Two things stood out to me here; first Simon is excited for the wrong reasons. Just before these verses Simon asks if he could buy the power to lay hands on people and give the Holy Spirit. And second our heart is so important in our acceptance of Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. Simon wanted to follow Jesus but his heart was thinking of what he could do if he had that power. I have said it before; our walk is not for us it’s for others. The Holy Spirit that lives in us is for us to glorify God and shine like Christ so people want to know Jesus.
The amazing part is as we give glory to God we are full of peace and joy because we have surrendered our will. Look at what it says in verses 12-13, “But now the people believed Philip’s message of Good News concerning the Kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ. As a result, many men and women were baptized. Then Simon himself believed and was baptized. He began following Philip wherever he went, and he was amazed by the signs and great miracles Philip performed.” His heart never opened to the glory of God it just opened to the gifts Philip had.
We need to open our hearts and know the life that Christ has given us because of His willingness to do what God (the Father wanted) not His own agenda. Transformation of the heart is vital to understand how amazing Jesus’ life, death and resurrection was and how when we open God’s word, pray and then live it out we can make a difference. Think of this thought by Warren Wiersbe on these verses we just read. “This episode shows how close a person can come to salvation and still not be converted. Simon heard the gospel, saw the miracles gave a profession of faith in Christ and was baptized, yet he was never born again.” We are new creations and need to live that way as we grow and learn to be like Christ. Amen