential consequences of our actions.

Is it that Ananias and Sapphira didn’t know God prior to Pentecost? For one common picture of God in the Hebrew canon is of a God Who instituted consequences for actions. Did they assume that God would be silent in the face of such blatant sin?

Self-Check

What goes through our minds when we sin so blatantly? Do we figure that we can repent later, so it’s okay?

Deeper Dive

Romans 6:23 puts it succinctly: the wages of sin is death. It echoes the warning given to the first human in Genesis 2:9 regarding eating the forbidden fruit. Even in Physics, Newton’s law states that every action has an equal and opposite reaction. Whether Ananias and Sapphira had intentionally decided to gamble with their lives or not, the gamble literally cost him everything. He was the exemplar for the others who might have thought of doing likewise.

It is as though the shock of being caught in his lie triggered a heart attack or stroke. Ananias died on the spot. We don’t know that he had the chance to repent. That’s the toughest part of his death. Death is inevitable, unless we’re blessed to be caught up in the rapture. What Ananias didn’t realise was that he didn’t have control over when death would visit.

And neither do we.

While we are alive, we can set the wages for our life. Especially as believers. We can determine to so live that the reward of integrity is our hallmark in the here and now, and Christ’s ‘Well done, good and faithful servant ‘ welcomes us home in Glory. That’s our call. Just as withholding funds was Ananias’.

Can a human rob God? Yes, one can.

Can we lie to God? We often do.

Do we get away with our lies? Not always immediately.

The Choice is ours. What shall we do?

Point to Ponder

The path is set before us, as it was before all who’ve gone ahead of us. We determine our wages based on our choice. Will we choose Life or Death? The Choice that leads to Death doesn’t always present as danger. Let’s invite God’s Spirit to guide our decision.

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May all we seek be found in Christ