WITHHOLDING

The story of Ananias and Sapphira in Acts of the Apostles 5 is an account of a man and wife who sold some property and decided to withhold some of the profits for themselves after committing it to the Lord. Peter, an apostle, told them that Satan had influenced them to “lie to the Holy Spirit” and by doing this they had “not had lied to men, but to God.” (5:3-4)

Jesus said, “Where your heart is your treasure will be also.” However much of our heart we withhold from the Lord is the same amount of gifts and money we will withhold. If we hold back a little or quite a little…or a whole amount…just in case…we are displaying our heart. The issue is not being honest with what God has given us.

If we hold back money we hold back heart. If we hold back heart we hold back money. If I lie about my heart I will lie about my money…and if I lie about my money I will lie about my heart. That’s just the way it is and always has been. Or, we can use the Ananias and Sapphria method. That is not a good ending. They had dropped dead in their hearts before they dropped dead before Peter.

It is an issue of “holding back” or withholding. Not believing that the Lord wants all that we are and all that we have and that we can trust him with it. If we say, ‘It has nothing to do with my money…’ or ‘it has nothing to do with my heart…’ we are stuck in deception either way. The option is death. All kinds of death…including death to our money.

It is like Abraham not withholding anything with Isaac, or the Father with Jesus contrasted with the Rich Young Ruler.

“If you want to be perfect, go and sell everything you have and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.” But when the young man heard this, he went away sadly, for he was very rich.” Jesus