Lies We Believe #12: It’s Not A Big Deal

“Why is it that you have contrived this deed in your heart? You have not lied to men but to God.”—Acts 5:4

One sin. It’s not a big deal. After all, it’s just one sin. But, how does God view just one sin? Are our sins a big deal in the sight of God? Out of all the sins that are committed in the world, by all of the 6 billion people, just one of our sins wouldn’t appear to register on God’s radar. But is that true? Many of us believe that our sins are minor for a variety of reasons. Either we believe that God only pays attention to the sins of the movers and shakers in society. Or, we compare ourselves with others who sin a great deal more than us, and rationalize our sin as significantly less than theirs, thus making us appear better than them. And there are some who go so far to believe that we are not that bad and God should be proud of us…right? Or it may mean that we consider our sins minor when placed on the scale of sin. But, is such a belief true? Does God care about one sin? And what about those who sin substantially more than us? Are we under as equal judgment as they are?

We are all sinners, by nature and by choice. However, most of us, while aware of the sins we commit, don’t think that one sin is that important in the sight of God. But, such a belief fails to consider God’s holiness, a holiness that will not tolerate the presence of sin. And the Fall of humanity originated with just one sin.

Consider another example of what one sin means. In today’s passage, we learn about a married couple in the early church: Ananias and Sapphira. They had sold some property and then gave a portion of the money to the church, while keeping a large portion for themselves. Normally, such a transaction wouldn’t seem so bad. But, in their case they had lied about the closing price and gave a certain amount that was considerably smaller than the portion that they had received. They wanted the esteem of the church publicly, but were greedy and idolaters inwardly.

Ananias was the first to present the money to the apostles, without his wife present, but right after presenting it, Peter replied to him, "Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and to keep back for yourself part of the proceeds of the land? Why is it that you have contrived this deed in your heart? You have not lied to men but to God.” And then, the shocking happened, “When Ananias heard these words, he fell down and breathed his last. And great fear came upon all who heard of it. The young men rose and wrapped him up and carried him out and buried him.”

Ananias fell dead because he lied to the Spirit of God. The young men came in, grabbed the body, went outside, dug a hole, and buried him. Three hours later, Sapphira, his wife showed up. And when asked what the price was she received for the real estate, she repeated the lie. Peter responded, "How is it that you have agreed together to test the Spirit of the Lord? Behold, the feet of those who have buried your husband are at the door, and they will carry you out." And then, just like her husband before her, she died.

Why were both Ananias and Sapphira killed? They died because they lied to God. They lied. They did not commit a murder or adultery. They simply lied. People lie every day. But, their lie brought about their direct and immediate death. Why? They did not just lie to any human, but to God Himself. Which begs the question, does God still operate this way? Does God still kill people in an instant? Sometimes. Sometimes a sin is so heinous in the sight of God that the individual committing the sin is instantly killed. But, most often, the person’s sin adds to their condemnation. Sin is so serious that it requires death, but it also requires punishment and the sins we commit add to our punishment in the next life. The great theologian, Jonathan Edwards, maintained that those suffering in eternity will beg to have simply one sin removed from their punishment to bring some semblance of relief.

Sin is serious. It is a big deal. It is such a big deal that for one sin, God the Father still would have sent His Son to die. But, we know all too well that we have committed considerably more sins than just one. And still the Son of God came to give His life to pay for our sins and His sacrifice was sufficient, it was enough in the sight of God.

May we rid ourselves of the notion that our sins are not a big deal and may we rest in the fact that Christ paid the price for not just one sin, but for ALL of our sins and He desires to impart His resurrection life to all who trust in Him. May we trust and rest in what He has done, knowing that it pays the price for our sins and leads us to a joyous eternity in His presence forevermore. Amen.