Now a man named Ananias, together with his wife Sapphira, also sold a piece of property. With his wife’s full knowledge he kept back part of the money for himself, but brought the rest and put it at the apostles’ feet. 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? 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.” When Ananias heard this, he fell down and died. And great fear seized all who heard what had happened. About three hours later his wife came in, not knowing what had happened. Peter asked her, “Tell me, is this the price you and Ananias got for the land?” “Yes,” she said, “that is the price.” Peter said to her, “How could you conspire to test the Spirit of the Lord? Listen! The feet of the men who buried your husband are at the door, and they will carry you out also.” At that moment she fell down at his feet and died. (Acts 5:1-11 NIV)
We love to talk about the goodness and mercy of God. We are comforted by the unwavering forgiveness of Jesus. The story of leaving the 99 to go after the one always draws applause. Preaching about love and compassion is sure to send everyone home in a good mood.
But a Sunday morning sermon about God’s wrath and judgement tends to be a little less popular. Holiness is rarely spoken of. Discussing hell is avoided. The focus is on the grace of God. After all, we don’t want anyone to feel condemned.
You, therefore, have no excuse, you who pass judgment on someone else, for at whatever point you judge another, you are condemning yourself, because you who pass judgment do the same things. Now we know that God’s judgment against those who do such things is based on truth. So when you, a mere human being, pass judgment on them and yet do the same things, do you think you will escape God’s judgment? Or do you show contempt for the riches of his kindness, forbearance and patience, not realizing that God’s kindness is intended to lead you to repentance? (Romans 2:1-4 NIV)
In order to correctly and accurately preach about the nature of God, you have to acknowledge all of His attributes. The Bible isn’t a buffet, where you pick out what looks best, and leave the rest. The Bible is a book of instruction, God’s will in print. All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right (2 Timothy 3:16 NLT)
We are in the church age, the time of God’s great grace. The time for judgement will come, but right now God is giving a window for people to be saved. The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead, he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance (2 Peter 3:9 NIV)
For the sake of not turning this article into a book, I’ll give a few quick points regarding the grace of God:
- Grace is not a licence to sin, it’s empowerment to live free from sin. (Romans 6:1-2, Titus 2:11-12, Romans 8:12-15)
- Yes, we are saved by faith, but we are called to live holy. (2 Corinthians 7:1, 1 Peter 1:15-16, 1 Thessalonians 4:7-8)
- Our salvation is secure, so long as we continue to live in obedience to God. (Hebrews 10:26-27, Galatians 5:16-21, 2 Peter 2:20-21)
The story I quoted off the top of this article is found in the New Testament. It takes place after Jesus left the earth. God takes sin very seriously. Any notion that punishment is an old testament concept should heed the lesson of Ananias and Sapphira. God hates sin, and we should hate what God hates. It’s no joke.
The book of Romans is an instruction manual on how to live free from sin. We are strengthened by the Spirit of God. On our own, we will always fail, which is why the law could make no one righteous, and we needed Jesus to stand in our place. Those who set their affections on the things of the spirit will naturally fulfil them, and will not commit sin.
See to it, brothers and sisters, that none of you has a sinful, unbelieving heart that turns away from the living God. But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called “Today,” so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness. We have come to share in Christ, if indeed we hold our original conviction firmly to the very end (Hebrews 3:12-14 NIV)
But you, dear friends, by building yourselves up in your most holy faith and praying in the Holy Spirit, keep yourselves in God’s love as you wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to bring you to eternal life. Be merciful to those who doubt; save others by snatching them from the fire; to others show mercy, mixed with fear hating even the clothing stained by corrupted flesh. (Jude 20-23 NIV)
When someone in the spotlight messes up, it always brings a great deal of attention. And it always leads to the discussion of how the church at large should handle the situation. Thankfully, we have guidance in the Scripture. We should always seek forgiveness, and restoration (James 5:16, Galatians 6:1).
When we repent, our sins are forgiven, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t earthly consequences. If someone commits a murder, and they ask God for forgiveness, He will forgive them, but they’ll still face jail time. If a husband cheats on his wife and then repents, God will forgive him, but it comes at a price. The wife may even choose to forgive, but the damage to the marriage and family often takes a long time to repair.
If anyone does not obey what we say in this letter, take note of that person, and have nothing to do with him, that he may be ashamed. Do not regard him as an enemy, but warn him as a brother. (2 Thessalonians 3:14-15 ESV).
That last verse is key. Just because we hold people accountable, doesn’t mean we ostracize them. But sin must be taken seriously, and sin carries consequences. “Extending grace” is merely a way to excuse unrighteousness. “Don’t judge, there’s no condemnation in Jesus.”
Yes, there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, but we have a responsibility to live holy. We are no longer condemned because we aren’t subject to the curse of the law. But if we’re living in disobedience, it’s a different story. And if you choose to be in the spotlight, you carry an even heavier responsibility to be an example.
Once you open the door to compromise in one area, the devil now has an entrance into your life. Do not take sin lightly. Do not take God’s mercy lightly. Trust me, I know this from experience. I have been restored from the mistakes I made, but I wasted a lot of time and missed out on a lot of opportunities.
We don’t aim to drag someone through the mud. We pray they find their way back to God, and that whatever they have permitted to take hold in their life will be broken. Not everyone can handle fame. You better be prepared for higher scrutiny. You might not like it, but it comes with the territory, and you know it full well before you choose to be in the public eye.
Be cautious with your life. Don’t take the anointing for granted. We love people, and we don’t want to kick them when they’re down. But sinful living cannot be affirmed. It has to be addressed. And there are consequences to our decisions. Restoration is always the goal, but excusing sin is never the answer.
Don’t be misled- you cannot mock the justice of God. You will always harvest what you plant. (Galatians 6:7 NLT)
