John Bunyan's well-known allegory, Pilgrim's Progress, chronicles the spiritual pilgrimage of a man named Christian, as well as a few other companions along the way. At the end of the book the scene shows Christian crossing the river, symbolizing death, and going over to the Celestial City. Christian and his friend, Hopeful, are met by two Shining Men or angels, who usher them into the City and the glory of the King of Glory. But there is another man in those last scenes that I would call to your attention. His name is Ignorance.
Christian and Hopeful spent much time exhorting Ignorance in the truths of the gospel, who for his part thought himself to be a believer. But Ignorance argued with them constantly and thought that his belief was just as good as that of Christian and Hopeful. When Christian tried to explain that Ignorance's faith was a false faith and that he was not trusting Christ alone to justify him, Ignorance scoffed at the very idea, saying, "That is your faith, but not mine. Yet mine, I doubt not, is as good as yours, though I have not in my head so many whimsies as you."
After this Christian and Hopeful are separated from Ignorance as they cross over the river of death and into the Celestial City. Bunyan then looks back at Ignorance. He made it across the river of death by taking a boat that was ferried by a man named Vain-hope. He struggled to climb the steep hill to the gates of the City, but the gates did not open for him. He pounded upon the doors and stated his claim to enter. But rather than gaining entrance, two shining ones took Ignorance and carried him through the air to a door on the side of the hill which led to the Celestial City. There he was cast away forever. Bunyan's comment frames this truth graphically, "Then I saw that there was a way to hell, even from the gates of heaven, as well as from the City of Destruction." [Pilgrim's Progress, 131-148]
This is the truth which I seek to press upon all of us today, '...there is a way to hell, even from the gates of heaven'. There are some who go through life with a false faith, though to them it may be a sincere faith. Yet it ends in hell, not heaven. A false faith may appear good to most onlookers. It may even appear good to the one who possesses it. But it is not the kind of saving faith described throughout the New Testament. The most important thing any of us can do this day is to be honest before the Lord and ask Him, through His Word and by His Spirit, to confirm our faith as a true, saving faith.
Our text helps to answer some pertinent questions on how a person can have a false faith and what is its remedy. While the Holy Spirit was working to advance the gospel outside the boundaries of Jerusalem, the devil was laboring diligently to sow "tares among the wheat," so that the work of evangelizing might be marred and the church might be defiled. The devil sought to plant a false believer right in the midst of a people who were experiencing a true, spiritual awakening. Obviously, Simon did not even realize that he was a false believer instead of true one!
If that kind of devious work took place in the church's infancy, we can be assured that it has been perfected after 2000 years of experience! The devil does not mind a person having a faith, going to church, being religious, doing deeds of service, using Christian vocabulary as long as that person does not experience saving faith in Jesus Christ and His merits.
A person can have a false faith right in the midst of a genuine work of God. How can this happen?
I. An inadequate view of one's sin
There are many speculations throughout Christian history of this man named Simon. Some of the earliest church fathers claimed that he was the founder of Gnosticism, a second century heresy, which later affected the church by denial of the deity of Christ and a belief that salvation came by illumination rather than the new birth and the atoning work of Christ. Others would suggest that Simon eventually developed a cult following that extended all the way to Rome. At best, we can only speculate about him, so we are best served by confining our understanding of him to our text.
At the heart of what takes place in this narrative is the matter of Simon's sin. He was involved in magical arts and sorcery, both of which are condemned in both the Old and New Testaments. He obviously had not repented of his sin after his profession of Christ, since Peter told him that he had no part in the Holy Spirit, that his heart was not right with God, and that he needed to repent of his wickedness (vv. 21-22).
We must never forget that Jesus Christ came to deal with our sin (I John 3:5-8). It is our sin that causes us as depraved humans to stand at enmity with God. It is our sin that darkens our hearts and blinds our eyes. It is our sin that drives us toward rebellion against the Lordship of Christ and the law of God. It is our sin that brings eternal judgment upon us and hopelessness to our lives. When Jesus Christ saves us He gives us His righteousness (II Cor. 5:21), He forgives us of our sins (Eph. 1:7), He gives us a new nature that is created in righteousness and holiness of the truth (Eph. 4:24). He gives light to our minds and opens our blinded eyes to see the beauty and glory of Christ (John 1:9, 14, 18). Because of His saving work the believer is constantly purifying himself even as his Lord is pure (I John 3:3; 5:20). He is a new creation that views life differently and lives life differently (II Cor. 5:17).
But this whole truth stands in direct opposition to the many claims of false believers. They claim to be "saved" yet there is no difference in their lives in terms of personal holiness, attitude of life, and love of truth. Many false believers have never seriously considered their sin problem.
1. False claims
Simon made some incredible claims! He practiced magic in Samaria, keeping the people in amazement over his abilities. For this he was claiming to be someone great (v. 9). He could boast about his life and achievements. He rather enjoyed displaying his magical powers and hearing the applause of men. Simon had evidently learned the magical or demonic arts of eastern, mystical magicians. Just as the magicians in Pharaoh's kingdom during the day of Moses practiced magical skills which were related to demonism, Simon was capable of the same kinds of things. "This man is what is called the Great Power of God," was the word around Samaria. New Testament scholars point out that this was essentially a claim to deity on the part of Simon. He was considering himself to be a god. Because of this he enjoyed the attention people gave him, even to the point of devotion and awe (v. 11).
The interesting thing about his believing and being baptized (v. 13) is that nowhere do you get the idea that Simon saw anything wrong with all of his false claims. Sin was not a problem in his life as far as he was concerned. So what if he claimed to be someone great or claimed to be a god or some kind of incarnation of God. Can you honestly come to faith in Christ without acknowledging your sinfulness before Him?
Our Sunday School overview study in Romans today demonstrates that Paul establishes the problem of sin before he gives details on the gospel (Romans 1:18-4:25). The reason the Gentiles fail to come to Christ is that they never see a need; they are enjoying their sin, ignoring the revelation of God, so their hearts become harder and harder. The problem of the Jews is that they are so religious that they fail to see their own sin and guilt before God as well. The point Paul makes is that until we are convinced of our own sinfulness we will not be convinced of the necessity of the cross of Jesus Christ. Jesus did not die to give us a wonderful example of sacrificial living. He died to atone for our sins! He died as a substitute for sinners not saints, so that those sinners might know God and His forgiveness.
Many professing believers are still lost in their sins because they have never seen the power of sin in their lives and the offense of their sin before a righteous, holy God. They ignore their sins and think that being a Christian is a nice thing to do in polite society. So they pray a little prayer, declare themselves to be Christians, and go on ignoring the judgment of God against sinners.
Others gloss over the matter of sin or try to hide their sin in a flurry of religious activity or acts of service. Some people will do anything to keep from being confronted with the horror of their own sinfulness. They will go as far as to deny the Scripture or at best, get their minds off on more pleasant thoughts when the Scripture or sermons point out their deficiency and deadness. They will make personal claims to goodness while the Word says their 'righteousness is as filthy rags' (Isa. 64:6).
2. Appealing substitutes
Simon may very well have thought that he was doing God a favor by all his magical acts. He was a religious man. The Samaritans were religious people, exercising a worship of Jehovah that contained blends of other religions and traditions. "And they all, from smallest to greatest, were giving attention to him, saying, 'This man is what is called the Great Power of God'." Simon was just giving them another way to worship God! Yet, any way but God's way is an unacceptable way.
On Simon's part, he decided that he would get in on the great spiritual awakening led by Philip. But when they [i.e., the Samaritans] believed Philip preaching the good news about the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, they were being baptized, men and women alike. And even Simon himself believed; and after being baptized, he continued on with Philip; and as he observed signs and great miracles taking place, he was constantly amazed (vv. 12-13). Notice what took place: Simon believed, was baptized, and continued on with Philip. Now all of this looks good on the surface. These are the kinds of signs you look for in real believers! You look for people who believe, who will follow Christ outwardly in baptism, and who will go on following the teaching of spiritual leaders. To all apparent witnesses, Simon was now a Christian. But the real Simon got exposed (vv. 18-21).
Simon had the idea that since everyone had quit following him and had started following the teaching of Philip, it would be a good idea to get into this circle of Christians. Maybe Simon could regain his status as before, or so he thought. He may have even felt good about what he was doing since he was around miraculous works and people being saved.
As good as this appealing substitute looked, it was still not real; it was just a substitute. If the kind of Christianity you have is nothing more than a substitute for genuine faith in Christ, you may look good to everyone else, but you cannot pretend when you stand before God. Just as in the case of Bunyan's Ignorance, there is a way to hell, even from the gates of heaven. The all-seeing, all-knowing God will not accept a substitute for faith in Christ alone.
I saw in the newspaper this week that a number of people had purchased imitation tickets to a professional football game. They looked pretty much like the real thing, but when they showed up at the stadium, those seats did not belong to them because knowingly or unknowingly, they substituted a false ticket for a real one. No matter how much they argued, their substitute tickets could not get them into the game.
Could it be that you have ignored your sin and merely made a decision about Christianity without the blood of Christ being applied to your life? Are you trying to substitute for a true relationship to God through faith in Christ alone?
II. A twisted view of the gospel
Simon obviously saw what Philip was doing as the latest fad passing through Samaria, rather than "the power of God unto salvation to everyone who believes" (Rom. 1:16). He did not want to be left out, so he jumped on board! So many times I have heard of people whose Christianity consists of having walked down an aisle because someone else did or making a decision because it just seemed like a good thing to do. Yet, that is not true Christianity.
Philip was preaching the gospel, but Simon had a twisted view of this gospel.
1. The message proclaimed
There are many terms used in the New Testament to imply the preaching of the gospel. What Luke records in verse 12 is a statement of Philip's preaching of the gospel. But when they believed Philip preaching the good news about the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, they were being baptized, men and women alike. Even the word for "preaching" is that same term used in verse 4 that implies, "evangelizing." It is a proclamation of the good news that Jesus Christ died to save sinners! That is the gospel.
It is identified in this text as "the good news about the kingdom of God." The word "kingdom" carries with it the idea of 'kingship or lordship'. You cannot have a kingdom without a king. A kingdom is ruled by someone other than yourself. What Philip was doing was driving home the message of the Lordship of Jesus Christ--that He is the King over our lives; that He is the One to whom we submit as absolute Lord.
The last few years have seen a resurgence in the false teaching that Jesus can be your Savior without being your Lord. Such teaching is a false gospel that has lured many people into making decisions who never have any semblance of repentance and faith in Christ. John MacArthur has written extensively on this subject. In The Gospel According to Jesus, he writes, "The call to Calvary must be recognized for what it is: a call to discipleship under the lordship of Jesus Christ. To respond to that call is to be come a believer. Anything less is simply unbelief" [p. 36, revised].
Simon had no intention to follow Jesus Christ as his Lord. Simon was lord of his own life and he was just making a decision which might help his posture in the community. I do not believe Simon is alone in our day. Multitudes who claim to be Christians--that includes 86% of Americans, have not yielded to the authority of Jesus Christ as Lord over their lives. The result is that those multitudes are still in their lost condition.
Philip's preaching also was a proclamation of "the good news about...the name of Jesus Christ." This does not mean that Philip simply looked at the name by which Jesus was called and told how nice it was. This is a New Testament way of implying that Philip was dealing with the full revelation of Jesus Christ. To preach "the name of Jesus Christ" is to proclaim Christ in all His fullness. His deity and His humanity were proclaimed. His suffering and substitution were proclaimed. His death, resurrection, and ascension as Lord of all were proclaimed. All of this was with a view to the hearers acknowledging Jesus Christ and trusting His merits for them as sinners.
If you have trusted anything else other than Jesus Christ and His merits through His life, death, and resurrection, then you are believing a false gospel. No matter how sincere you are, if your faith is in the wrong place it will not sustain you for eternity. On our counter are two canisters that look just alike. One contains sugar and one contains flour. If I want to sweeten a glass of tea and pick up the canister containing flour, sincerely believing that it will sweeten my tea, then put the flour into my glass, will it sweeten my tea? Now understand, I am really sincere about this flour sweetening my tea. I even want it to sweeten my tea. I am trusting it to sweeten my tea. Will it? Of course not! My trust in the flour no matter how sincere will never sweeten my tea.
Your trust in yourself, your goodness, your righteousness, your service, your acts of goodness, your family heritage, your church, your baptism...none of these things can ever save you. "And there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men, by which we must be saved" (Acts 4:12).
2. The message ignored
Simon ignored the message of Jesus Christ and Him crucified (I Cor. 2:2). He side-stepped the gospel, went through the outward motions, and blended into the Christian crowd. But that did not make him a Christian. He was still just as lost as ever, only now he was enamored with the signs and miracles which Philip performed. He liked the excitement surrounding the new Christians, but not the gospel that transformed them. Frankly, I believe his intention was to regain a following so that he could use a distorted version of the Christian message as a new attraction in his side-show (v. 18-19).
What we must see is though he was lumped in with the other Christians (even Simon himself believed), he never repented. That's why Peter commanded him with gravity, "Therefore repent of this wickedness of yours, and pray the Lord that if possible, the intention of your heart may be forgiven you." The word "intention" implies an evil scheme or strategy. He had something in mind other than pure devotion to Jesus Christ (II Cor. 11:3). He was not interested in abandoning himself to follow Christ, but rather in using Christianity to get what he wanted. His faith was not in Christ alone, but in Simon's abilities to do something with this Christian religion. He gave no evidence of being a new creature in Christ. He showed no attentiveness to obeying Christ and His law, nor of walking in personal holiness. He was a fake who had ignored the message of the gospel of Christ.
My friend, does this describe you? Have you tried to use Christianity rather than yielding wholly to Jesus Christ? Does your life demonstrate the fruit of being a new creation in Christ?
I would hasten to point out to you that many people with a false faith have received a true faith in Christ alone. I had a false faith for many years, but the Lord mercifully came to me in saving power and made me one of His own children through the blood of His Son. George Whitfield had a false faith that was just about to kill him through anxious laboring, until he was born again by the Spirit of God. A number of you identify with this because that was exactly where you were--with a false faith, when God came to you in deep conviction of your sin and extended grace to you that you might be saved. Though you have ignored the clear preaching and teaching of the gospel time after time, God has mercifully allowed you to hear the exhortation again: repent of your sins; trust in Jesus Christ alone to save you. Jesus Christ is mighty to save, even those who have lived with a false faith!
III. A distorted view of God
We place a premium on explaining to unbelievers about our God. We want them to know who He is according to His revelation in Scripture, not some caricature which they have in their minds. Many people never come to Christ because their view of God is wrong. By this I imply that because they do not understand God's holiness and righteousness, they see no urgent need to take seriously the call to repentance and faith in Christ alone. These people had a father in Simon. He saw God...
1. As Someone that can be bought
In verse 18 we are told that as Simon witnessed Peter and John laying hands on the Samaritan believers in order for them to receive the Holy Spirit, he wanted to get in on this great power. So he offered them money. The word offer implies that he probably had the money in hand and presented it to the disciples, likely a lucrative sum, in hope of buying God's power. He had probably purchased many of his magical secrets from others, so why not buy God's power too, he thought.
God cannot be bought. He does not need anything which we own. He has no need. There are no deficiencies in either His Person or possessions. All that exists belongs to Him.
I'm sure that all of us would shake our heads in disbelief that Simon would dare to try to buy something from God! Yet some of you may be doing the very same thing. While Simon used money to try to buy something from God, you may be using your good works or your acts of service or your great sacrifices or your being associated with Christians, all with an attempt to appease God so that He might give you eternal life. Trying to buy God off has been going on for centuries. Saul tried it when he offered the sacrifices contrary to God's command. The rich young ruler would gladly have given a princely sum to purchase eternal life. The Pharisees tried it by giving attention to meticulous details of their religious traditions. But God cannot be bought! Instead, He gives eternal life as a gift of His grace.
2. As Someone to be used
Simon likely considered God to be like the neighboring gods popular throughout the history of Samaria. If you did a god a favor, then he would do you a favor. People would appease their gods so that they might use their gods to achieve fame or gain possessions or obtain power. You can see this in many of the Old Testament narratives when someone would offer sacrifices to their god in order for the god to grant them a favor. It was a 'I'll scratch your back if you scratch mine' mentality.
In this case Simon had the idea that if he went along with all this Christian-stuff, then God might re-establish his previous reputation and following. He could use God to get back on top of the popularity polls in Samaria.
But God will not be used! He is not a thing that you can grab with your hand and use the way you like. He is not a concept that you can manipulate so that He will fit whatever scheme you have in mind. HE IS THE ETERNAL GOD AND THERE IS NO OTHER!
Do you realize that a lot of people go to church in order to try to bargain with God and use God? They think that if they can show a little religion in their lives that God will make them feel better, be healthier, make their families get along better, cause them to prosper, etc.
As long as a person thinks he can use God he will be very religious. I remember as a senior in high school, we were playing our biggest rival in basketball. Both of us were undefeated and had a shot at the state championship. As we were getting ready to come onto the court, since I was the "Rev." on the team, one of the stars said, "Hey Rev, pray for us." So, I led us in prayer--not to win the game of course, I knew better, but that we might play to our best abilities. We lost the game! And that was the first and last time I got asked to pray before a game. God didn't work so they decided to leave him alone.
That story reflects much of what takes place in churches. Some of you may think that you have plans for God. And if God will not cooperate with you and do what you want Him to do, then you'll show Him--you'll just ditch Him. My friend, as tenderly as I know how, I want to warn you that God will not be mocked or treated as if He was a commodity to be used for our personal consumption. He is the Lord God to whom belongs all glory. God does what He does and has so arranged His saving work "that no man should boast before God" (I Cor. 1:29). None of us can manipulate God to fit into our scheme. You come to God on His terms alone and for His glory alone or you will never know God.
3. As Someone on our level
Simon had brought God down to the level of another advanced magician. If he had all this power to give people the Holy Spirit, then surely, Simon thought, He could handle letting someone else get in on the glory. Peter's words to him are striking and forceful. "May your silver perish with you, because you thought you could obtain the gift of God [i.e., the Holy Spirit] with money!" Peter was assigning Simon to hell, along with his money!
It is tragic that in our day evangelical churches lead the way in bringing God down to the level of being just another one of the guys. The triteness and debasing way God is conceptualized is pathetic. Some of the so-called Christian music lowers our view of God. God has become the tool we need to build our careers or establish our popularity. John Stott reminds us that "ever since that day [of Simon's lowering God for his own purposes], the attempt the turn the spiritual into the commercial, to traffic in the things of God, and especially to purchase ecclesiastical office, has been termed 'simony'" [The Spirit, the World, and the Church, 151].
We must remember that God is holy, transcendent, righteous, far above us. Yet this great God has come to us full of mercy and compassion as He commands us to repent of our sins and to believe wholly in the Lord Jesus Christ. We must come God's way or no way at all. His way is the way of the cross where we die to ourselves and receive the righteousness of Jesus Christ as our very own. Simon tried to ignore his problem with sin, side-step the gospel, and use God for his own purpose. As far as we know, Simon never came to faith in Christ. The opportunity to repent was there, but Luke gives no hint that he availed himself of God's great mercy.
But how about you? If the Holy Spirit has pin-pointed the problem of your own false-faith, I would remind you as Peter did Simon, "Repent of this wickedness of yours." Turn to Jesus Christ in faith, abandoning yourself and all the things in which you have been trusting to trust wholly in Him as you Savior and Lord.
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