The Bible is a very realistic book. It describes human behavior as it is. It doesn’t look through rose-tinted glasses and conclude that everyone is on God’s side. Rather it carefully distinguishes between those who are only nominal followers of Christ and those who are genuine believers. It makes a clear distinction between professors and possessors.
When Jesus was on earth, He found these two classes. There were some who believed on Him when they saw the miracles He performed (John 2:23). But He didn’t “believe” in them. He is not pleased with the kind of faith that requires signs before a person will believe. He wants the kind of faith that simply believes because He has spoken. Although it says that these people believed on Him, it was not saving faith. They believed in their heads but not in their hearts. They were nothing more than professors.
In His wonderful Bread of Life Discourse, Jesus said, “He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life” (John 6:54). To eat His flesh and drink His blood simply means to believe in Him (see v. 47). But some of His disciples were offended by what they called “a hard saying” and they forsook Him (v.66). By this act of final desertion, they showed that they were disciples in name only. When Jesus asked the Twelve if they also wanted to go away, Peter spoke for all but Judas when he said, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. Also we have come to believe and know that You are the Christ, the Son of the living God” (vv.68-69). This confession marked them as true disciples of the Lord Jesus.
During the Savior’s earthly ministry, there were men who prophesied in His Name, cast out demons in His name, and did many miracles in His name (Matthew 7:22). Yet His verdict on them was, “I never knew you.” They professed to know Him, but He didn’t know them. He exposed them as men who practiced lawlessness (v.23).
There were others who ate and drank in His presence, and heard Him teach in their streets (Luke 13:26). They thought that it was enough to associate with the Savior. But once again He said He didn’t know them and condemned them as workers of iniquity (v.27). Outwardly they followed Jesus, but there is no mention of true faith. They just went along for the ride.
In the early days of the Church, there was a classic case of one who was nothing more than a professed follower of Christ. When Philip preached the gospel in Samaria, an influential spiritist named Simon believed and was baptized (Acts 8:13). At first this sounds promising. But remember that there is a pseudo-belief which is not the same as saving faith. We have already seen that kind of faith in John 2:23-25 and 6:66. Even the demons believe (James 2:19). What follows shows that Simon did not have the marks of a true child of God.
When Simon saw that believing Samaritans received the Holy Spirit when the apostles’ hands were laid on them, he wanted to buy that power, most likely as a means of gaining a more lucrative trade. Sad to say, he wasn’t the last fraud or charlatan who tried to make a lot of money by pretending to be godly (I Timothy 6:5b)!
Notice how Peter denounced him, and ask yourself if the apostle would say that to a true believer.
Your money perish with you. Peter said, “May you and your money go to hell, for thinking that you can buy God’s gift with money” (TEV). Since no true Christian will ever perish (John 3:16), Simon could not have been born again.
You thought that the gift of God could be purchased with money. The gift of God here is the Holy Spirit. Simon wanted to buy the ability to impart the Spirit to others. There is no indication that he himself ever received the Holy Spirit.
You have neither part nor portion in this matter. Instead of being a member of the Christian fellowship, he was an outsider, looking in-all because he had no part in the matter of salvation.
Your heart is not right in the sight of God. While this could be said of a backslider, the context suggests a person who needed to be born from above and receive a new heart.
Repent therefore of this wickedness. The word that is used for repent here means turning to God from sin.
Pray God if perhaps the thought of your heart may be forgiven you. God is the One who grants eternal forgiveness to the repentant and believing sinner. But it is as Father that He gives parental forgiveness to one of His children when he confesses. Here it is God, not the Father, who is in view. The word perhaps does not suggest uncertainty or unwillingness on God’s part but possible stubbornness on Simon’s.
You are poisoned by bitterness and bound by iniquity. If a tree is known by its fruit, and if Simon’s fruit was extreme wickedness, it raises serious questions concerning his spiritual status.
In response to Peter’s stinging indictment, the sorcerer asked the apostle to pray for him. It would have been better if he had repented of his sins and received Christ as Lord and Savior. It seems clear that he was only a professor; he did not have the root of the matter in him.
From Once In Christ, In Christ Forever by William MacDonald
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