Seeking God with Pure Heart of Repentance
Scripture Passage: Acts 8:14-25 (NASB)
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 would 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 given 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.” 20 But Peter said to him, “May your silver perish with you, because you thought you could acquire the gift of God with money! 21 You have no part or share in this matter, for your heart is not right before God. 22 Therefore, repent of this wickedness of yours, and pray to the Lord that, if possible, the intention of your heart will be forgiven you. 23 For I see that you are in the gall of bitterness and in the bondage of unrighteousness.” 24 But Simon answered and said, “Pray to the Lord for me yourselves, so that nothing of what you have said may come upon me.”
25 So, when they had solemnly testified and spoken the word of the Lord, they started back to Jerusalem, and were preaching the gospel to many villages of the Samaritans.
SUMMARY
When the apostles in Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent Peter and John to Samaria to pray for them to receive the Holy Spirit. Peter and John began laying their hands on them and they were receiving the Holy Spirit. When Simon saw this, he was amazed and offered them money to buy their ability. He wanted the authority and power of the Holy Spirit Peter had. At this, Peter condemned him and told him to repent of his wickedness and how his heart was not right before God.
REFLECTION
Even though Simon got baptized and was following Philip preaching the gospel, he was doing it in vain. He was driven by his own greed and fame, and wanted to build upon his popularity and ability to perform magic. Simon was a worldly person and only knew the worldly way, so he offered money for the power and authority of the apostles. This is what he was used to, and he continued to live his life depending on money and fame. It was never in his intention to know Jesus or serve others. All he cared about was his ambition to become more powerful and getting praised by others.
I was pondering on question 5 “Have you ever asked God to give you what you want out of greed?” and realized like Simon, I was seeking God for my own ambition when I moved to LA. I was not attending church at that time, but I found myself wanting to go to church. I can’t help but wonder, was it the Holy Spirit working in my heart or was it my selfish desire to meet “nice and safe” friends? Where was my heart?
As sad as it was reading about Simon, it also gave me hope looking back and reflecting on how God led me back to Him. My initial intent perhaps was not clear but through the grace of God, my heart eventually transformed and realigned to the Spirit. What is clear, is that it was the will of God that brought me back to him. We cannot buy God or deceive Him. He sees and knows all. But through repentance, we can be filled with the Spirit and receive the pouring of His grace and blessings. That is the power of repentance.
APPLICATION
I will repent daily and throughout my day. I realized from today’s QT that I am so used to my wicked and worldly way that I fail to even recognize them. I will also be diligent about checking my heart whenever I am praying for something.
PRAYER
Thank you, Jesus for teaching me the importance and power of repentance through the life of Simon. Thank you for your grace and reminding me to check my heart and remove the wickedness of the world when praying. Forgive me for my selfish desires and help me to seek your will with all my prayers. In Jesus name I pray, Amen.
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