Insightful Musings on the Scriptures
by
Raymond P. Sparre
Northwest University class of '67
Greetings, dear people.
I just had Thano start the truck. After sending this, he’ll join me in running off to that sawmill job again. Earlier, Becki and I pulled off a walk/jog excursion.
We’re off. You’re probably already off with your day. I guess we’ll just be OFF together. The good thing is that while we’re OFF, we can also be RIGHT ON. (Smile.)
Love, Dad/Ray.
If this story of Ananias and Sapphira is true and accurate, I have to believe that some very important practical theology is being implicitly presented. To begin with, imagine being able to dialogue with Ananias before his demise. I’m reasonably sure he would have confidently claimed to be a born-again full-Gospel Spirit-filled believer. Yet Peter, apparently Spirit-inspired with a special gift of discernment, nails him, identifying a serious form of heart-level corruption that Ananias obviously figured no one could possibly know about. In no uncertain terms, right there in the middle of that big sensational revival, Peter declares that Ananias has allowed himself to be filled with something very different than the Holy Spirit—something about as opposite as can be imagined—filled with Satan. Suddenly the whole party-like atmosphere turned serious and somber.
That leads to another implicit point: Satan goes to church! Yup! He’s a real faithful church-goer. But he doesn’t enter on his own just to see if he can stir up trouble. He enters because certain individuals unwittingly haul him into the fellowship by means of their heart-level resistance to seeking first and foremost God’s Kingdom rule—by their shortage of resolve and devotion to maintain a HEART AFTER GOD.
Allow me to draw attention to another related point by raising this question: Insofar as living to please God and making heaven your eternal home, who or what is your greatest enemy? I suppose many would impulsively answer, “Satan, of course.” But I would suggest another answer: YOUR GREATEST ENEMY IS NOT SATAN, BUT YOUR OWN DIRTY HEART—your own internal mindset that is anything less than a HEART AFTER GOD. That is what makes you vulnerable. I’m convinced that Satan has no substantial access to a HEART AFTER GOD—there are no handles there to grab and manipulate—no unguarded areas. And even in the event of a failure due to some momentary carelessness, it’s not substantial or permanent. Consider Psalm 37:23-24: “If the Lord delights in a man's way (because he has chosen a HEART AFTER GOD), he makes his steps firm; though he stumble, he will not fall, for the Lord upholds him with his hand.”