The Devotional – Search the Scriptures – 751
The Devotional – Search the Scriptures – 751
Today’s Kick Start! – (CSB) Galatians 2 16 and yet because we know that a person is not justified by the works of the law but by faith in Jesus Christ, even we ourselves have believed in Christ Jesus. This was so that we might be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the law, because by the works of the law no human being will be justified.
Personal Obedience—Walk in the Spirit and you will not carry out the deeds of the flesh.
Acts 8 9 A man named Simon had previously practiced sorcery in that city and amazed the Samaritan people, while claiming to be somebody great. 10 They all paid attention to him, from the least of them to the greatest, and they said, “This man is called the Great Power of God.” 11 They were attentive to him because he had amazed them with his sorceries for a long time. 12 But when they believed Philip, as he proclaimed the good news about the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, both men and women were baptized. 13 Even Simon himself believed. And after he was baptized, he followed Philip everywhere and was amazed as he observed the signs and great miracles that were being performed. 14 When the apostles who were at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent Peter and John to them. 15 After they went down there, they prayed for them so that the Samaritans might receive the Holy Spirit because he had not yet come down on any of them. 16 (They had only been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.) 17 Then Peter and John laid their hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit. 18 When Simon saw that the Spirit[c] was given through the laying on of the apostles’ hands, he offered them money, 19 saying, “Give me this power also so that anyone I lay hands on may receive the Holy Spirit.”
JESUS CHRIST: He IS the same Yesterday, He IS the same Today, He IS God Forever!
Simon the sorcerer, or as some say; Simon magus, was not just a magician. His title reveals the source of the power he used to control his position with the Samaritan people. Satanic deception is in every corner of the world. In these days of which we are accountable to God for—sorcery is very real and very deceptive. Those who believe they are making the world a better place (apart from the grace of God) are the sorcerers of today.
The gospel is a promised gift from God; a promise of grace through faith for all who believe. Notice the words of Ephesians 2 8-10 For you are saved by grace through faith, and this is not from yourselves; it is God’s gift—not from works, so that no one can boast. 10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared ahead of time for us to do. Thus, we do not do good works in order to be saved, we do good works as a result of being saved. Works which God has prepared!
Like Simon, when we enter the kingdom of God on earth we carry with us some of the baggage of our life before Christ. Our sin is forgiven, but the circumstance of our previous life without Christ is still very real to us. For Simon; (maybe you can see a parallel) he realized that sorcery was wrong, he no doubt knew this before being saved. Yet, when he saw the apostles laying hands on the new children of God to receive the Holy Spirit, his old nature of sinful pride desired to have this same thing done to him. So, he sinned by his willingness to pay for a gift that God provides through faith.
We must have a continual heart of repentance and we must keep short accounts of our fleshly life of pride through confession, see 1 John 1 8-10 8 If we say, “We have no sin,” we are deceiving ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 10 If we say, “We have not sinned,” we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.
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