The Missing Piece: Holy Fear-Part 4

Zaressa Richardson
Nov 24, 2025
6 min read

Part Four: Uzzah - Good Intentions Without Holy Fear

When familiarity replaces awe, even good intentions miss the mark.

Welcome back, friend!

We’ve been walking through this Holy Fear series together, uncovering just how vital reverence is in our relationship with God.

How did last week go? Were you able to spend time pondering this question: Am I treating His presence with reverence, or with convenience?

If not, take a few minutes now and ask the Holy Spirit to search your heart. What I want more than anything is for your faith and knowledge in Christ to grow, not just for you to check off another completed reading today. I truly want us to be whole in every area of our lives.

There is no distance in the Spirit. The Spirit of the Lord is right there with you as you read this, just as He is with me while I write it.

So pause, repent, and reflect. This reading will still be here when you’re done.

Okay… let’s go! Lol.

Quick Recap

Part One: We saw how Lucifer’s pride revealed what happens when our hearts become contaminated with covetousness.

Part Two: Nadab and Abihu showed us the danger of treating God’s presence casually.

Part Three: Uzzah reminded us that even good intentions can miss the mark when they lack reverence.

Now, in Part Four, we’re looking at Ananias and Sapphira, a couple whose story reveals the danger of pretending in God’s presence. Their story reminds us that holy fear doesn’t just shape how we act; it purifies why we act.

Our foundational Scripture for this entire series still stands as the lens through which we see every story:

“Therefore judge nothing before the appointed time; wait until the Lord comes. He will bring to light what is hidden in darkness and will expose the motives of the heart. At that time each will receive their praise from God.” — 1 Corinthians 4:5 (NIV)

Let’s take a closer look at the fine print.

Stop Pretending: The Story of Ananias and Sapphira

“Then Peter said, ‘Ananias, how is it that Satan has so filled your heart that you have lied to the Holy Spirit and have kept for yourself some of the money you received for the land? Didn’t it belong to you before it was sold? And after it was sold, wasn’t the money at your disposal? What made you think of doing such a thing? You have not lied just to human beings but to God.’” — Acts 5:3–4 (NIV)

For context, let’s look at how we ended up here.

The early church was growing, and believers were selling their property and possessions to care for one another. There was unity, generosity, and a tangible move of the Holy Spirit. But then came a shift.

The first thing that stood out to me is that Peter said Satan had filled Ananias’s heart. My God. Pause for a moment and ask yourself, who is filling your heart?

Let’s repent together.

Lord, forgive us for any time we have allowed our hearts to be filled by the enemy, knowingly or unknowingly. Purify us and make our hearts clean before You. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Whenever I read the Word and it convicts me, I take that moment to repent. I never want to treat the Bible like a history book. I pray that the words come alive in me and transform my life. That’s why you might see moments where I pause to pray or repent while studying. Friend, I encourage you to do the same. Let the Holy Spirit lead your study time and allow the Word to read you as much as you read it.

Now, back to the lesson.

Ananias and Sapphira also decided to sell a piece of property. But unlike the others, they secretly agreed to keep part of the money while pretending to give it all. They wanted the credit of devotion without the cost of obedience.

At first glance, it doesn’t seem like a big deal. They still gave something, right? But Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, discerned their deception and said, “You have not lied to men, but to God.”

And just like that, both Ananias and Sapphira fell dead.

Lord, have I ever lied to You?

You’ve probably heard the saying, “God cannot bless who you pretend to be.” That’s exactly what this story reveals. Pretending in the presence of God doesn’t protect us; it exposes us.

Below, we’ll take a look at what this kind of pretending can look like in real life and how holy fear keeps our hearts honest before God.

This is one of the most sobering stories in the New Testament because it happened inside the church, not outside of it.

It wasn’t rebellion from the world. It was hypocrisy in worship. Hypocrisy means saying one thing while living another.

Ananias and Sapphira wanted to appear generous without actually being surrendered. They wanted to look holy without being honest.

That is what the Holy Spirit confronted, not the amount they gave, but the heart behind it.

Holy fear teaches us that God isn’t impressed by performance. He desires purity. He desires truth. He desires hearts that mean what they say and say what they mean.

The Danger of Pretending

If we bring this story into our world today, it looks like serving God for recognition while secretly withholding obedience.

It looks like saying, “God, You can have my Sundays,” but keeping our decisions, attitudes, or finances off-limits the rest of the week.

It looks like posting verses online while ignoring conviction in private.

It looks like worship without surrender, service without submission, giving without honesty.

The issue wasn’t what they held back. The issue was what they tried to hide.

Because in the presence of the Holy Spirit, truth is the only language Heaven understands. Period.

The After Effect

After their deaths, Scripture says:

“Great fear seized the whole church and all who heard about these events.” — Acts 5:11 (NIV)

It wasn’t a fear that drove people away. It was a fear that drove them to repentance.

The church didn’t shrink in panic, it grew in purity. Because when holy fear returns to God’s house, so does His power.

This story isn’t meant to make us afraid of God’s presence but to remind us that His presence is not to be played with.

Holy fear calls us back to sincerity, to truth in our words, transparency in our worship, and integrity in our intentions.

A Call to Examine the Heart

Ananias and Sapphira’s story is not about money. It’s about motives.

Holy fear invites us to ask hard but necessary questions:

Am I giving God everything I say I am?

Do my actions match my declarations?

Do I care more about what God sees than what people applaud?

“Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts.” — Psalm 139:23 (NIV)

When we allow God to expose the hidden places, we make room for Him to cleanse, correct, and restore.

Holy fear isn’t meant to paralyze us. It’s meant to purify us.

Takeaway

The story of Ananias and Sapphira reminds us that God values honesty over appearance and integrity over impression.

We cannot fool the Holy Spirit, and we should never want to.

To walk in holy fear is to live transparent before God — the same person in private as we are in public.

“The Lord detests lying lips, but He delights in people who are trustworthy.” — Proverbs 12:22 (NIV)

Prayer

Father, thank You for Your presence that exposes what is hidden, not to shame me but to shape me. Forgive me for the moments I have tried to appear surrendered while holding something back. I choose to walk in honesty at all times and in all ways according to Your Word. I give You access to my heart. Create in me a heart that loves truth and lives transparently before You. Let holy fear keep me humble and let Your Spirit keep me pure.

In Jesus’ name, Amen.

See You Next Week

Thank you for walking through this message with me. I pray that Ananias and Sapphira’s story stirred something deeper in you, a renewed desire to walk in truth and reverence before the Lord.

Until then, stay anchored in His Word. See you next week, friend.