Simon the Sorcerer

2010-07-05

I was a Simon the Sorcerer. Let me explain. In Acts 8, this Simon was once great in the eyes of both himself and of the people of Samaria. He lost his followers when people came to Christ. Interestingly enough, he also believed (Acts 8:13). When the apostles came to lay hands on the Samaritans to receive the Holy Spirit, Simon offered money for this ability so that he also could do the same. Peter rebuked him and said that he was full of bitterness and bonded by iniquity. What was going on?

Simon, who once was a bigwig in the field of religion, thought that because of his former “greatness” that he could be “great” like the apostles too. The reality is plainly that the Gospel does not work like the world system. Simon formerly had been the star of a one-man circus. But in the real power of God, Christ gets the glory, not a man.

I once sought to be great in the eyes of others. When I believed in Christ, I thought I could use the faith to become great just as other talents had done for me in the past. I went to Bible College and even went through missions training. But I had it all wrong. Our lives ought to be living sacrifices to reflect Christ’s glory, not to make ourselves the center of attention. Think about it, and see if you are a Simon or a disciple.