"And Ananias hearing these words fell down, and gave up the ghost: and great fear came on all them that heard these things." Acts 5: 5 KJV
The story in Acts 5 was as a result of people living from a common purse, helping each other grow and looking out for each other. But Ananias and Sapphira his wife, decided to also add to the common purse but held back part and told a lie. They pretended to do good not knowing that we cannot pretend before the Spirit of God. "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction." Prov 1:7 KJV
Most of the problems that we have today; the sudden deaths, the lacks, poverty, is as a result of 2 things.
- We do not fear God sufficiently
- We lack wisdom
In the story we read in Acts 5, we see that the fear of God was lacking. They had no respect for God and so lied and decidedly mocked the holy spirit of God. They willingly lied. The property they sold was theirs and no one would have faulted them if they didn't want to share the proceeds from the sale with the brethren. This tells us that God sees our hearts and the intentions therein.
To live in peace with man and to weather the storms of life, there is the need to fear God (have respect for God, have reverence for Him). This respect (a feeling of deep admiration for someone or something elicited by their abilities, qualities, or achievements) puts us in a place of deeper wisdom and knowledge of life in Christ. To live a life that reflects Christ what we need first is the fear of God and this fear (respect) gives birth to knowledge.
A man who does not fear God would find it easy to live in sin. A life that does not have respect for God would not seek to please Him. As Christians (believers) we are not serious as believers and hence we are have difficulties enjoying the benefits and dividends of Christianity. If your desire is to be a Christian, be a Christian. If your desire is to enjoy life and its material things, then by all means enjoy life.
Simply because judgement doesn't come swiftly does not mean God is not seeing and hearing. But His grace through Christ Jesus gives us the second and many other second chances. God gives us a long rope and we take it for granted, thinking God does not know. This is a lack of fear for God exhibited by man.
If we look around we would see challenges and problems all around us. We see people in need of help or in need of a way out. One of the ways by which believers show their lack of fear of God (disrespect for God) is taking part in sexual promiscuity (immorality). The resultant effects of this level of disrespect for God opens doors to sorrows and pain; it results in challenges that we otherwise should not have experienced.
The disrespect for God through sexual immorality leads to:
- The person looses his/her place in destiny Gen 35: 22; 49: 4. Reuben lost his place among the children of Israel because of the act of sexual impurity
- Major family conflicts would arise
- Confusion and crisis in the family Gen 16: 3; Prov 6:33
- Unwanted pregnancy and strange children Gen 19
- Spiritual covenant. Every act of sex is an act covenant with an authority over the sexual partner
- It leads to abortions that limits progress and causes death Gen 4: 8
The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge. "Start with God—the first step in learning is bowing down to God; only fools thumb their noses at such wisdom and learning." Prov. 1: 7 MSG We must be willing to bow down to God, surrender to Him and giving Him the respect that he deserves. A respect for God would lead to that respect for our body and the respect for our future. It would automatically move us to separate us from anything that brings dishonour to Him that we respect and bow to.
