Devotion: “The Powerless Church and the Cost of Tolerated Sin”
Scripture Reading:
“But Peter said, ‘Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit…? You have not lied to man but to God.’ When Ananias heard these words, he fell down and breathed his last.”
— Acts 5:3–5 (ESV)
“Israel has sinned… they have transgressed my covenant… therefore the people of Israel cannot stand before their enemies.”
— Joshua 7:11–12 (ESV)
Personal Reflection:
Imagine the Sunday service interrupted by two sudden deaths. Not from illness. Not from violence. But from God’s immediate judgment on sin—in front of the entire church. That’s what happened in Acts 5. And if we’re honest, many of us would feel shock, discomfort, and even outrage. Yet, this is Scripture. This is our God.
Today, the modern church often avoids anything that even hints at judgment. We’ve replaced holy confrontation with “come as you are and stay as you are.” We value tolerance over transformation, inclusion over holiness, and relevance over repentance.
But the early church walked in fear of the Lord—and they walked in power.
“The holier a man becomes, the more he mourns over the unholiness which remains in him.” – Charles Spurgeon
If we desire the presence and power of God, then we must also desire His holiness. And holiness means we don’t play with sin—we make war against it, not just individually but corporately.
Contemplation:
Think about Achan in Joshua 7. His private sin brought public defeat. God withheld His blessing from the entire nation until the sin was identified and judged. Has God changed? Has holiness ceased to matter to Him?
“God’s presence is not something we control—it is something we host, and He will not dwell where sin is cherished.” – John MacArthur
Could it be that one of the reasons the church is powerless today is because we have embraced sin in the name of grace, refusing to deal with it in our midst? We fear offending man more than we fear grieving the Spirit.
We must ask hard questions:
Do we tolerate what God calls abominable?
Have we confused love with leniency?
Have we sacrificed purity on the altar of popularity?
It’s time to return to a radical holiness, not harshness, but a reverent seriousness about the presence of God. The church was never meant to be a social club or entertainment venue—it is a gathering of saints who have been called out of darkness and into light.
“Be killing sin, or it will be killing you.” – John Owen
Prayer:
Holy God,
Forgive us for tolerating sin where You have called for repentance. Forgive us for fearing man more than we fear You. Forgive us for expecting Your power while ignoring Your holiness.
Cleanse Your church. Begin with us. Help us to be a people who take sin seriously—not because we are harsh, but because we love Your presence more than anything else. Let us not be like Achan, hiding what destroys. Let us not be like Ananias, playing the part while living a lie.
Bring revival, but let it begin with repentance. Restore Your power to Your church—but first, restore Your fear in our hearts.
In Jesus’ holy name,
Amen.
Today’s Challenge:
Read Acts 5 and Joshua 7 slowly. Ask God to search your heart for any hidden sin or compromise. Ask Him to show you whether your church community is tolerating sin under the guise of love. Pray for your pastors and leaders to walk in truth and holiness. Revival begins with repentance—and repentance begins with us.
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