27th Mar 26 | 16:08
Studies by Book
01 Acts 05 01-11 THE FEAR OF GOD IN HIS CHURCH 10 Acts 05 05-06 Living out the holiness of God
📖 Acts 05:01-11
10 – 26Mar2023 – *Living out the holiness of God* - _Acts 05:01-11_ - THE FEAR OF GOD IN HIS CHURCH - Bible reading: _Psalms 64:09-10_
“Lord Jesus, we have the responsibility here on earth to reveal Your holiness. We commit ourselves to Your hands. In Your name, we pray. Amen.”
*_Acts 5:5-6 Then Ananias, hearing these words, fell down and breathed his last. So great fear came upon all those who heard these things. (6) And the young men arose and wrapped him up, carried him out, and buried him._*
As Peter confronted Ananias, he was convicted and Ananias realised that he had sinned before a holy God. This realisation was so heavy on him that he fell down and breathed his last. This was the effect of the realisation of his sin before God.
We have come to a state, where we are not ashamed of our sins. We are casual and have no or very little understanding of the holiness of God. We have no fear of God before us.
It was the life of the church, where the holiness of God was experienced, that had this drastic effect on Ananias. People, within and outside of the church, were deeply conscious of the holiness of God in His church and people did not dare to join the church, nonchalantly. Yet, people were being added to His church, fearing God for His holiness.
_Acts 5:12-14 And through the hands of the apostles many signs and wonders were done among the people. And they were all with one accord in Solomon's Porch. (13) *Yet none of the rest dared join them, but the people esteemed them highly. (14) And believers were increasingly added to the Lord, multitudes of both men and women,*_
This is how we must be as His church.
We see a couple of examples of the holiness of God in the Old Testament. _Numbers 16:26-33 And he spoke to the congregation, saying, *"Depart now from the tents of these wicked men! Touch nothing of theirs, lest you be consumed in all their sins."* (27) So they got away from around the tents of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram; and Dathan and Abiram came out and stood at the door of their tents, with their wives, their sons, and their little children. (28) And Moses said: "By this you shall know that the LORD has sent me to do all these works, for I have not done them of my own will. (29) If these men die naturally like all men, or if they are visited by the common fate of all men, then the LORD has not sent me. (30) *But if the LORD creates a new thing, and the earth opens its mouth and swallows them up with all that belongs to them, and they go down alive into the pit, then you will understand that these men have rejected the LORD*." (31) Now it came to pass, as he finished speaking all these words, that *the ground split apart under them, (32) and the earth opened its mouth and swallowed them up, with their households and all the men with Korah, with all their goods. (33) So they and all those with them went down alive into the pit; the earth closed over them, and they perished from among the assembly*._
We also see the example of Nadab and Abihu. _Leviticus 10:1-3 Then Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, each took his censer and put fire in it, put incense on it, and *offered profane fire before the LORD, which He had not commanded them*. (2) So *fire went out from the LORD and devoured them, and they died before the LORD*. (3) And Moses said to Aaron, *"This is what the LORD spoke, saying: 'By those who come near Me I must be regarded as holy; And before all the people I must be glorified.' "* So Aaron held his peace._
*God must be regarded as holy, thus He will be glorified.* God who revealed Himself as holy in the OT, is the same God whom we worship. *_Hebrews 13:8 Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever._*
As messengers of God, we speak from His place and nature of holiness. This is why our words, will be like a fire which will devour those who go against God and against His ways. *_Jeremiah 5:14 Therefore thus says the LORD God of hosts: "Because you speak this word, Behold, I will make My words in your mouth fire, And this people wood, And it shall devour them._*
Paul, writing to the Corinthians, wanted to shield them from the frightening reproof that would fall on them, if he would be with them physically and address the sin in their lives. Paul is therefore preparing them so that they would repent of their sin, even before he comes. Paul was operating in the dimension that the discipline that he exercises would be for the growth of the church.
_II Corinthians 13:10 Therefore I write these things being absent, *lest being present I should use sharpness, according to the authority which the Lord has given me for edification and not for destruction*._
It is for His church to represent the holiness of God so that all men will fear God. *_Psalms 64:9-10 All men shall fear, And shall declare the work of God; For they shall wisely consider His doing. (10) The righteous shall be glad in the LORD, and trust in Him. And all the upright in heart shall glory._*
```As His church may we live out His holiness.```