Faith That Doesn't Save
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The Spread of the Gospel
The Spread of the Gospel
began in Jerusalem at Pentecost with the baptism and filling of the HS
the HS is the key to the gospel’s spread throughout the world
the HS uses human instruments to fulfill God’s purposes
God uses people to accomplish his will and Acts records how the HS used the Apostles and the disciples to fill the world with the gospel message that Jesus died for sins, was buried and was raised on the 3rd day (1Cor 15:3-4)
initial growth happened in Jerusalem and it appears the believers were content to stay there
God had to shake the Jerusalem church out of its comfort zone that it might venture out into the surrounding areas
God sent persecution to scatter the believers and as they went they kept on witnessing about Jesus’ death, burial and resurrection
God sent persecution to scatter the believers and as they went they kept on witnessing about Jesus’ death, burial and resurrection
God’s will: that all the world know about Jesus, not just the Jews
Who was Simon?
practiced magic (9)
both white and black
some of his magic was slight of hand while some was demonic
amazed the people of Samaria (9)
he was well known, famous
the greatest to the least paid attention to him
he was well known both in the city and in the province
they all paid attention to him (10)
they did so because he had amazed them with his magic (11)
they said, “This man is the power of God that is called Great” (10)
And when the crowds saw what Paul had done, they lifted up their voices, saying in Lycaonian, “The gods have come down to us in the likeness of men!”
They were waiting for him to swell up or suddenly fall down dead. But when they had waited a long time and saw no misfortune come to him, they changed their minds and said that he was a god.
wherever the gospel is preached there are always 2 results
true faith and false faith
the wheat and the tares
the good ground and the stony, thorny and hard packed ground
branches that bear fruit and branches that are cut off
true believers who passionately follow Christ and false Christians who do all the right things but there is no real heart change
both are illustrated in the rest of this chapter
Simon the magician, an example of faith that does not save
the Ethiopian eunuch an example of the faith that does save
right at the beginning of the church there were true believers and false believers and it has always been so and always will
in this church, Eastwood, there are true believers and there are false ones
this brings us to Simon, the first false believer named in the church
who was Simon prior to “believing”?
previously practiced magic (9)
both white and black
applied to sorcerers, astrologers, sooth sayers, those who practiced divination
applied to astrologers, sooth sayers, sorcerers
anyone who practiced spells, charms, divination, horoscopes
fixated on trying to understand the times and the future
some of his magic was slight of hand, trickery and deception
some of his magic was slight of hand, trickery and deception
some of it was aided by demonic powers
- God calls these practices “abominable” and those who do them and “abomination”
God destroyed nations for practicing these things
- instead of these magicians the Lord will raise up a prophet like Moses, i.e. the Lord Jesus to whom they were to listen
amazed the people of Samaria (9)
were superstitious
practiced a syncretistic kind of worship of God
mixed OT with superstition and magic
were under Simon’s influence and control and ultimately under the devil’s control
the greatest to the least paid attention to him
he was well known both in the city and in the province
Justin Martyr says that there was even a statue of him in Rome!
he was a star, famous, well known
they all paid attention to him (10)
they did so because he had amazed them with his magic (11)
he had them under his spell
they said, “This man is the power of God that is called Great” (10)
And when the crowds saw what Paul had done, they lifted up their voices, saying in Lycaonian, “The gods have come down to us in the likeness of men!”
They were waiting for him to swell up or suddenly fall down dead. But when they had waited a long time and saw no misfortune come to him, they changed their minds and said that he was a god.
Simon’s “faith” in v.13
believed, was baptized, continued with Philip
these are the 3 essentials to salvation!
Simon looked like a true believer
Philip was so convinced he baptized him!
in reality (v.23) Simon was a fake
he was a false Christians inserted into the church by Satan to corrupt others and draw them away
this is what makes work in the church so difficult
people who claim to be believers but are not
Satan’s goal to confuse people about what a true Christian is
this is the problem today: so many individuals and groups claiming to be Christian when they are not
non-christians are totally confused about what a true Christian is
“Where did Simon go wrong?”
being a Christian is not based on faith alone
true saving faith is based on truth!
faith based on wrong doctrine is wrong faith
believing on God and believing on Jesus is not enough
Q: What God and what Jesus do you believe in?
Simon believed, Simon was baptized and Simon continued but he was not a true believer
Simon was not a true believer because he did not believe true doctrine
there are 4 reasons why Simon’s faith was not genuine
1. he had an elevated view of himself
2. he had a wrong understanding of salvation
3. he had a defective view of the Spirit
4. he had a deficient understanding of sin
because he had these key doctrines wrong his faith was meaningless
his faith was false because it was not founded on truth
Simon’s Elevated View of Himself
Simon’s Elevated View of Himself
there is a common assumption which keeps many from true salvation
most people believe they are basically good
it is the subtle basis for statements like, “I am a good person. I keep the 10 commandments. God will weigh my good deeds with my bad and he will accept me”
such a view of self ignores reality, it is not how God sees us
though he had previously practice magic he was saying
Simon had been telling people that he was somebody great and a great number agreed with him saying, “this man is the Great power of God”
BTW this is how the Mormons understand Jesus, not God but a great spiritual power
they believe the same about Satan, who they think is the brother of Jesus
Simon had captivated the masses by his trickery and with demonic help he had convinced the masses he was more than a mere man
this is the hallmark of Satan’s work
he deceives the world often manifesting himself as an angel of light
Simon’s problem was pride
he considered himself far superior to everyone else
if you think you are special, if you think you are great, if you think you are as good or better than others you are far from the biblical qualification of humility for salvation
such pride will cut a person off from being saved
pride robs a person of the humility and brokenness that is necessary for salvation
Simon had no sense of his own wretchedness, wickedness, sinfulness
Simon had no fear of God and the judgment which awaits all who die in their sins
this pride dominates every unrepentant sinner
examples of pride in the scriptures:
Pharisees prided themselves on their love for Moses and the Law and they murdered Jesus
Pharisee and tax collector - Pharisee went away a slave of his sin while the tax collector went away justified
Nebuchadnezzar - his pride cost him 7 years of his life
Peter - denied Jesus 3x
rebellious angels - cost them heaven
God’s attitude toward the proud
12 There they cry out, but he does not answer, because of the pride of evil men. 13 Surely God does not hear an empty cry, nor does the Almighty regard it.
4 In the pride of his face the wicked does not seek him; all his thoughts are, “There is no God.”
3 May the Lord cut off all flattering lips, the tongue that makes great boasts,
5 Whoever slanders his neighbor secretly I will destroy. Whoever has a haughty look and an arrogant heart I will not endure.
13 The fear of the Lord is hatred of evil. Pride and arrogance and the way of evil and perverted speech I hate.
:
5 Everyone who is arrogant in heart is an abomination to the Lord; be assured, he will not go unpunished.
18 Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall.
4 Haughty eyes and a proud heart, the lamp of the wicked, are sin.
James sums it up
6 But he gives more grace. Therefore it says, “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.”
sums it up
the only people who can be saved are those who have been humbled by their sin
the only people who can be saved are those who have been humbled by their sin
Simon had an exalted opinion of himself and though he “believed” he never understood his sin and his shame in the sight of God
29 For when they are humbled you say, ‘It is because of pride’; but he saves the lowly.
5 Behold, even the moon is not bright, and the stars are not pure in his eyes; 6 how much less man, who is a maggot, and the son of man, who is a worm!”
Simon’s Wrong Understanding of Salvation
Simon’s Wrong Understanding of Salvation
Simon’s Wrong Understanding of Salvation
Simon’s Wrong Understanding of Salvation
although Simon believed, was baptized and continued with Philip he did not understand his sin and thus never truly repented
his pride kept him from being saved
12 But when they believed Philip as he preached good news about the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women.
12 But when they believed Philip as he preached good news about the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women. 13 Even Simon himself believed, and after being baptized he continued with Philip. And seeing signs and great miracles performed, he was amazed.
those who had believed accepted Philip’s preaching of the gospel and were baptized
what was it that caused Simon to believe and be baptized?
13 Even Simon himself believed, and after being baptized he continued with Philip. And seeing signs and great miracles performed, he was amazed.
he was amazed by the signs and great miracles performed
remember that Simon made his living performing feats of magic and when he saw Philip casting out demons and healing many who were paralyzed or lame he was amazed (7)
Simon followed Philip because he coveted his power to do signs and wonders
every false miracle worker knows true miracles when they see them and Simon had been watching Philip and he knew that what Philip was doing was real
Simon knew that what Philip was doing was real
Simon knew the difference between divine signs and wonders and trickery and demonic deception
he was impressed with the real power that Philip possessed
if he could possess that power he could become even more famous and wealthy!
he saw Philip’s power as something he could purchase and add to his arsenal and so he became a Christian
he professed faith, he was baptized and he joined the church
this iss a Satanic attack
Satan knows the gates of hell cannot stand against Christ’s building it so he seeks to get inside
Satan masquerades as an angel of light so he plants his servants in the church
they look like Christians, like preachers, like prophets and miracle works
Satan’s goal: to corrupt the faith of true believers and through them to corrupt the church
if you are wondering about this ask yourself the following questions:
did Simon join the church because he loved Jesus? because he saw his sin and embraced Christ’s death on his behalf?
Simon was motivated to join the church because having been amazed by Philip’s miracles he wanted to find out how he could possess that power
he believes but it’s not saving faith
even the demons believe ()
Simon is not looking for the forgiveness of his sins, he is looking for a way to get Philip’s miracle working power for his selfish ends
Simon’s Defective View of the Spirit
Simon’s Defective View of the Spirit
14 Now when the apostles at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent to them Peter and John,
15 who came down and prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Spirit,
16 for he had not yet fallen on any of them, but they had only been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.
17 Then they laid their hands on them and they received the Holy Spirit.
Simon had a wrong view of himself, a wrong view of salvation and now we will see, a wrong view of the Spirit
Acts 9:
9 And for three days he was without sight, and neither ate nor drank.
10 Now there was a disciple at Damascus named Ananias. The Lord said to him in a vision, “Ananias.” And he said, “Here I am, Lord.” 11 And the Lord said to him, “Rise and go to the street called Straight, and at the house of Judas look for a man of Tarsus named Saul, for behold, he is praying, 12 and he has seen in a vision a man named Ananias come in and lay his hands on him so that he might regain his sight.” 13 But Ananias answered, “Lord, I have heard from many about this man, how much evil he has done to your saints at Jerusalem. 14 And here he has authority from the chief priests to bind all who call on your name.” 15 But the Lord said to him, “Go, for he is a chosen instrument of mine to carry my name before the Gentiles and kings and the children of Israel. 16 For I will show him how much he must suffer for the sake of my name.” 17 So Ananias departed and entered the house. And laying his hands on him he said, “Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus who appeared to you on the road by which you came has sent me so that you may regain your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit.”
news of revival in Samaria reached Jerusalem
Peter & John were sent to see if it was real, legitimate, genuine
they went to assess and to confer the HS
some of you are asking yourselves, “didn’t Pastor Tim teach from that every believer at salvation is baptized with the HS and their responsibility from then on is to be filled with the HS?
every believer at salvation is baptized with the HS and their responsibility from then on is to be filled with the HS
must remember that the book of Acts is a book of transition from OC to NC
Christian Jews needed irrefutable proof the Samaritans were to be included in the church because Samaritans were hated by the Jews
Samaritans were hated by the Jews
Samaritans had their own worship and claimed to be God’s chosen people
apart from some supernatural sign from God, Christian Jews would have struggled to accept the Samaritans into the church
Peter & John were sent to confirm they were true believers and that they possessed by the HS
if the HS came upon the Samaritans the same way as he came upon the Jews at Pentecost they could be sure
Simon saw that the HS was received through the laying on of the apostles’ hands
must have been some visible sign, i.e. speaking in other known languages that they had never learned
a confirmation to both Jews and Samaritans that God made no distinction between them, they were all one in Christ
ex. Peter’s experience in with Cornelius
As I began to speak, the Holy Spirit fell on them just as on us at the beginning.
when the HS came upon them at Pentecost they began speaking in other languages
when Simon saw what happened when Peter and John conferred the HS to Samaritans he offered them money!
Simon wanted to buy the HS!
compare this with Isaiah 55:1
Isa 55:
“Come, everyone who thirsts, come to the waters; and he who has no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without price.
compare to what is happening today: false teachers are trying to sell the gospel and the people are more than willing to come in droves in order to get what they want: health, wealth and happiness
it’s called the prosperity gospel
it is a false gospel preached by false teachers and embraced by false christians
listen to what Simon said to the apostles when he saw the Samaritans speaking in other languages,
saying, “Give me this power also, so that anyone on whom I lay my hands may receive the Holy Spirit.”
Acts 8:19
Simon wanted to purchase the power of the HS!
this is where we get the term simony, the purchased of church offices
Simon had a very high view of himself and a very low view of the HS
he did not understand that the gospel and all its blessings are not for sale
the HS is only for those who are poor in spirit (Mt 5:3)
Jesus our Advocate in only accepts guilty clients!
only those who acknowledge they have nothing to offer him
they acknowledge that if they deserve anything it’s the fierce wrath of God in the judgment of hellfire
when Simon offered Peter and John money to buy the HS it became clear that he was not truly saved and Peter rightly rebuked and reproved him publicly
20 But Peter said to him, “May your silver perish with you, because you thought you could obtain the gift of God with money!
21 You have neither part nor lot in this matter, for your heart is not right before God.
22 Repent, therefore, of this wickedness of yours, and pray to the Lord that, if possible, the intent of your heart may be forgiven you.
23 For I see that you are in the gall of bitterness and in the bond of iniquity.”
Acts 8:20-
“may your silver perish” = go to hell
Peter showed no mercy to this false teacher but shot him down
some of you have been offended because I have called out false teachers from this pulpit
now you know where I get it from!
Peter was saying that Simon had no part in salvation, no part in the church, no part in the fellowship of believers, no part in eternal life
Simon was not a Christian because he had an elevated view of himself, a wrong understanding of the HS, and a defective view of salvation
Simon’s Wrong View of Sin
Simon’s Wrong View of Sin
22 Repent, therefore, of this wickedness of yours, and pray to the Lord that, if possible, the intent of your heart may be forgiven you.
22 Repent, therefore, of this wickedness of yours, and pray to the Lord that, if possible, the intent of your heart may be forgiven you. 23 For I see that you are in the gall of bitterness and in the bond of iniquity.”
Acts 8:22
having unmasked Simon as a false christian Peter called him to repent
repent = 180 degree turn
pray = cry out to God for mercy, acknowledge your sin
23 For I see that you are in the gall of bitterness and in the bond of iniquity.”
though Simon believed, was baptized and continued he was a slave of sin
this is bold evangelism
exposing the sinner for what he really is and calling him to turn completely from his sin and pray for forgiveness
sin will destroy a person and thus must be confronted with boldness
Simon’s response
24 And Simon answered, “Pray for me to the Lord, that nothing of what you have said may come upon me.”
no confession, no contrition, no falling down in fear, no crying out to God for mercy
may have been a cynical response:
“Pray for me yourselves. If you are so concerned for me pray that this won’t happen.”
Simon was a false Christians because:
he had an elevated perception of himself - pride
he had a wrong understanding of salvation - motivated by miracles
he had a defective view of the Spirit - thought he could be purchased
he had a deficient attitude to his sin - hard heart