Chapter 5 of Acts continues with more signs and wonders–the sick are healed, unclean spirits are cast out, the apostles are freed from imprisonment twice, and they are enabled to rejoice that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for Jesus’ name.

BUT the chapter begins with a rather more sobering example of the power and holiness of the Holy Spirit. Ananias and Sapphira conspire to lie to God, and the Holy Spirit, who sees their unrepentant hearts, strikes them dead.

Psalm 1 that we’ve been reading has these warnings:

The ungodly are not so,

But are like the chaff which the wind drives away.

Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment,

Nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous.

For the LORD knows the way of the righteous,

But the way of the ungodly shall perish.

God’s signs and wonders are not always healing and freedom and joy. For those who do not stand in awe of His holiness and who do not come to Him with respect, repentance, and humility, the sign of His presence is judgment and ultimately death. I won’t ask you to give examples of this kind of miracle, but if you look around you can see it everywhere. The wages of sin is death.

But the gift of God is eternal LIFE through Christ Jesus our Lord.