PT-2 "A Wrong View of the Spirit" (Acts 8:14:19)

 

SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 12/13/2017 10:13 AM

My Worship Time                                                      Focus:  PT-2 “A Wrong View of the Spirit”

Bible Reading & Meditation                                                 Reference:  Acts 8:14-19

            Message of the verses:  “14 Now when the apostles in Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent them Peter and John, 15 who came down and prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Spirit. 16 For He had not yet fallen upon any of them; they had simply been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. 17 Then they began laying their hands on them, and they were receiving the Holy Spirit. 18 Now when Simon saw that the Spirit was bestowed through the laying on of the apostles’ hands, he offered them money, 19 saying, "Give this authority to me as well, so that everyone on whom I lay my hands may receive the Holy Spirit.’”

            I have written that in times past when I studied this passage I was not entirely sure if Simon was a believer or not, after all Philip was the one who Baptized Simon, so he must have thought that he was a believer.  I have come to believe that Simon was not a believer and what we read beginning in verse 17 where we see that Peter and John were laying hands on the new believers we begin to see the true colors of Simon as he offered money to the disciples to be able to do what they were doing.  Now money can cause a person to do things that they certainly would not do before offered money, and yet Peter and John would have none of it.  My friend tells me that when you look at colleges like Harvard and Yale who started out as Christian schools were probably offered money from some rich people who were not believers and once that happened these rich people began to put their un-Scriptural influence on the school and that was the beginning of their downfall. 

            These new believers were probably speaking in tongues to show that they were truly believers as this was a part of receiving the Holy Spirit in the early church, and this impressed Simon.  Philip had impressed him but now John and Peter overwhelmed him.  Simon then said to Peter and John that he wanted this power to be able to lay hands on someone so they could receive the Holy Spirit.  Now we must remember that Simon was a magician and we mentioned that magicians from time to time would give others magicians money to understand their secrets they had to do tricks and so Simon thought he could buy this from Peter and John. 

            John MacArthur writes “Nothing God has, however, is for sale—certainly not the Holy Spirit!  Indeed, there is nothing sinful men have to offer Him.  Salvation and spiritual blessing He pours out freely to His children.  In Isaiah 55:1 God cries out, ‘Ho! Every one who thirsts, come to the waters; and you who have no money come, buy and eat.  Come, buy wine and milk without money and without cost.’  Yet countless thousands, ignorant of that fact are striving desperately and futilely to buy God’s blessing.”

            Peter tells him “May your silver perish with you, because you thought you could obtain the gift of God with money!  You have no part or portion in this matter, for your heart is not right before God.”  MacArthur adds “Peter was irate, as his inflammatory prose indicates.  The literal meaning of the Greek text has been softened by most translations.  J. B. Phillip’s rendering, “To hell with you and your money!” conveys the actual sense of Peter’s words.  Simon’s view of the Spirit as a commodity to be bought and added to his repertoire was utterly and blasphemously wrong, and betrayed his lost condition.”  “20 But Peter said to him, "To hell with you and your money! How dare you think you could buy the gift of God for money! 21 You can have no share or part in this matter, for your heart is not honest before God (Phillips).”

            Spiritual meaning for my life today:  When I was living in Hawaii one of my friends that I meet there told me that I was gullible, and I suppose that at times I am as I look at this passage before studying it like I am now I was gullible to think that Simon was a believer.  My thoughts are if he would later become a true believer we would have found out about it in the Bible.

                My Steps of Faith for Today:   “I’m putting on the belt of truth.  I ask You to make it very clear to me what I am to accept into my life and what I am to reject.  Help me to see clearly the motives of others as they deal with me and converse with me.  Let me walk in Your truth, making decisions and choices according to Your plans and purposes for my life.” 

 

Memory verses:  “Philippians 4:1, 8 “Therefore, my beloved brethren whom I long to see, my joy and crown, in this way stand firm in the Lord, my beloved.  8 Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things.”

 

Answer to yesterday’s Bible question:  “Mary Magdalene” (Mark 16:9).

 

Today’s Bible question:  “Who said, ‘Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men’?”

 

Answer in our next SD.

 

12/13/2017 11:01 AM