September 10, 2024
Passage Read: Acts 8-9
Meditation Verses: 8:21-23
Thought
Simon believed the Gospel at Philip's preaching, but he used to be someone great, called the "Great Power of God." But he saw in Philip and the Gospel something greater, and when the apostles came to give the Holy Spirit, he saw something still greater. He wanted the power to give the Holy Spirit, and Peter sensed in him or was told by God that Simon had a serious problem. Even though he had believed the Gospel and given up his former ways, he still wanted power to awe the people. Peter saw that he was in the grip of bitterness and iniquity. He had repented of his blatant sins, but he hadn't come to grip with his deeper sins, the bitterness that drove him to want power and attention from the people. He hadn't come to understand that followers of Jesus are servants of Jesus, no longer living for their own desires and purposes, but for God's.
Application
How many of us come to faith in Christ and give up our obvious sins, but remain in the grip of deeper sins? Not many, apparently! At least according to the testimony of Scripture, since there's only been a few examples of people getting called out for sin after having believed. Or perhaps it's because there have only been a few major displays of wickedness among those who have believed. Most of the rest simply didn't have opportunity or motive to sin in a more noteworthy manner. Simon had a lust for fame, evidently driven by bitterness; Ananias and Sapphira thought they could look good among the believers while deceiving them! The rest of us aren't so clever or ambitious, but perhaps we still struggle with "hidden" sins. Believing the Gospel does not remove my every inclination to sin, so I too need my sin called out, just as I need to help others by calling out their sin. The worst thing for me or for a community of believers is to overlook sin, no matter how insignificant. But how many of us have come to Christ and not had our sins rebuked? That is a danger to the individual and to the fellowship. Simon needed to completely die to self, just as surely as I do, and as surely as everyone else who comes to Christ does.