The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1892-08-10
SABBATH SCHOOL.
INTERNATIONAL LESSON Fob
AUGUST IL.
Lesson Text: "Ananias and Sapphf-
ra," Acts ", 1-11-Golden
Text: Gal. vi, T.
Commentary.

Commentary.
I. "But certain man named Ananias,
wit With sapphira his wife, sold possession" !"
We have been reading Of two noble, faith.
full followers Of Jesus who were ready to die
for Him. and glad to suffer for Him II only
he might be glori6ed, but we have now q
sad contrast in the story Of these two while
processing faithfulness to Jesus Christ were
not sincere at heart, hut while outwardly
serving Him were serving themselves also.
Many had sold their possessions and bad
honestly given all to God; their new hopes
and joys had made earthly possessions seem
valueless except as they might do good with
them and thus lay up treasure in heaven
tMath. VII, 20, 81: Luke xviii, %; Tim.
vi, II, 1s.
= "And kept back part o: the price, his
wife also being privy to it, and brought
certain rart and laid it at the apostles feet"
There is an old command to this effect
walk before Me, and be thou sincere
tGen. xvii, |, margin). Thou shalt be
sincere with the Lord thy God" Deut.
xviii, IS, margin). And it is also written,
Cursed be he that doeth the work OF the
Lord deceitfully" tJer. Xviii, 10. Our
Lord Jesus kept back nothing when BE
gave Himself for US: he completely emptied
death Phil. Ii, 5-8).
8. but Peter said, Ananias. why hath sa-
tan filled thine heart to lie to the Holy Ghost.
and keep back part Of the price of the landf"
God desires truth even in the inward parts
FPS. IL. o. and He has said, He that worketh
deceit shall not dwell within My house; he
that telleth lies shall not tarry In Ny sight
Ps. ci., n. Contrast '.flled with the Spirito
and "filled with satan." or "flled with
indignation or envy" tchapter w., 81; vi,
8, II. The only way for believer Is to b
filled with the Spirit and then all else VIII be
| crowded out. This command lEph. ", 10
is binding upon all, and to neglect 1t is 70 be
guilty of disobedience. ..,... ~
4. "While it remained was 1t not thine
own2 And after it was sold was it not in
thine own power? Why hast thou conceived
this thing In thine heart? Thou hast not lied
unto men but unto God" God does not need
our possessions, for "The earth Is the Lords
and the fullness thereof" (Ps. xiv, y, but
He is graciously pleased to accept that which
vnS lily And Ard ss gts s unto ha1 a
He has given to us, and what we give Him
is only His own Il Chron. xix, "a 1@.
Observe in Peters question, "Why hast thou
conce!ved?' that Ananias was responsible
for allowing satan to iptrude these thoughts
upon him. There are two forces always
working with us-satan and the Holy Spirts
one liar, the other the Spirit OF Truth,
but neither can fill us except we welcome
them.
S. land Ananias hearing these words fell
down and gave up the ghost; and great fear
came on all them that heard these things."
It the hand Of God were thus laid on al liars
and deceivers in the church to-day there
would surely come great fear on many
peopIe When we consider that we are not
our own. but that these bodies even have
been bought by His blood for His service
Cor. vi, 19. 20, and then remember how we
keep back hands and feet and eyes and ears
and voice for our own pleasure, and that al
this is simply lying unto God, why is 1t that
we are not afraid?
6. "And the young men arose, wound
him up and carried him out and buried
him." Thus they disposed Of his body, the
house in which he had lived and Lied; but
what Of Ananias, the person who had oc-
cupied that body2 We know that there s
such thing as being barely saved, saved as
by fire Il Pet. iv., Is; I Cor. lii, l5). But
when we read of the portion appointed 10
all liars REV. xxi, 8, we cannot have
much if any ground tor expecting 70 see
either Ananias or Sapphira in the kingdom
OF God.
{. "And it was about the space of three
what was done came in" Three hours q
widow. but ignorant of the fact. How long
thev had iourneyed together in these mortal
bodies we DO not know, but his has ended
and hers is about to, though she is ali un-
conscious Of it. Pc, naps she had come
seeking him, wondering why he delaye1 70
return home. It is a sad story, and is
S. ..And Peter answered unto her, Tell me
whether We sold the land for so much? And
she said, Yea for so much" How one
wishes that Peter might have been led to en-
courage her to tell the truth, but perhaps IL
would have been in vain. The heart Is so
desperately wicked and deceitful above all
things (Jer. xvii, 81 that even In this en-
lightened age both men and women nave
been known to swear before God and man TO
tell the whole truth and nothing but tne
truth, and then deliberately lie. Yet GOD
in His long suffering has graciously allowed
them to live on if perchancs they mlgnt TO
pent. :.
9. Then Peter said unto her, How Ii it
that We have agreed together to tempt the
Spirit OF the Lordp Compare this verse
with verses and 4 and see the unity OF the
Trinity, but particularlya clear PROOF that
the Spirit is God, for lying to the dolly
Spirit is called lying unto God.
behold the feet Of them which have
buried thy husband are at tne ooor, anu
shall carry thee out" This is startling and
awful. The announcement o; her husbands
death ia for the first time made known 70
her and in the same breath she Is told tnas
she too. shall instantly die, and she does.
Sentence is pronounced aud execution lakes
place in the same moment. 1t Is tne nauo
of God. Compare chapters xn., - anu
Jer. xviii, 16 II.
10. "Then fell she down straightway at
his feet and yielded up rhe gnost; and tine
Young men came in and found her dead, and
Carving her forth buried her By her hus-
hand In the morning they are IN health,
hut are united in a lie to God, that they may
anpear before men to be very religious. but
before night they are found out lNum.
,xxii.. 23 and are deal and buried. Two
liars in one grave. but their souls >,
II. "And great tear came upon an tne
eburch, aud upon as many as nEerd 1nese
1hines." Such manifestation OF Gops natre1
of sin must have been necessary at this. the
beginning of the formation OF his churco Oh
earth. We do well to remember tnat al
though He seems 70 Keep silence now III
reference to the corruptious AMI abomina-
tions in His protesting church, he Is tne
same sinner loving but sin hatlnS 1oI, anu
that soon now Judgment will begin AZ tne
house OF God Il Pet. w., Il; ftev. Ill., lo''-
Lesson Helper.
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