Matthew Stugg here from Verity Baps Manila and I wanted to provide you another video
on the topic of repentance of sins and talk about Simon from Acts chapter 8.
Now people that believe you have to repent of your sins to be saved, they would look
at this story with Simon and think this is a good example of that.
This is what the Bible says in Acts chapter 8 starting at verse number 18, and when Simon
saw that through laying on of the apostles' hands the Holy Ghost was given, he offered
them money saying, Give me also this power that on whomsoever I lay hands he may receive
the Holy Ghost.
And so Simon wants this power, he offers them money.
What does it say in verse 20?
But Peter said unto him, Thy money perish with thee, because thou hast thought that
the gift of God may be pursed with money.
Thou hast neither part nor lot in this matter, for thy heart is not right in the sight of
God.
Notice verse 22, Repent therefore of this thy wickedness, and pray God that perhaps
the thought of thine heart may be forgiven thee.
So they would look at Acts 8 22 and say, Well Peter told them, Repent, and so there you
go, you've got to repent of your sins to be saved.
Well hold on a second.
Let's look at the context from Acts chapter 8 going back to verse 13, or let's go to verse
12.
But when they believed Philip, preaching the things concerning the kingdom of God in the
name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women.
Verse 13, Then Simon himself believed also.
And when he was baptized, he continued with Philip, and wondered, beholding the miracles
and signs which were done.
The narrator says, Simon believed also.
This is not a false conversion, because the narrator is very clear, Simon also believes.
What must it do to be saved?
And they said, Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved.
So Simon is a believer.
So when you go later on in the chapter, and Peter's telling him to repent, well realize
that Peter is telling a saved person to repent.
But you say, well you know, just perhaps the thought of thine heart may be forgiven thee,
he must be unsaved.
No, we as believers, after we get saved, we need to stay right with God.
Not because we'll lose our salvation, because the Bible is very clear, you can't lose your
salvation, but because of the fact, we need to have a daily cleansing with God.
It's just like for example with my son, when my son breaks my rules, I'm gonna punish him.
If he wants to have a good relationship with me, a close relationship, he needs to say
he's sorry when he screws up, and we need to do the same with God, and daily get our
heart right with God, and say, God forgive me for screwing up today, please help me do
better tomorrow.
We need to constantly be in a state where we're getting right with God, but in terms
of heaven and hell, that's determined when you believe on Jesus Christ.
And so Simon, in verse 13, it says Simon believed also.
Simon was saved, but his heart was not right.
And so Peter's telling him, hey you need to get right with God, you need to repent of
your wickedness, because it's a very wicked thing, what he said, wanting to give money
for this gift.
The Bible though is very clear, in terms of salvation, Simon was already saved, why?
Because salvation is based on, believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved.
Thank you and God bless.