After the chief priests and elders got Judas to do their dirty work they left him to his own tortured conscience.

The Pharisees were so totally wicked and perverse that they sought to kill Lazarus after Jesus had raised him from the dead, because people were believing the testimony of Lazarus.

There were numerous Jews more wicked than Ananias and Sapphira, as we note how the Jews followed after Paul, going from city to city to try to kill Paul and destroy the work of the Gospel. I doubt Ananias and Sapphira would have done this.

Yet, God did not kill those Jews as He did Ananias and Sapphira.

So we have Gehazi, Judas, and Ananias and Sapphira. People like you and me, like our friends in the church.

Why was Gehazi afflicted with leprosy when he was no worse than anyone else?

Why has Judas gone down in history as the son of perdition, the forerunner of Antichrist? At one time Judas had been a little boy in the village of Kerioth, playing with his toys.

Why were Ananias and Sapphira, probably pretty good folks as people go, made an example of God's attitude toward hypocrisy, an example that has been preached throughout the world for two thousand years?

What about you and me? What about our friends in the church? Are we so close to the glory, to the Kingdom of God, and yet so infinitely far from what we think we desire?

How can we tell?

We do know, from what we have just read, that seeking to draw close to the Fire of Israel when our heart is not right, when there is a lie in us, is a dangerous thing to do. The people we are studying brought such destruction on themselves because they wished to be counted among those who are close to God.

Fire can destroy that which is not fireproof!

But how can we tell if we really are acceptable to God, if we actually will have a place with the Lord in His Kingdom?

There is a verse I have quoted many times.

They will make war against the Lamb, but the Lamb will overcome them because he is Lord of lords and King of kings—and with him will be his called, chosen and faithful followers. (Revelation 17:14—NIV)

I would venture that Gehazi, Judas, and Ananias and Sapphira were at least called by the Lord. The Scripture states that Jesus had chosen Judas.

But there is another realm of character—that of faithfulness. One of the most prominent characteristics of the Lord Jesus is faithfulness. He is God's faithful and true witness. Those who will appear with Christ have been proven faithful.

Integrity, a virtue lacking in America today I'm afraid, is a compound made up of faithfulness and sincerity.

Gehazi was called and chosen by Elisha but he was not utterly faithful.

Judas was called and chosen by Jesus but he was not utterly faithful.

Ananias and Sapphira were called of God and chosen to be part of the early church, it appears. But they were not utterly faithful.

We do not know whether we are faithful until our discipleship costs us something of great value to us.

To be continued.