3 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? 4 Didn’t it belong to you before it was sold? And after it was sold, wasn’t the money at your disposal? What made you think of doing such a thing? You have not lied just to human beings but to God.”

5 When Ananias heard this, he fell down and died. And great fear seized all who heard what had happened. 6 Then some young men came forward, wrapped up his body, and carried him out and buried him. Acts 5:3-5

The Lord had revealed Ananias’ deception to Peter. The early Disciples were in a period of great revelation and growth. With that kind of revelation came great responsibility (and rewards). Presumably, Ananias and Sapphira knew better than to lie. In fact, they colluded in holding back a part of their proceeds. But Peter pointed out that they didn’t just lie to him, but they lied to God.

Does this mean that if we lie as Believers, God will strike us down? If that were the case, we’d be thinned out pretty quickly. But we shouldn’t take lying and deception lightly either. Throughout the Old and New Testaments, God admonishes us to refrain from lying. It’s even one of the Ten Commandments: “Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor.”

God’s grace, though, is sufficient for us.

Choose your words carefully when talking to others and about others. We get into trouble when we blurt out things that shouldn’t be said or tell that little “white lie” just to make ourselves seem better than we are.