In the early days of the Christian faith, Barnabas’s genuine generosity was quickly followed by Ananias and Sapphira’s deceitful scheme. God did not strike this couple dead because of the amount of money they gave, but rather because of their deceptive motives. They lied to the Holy Spirit in an attempt to use the bride of Christ for personal image management and self-aggrandizement. God takes His church seriously, and our actions within it must stem from a pure desire to bring Him glory and bless His people, rather than to elevate ourselves.
Scripture: Acts: 5:1-11
