How can we ensure honesty in our financial dealings, as Acts 5:1 suggests? The warning of Acts 5:1–4 “Peter asked, ‘Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and keep back part of the proceeds from the land? … You have not lied to men, but to God.’” (Acts 5:3-4) • A sale was voluntary, the gift was voluntary, yet deceit over the amount brought instant judgment. • The issue was not percentage but pretense. Honesty in money matters is therefore a spiritual issue long before it is a bookkeeping issue. Why integrity with money matters • Proverbs 11:1 — “Dishonest scales are an abomination to the LORD.” • Luke 16:10 — “Whoever is faithful with very little will also be faithful with much.” • Romans 13:7 — “Pay everyone what you owe him.” God links financial honesty to worship, witness, and personal character. Heart checks that guard integrity • Submit motives to the Holy Spirit daily; deceit begins in the heart before it touches the wallet. • Cultivate contentment (1 Timothy 6:6-10); greed is the seed of dishonesty. • Remember that all we manage already belongs to God (Psalm 24:1); we are stewards, not owners. Practical habits for transparent finances • Keep thorough, accurate records; vagueness breeds compromise (Proverbs 27:23-24). • Establish open accountability—spouse, elder, or trusted friend reviews statements (Proverbs 27:17). • Give first, not last (2 Corinthians 9:6-8; Malachi 3:10); generosity loosens the grip of money. • Separate business and personal funds; clarity protects integrity (2 Corinthians 8:20-21). • Pay obligations on time; delayed payment can be functional dishonesty (Psalm 37:21). Living honesty out in community • Seek counsel before major financial moves (Proverbs 15:22). • Support fellow believers in need; love replaces temptation to hoard (Acts 4:34-35). • Model transparency so the church’s reputation remains blameless before outsiders (Philippians 2:15). God’s promises to the honest • Proverbs 28:6 — “Better a poor man who walks in integrity than a rich man whose ways are perverse.” • Psalm 84:11 — “No good thing does He withhold from those who walk with integrity.” • Hebrews 13:5 — “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” Resolve, by God’s grace, to handle every dollar as though you were laying it at His feet—because, in truth, you are. |
    |