Repentance and Conversion
And when Simon saw that the laying on of the apostles’ hands the Holy Spirit was given, he offered them money, saying, “Give me this power also, that anyone on whom I lay hands may receive the Holy Spirit.” But Peter said to him, “Your money perish with you, because you thought that the gift of God could be purchased with money! (Acts 8:18-20) Simon believed, but it was not enough. He was amazed by the power and glory of God, but his heart remained hard and unrepentant; therefore, he saw the Holy Spirit as a commodity to buy and sell. This entrepreneurial spirit is present in the church to this very day, and much that masquerades as ministry is the peddling of the Gospel derived from the same counterfeit spirit. It is so much easier to preach power than repentance, because many men want the power of God, but few want to die to themselves and pick up their cross. You see, men must not just believe in God but repent and be converted. That is true belief. ...