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Just as the church began to grow after its beginning, some people started a trend of selling their property and giving the money to the apostles to help the needy ones. A couple called Ananias and Sapphira also sold some property and gave a portion of its proceeds. But they chose to pretend as if they too had given the complete value, just like the others. But they got exposed by the Holy Spirit and fell dead before the apostle Peter. When the people heard about it, it produced a great fear of God in their heart (Ac.5:11). Outsiders began to fear to join the church (v.13)!

Such things have hardly happened afterwards. It is not that God changed His mind, or that He doesn't mind sin so much now as to punish it drastically like that. He gave us one example, and now He is giving us the opportunity to learn from that lesson to be careful in our life to fear Him and to deal with our sins with the fear of God.

But what seems to be happening is that people are only preaching about the grace of God, and not also about His righteousness and justice. As a result, people even inside the church think that it is not very serious to sin because God will simply forgive. Also, they think that God won't deal with them as He did with Ananias and Sapphira.

Suddenly, that seems to have changed. People with great name and recognition for Christian work are being exposed for their secret sinful lives, and overnight they lose their ministry, empire, livelihood and reputation. Suddenly, others have begun to fear, wondering when it will be their turn!

Even the hidden motives of men's hearts will be exposed one day when Jesus comes (1Co.4:5). All that people have tried to hide from others and everything they have pretended to be will be exposed (Mk.4:22). This is inevitable when Jesus comes at the end of this age. But what we see is Jesus giving us an advance warning now to wake us up from spiritual sleep and teach us the fear of God, before the final judgment comes.

If we will judge ourselves now, God will save us from the judgment to come (1Co.11:31). God wants us to stop sinning (1Jn.2:1), but if we fall, there is forgiveness and cleansing if we confess it honestly and sincerely. But if we hide it (even from God) and carry on with an external life of 'ministry', God promises us that He Himself will expose us, if not today, at least on the final day of judgment.

God does things in such a way that He does not bring judgment on us suddenly. He loves us dearly, and what He wants is not to destroy us but that we should repent and turn back to Him (2Pe.3:9). So, He gives us warnings in different ways, in an increasingly stronger manner if we still do not pay attention. It is only when we keep ignoring His warnings and keep on going after our own interests that He exposes us openly. But even then, as long as we are alive, He still gives us that final opportunity to repent, before the final judgment falls on us (Pr.29:1).

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