27th Mar 26 | 16:08
Studies by Book
01 Acts 05 01-11 THE FEAR OF GOD IN HIS CHURCH 16 Acts 05 07-10 Righteousness of God in Christ
📖 Acts 05:01-11
16 – 01Apr2023 – *Righteousness of God in Christ* - _Acts 05:01-11_ - THE FEAR OF GOD IN HIS CHURCH - Bible reading: _Romans 10:01-04_
“Lord Jesus, we surrender to You. Lord give us Your righteousness and in Your enablement let us be pleasing to You. In Your name, we pray. Amen.”
_Acts 5:7-10 Now it was about three hours later when his wife came in, not knowing what had happened. (8) And *Peter answered her, "Tell me whether you sold the land for so much?" She said, "Yes, for so much."* (9) Then Peter said to her, "How is it that you have agreed together to test the Spirit of the Lord? Look, the feet of those who have buried your husband are at the door, and they will carry you out." (10) Then immediately she fell down at his feet and breathed her last. And the young men came in and found her dead, and carrying her out, buried her by her husband._
For the Jews, it was difficult to understand that righteousness before God is by faith in Christ and not by human effort. This was why *Ananias and Sapphira fell into this sin of doing an activity before people thinking that they could earn the righteousness of God*.
Apostle Paul longed for His people, the Jews, to come to God by faith in Jesus. The Jews were fundamentally against ‘this way’ of faith in Jesus.
This is why the Jews, including Paul, persecuted the Christians, which they are still doing.
_Romans 10:1-4 Brethren, my heart's desire and prayer to God for Israel is that they may be saved. (2) For I bear them witness that they have a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge. (3) For *they being ignorant of God's righteousness, and seeking to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted to the righteousness of God. (4) For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes.*_
This was the same longing that Peter had as he confronted Sapphira. She could have repented and sought the Lord for His righteousness by faith but she, foolishly, continued on in the ways of deception and met with a tragic end.
*What is the reason that prevents people from coming to God by faith in Jesus?*
It is a matter of the ‘self’. The self in us seeks to be right before God through our own effort. We must realise that by the flesh or the self, no one can please God. *_Romans 8:7-8 Because the carnal mind is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, nor indeed can be. (8) So then, those who are in the flesh cannot please God._*
*What is the difficulty with the self or the flesh?*
*_Romans 7:18 For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh) nothing good dwells; for to will is present with me, but how to perform what is good I do not find._* There is the law of sin and death in our flesh that prevents us from pleasing God by our own effort, however sincere we may be. *_Romans 7:23-24 But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members. (24) O wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death?_*
This is man’s terrible predicament. Man is zealously trying, through various means, to please God. Religiosity is one way by which man seeks to please God. In doing so man becomes more arrogant and self-righteous.
Jesus came to give man the solution to please God. He died for us so that we should no longer live for ourselves. *_II Corinthians 5:15 and He died for all, that those who live should live no longer for themselves, but for Him who died for them and rose again._*
When we come to Jesus by faith, we are crucified with Him. We no longer live, but Christ lives from within us. Our life is now a faith life in Christ for we are able to please God by the righteousness of Jesus. *_Galatians 2:20 I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me._*
Our life is hidden in Christ. *_Colossians 3:3 For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God._*
This was the experience that Ananias and Sapphira had not come into. They were in the church but they had not received the gospel.
What is the gospel message? *_I Corinthians 15:3-4 For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, (4) and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures,_*
To receive the gospel, we must die with Christ, be buried with Him and we must rise into a new life in Christ.
There are many in the church, who have not received the gospel. They are still trying to please God, like Ananias and Sapphira by their own effort. We must come to the gospel by dying with Christ, by faith, buried with Him, by faith, and rise with Christ, by faith.
```Will we learn from the incident of Ananias and Sapphira?```