BEING PRIVY TO THE EVIL

1 BUT a certain man, Ananias by name, with Sapphira his wife, sold a possession,
2 and put aside for himself part of the price, [his] WIFE ALSO BEING PRIVY TO IT; and having brought a certain part, laid it at the feet of the apostles."
Acts 5:1,2 (DARBY)

• When your spouse does a thing that is contrary to the Word of God, the Will of God, and you did not correct him or her, It means you are privy, in support, or consented to whatever evil done by him or her.

• The passage of the Scripture above says: "HIS WIFE ALSO BEING PRIVY [aware, or having the knowledge] OF IT"; Your being aware of what your Spouse did wrong, but deemed it not fit to correct him or her, or tell them that you are not in support or favour of what they did—makes you a part of the deal. It is a concealment!
• Whatever is not right that your spouse wanted to do, which could implicate you and the whole family before God, should be strongly disagreed with.
• It does not mean you would have to fight physically, but you would need to make your stand about it clear. Let it be known to him or her that you are not in support.
• You will also need to tell it to God is prayer that you are not part of it.
• If you, as the wife or husband, consented to the wrong thing which your spouse wanted to do, you will eventually be part of the discipline, punishment, or judgement that may come as a result of it:
  8 AND Peter answered HER, “Tell me whether you sold the land for so much?”
  SHE said, “Yes, for so much.”
  9 Then Peter said to HER, “HOW IS IT THAT YOU HAVE AGREED TOGETHER TO TEST THE SPIRIT OF THE LORD? Look, the feet of those who have buried your husband are at the door, and they will carry you out.” 10 THEN IMMEDIATELY SHE FELL DOWN AT HIS [Peter's] FEET AND BREATHED HER LAST. And the young men came in and found her dead, and carrying her out, buried her by her husband" (Acts 5:8-10).
• When the secret of what they, Ananias and Sapphira, did, was made known by the Holy Spirit through Apostle Peter, the man dropped dead instantly, and likewise the wife after a couple of hours (Acts 5:3).
• The fact that your spouse and you are considered to be one in marriage, that you are no more two (Mathew 19:6); means your agreement with him or her on any matter, is bound on you both.

• Note: If your spouse, husband or wife, is putting their hands in anything that is wrong, or implicative, or they are just planning to do it; tell such and let him or her know the implications or consequences of what they are doing or wanted to do. Failure to do this would rope you into the matter.

• If you corrected or exposed the evil or wrong thing that your spouse was doing, it does not mean you did not love him or her. Love corrects and it exposes evil (Proverbs 3:11,12; Hebrews 12:5,6).
• LOVE would not conceal a Sin, any evil or wrong thing done at all, would be exposed!
• If your husband is part of the standing committee or the parochial church council, in the local church you attend, and the people in the committee are mismanaging and embezzling the church money, you would need to tell him the truth, so that if the judgement of God comes, you and your children would not be part of it:
  "DO NOT PARTICIPATE IN THE WORTHLESS AND UNPRODUCTIVE DEEDS OF DARKNESS, BUT INSTEAD EXPOSE THEM [by exemplifying personal integrity, moral courage, and godly character]" (Ephesians 5:11 Amplified).
• As human beings, we tend to, or incline to, protect or conceal the Sin or the evil that whoever we love did. But God is not a Man, He is not partial (Numbers 23:19; Romans 2:11).
• No matter the love God has for an individual, if the person misbehaved, committed a Sin, He will expose whatever the person did wrong (Ephesians 4:11; Romans 1:32).
• When David committed adultery with Bathsheba, Uriah's wife, and arranged a bloody death for the husband, to conceal the Sin which he committed. God did expose it to Prophet Nathan, to go and tell him (2 Samuel 12:1-15).
• Even though, he was called a man after God's heart (1 Samuel 13:14; Acts 13:22), that does not mean he could do whatever he likes, committed a sin, and go Scot free. God did love David, but not to the point of concealing the Sin he committed without proper repentance and discipline.
• It was also written that God loves Solomon, He gave him a name called Jedidiah, which means "the beloved of the Lord" (2 Samuel 12:24,25). Yet, when Solomon became King in his father's place; God told him what to do, and what not to do, to keep the covenant He made with him (1 Kings 3:5-15; 9:1-9).
• However, when Solomon did contrary to what God had instructed him (1 Kings 11:9-13), He raised adversaries against him, and promised or vowed to divide the Kingdom given to him into two and the larger portion of it be given to his subordinate (1 Kings 11:14-39).
• God would not say, He did love Solomon, and when he did wrong, started marrying strange women and worshipping their idols, that He would overlook it and not punish him (1 Kings 11:1-11).
• Love is stern! Love corrects and exposes Sin or any evil done. The wrong thing which your spouse or any of your children may be doing, should be corrected. Let such know that you are not in support or in aggrement with it.
• If your stand is not made clear and known, when the repercussions come, you should not be surprised, you may be part of it (1 Timothy 5:22).
• Any Sin, Evil, which you failed to correct or expose, makes you a part of the deal. It would be considered, in the sight of God, a concealment.
• If you did not correct your erring spouse or children, it does mean you approve whatever they are doing, that is wrong in God's sight:
  "WHO, knowing the righteous judgment of God, that those who practice such things are deserving of death, NOT ONLY DO THE SAME BUT ALSO APPROVE OF THOSE WHO PRACTICE THEM" (Romans 1:32 NKJV).
• God will judge those who do evil and those who approve the doing of it. Whether you are the culprit or you stand as aid and abet, you will be part of the judgement:
  "DO not lay hands on anyone HASTILY, NOR SHARE IN OTHER PEOPLE'S SINS; KEEP YOURSELF PURE" (1 Timothy 5:22). Also see Ephesians 5:6,7.

• If you knew the wrong thing which someone is doing, especially someone as close as your spouse, children, and you refused to correct, speak out, and kick against it; It means you do approve what the person is doing (Romans 1:32).

• Eli did not go out of the way of the Lord, but his children, and that affected his life and ministry negatively (1 Samuel 22-25).
• A Curse was placed by God on the family, the lineage, because of what the children did which made them; the children, Hophni and Phinehas, and Eli himself, died the same day. And the ark of covenant, a symbol of God's presence in Israel, was captured or taken by the Philistines (1 Samuel 2:31-33; 4:17,18).
• Eli did talk to his children but was not firm about it (1 Samuel 2:22-25). He later said God should do whatever seemed good to Him (1 Samuel 3:18).
• Some of the things that God accused him of among others were: he honours his sons more than Him, God; he was making himself fat with the best of the offerings of Israel, His people:
  "Why do you kick at My sacrifice and My offering which I have commanded in My dwelling place, AND HONOUR YOUR SONS MORE THAN ME, TO MAKE YOURSELVES FAT WITH THE BEST OF ALL THE OFFERINGS OF ISRAEL MY PEOPLE?’ " (1 Samuel 2:29 NKJV).
• In other words, Eli probably was making himself fat; taking or eating part of the offerings, which his sons were forcefully and wrongly taking from the people of God (1 Samuel 2:12-17).

• If you did not correct your erring spouse or the wayward child, who is doing something wrong, it means you honor the person more than God.

• If you have found yourself guilty or wrong through this teaching, in which you have shied away from doing the right thing: you have not corrected or reproved the evil which you know your spouse, son, or daughter is doing; take a step now and do the needful—be firm about it.
• Pray on it also, let it be made known to God, and that repentant heart be given to the person concerned.

• You will not fail in Jesus' name.
Peace!