Unfaithfulness: Iniquity of Pride and Lies
Most people speak of unfaithfulness, yet they fail to comprehend the root causes of the schemes that accompany this vice. In general, unfaithfulness refers to the failure to honor our commitments or promises. However, the underlying factors that lead people to be unfaithful remain elusive to many. Pride and dishonesty are the iniquities that give birth to unfaithfulness in any area of our lives.
To become truly faithful, you need more than just good intentions. Faithfulness requires acknowledging the glory and grace of God, which works within us, enabling us to succeed in whatever we set out to achieve. Additionally, we must follow through with our promises, honor our commitments, and demonstrate integrity in all things. If we fail to exhibit this kind of faithfulness in our work or relationships, we put ourselves at risk, much like King Hezekiah, Ananias, and Sapphira—who faced the danger of losing even what they already had.
Explore the root causes of unfaithfulness in relationships, religion, and in the circles of the corporate world. Learn how pride, dishonesty, and lack of integrity lead to unfaithfulness, and discover how faithfulness, commitment, and honoring promises can transform your life.
The Case of King Hezekiah and the Babylonians
The story of King Hezekiah and the Babylonians reveals the loss Israel incurred as a result of unfaithfulness. Unlike his predecessors, King Hezekiah did what was right before the LORD. He devoted himself to serving God and did not seek to form any alliances, even when he was under attack by the Assyrians. When Hezekiah became seriously ill and God sent the prophet Isaiah to warn him of his impending death, he turned to the wall and cried out to God in prayer. In response, God was faithful, healing Hezekiah and adding 15 more years to his life (2 Kings 20:1-6).
2 Chronicles 32:27 further reveals that Hezekiah was very wealthy, possessing riches in silver, gold, spices, precious stones, and other valuable treasures. He stored these in treasuries he built specifically for this purpose. However, when the envoys from Babylon came to see the miraculous sign that had occurred in Israel, God withdrew His presence from Hezekiah in order to test him and reveal what was in his heart (2 Chronicles 32:31). In his pride, King Hezekiah showed the envoys from Babylon all his riches and treasures, an act that ultimately led to the downfall of Judah.
Consequence of King Hezekiah’s Unfaithfulness
As recorded in 2 Kings 20:13, “There was nothing in his palace or in all his kingdom that Hezekiah did not show the Babylonians.” After this, the prophet Isaiah visited Hezekiah and prophesied that a time would come when all the treasures in his kingdom would be carried off to Babylon. This prophecy was fulfilled when Nebuchadnezzar raided Jerusalem and took all the sacred articles from the temple of God and the king’s treasures. The Babylonians further destroyed everything of value in Jerusalem (2 Chronicles 36:18-19).
From this story, it is clear that King Hezekiah’s heart was blinded by pride. Despite God’s faithfulness in granting him great riches and extending his life by 15 years, Hezekiah failed to give God the glory. With his heart full of pride, the king failed the test of faithfulness and, instead of remaining humble, boasted to the Babylonians about his wealth and treasures. This failure to remain faithful serves as a powerful reminder that even in times of prosperity and blessing, we must remain humble and faithful to God.
Pride and Self-Sufficiency in Unfaithfulness
Like most of us, how often do we feel like it is the work of our hands that has given us the wealth that we have? Do we attribute our successes to God or do we feel that we worked ourselves to get where we are? Earthly riches blind most people today. In turn, God cannot entrust search people with eternal or true riches. Their prideful hearts are not faithful to be trusted with the wealth from heaven.
Perhaps they boast that it is their power and the strength of their hands that have produced their wealth. They do not acknowledge that it is God who has given them power to create wealth (Deuteronomy 8:17-18). Such individuals attribute their success solely to their own works—highlighting their tireless hard work, burning the midnight oil, or even the 40 days of prayer and fasting they endured. Yet, in all their boasting, they fail to acknowledge that it is God who grants them the grace, strength, and ability to carry out these very actions.
As 1 Corinthians 1:31 reminds us, “Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.” Our boasting should not be in our own achievements but in the Lord, who empowers us to do all things. The Apostle Paul further underscores this in Galatians 6:14, saying, “But may it never be that I would boast, except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ…” All our success, all our strength, and all our ability to achieve are ultimately rooted in the work of Christ on the cross.
Acknowledging God’s Sufficiency
It is essential to remember that your sufficiency is only found in God, who has made it possible for you to achieve anything in this life, whether in your career, business, or ministry. As Paul states in 2 Corinthians 3:5, “Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think of anything as being from ourselves; but our sufficiency is from God.”
You must understand that it is God who enables you to prosper and accumulate wealth. Yes, you can do all things and become anything you set your mind to be in life. However, faithfulness demands that you acknowledge that it is Christ who empowers you to accomplish these things. As stated in the Amplified Version of Philippians 4:13: “I can do all things [which He has called me to do] through Him who strengthens and empowers me to [fulfill His purpose]. I am self-sufficient in Christ’s sufficiency.”
You need to recognize that it is Christ who gives you the strength to succeed. If you remove Jesus Christ from the equation of your career, business, or ministry, you risk falling into the trap of unfaithfulness. The pride in such a heart can consume a person to the point where God rejects them. Without acknowledging Christ as the source of your ability, you lose the foundation of true faithfulness and humility.
Unfaithfulness and the Lies of Ananias and Sapphira
The story of Ananias and Sapphira in the New Testament is another striking example of unfaithfulness that goes beyond mere actions to the very condition of the heart. Their deceit wasn’t just a matter of withholding money—it was an attempt to deceive God Himself. By lying about the amount they received from the sale of their property, they sought to appear more generous than they were, all the while thinking they could hide the truth from the One who sees all things.
Unfaithfulness, as demonstrated by Ananias and Sapphira, involves more than just failing to meet our commitments or promises—it is rooted in dishonesty at the deepest level, where one attempts to deceive not only others but God. They believed they could lie to the apostles, who were acting as God’s representatives, and get away with it. What they failed to understand is that when we act in unfaithfulness, particularly in our dealings with God, we are not merely deceiving people; we are lying to God.
As Acts 5:3-4 makes clear, Peter rebuked Ananias, saying, “Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and keep back part of the price of the land? While it remained, was it not your own? And after it was sold, was it not in your own control? Why have you conceived this thing in your heart? You have not lied to men but to God.” As a result of their dishonesty, both were struck down and died instantly. They didn’t just lose the money they withheld, but their very lives were taken from them.
Here, Peter reveals the severity of their unfaithfulness: Ananias and Sapphira weren’t just lying to the apostles or the church; they were lying to God. The tragedy of their story is that they thought they could deceive God into believing their hearts were in the right place, when, in fact, God knows the true intentions of every heart.
This is the fate that unfaithfulness can bring to believers today. Lack of faithfulness doesn’t only jeopardize our inheritance in the Kingdom of God; it can cause us to lose even the little we have. Jesus emphasized in Matthew 25:29 that “For to everyone who has, more will be given, and he will have an abundance. But from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away.” This principle holds true today: when we demonstrate faithfulness, God increases what He has entrusted to us. But when we are unfaithful, we risk losing everything.
Lies within the Heart
Another powerful truth about unfaithfulness is that God knows the state of our hearts. As Jeremiah 17:10 says, “I, the Lord, search the heart, I test the mind, even to give every man according to his ways, according to the fruit of his doings.” God does not just look at our actions; He looks at our hearts and judges our intentions. The Lord examines our innermost being and rewards us based on the true state of our hearts, not on the outward appearances we may try to present to others.
For Ananias and Sapphira, their outward actions—pretending to give all of the sale proceeds—did not align with the truth of their hearts. They thought that by lying to the apostles, they could hide their greed and selfishness. But God sees beyond what we show on the outside and knows the true condition of our hearts. Their attempt to deceive God was futile because God already knew the truth.
How Unfaithfulness Manifests in Our Relationships and Work
How often do we promise our bosses, employers, and partners that we will meet targets or fulfill the goals of the company, only to fail to follow through? In such situations, we knowingly make promises we have no intention of keeping. We may lie to secure the trust of others, knowing full well that we will not honor our commitments. This is the same kind of unfaithfulness Ananias and Sapphira displayed: we are not just lying to our employers or colleagues, but we are also lying to God.
It is unfaithfulness that grieves the Holy Spirit, and it often leads to greater consequences than we initially realize. Just as Ananias and Sapphira lost everything because of their unfaithfulness, we too risk losing what we have when we fail to be trustworthy in the little things—whether in our jobs, relationships, opportunities, or commitments.
Faithfulness requires us to reconsider every step we take. It means rethinking our actions, letting go of unethical activities, and distancing ourselves from people or relationships that lead us toward unfaithfulness. Sometimes, it may even mean quitting jobs or opportunities that are morally questionable, even if it means temporary hardship.
Faithfulness in Small Things Leads to Greater Responsibilities: Lessons from Luke 16:10-12
Echoing Christ’s words, remember that “He that is faithful in that which is least is faithful also in much” and “And if you have not been faithful in that which is another man’s, who shall give you that which is your own?” (Luke 16:10, 12). There is spiritual wisdom in being faithful with the smallest services or duties entrusted to us. Because in doing so, we align ourselves with God’s plan. Demonstrating faithfulness in the least means that God is preparing us for much greater responsibilities.
In ministry, for example, serving in humble positions—whether as an usher, worshiper, intercessor, or cleaner—indicates that God has already assigned you a great calling, awaiting its full manifestation. Similarly, in the corporate world, stepping up to assist a colleague who is sick, working extra hours, and showing diligence does not reflect foolishness or slavery; rather, it demonstrates a higher level of wisdom. In doing so, you show that you are ready to be entrusted with a greater responsibility. Such acts of commitment and faithfulness demonstrate a mindset that God is positioning you for success, perhaps even to lead your own company one day.
The commitment to fulfill your current company’s goals, hitting those monthly targets, and contributing to the overall success of your organization, secures not only the future of your business but your future role in it. Faithfulness in the workplace ensures personal and professional growth, leading to greater opportunities and responsibilities in the future.
Conclusion
Pride and dishonesty are key causes of unfaithfulness, as shown in the stories of King Hezekiah and Ananias and Sapphira. Hezekiah’s pride led him to boast about his wealth, resulting in Judah’s downfall, while Ananias and Sapphira’s lies to God caused their tragic deaths. In the corporate world, the same principles apply. Unfaithfulness in business—whether through broken promises, dishonesty in dealings, or the pursuit of self-interest over commitments—leads not only to personal loss but can have far-reaching consequences. Just as Hezekiah’s failure to acknowledge God’s role in his prosperity resulted in the loss of everything, modern Christian professionals who fail to glorify God in the works of their hands risk losing their reputation, career opportunities, and even their moral standing. Likewise, the trap of self-sufficiency can instantly destroy what we have worked for. Ultimately, the path to true faithfulness requires humility, honesty, and the recognition that all our achievements and success are through the grace from God.
