When I was younger, I was notorious for lying to get things that I wanted. My reasoning was that it was ok as long as no one got hurt. Lies can be very harmful and one day God will confront us about it. In Acts chapter 5 we read about a husband and wife who were confronted by God sooner rather than later. Ananias and Sapphira sold their land and gave the proceeds to the apostles to disperse to anyone who was in need. Unfortunately, they lied about the amount it was sold for and kept some of the money from the sale. What would compel them to do such a thing? Maybe they thought it was a small matter. For sure they thought they could get away with it. Because they were lying to God, He confronted them in a very serious way. Make no mistake about it; lying, however small it may be is sin, and the bible is very clear that the wages of sin is death. Galatians 6:7 says do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows this he will also reap. The good news is that while we were yet sinners Christ died for us. Only Jesus has the power to forgive our sins and only He can give us the ability to overcome sin. I believe Ananias was deceiving himself by wanting to be part of the group but not counting the cost of what it meant to be a follower of Christ. To everyone on the outside he might have seemed to be religious with his commitment, but God saw right through him. We only deceive ourselves if we think that God does not care about everything we do. As believers we should be committed to God with every part of our life especially our private life. The things we do when we're alone can be very revealing about our commitment to God. I don't know about you but I want my private life to be a public testimony. Have you counted the cost of what it means to be a follower of Christ? Are you honoring God in every area of your life?

Acts 5:3 But Peter said, Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and to keep back some of the price of the land?