Are we in an hour when the church should take a look at our financial integrity?
In Acts 5, the early church faces a shocking event that forever alters its community: the deaths of Ananias and Sapphira. In the midst of growing persecution from the outside, Satan shifts his strategy to an even more dangerous attack from within. This story has profound implications for Christians today, especially concerning our approach to money, integrity and the heart behind our giving.
In a recent prophetic message, Jeremiah Johnson shared how the message of Acts 5 highlights the stark contrast between Barnabas and Ananias and Sapphira. “Barnabas sells his land and gives all the proceeds to the apostles,” but Ananias and Sapphira, “appear to do the same, but secretly withhold part of the money.” The key issue is not that they owned possessions, but their deception. “Their sin was not having land… their sin was in the fact that they made a vow or a promise to give it all and they did not.”
This moment serves as a dire warning for the church, especially when viewed through the lens of modern Christian life. Jeremiah Johnson emphasizes, “If Satan cannot attack the church from the outside, he will bring deception from the inside. Satan’s tactics have never changed. If he cannot destroy the church, he will corrupt it.”
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Financial integrity is crucial because “money is not evil, but the love of money is evil.” Jesus spoke often about money because it reveals the state of our hearts. Jeremiah Johnson points out that Ananias and Sapphira weren’t punished for their possessions but for their desire to appear more generous than they were, saying, “They had an agenda… a motive where they desired to appear more generous than they really were.”
This is a warning for modern Christians who might be tempted to give with a hidden agenda or fail to honor their financial commitments.
“God sees everything… our checkbooks, our bank accounts, our possessions.” Just as the early church feared God after this event, we too must reflect on our own financial practices. “I just want to be right with God,” Jeremiah Johnson prays, encouraging us to ask the Holy Spirit to reveal any areas of deception or unfulfilled vows.
In today’s world, where financial pressures and temptations abound, it is crucial to remember that our integrity in money reflects our integrity before God. The story of Ananias and Sapphira serves as a powerful reminder: God values our honesty, and our giving must align with a pure heart.
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Abby Trivett is content development editor for Charisma Media.
