Simon the sorcerer, more

Hello Bro Jim, I like to ask your position concerning Simon the Sorcerer. I get hammered by Free Grace advocates out there for not believing that Simon was a saved man. I'm hammered because it says plainly that Simon himself believed. I argued that John 2 (verse 24 I think??) stated that people believed on Christ, but Christ did not commit (same word for believe) on them. It appeared that they were obsessed with the miracles just like Simon was. I found the wording there in Acts 8 concerning Simon to be very strong (gall of bitterness; money perish with you, etc) to be a description of a man that was a stranger to grace. The fact that he thought the Holy Spirit could be bought seriously made me question the man. Anyways, they also quoted to me the fact that Simon was told to confess his wickedness to be forgiven. They threw this at me to make my beliefs that we live perpetually forgiven as being ridiculous, as they believe in this in-and-out of fellowship nonsense. I like to hear your position as well about Simon being told to confess there. To me, it testified all the more that he was a stranger to grace, but my FG opponents claim that it merely meant that he was out of fellowship that I 100% reject as foolishness. Dave

Hello, my friend Dave! :)

First of all, I thoroughly understand your differentiation over what's considered "Free Grace." As a system, it just plain stinks. After all, how else did we get all the so-called grace-type religions that have become nothing more than mainline denominations? Grace as a position is no different than any other argumentative religious stance.

You wrote:

"I prefer to believe in a reality in which I live and not place myself under a bunch of so-called conditions that I must daily fulfill as taught by my opponents."

Well described! :)

Simon the Sorcerer, eh? I pretty much see it as you have detailed it. I also consider the same passage you refer to in John 2 in relation to such questions about "believing." I probably would have brought it up if you hadn't. :) In the same way, I also take the so-called believing crowd in Israel into account, which also forms the basis for the letter to the Hebrews. The profession of faith is often a religious covering made to give the impression that those who subscribe to it actually believe. I often wonder how a city full of "believers" in Christ almost came to kill Paul when he entered Jerusalem. It's pretty much the same kind of nastiness that causes the free-grace crowd to be so quick to judge you. Stand firm in the life you have been called to! :)

Jim :)

Hello Jim, Thank you very much for getting back to me so quickly. I'm glad someone is on the same page with me concerning Simon that also doesn't preach Lordship salvation nonsense. How do you personally respond to the "and pray God, if perhaps the thought of thine heart may be forgiven thee"? I have taken this to mean that God is not unwilling to forgive here but that Simon might not be able to repent of his wickedness. I see it as though Peter was questioning whether Simon actually would because he was in the bond of iniquity and the gall of bitterness. It would be like me saying to the pope, "if perhaps you might cast off your man made religion to embrace the reality of pure grace." It's not that the pope can't but it is really doubtful in my mind that he will is how I see Peter with Simon. Now often thrown at me is the fact that Simon is told to pray God that the thought might be forgiven him. It will be pointed out that God really did not do something about our sins until we first repent of them. I believe that sin was fully judged and that is why God has been (past tense) reconciled to man. I still have some that will say to me in defense of 1st John 1:9 that Simon was told to pray to God that his sin might be forgiven. I totally do not see it their way but struggle with a reasonable explanation there. I was hoping you could shed some light on that specific area if you can. In Christ, Dave

Hello Dave :)

Consider how this account describes a difference in the bestowal of God's Spirit upon these believers:

But when they believed Philip preaching the good news about the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, they were being baptized, men and women alike. And even Simon himself believed; and after being baptized, he continued on with Philip; and as he observed signs and great miracles taking place, he was constantly amazed. Now when the apostles in Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent them Peter and John, who came down and prayed for them, that they might receive the Holy Spirit. For He had not yet fallen upon any of them; they had simply been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. Then they began laying their hands on them, and they were receiving the Holy Spirit. Now when Simon saw that the Spirit was bestowed through the laying on of the apostles' hands, he offered them money, saying, "Give this authority to me as well, so that everyone on whom I lay my hands may receive the Holy Spirit." But Peter said to 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. "Therefore repent of this wickedness of yours, and pray the Lord that if possible, the intention of your heart may be forgiven you. "For I see that you are in the gall of bitterness and in the bondage of iniquity." Acts 8:12-23 NAS77

It is only because we have been swayed by those who preach believing as a formula that we overlook the incredible reality of true deliverance in Christ. These believers who had not yet had the Spirit fall upon them were like the partially healed blind man who described his sight in this way: "men as trees walking." Some refer to this period as a time of transition. Many like to make sharp divisions through the phrase, "Before the cross and after the cross," as if to draw a line in the sand and claim that those who believed before were saved in the Old Testament way while those who believed after the cross were saved the New Testament way.

But here, as well as in a few other notable situations, there are groups of people who believed without having received the Spirit of God immediately, as on the day of Pentecost. Peter makes specific reference to this phenomenon on a few occasions, and he does so for the express purpose of showing how God extended deliverance in Christ to those outside the realm of Israel. This was so radically important to him because it removed any and all requirement that the outsiders needed to become Jewish in any sense in order to receive the Spirit. It became ludicrous to consider any Hebrew demands be put upon the Gentiles, since he powerfully argued that they had received the Spirit in the exact same way as Israel did in Jerusalem. God wanted there to be no doubt as to the miracle behind the receiving of Christ's Spirit.

Anyhow, Simon was one of those whose belief was no different than any who believed before Christ was crucified. It happened here apparently to reveal that God's Spirit could not be purchased. Had God not so clearly etched this miraculous event upon them it would not have provided such a powerful testimony to his working through the apostles. This could have been the establishment of competition between one who performed magic tricks and those who truly ministered the life of Christ. You see, this was not just for the sake of Simon the Sorcerer, it exposed the trickery of those who sell God to all involved. The people were given to understand that one could come in among them and believe while still in bondage. Simon's was a belief without the truth of a different mind (repentance), which means that it was merely a human initiated faith.

"if perhaps you might cast off your man made religion to embrace the reality of pure grace."

Yes. very much so! :) Know that you will not be able to come up with a satisfactory wording that will convince those who want to argue semantics. Anyone who digs into specifics without even considering how the event impacted the original audience is caught up with an intellectual Christianity. And we both know how pathetic that is, don't we? :)

Jim