Sunday 2, August 2026

It isn’t easy to be on the receiving end of God’s judgement. Not at all. In those moments, there can be a tendency to present God as being harsh and unreasonable. If death is the main consequence of sin, then we see Today’s Holy Nougat in a different light, right?

Acts 5:6, 9 CEVDCI

[6] Some young men came in and wrapped up his body. Then they took it out and buried it.

[9] Then Peter said, “Why did the two of you agree to test the Lord’s Spirit? The men who buried Ananias are by the door, and they will carry you out!”

Consequences

Siblings, all our actions in life come with consequences. Because of humanity’s sinful nature, there are times when we do right, yet there are negative consequences. But overall, good actions lead to positive rewards, and bad choices result in negative consequences. It ought not be surprising then that Sapphira was interred beside her husband.

Self-Check

What steps have we taken to safeguard ourselves from that kind of consequence?

Deeper Dive

On one level, Peter’s judgement sounds very harsh. Sapphira wasn’t aware of Ananias’ death. The very news may have had the effect of killing her. It is possible that if she had realised that her husband died as a result of the lie, and some men had buried her husband, she would have been right twice about her answer. Had she known the extent of the consequences of their sin, I am not sure that she would have lied to Peter.

Integrity costs, but failing to live with integrity is a short-term satisfaction. Thankfully, the consequences are less stringent these days, but we should not put God to the test. We might not enjoy what happens if we do. Peter’s reprimand to Sapphira (complete with a ‘death threat’) doesn’t sit well with some of us. But if he represented God’s verdict on Ananias and Sapphira – unwelcome as it seemed – then Peter’s verdict was fair. God desires a church that is totally ready to be God’s bride; are we prepared for that?

Point to Ponder

Not all consequences of our actions are negative. God desires to reward us positively for our actions in God’s name. Let’s choose the path of integrity always.

—

May all we seek be found in Christ