Description of a False Convert

Acts 8:9-25

Not everyone who claims to be saved has been born again. This is clear from Scripture. Everyone who believes is not saved either. There is a false faith found in Scripture.

Listen to these words from John 2:23-25:

Now when He was in Jerusalem at the Passover Feast, many believed in His name when they saw the signs that He was doing. But Jesus on his part did not entrust Himself to them, because He knew all people and needed no one to bear witness about man, for He Himself knew what was in man. 

There is a saving faith and there is a dead faith. Because we are not Jesus it can be difficult to tell the two apart sometimes. This morning we will see a description of one who had faith that did not save him. He was a false convert. We can learn much from him.

1. He had fooled many people (9).

A. Much magic is by deception.

Simon was a well-known and apparently very good magician. His magic amazed the people.  It’s likely that most of what he did was by slight of hand.

The city of Samaia held him up as a supernatural being. Look at verse 10:

“This man is the power of God that is called Great.”

A good magician will tell you that he is not really magic. He will explain what he is doing is illusion or by sleight of hand. Simon wanted people to think highly of him, so he allowed them to believe a lie. 

It has never been difficult to deceive people. When I was a kid I remember thinking magic was real. When I got older I realized it wasn’t.

David Blane levitating- looks like it but I know there is a trick.

Sawing a woman in half. Etc.

Sadly many in our world are so gullible charlatans can deceive them.

Illus. AI. I saw a cat rescue a toddler the other day and it looked real. The cat picked up the toddler after it tumbled off the porch and put it back safely. Sadly, many will believe it was real.  

B. Some magic is by demonic influence.

Jesus said that some would deceive others through supernatural works to fall away from God (Matthew 24:24).

Horoscopes

Fortune tellers

Tarot Cards

Communication with the dead

C. Simon assumed he could deceive anyone.

When you are accustomed to fooling people, it comes naturally. You assume you can get away with it.

Judas fooled everyone but Jesus.

Ananias & Saphira thought they could fool God (ch. 5)

Simon thought he could fool God.

In the end it was a man of God who exposed him (20). 

The false convert believes he can fool God. Listen friend, God knows. That truth should be a comfort to every false convert. It’s more difficult to tell someone if they don’t know. God already knows. He is merciful. If you confess your sins, He is faithful and just to forgive you.

2. He was filled with pride (9-11).

A. He claimed to be great.  

“saying that he himself was somebody great”

His ambition was to be great.

Someone might say “That was before he believed.”

That ambition never changed. We see that in verse 19.

He was filled with pride before he believed and after he believed.

Psalm 10:4 says the proud do not seek God.

James 4:6 says that God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.

When a person is truly saved there will be a measure of humility in their lives. They won’t believe they are great. They won’t have the desire to be great in the eyes of people.

John the Baptist said his desire was to get smaller and smaller until he finally disappeared.

Here was a man who was never broken over his sin.

Illust. Watched a preacher last week who has 12 children. His four adult children have all left the church and have detailed horrible things about their father. In a sermon he said

“he prays they either publicly recant so he can get his good name back, or, as an alternative, that God destroys and "spectacularly punishes" them because otherwise he's going to quit preaching.”

That’s a blind man. That is a man with no humility. I don’t think that preacher is saved.

Can you tell me how small you are? Will your pride allow you to speak of your failures, your rebellions, your inabilities?

B. He allowed others to believe he was greater than he was.

“they all paid attention to him” (10)

“they paid attention to him” (11)

“saying this man is the power of God…” (10)

This was the same thing Ananias & Sapphira did. They allowed people to think they sold a field and gave all the money to the Lord.

He loved the attention.

He didn’t correct them when they called him the power of God.

3. He followed the Lord outwardly but not inwardly (12-19).

A. The attention of the Samaritans turned to Christ.

Philip preached the gospel

Many Samaritans believed

Men and women were baptized

This is an important fact. Instead of paying attention to Simon the Samaritans are now paying attention to Christ. Simon has lost his influence over them.

It’s clear the faith of the Samaritans is not superficial. They are genuinely saved and that is what causes Simon to make his profession. The idea of if you can’t beat them join them.

The text makes a distinction between the others and Simon.

Notice “much joy” in v. 7 and “but there was a man named Simon” in v. 8. Appears the writer is creating a contrast preparing us for bad news.

“they believed” (12) but then Simon is mentioned alone in v. 13.

I believe the Samaritans’ salvation was genuine, but Simon’s was not. 

B. Simon was amazed at the wrong thing.

He was used to amazing people with his magic (9). Now he is amazed. What is he amazed at?

The goodness of God?

The grace of God?

The love of God?

No! He is amazed at the signs and great miracles (13). 

He was a magic man.

There was an event that really got Simon excited. The Samaritans received the Spirit of God.

The normal time for a person to receive the Spirit is the moment they are saved. In the book of Acts there are a couple of times the Lord withholds His Spirit for a short time after people are saved.

1) When the Samaritans receive the gospel.

2) When the Gentiles receive the gospel (Acts 10:44)

Explain how some believe this is a second blessing.

Why do we see this?

1) To prove to the Apostles that what happened on the Day of Pentecost to Jewish believers also happened to Gentile & Samaritan believers.

2) To ensure unity in the church- one church. Not a Jewish, Samaritan, and Gentile church.

Most likely what happened in Acts 2 happened in Acts 8. This amazed Simon.  He saw the Apostles lay their hands on the Samaritans and they received the Holy Spirit. He wanted to have that same power.

Look at verse 18-19.

“Give me”

“anyone”

“he offered them money” It was not uncommon for magicians to sell their tricks. He thought nothing of asking the Apostles. He saw them on par with his magic buddies.

Be careful of someone who wants to be known as a miracle worker. Even if they say they want to do it for the Lord.

Remember Peter already said he had no money but had power (3:6). Simon has money but no power. Clearly his motive for following the Lord is to gain power and get attention. He wants people to stand amazed in his presence.

C. Simon’s baptism meant nothing because his heart was unchanged.

It appears on the outside Saimon has been saved:

Believed- False believers can result from faithful preaching

Baptized- Faithful preachers may embrace false believers

Continued with Philip- False believers may continue for some time

It’s hard to know if a person is saved. I don’t know who is saved or not. I don’t even know the natural color of some of y’all’s hair.

Belief with an unchanged heart means nothing

Baptism with an unchanged heart means nothing

Church attendance with an unchanged heart means nothing.

The reality is Simon continued to be what he had always been. He was proud and he wanted attention. There was no change in his heart.

4. He was fervently rebuked by a faithful man (20-25).

A. Peter spoke harshly to Simon.

I think Peter was blown away by the audacity of this man. It was a blasphemous request.

You think we bought this? This insulted Peter. Look at verse 20. Essentially Peter said, “You and your money can both go to….”

“You have neither part nor lot in this matter”

“Your heart is not right before God”

Peter saw right through him just like he did Anania and Saphira. He was a man who wanted to be known as great in the church.  He figured he could buy his way in.

The word “simony” is in the dictionary. It means “the buying and selling of religious privileges like offices or sacred things. The origin of that word is this man.

If you think you should have religious privileges because you give a certain amount of money to the church, you are no better than this man.

God is not for sale

Church offices are not for sale

Grace is not for sale

B. Peter told Simon to repent (22-23).

He calls him wicked

Tells him he is in the gall of bitterness

Tells him he is in the bond of iniquity

There was a bitter poisonous sin in the heart of Simon. This sin held him in bondage. He never repented of it. He had no intention of doing so.

Notice verse 22 “if possible, the intent of your heart may be forgiven you”

His intent was not to be saved.

His intent was to be a healer.

His intent was to be a leader.

His intent was to stand in front of the crowd and amaze people.

There are many like him today. They are not preachers they are showmen.

They love the stage

They love the lights

They love the power

Simon would have to repent of his motive to be saved. Why we come to Christ matters.

C. History reveals that Simon never repented.

Justin Martyr is an early church father. He was from Samaria and his writings have given us wonderful insight into the early church. He was born about 60 years after this event in Acts. He wrote the following about Simon:

He led a cult that almost all Samaritans in his day followed.

He traveled with a prostitute named Helena that he claimed was an emanation from the gods.

He himself was called “god above all gods”

He taught rank heresy.

He went back to his old ways.

Now look at v. 24. He told Peter to pray for him.

Was he being sarcastic?

Was he just trying to calm Peter down?

Whatever he meant he clearly didn’t get right with God.

“Yall pray for me” don’t work if you don’t pray for yourself. Peter told Simon to pray. Simon told Peter to do it.

Did Simon believe? Verse 13 says he did.

Did Simon repent? Verse 22 implies he didn’t.

This is the main difference between the true convert and the false convert. Both believe. One repents. Those who do not repent return to their old ways. They don’t persevere.

The sad part is Peter gave him hope and he rejected it. You don’t have to be a false convert. God offers you grace.  Perhaps this message is what you need. It is your wake up call.  

Explain the gospel.