A self-promoting sorcerer had all of Samaria awed, hailing him as the “Great Power,” until Philip arrived preaching the real thing — and the people who got converted never went back to the counterfeit. Simon believed and was baptized too, but when he pulled out his wallet and tried to buy the gift of God, Peter’s stinging rebuke laid out the heart of Acts 8:9-25: rebuke, repentance, restoration — and how to tell a real conversion from a fake when only God can see the heart.
Scripture: Acts: 8:9-25, Matthew: 5:3, 5:27-28, 6:33, 7:1, 7:11, 7:16-18, Luke: 9:62, 2 Corinthians: 5:17, Galatians: 5:22-23, 1 Thessalonians: 5:17