You Have Lied to the Holy Spirit: Acts 5:1-11

Now a man named Ananias, together with his wife Sapphira, also sold a piece of property.

The early church shared radically. Barnabas had sold a field, laid the money at the apostles' feet. Others followed. Generosity marked the community. Ananias and Sapphira wanted to be seen as generous too.

With his wife's full knowledge he kept back part of the money for himself, but brought the rest and put it at the apostles' feet.

The scheme was simple. Sell the property. Keep some. Bring the rest. Claim it was all. Look as generous as Barnabas without the same cost. Sapphira knew. They agreed together.

Then Peter said, Ananias, how is it that Satan has so filled your heart that you have lied to the Holy Spirit and have kept for yourself some of the money you received for the land?

Peter knew. Not by investigation but by revelation. The Spirit who filled the church also exposed the lie. Satan filled your heart—the source identified. Lied to the Holy Spirit—the offense named. The sin wasn't keeping part. The sin was pretending.

Didn't it belong to you before it was sold? And after it was sold, wasn't the money at your disposal?

No one required the sale. No one demanded the gift. The property was his. The money was his. He could have given none, or some, or all. But he couldn't give some while claiming all.

What made you think of doing such a thing? You have not lied just to human beings but to God.

The real victim. Not the apostles deceived. Not the church cheated. God lied to. The Holy Spirit was God. Lying to the Spirit was lying to God himself.

When Ananias heard this, he fell down and died.

Immediate. No second chance. No opportunity to repent. He fell down and died. The judgment was swift and terminal.

And great fear seized all who heard what had happened.

Fear—the appropriate response. The God who healed the lame could also strike the liar. The Spirit who filled with joy also judged the fraudulent. The church was holy ground.

Then some young men came forward, wrapped up his body, and carried him out and buried him.

The young men acted. No funeral rites recorded. Wrapped. Carried. Buried. The body of the liar removed from the assembly.

About three hours later his wife came in, not knowing what had happened.

Three hours. Sapphira arrived, unaware. Where was her husband? Perhaps still being praised for their generosity?

Peter asked her, Tell me, is this the price you and Ananias got for the land?

A chance. A question. A moment to tell the truth. Peter gave her what Ananias didn't get—an opportunity to confess.

Yes, she said, that is the price.

She doubled down. The same lie. The same conspiracy. The same deception maintained.

Peter said to her, How could you conspire to test the Spirit of the Lord?

Conspire—agreed together. Test—put to the proof. Could the Spirit tell? Would he judge? They had tested and would now learn.

Listen! The feet of the men who buried your husband are at the door, and they will carry you out also.

The sentence pronounced. The young men returning. The burial team about to repeat their task.

At that moment she fell down at his feet and died.

Like her husband. At Peter's feet where the money was laid, her body fell. She had come expecting praise. She received judgment.

Then the young men came in and, finding her dead, carried her out and buried her beside her husband.

Buried together. Partners in life, partners in death, partners in judgment.

Great fear seized the whole church and all who heard about these events.

Great fear. Not just awe but genuine terror. The church learned early: the Spirit was not to be trifled with. Holiness mattered. Truth was required. The presence of God was not safe for pretenders.