“Was He For Real?”

Read: Acts 8:9-25 (part 2)

“Was He For Real?” (Simon)

Was Simon the Magician “saved”? In the end, I think so. You know, Simon is not all that different from us really. Simon went around “saying that he himself was somebody great.” (v.9) Isn’t this really what we all scramble for? We want to feel as though we matter… we want to “be great”. Evidently, Simon had succeeded in his quest for earthly fame: “They all paid attention to him, from the least to the greatest, saying, “This man is the power of God that is called Great.” And they paid attention to him because for a long time he had amazed them with his magic.” (v.10) The entire city thought he was “God”! There is a good chance that Simon “sold his soul” to be able to do the magic they were amazed by. This magic was NOT from God the way that the people thought… and if it is not from God there is only one other option… Satan. Satan is a deceiver, “the father of lies”, so it makes sense that his “magic” would dupe people into thinking someone or something was God that is not. (cf. John 8:44) Apart from Christ, we all want to be God as well. If there is hope for US, there is hope for Simon.

No person or culture is beyond the redemption of Christ. I don’t know who needs to hear this today, but: “YOU are not beyond the redemptive work of Christ… there is HOPE for you in Jesus Christ. He is making all things new.” (cf. Isaiah 43, 2 Cor. 5:17, Rev. 21:5) “Even Simon himself believed, and after being baptized he continued with Philip. And seeing signs and great miracles performed, he was amazed.” (v.13) This is no small thing. Every single person in the city thought Simon was God incarnate (he was famous), and he had been wielding “magic” and participating in tremendously impressive things (he had great power). Imagine the people when they saw Simon in the water…getting baptized!?! Simon knew he was counterfeit. Simon knew deep down he was not who the people said he was. As soon as he hears about Christ in the preaching of Philip, he lines up with the rest of the Samaritans. Simon believes and is baptized. Then he starts to follow Philip. The one who had so many “followers” is now following. The people of Samaria thought Simon was God on earth… now they know the TRUE God who came to earth - the REAL God incarnate - Jesus. I think Simon was sincere in wanting to follow… in wanting to know more… in the type of believing he was capable of at that point. But God was not finished with him yet… there was more work to be done in saving him.

We cannot embrace our new life in Christ without shedding our old life. Our old self must “die”. (cf. Gal 2:20) We cannot cling to both. This is the heart of repentance…a turning from our old ways and a movement towards what is true. It is not just a matter of “believing” something is true… it is a death to the old way of living and a movement towards the truth that you say you believe in. Simon had some old ways of thinking that needed to be put to death before he could be brought into the family of God. Simon’s heart was not right. I have said this before, and I will say it again: we as humans are more “lovers” than we are “thinkers”… in matters of the “head vs. heart”, the heart will win every time! This is why we need a “new heart”. (Ezekiel 36:26) Simon may have believed with his “head”, but he needed the Lord to give him a new “heart”. Simon found himself at a crossroads. Was he willing to abandon his “old self” to follow, Or did he think he could go on being the ”magician” with some new Holy Spirit “tricks”? The same rings true for us. We don’t just add some “Christian’y tricks” to our “magic act” and go on living the same. God will not allow it. The power of God can never be purchased… it is only freely given to those whom God has called to himself… to those who repent, believe, and are baptized in Christ. Simon needed to REPENT. (v.22) Even though Simon had “believed” and “been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus”, he was still in need of repentance… he needed God to give him a new heart. (v.13,16,22) Until that took place, Simon was still “on the outside”. How did Simon respond?

And Simon answered, “Pray for me to the Lord, that nothing of what you have said may come upon me.” (v.24) I think he was humbled by Peter’s rebuke. I think he was coachable. I think Simon was sincere. He had gone from saying that “he himself” was something great and acknowledged that Jesus was actually the great one. He had gone from everyone following him to following Philip as Philip followed Jesus. He knew deep down that he did not have the true power that belonged only to Christ… the genuine “man (who) is the power of God that is called Great.” (v.10) He was in need of a new heart. He had very flawed understandings of how God works. (You cannot “buy” God’s power, and no human wields it unilaterally.) And when he was met by rebuke and scolded… he asked for help… he asked for prayer. So what do you think happened? We don’t know. The story leaves us hanging. This is the only piece of Simon’s story that we get to hear. I think he was for real! I think he came around. If there is hope for us… there is hope for Simon.

Have you stopped going around “saying that (you yourself) are somebody great”? (cf.v.10) Or are you still desperately trying to convince yourself of that? Do you know that Christ is calling you into sharing in his work… in his genuine “greatness”? The Lord is redeeming not only your mind… but giving you a new HEART. Are you trying to hold on to your old life while following Christ? It will never work. Have you been duped into thinking some celebrity or famous person is god-like… enamored with their “magic tricks”… just like the Samaritan’s? They have no real power, in the end they are only masquerading… you are being deceived… Jesus is offering the truth. Believe, repent, identify with Christ (be baptized), embrace your new life by letting go of your old life, and follow… follow Christ. You can start by following others that are following Christ! (cf. Philip, Peter, and John in this example) Love you guys! - JDP