{"id":16373,"date":"2026-04-18T17:56:54","date_gmt":"2026-04-18T22:56:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/somoscristianos.org\/?p=16373"},"modified":"2026-04-18T17:58:41","modified_gmt":"2026-04-18T22:58:41","slug":"when-lying-to-god-is-not-a-game-the-story-of-ananias-and-sapphira","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/somoscristianos.org\/en\/when-lying-to-god-is-not-a-game-the-story-of-ananias-and-sapphira\/","title":{"rendered":"When Lying to God Is Not a Game: The Story of Ananias and Sapphira."},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Stay with me for a moment\u2026 because this story isn\u2019t easy to hear, but it\u2019s necessary. Some parts of the Bible comfort us\u2026 and others confront us. This is one of those.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In the early days of the church, after the resurrection of Jesus, believers lived in remarkable unity. They followed the teaching of the apostles, including Peter, and there was a powerful spirit of generosity among them. No one claimed their possessions as their own\u2026 and many sold property to help others in need.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Among them were Ananias and Sapphira.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">They weren\u2019t outsiders. They were part of the community. They walked with the others, witnessed what God was doing\u2026 and decided to do something similar.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">They sold a piece of land.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But before bringing the money, they agreed on something between them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">They decided to keep part of it\u2026 and say they were giving everything.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This is where the real problem begins.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">It wasn\u2019t a sin to keep part of the money. No one forced them to give it all. They could have come to Peter and said, \u201cthis is what we want to give\u201d\u2026 and nothing would have happened.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The problem was the intention.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">They didn\u2019t just lie\u2026 they chose to build a spiritual image that wasn\u2019t real.<br>They wanted to be seen as the most generous, the most committed\u2026 when in reality they had held something back.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">And here is the key point:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">There was nothing wrong with keeping a portion.<br>What was wrong was wanting the recognition of having given everything\u2026 without actually doing it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">They wanted spiritual credit\u2026 without the real sacrifice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">And that\u2019s what makes this story so intense.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">When Ananias brought the money, the apostle Peter, led by the Holy Spirit, confronted him with very direct words:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cWhy has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit\u2026? You have not lied to men but to God.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">And in that moment\u2026 Ananias fell down and died.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Hours later, Sapphira came in, not knowing what had happened. Peter asked her directly if that was the full price of the land.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">She confirmed the lie.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">And the same thing happened\u2026 she fell down and died.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Bible says that great fear came upon the whole church.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">And yes\u2026 this part shakes us.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Because we\u2019re not talking about just any mistake\u2026 we\u2019re seeing something serious: a deliberate lie, planned between two people, in the middle of a genuine move of God.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Now, if we think about it\u2026 God was not punishing a lack of money.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">He was confronting something much deeper:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Spiritual appearance.<br>Hypocrisy.<br>Pride.<br>Deliberate deception.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">They used something spiritual to build their personal image.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">And that\u2026 is still dangerous today.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Because maybe we don\u2019t do exactly the same thing\u2026 but we get close.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">When we pretend to have a spiritual life we\u2019re not actually living.<br>When we speak about faith\u2026 but live full of fear.<br>When we give\u2026 but expect recognition.<br>When we serve\u2026 but seek applause.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This is not about perfection. It\u2019s about truth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">God is not looking for people who impress Him\u2026 He\u2019s looking for hearts that are sincere.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Now, there are questions we can\u2019t ignore\u2026 questions that are rarely explained.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Was it necessary for them to die?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">From a human perspective, it may not seem so. We might think it would have been enough to correct them, discipline them, or even remove them from the community.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But this was not a human decision.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This was not Peter punishing them. It was a direct act of God.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">And we have to understand the moment: the church was just beginning. It was the foundation. Like building a structure\u2014if the base is compromised from the start, everything else becomes unstable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">God was not just reacting to a lie\u2026 He was establishing a standard:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This is holy. This is not for appearances.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">What about the forgiveness Jesus taught?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Yes, Jesus taught forgiveness\u2026 but forgiveness always walks hand in hand with truth and repentance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Here, there was no repentance.<br>There was a conscious lie\u2026 sustained\u2026 in a spiritual context.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This was not weakness. This was deliberate hypocrisy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">That doesn\u2019t cancel God\u2019s forgiveness\u2026 but it shows us that we cannot use spiritual things to deceive.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Now comes the harder question:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Why do people lie today\u2026 and nothing happens?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">And we have to be very clear.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Something does happen\u2026 just not always immediately or visibly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Today, we live in a time where God is showing patience. He is giving people the opportunity to turn back to Him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But that doesn\u2019t mean lies have no consequences.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Lies still damage:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">They harden the heart.<br>They destroy inner peace.<br>They distance us from God.<br>They break relationships.<br>And sooner or later, everything comes to light.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The difference is that now, there is not always an immediate judgment like in this story.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But that doesn\u2019t mean God has changed\u2026 it means He is being merciful.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">And if we\u2019re honest\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">If God dealt with every lie today the same way He dealt with Ananias and Sapphira\u2026<br>no one would be standing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">No one.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">That\u2019s why this story is not meant to make us live in fear\u2026<br>but to value the grace we have today.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">And at the same time\u2026 not take it for granted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Because there is a very common mistake:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Thinking that because \u201cnothing happens,\u201d then \u201cit\u2019s not that serious.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But it is serious.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">God is simply being patient.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Let me leave you with this reflection\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Maybe today you\u2019re not lying about money\u2026 but is there something in your life where you\u2019re pretending? Is there a version of yourself you show others\u2026 that doesn\u2019t match who you truly are before God?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">God is not asking you to pretend.<br>He\u2019s asking you to be real.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">I invite you to join me in this prayer\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Lord, today I recognize that many times I\u2019ve wanted to look good before others more than being honest before You. Forgive me if I\u2019ve built an image that doesn\u2019t reflect my reality. Remove from me all pride, all pretense, and all hypocrisy. Teach me to live a real, sincere faith without masks. I don\u2019t want to impress You\u2026 I want to please You. Give me a humble, honest, and transparent heart before You. Amen.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">At Somos Cristianos, connecting hearts with Christ.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The story of Ananias and Sapphira is more than a warning\u2026 it\u2019s a call to live a genuine faith. They didn\u2019t fall because they kept part of the money, but because they pretended to be something they were not. In a world where many show a perfect spiritual image on the outside, this reflection invites us to ask an uncomfortable but necessary question: are we truly honest before God\u2026 or just protecting an image?<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":8,"featured_media":16371,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"episode_type":"audio","audio_file":"","podmotor_file_id":"","podmotor_episode_id":"","cover_image":"","cover_image_id":"","duration":"","filesize":"","filesize_raw":"","date_recorded":"","explicit":"","block":"","itunes_episode_number":"","itunes_title":"","itunes_season_number":"","itunes_episode_type":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[2820,2842,2837],"tags":[2979,2832,3464,3246,4115,4266,3468,3242,3345,2959,4265,2834,3719,3023,2988],"series":[3039],"class_list":["post-16373","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-christian-growth","category-featured_en","category-stories-that-teach","tag-bible","tag-christian-reflection","tag-christians","tag-church","tag-devotional","tag-faith-message","tag-god","tag-holy-spirit","tag-integrity","tag-jesus-christ","tag-sincerity","tag-somos-cristianos","tag-spiritual-life","tag-true-faith","tag-word-of-god","series-somos-cristianos-reflexiones-diarias"],"episode_featured_image":"https:\/\/somoscristianos.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/la-historia-de-Ananias-y-Safira.jpg","episode_player_image":"https:\/\/somoscristianos.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/logo-sc_red_original160px.png","download_link":"","player_link":"","audio_player":false,"episode_data":{"playerMode":"light","subscribeUrls":{"amazon":{"key":"amazon","url":"https:\/\/podcasters.amazon.com\/podcasts\/6e73db97-3f04-408e-9d35-fd4e33aab386","label":"Amazon","class":"amazon","icon":"amazon.png"},"apple_podcasts":{"key":"apple_podcasts","url":"https:\/\/podcastsconnect.apple.com\/my-podcasts\/show\/somos-cristianos-%E2%80%93-reflexiones-diarias-de-fe-y-vida\/974e0a64-92cf-4487-a0f4-ab30643d6813\/episodes","label":"Apple Podcasts","class":"apple_podcasts","icon":"apple-podcasts.png"},"deezer":{"key":"deezer","url":"https:\/\/www.deezer.com\/us\/show\/1002657781","label":"Deezer","class":"deezer","icon":"deezer.png"},"google_podcasts":{"key":"google_podcasts","url":"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/@SomosCristianos77\/podcasts","label":"Google Podcasts","class":"google_podcasts","icon":"google-podcasts.png"},"pandora":{"key":"pandora","url":"https:\/\/www.pandora.com\/podcast\/somos-cristianos-reflexiones-diarias-de-fe-y-vida\/PC:1001113906","label":"Pandora","class":"pandora","icon":"pandora.png"},"pocketcasts":{"key":"pocketcasts","url":"","label":"PocketCasts","class":"pocketcasts","icon":"pocketcasts.png"},"podcast_addict":{"key":"podcast_addict","url":"","label":"Podcast Addict","class":"podcast_addict","icon":"podcast-addict.png"},"podcast_de":{"key":"podcast_de","url":"","label":"Podcast.de","class":"podcast_de","icon":"podcast-de.png"},"spotify":{"key":"spotify","url":"https:\/\/open.spotify.com\/show\/2giZxrAdrZZwxeClZoNFoV","label":"Spotify","class":"spotify","icon":"spotify.png"},"stitcher":{"key":"stitcher","url":"https:\/\/www.stitcher.com\/show\/1113906","label":"Stitcher","class":"stitcher","icon":"stitcher.png"},"tunein":{"key":"tunein","url":"","label":"TuneIn","class":"tunein","icon":"tunein.png"},"yandex":{"key":"yandex","url":"","label":"Yandex","class":"yandex","icon":"yandex.png"},"youtube":{"key":"youtube","url":"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/@SomosCristianos77\/podcasts","label":"YouTube","class":"youtube","icon":"youtube.png"},"iheartradio":{"key":"iheartradio","url":"","label":"iHeartRadio","class":"iheartradio","icon":"iheartradio.png"},"ivoox":{"key":"ivoox","url":"https:\/\/www.ivoox.com\/podcast-somoscristianos-org_sq_f13111753_1.html","label":"iVoox","class":"ivoox","icon":"ivoox.png"}},"rssFeedUrl":"https:\/\/somoscristianos.org\/en\/feed\/podcast\/somos-cristianos-reflexiones-diarias","embedCode":"<blockquote class=\"wp-embedded-content\" data-secret=\"8PlWeT0DaW\"><a href=\"https:\/\/somoscristianos.org\/en\/when-lying-to-god-is-not-a-game-the-story-of-ananias-and-sapphira\/\">When Lying to God Is Not a Game: The Story of Ananias and Sapphira.<\/a><\/blockquote><iframe sandbox=\"allow-scripts\" security=\"restricted\" src=\"https:\/\/somoscristianos.org\/en\/when-lying-to-god-is-not-a-game-the-story-of-ananias-and-sapphira\/embed\/#?secret=8PlWeT0DaW\" width=\"500\" height=\"350\" title=\"&#8220;When Lying to God Is Not a Game: The Story of Ananias and Sapphira.&#8221; &#8212; SomosCristianos.org\" data-secret=\"8PlWeT0DaW\" frameborder=\"0\" marginwidth=\"0\" marginheight=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\" class=\"wp-embedded-content\"><\/iframe><script>\n\/*! 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