February 25, 2023

Acts 8: 21-23 “You have no part or share in this ministry, because your heart is not right before God. Repent of this wickedness and pray to the Lord. Perhaps he will forgive you for having such a thought in your heart. For I see that you are full of bitterness and captive to sin.” (NIV)

God knows the heart of man and He will not accept outward forms in place of genuine repentance.*

Peter’s harsh words are addressed to Simon the Sorcerer, who liked to be known as “The Great Power.” Simon and his followers heard the gospel from Philip, believed, and were baptized. Simon was so impressed with the signs and miracles that Philip performed that he began to follow Philip everywhere he went. But when he saw that the apostles had the power to bestow the Holy Spirit by placing their hands on people, he wanted in on the action.

I don’t know how much time had passed between Simon’s initial conversion and this incident but it is safe to say that Simon was still a novice Christian. There is no reason to doubt that his conversion was genuine, but he had a lifetime of bad influences to overcome. Even so, Peter was right to reprimand him for thinking he could purchase the power that would allow him to grant the Holy Spirit to other people. If Peter could see that Simon was full of bitterness and captive to sin, then of course God could see it, too. Simon clearly needed to repent of more than mere ignorance. Peter may have sounded doubtful of God’s willingness to forgive Simon, but it wasn’t God’s power to forgive that he doubted. He was skeptical of Simon’s readiness to repent.

New Christians often face the same dangers that afflicted Simon. Their lack of understanding of the Christian life is understandable. But seasoned believers are not exempt from the same temptations – to covet another’s gifts, to worship money and to use it to try to buy power and respect. God’s power cannot be bought. His power draws us to himself, not to things or selfish ambition.

If your heart is not right with God because of some wickedness, he will forgive you if you follow Peter’s advice to Simon: Repent and pray to the Lord.

There must be sorrow over sin if there is going to be genuine change of heart.*