The Danger of Lying to Someone in the Church

Most of us are familiar with the story early in Acts of Ananias and Sapphira who died because they lied to Peter.

"But a certain man named Ananias, with Sapphira his wife, sold a possession. And he kept back part of the proceeds, his wife also being aware of it, and brought a certain part and laid it at the apostles' feet. But Peter said, 'Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and keep back part of the price of the land for yourself? While it remained, was it not your own? And after it was sold, was it not in your own control? Why have you conceived this thing in your heart? You have not lied to men but to God.' Then Ananias, hearing these words, fell down and breathed his last....Now it was about three hours later when his wife came in, not knowing what had happened. And Peter answered her, 'Tell me whether you sold the land for so much?' She said, 'Yes, for so much.' Then Peter said to her, 'How is it that you have agreed together to test the Spirit of the Lord? Look, the feet of those who have buried your husband are at the door, and they will carry you out.' Then immediately she fell down at his feet and breathed her last...." (Acts 5:1-10).

I have heard this passage referred to by a minister who said that this demonstrated how serious a sin it is in God's sight to lie to a minister.  But is that what this passage says?  Certainly it is a serious sin to lie to a minister.  But if that is all we get out of this, I think we are missing something.

What did Peter say?  He did not say, you have lied to an apostle.  He did not say, you have lied to a minister.  He did not emphasize those aspects of the sin.  He said, you have lied to the Holy Spirit.  Why did Ananias lie to the Holy Spirit?  Because he lied to Peter who had the Holy Spirit dwelling in him.  That is what Peter emphasized.  He lied to someone having the Holy Spirit, and in doing so, he lied to the Holy Spirit and he lied to God.

So according to the way Peter worded it, the seriousness of the sin did not necessarily come from lying to an apostle or to a minister but lying to someone with the Holy Spirit, in other words, lying to a converted Church member.

So it can be potentially just as serious for a minister to lie to a member, or many members if he lies to a whole congregation or Church fellowship, as it is for a member to lie to a minister.

How serious?  God killed Ananias and Sapphira because of their lie.  God killed them because they lied to a converted Church member, someone with the Holy Spirit, and by so doing they were lying to God.  They lied to Peter.

No doubt this sin was made more serious because Peter was an apostle, but that is not the aspect that God emphasizes.

God shows the seriousness of the sin by the example he made of Ananias and Sapphira.  God killed them.

Any minister can make a mistake.  An honest mistake is not a lie.  But it is very serious, and dangerous, for a minister or Church leader to deliberately and knowingly twist scriptures from their intended meaning or tell a lie to his Church fellowship, to a congregation, or to a Church member.  When he is doing this, he is lying to God.  When he lies to converted Christians who have the Holy Spirit in them, he is lying to the Holy Spirit and he is lying to God.  He is committing the same sin as Ananias and Sapphira.

God gives us this passage as an example, to warn us.  This is a warning to ministers and members alike.  If you lie to a converted Church member, you are lying to the Holy Spirit and you are lying to God.

"Do not lie to one another, since you have put off the old man with his deeds" (Colossians 3:9).

"You are of your father the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it" (John 8:44).

"But the cowardly, unbelieving, abominable, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death" (Revelation 21:8).

God is reproducing Himself in us, and we are to become like God in character.  And God cannot lie (Titus 1:2, Hebrews 6:18).

I have previously written that if we lie to anyone, not just a Church member, God can bring our ways on our own heads by taking the truth away from us and allowing Satan to deceive us.  We can go into the great tribulation as a result and only wake up when it is too late.

But it is especially serious to lie to other members in the Church of God.

Let us practice the way of truth.  Let us not lie.  Let us put on the character of Christ and God the Father who cannot lie.