Buying God's Gifts

• Acts 8:18 (ESV)
• Acts 8:19 (ESV)
• Acts 8:20 (ESV)
• Acts 8:21 (ESV)
• Acts 8:22 (ESV)

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We see people on TV offering God's gift of healing or of comfort or of wisdom for a small "donation" to their ministry. Peter would have lambasted those TV preachers (and anyone else who takes people's money in exchange for God's free gift) and told them plainly to repent.

Simon the Sorcerer was baptized and believed, but that didn't mean he was right in how he approached God from then on. In this case, Simon asked Peter if he could purchase the ability to pass the Holy Spirit to others from Peter. Peter's response was,

“May your money perish with you, because you thought you could buy the gift of God with money! You have no part or share in this ministry, because your heart is not right before God. Repent of this wickedness and pray to the Lord. Perhaps he will forgive you for having such a thought in your heart. For I see that you are full of bitterness and captive to sin."

Harsh, but it saved Simon from continuing in his wrong understanding of how to have a relationship with God.

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