Simon the Sorcerer captivated Samaria with flashy magic until Phillips gospel brought real power, exposing a heart more interested in spectacle than salvation. When Simon tried to buy the Holy Spirit’s gift, Peter’s rebuke revealed a faith that was all show and no substance.
The account of Simon the Sorcerer in Acts is a perfect example of God seeing our intentions and not the mask.
Simon was a new believer who had forsaken his old way of life and had recently been baptized. He was amazed at the powerful work of God he was seeing in his town. Most amazing of all, Simon watched as people received the Holy Spirit when the apostles laid their hands on them. He had practiced magic most of his life, but he had never seen anything like this before, and he wanted in on the action.
In Acts 8:18, Simon says, “Now when Simon saw that the Holy Spirit was given through the laying on of the emissaries’ hands, he offered them money.”
The apostles were doing a good work and Simon wanted to be involved.
Well, it seems that Simon desires were a good thing, we see other wise in Peter’s response. He states, “May your silver perish with you, because you though you could obtain the gift of God with money! You have neither part not lot in this matter, for your heart is not right before God…for I see that you are in the Gail of bitterness and in the bond of iniquity.” (Acts 8:20-23 summarized).
Simon was mistaken to believe that he could purchase this gift for money. Peter was guided by the Holy Spirit that His heart was not right with his request. While Simon outwardly desired a good gift, his heart motivations were wrong and deep down he was filled with bitterness and equity. But, the Lord rebukes him through Peter.
As humans, we naturally view the world through what we see with our eyes. Someone might have certain outward actions that are commendable, but scripture teaches that God doesn’t look merely at the outward action, he examined the motives of our hearts. Doing good things for all the wrong reasons does not police God.
Scripture often remind us that God cares about our heart and our motivations instead of just the external work we do.
There are many scriptures that tells us God looks at our intentions:
Proverbs 16:2 tells us, “All the ways of a person are clean in his own sight, but the Lord examines the motives.
In 1 Samuel 16:7, God said, “Samuel, Do not look on his face or the height of his stature, because I have rejected him. For I don’t se as man sees. For man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart.“
Jeremiah 17:10, “I the Lord search the heart and test the mind, to give every man according to his ways, according to the fruit of his deeds.
Genesis 6:5, “The Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of man’s heart was continually only evil.”
This doesn’t mean our external actions don’t matter, they certainly do. God sees what we do and why we do it and take both into account. Outward obedience is widely important, but it’s not all that is needed.
It’s important not to be like the Pharisees who work so please with their outward works, they never examine their motivations. Their self righteousness didn’t lead to life, it kept them from true healing and grace. The good news is that we can evaluate ourselves truly and honestly because we need not fear condemnation.
I believe we need to ask ourselves some time to time whether our motivations lineup with God standard. We can repent our sin and confess. We can plead with God to continue to work. He began in our heart and mow our thoughts and desires to look more like Him.
There is grace when we are honest about our motivations and plead for mercy and for the power of the Holy Spirit to bring change. Only He can bring internal change that is visible through our external actions.
From Pity to Praise 