Acts chapter 8. Notice verse 20 of Acts chapter
8. Peter said unto this man named Simon, this man who said at the
preaching of Philip, he said that he believed the gospel,
and he presented himself to Philip for believer's baptism. Philip,
not knowing his heart at this time, went ahead and agreed to
baptize this man. But when Peter came and he saw
the deeds of Simon Lagas, who held the people before him trickery
by his sorcery, and had deceived many, when Peter perceived his
wickedness, he said this. Verse 20, Peter said to him,
Your money perish with you. Because you thought. Now mark this down. All of our
thoughts, what we think naturally about God and the gospel, are
all wrong. Mark it down. Every thought that
we have left to ourselves about God and the gospel, they're all
wrong. They're wrong. I thought it was
this way. No, it's not that way. It's not
what you think. It's what it is. It's what God
says it is. You thought that the gift of
God, you thought salvation was by your doing. You thought salvation
could be bought with your money. You thought. Now that's our problem. God said my ways and my thoughts
are different than your ways and your thoughts. You thought
that the gift of God may be purchased with money. Now, salvation is
the gift of God, but you know what? It's free. It's free. By
nature, we think we must earn it or merit somehow God's favor. Verse 21, and then Peter, the
apostle now, discerning this man's heart, his thoughts, his
action, his will, his motives, he says this, you don't know
anything about salvation. He said, you don't know anything
about the truth. He said, you have no part. No part. You have no part. No part. Not some, none. Strong language, isn't it? You
have no part. You know nothing about, or you
have no lot in this matter of what Philip preached to them,
the kingdom of God. The kingdom of God revealed in
Jesus Christ. That's what Philip's message
was. The kingdom of God. And that word there, kingdom
of God, is synonymous with salvation. It's of the Lord. He says, you
don't know anything about, you have no part in, or lot or matter
in this kingdom of God. He said, you're not a part of
the kingdom of God. That's what he's saying, isn't it? You're
not a part of this kingdom. What's the problem here? Because your heart, the word therefore
there is because. Because of this. See verse 21? Because your heart is not right
in the sight of God. Now what's he saying here? He's
saying your heart's wrong. Your heart is wrong. Now, here's
key. Your heart is not right in the
sight of God. In the sight of God. Now, hold
your place there. I want you to turn to Luke chapter
16. Now, we try to justify ourselves
before men, and that looks pretty good in their sight. It's pretty
easy to impress for one worm to impress another worm and make
things good in your sight. But that's not salvation. Now
notice here in Luke 16, verse 15. Our Lord said to these Pharisees
who thought they were right. They thought they had a lock
on salvation. They thought they were right.
He said, you or they would justify yourselves before men But God
knows your heart. God knows your thoughts, your
motives, your desires. For that which is highly esteemed
among men is an abomination in, and here's this same thing, in
His sight. In His sight. Now I want you
to turn to Romans chapter 3. In His sight. Your heart is not
right before God. in His sight. In Romans chapter 3, therefore
He said in verse 19, Romans 3, 19, the law says we're all guilty,
the law says stop your mouth, you're guilty, you're charged,
guilty, guilty, therefore by the deeds of the law there shall
no flesh be justified in His sight. For by the law is the knowledge
of sin." Now see what he's saying here? Turn back to the book of
Acts again. Peter, God's apostle, God's servant, preacher of the
gospel, he said to this man who was a deceiver and a hypocrite,
that's what he was, he thought he could purchase this power
that the apostles had with his money. And Peter said, your heart
is not right. in the sight of God. Now, when
he uses this word heart here, he's not talking about this,
you know, we think about this, but it's this organ that pumps
the blood. But he's talking about the whole
makeup of what we are. The heart of our will. The bent
of our will. The heart of our mind. The heart of our thoughts. The
heart of our affections. That's the whole you. By nature,
we're all wrong. We're born that way. Your heart
is not right in the sight of God. Now, verse 22. Repent, therefore,
of this, thy wickedness, and pray God, if perhaps the thought
of thy heart may be forgiven. For I perceive," here's what
he's perceived, that you're in the Poison of bitterness. And you're in the bond. You're
chained by your sin nature. And you need to be set free.
You need to be set free. Now here's the question. Is your
heart right before God? Is your heart right before God? I want you to examine yourself. whether you be in the faith.
And I point this question to myself. I've asked myself this
question. Is your heart right before God
in His sight? We know that salvation described
in this book is called a heart work. Philippians 1, 6, God who
has begun a good work in you will perform it in the day of
Christ. When it pleased God who separated
me from my mother's womb and revealed His Son in me." In me. So it is a heart work. It's a
heart work. Is your heart right before God? And that's what I want to camp
on today. Is your heart right before God? Peter had a very sharp word for
him, didn't he? In verse 20. And verse 21, a
very sharp rebuke. But how many today have made
this same fatal mistake that Simon Magus made trying to offer
God something to gain His favor or to remove His wrath? We've
all made that same mistake. I thought it was this way. the captain of the Syrian army.
His name was Naaman. He was a leper. When he came
to Elijah, the prophet of God, for healing, and Elijah didn't
even go to the door. He sent one of his servants.
He said, tell old Naaman to go down to the old muddy Jordan
River and dip in the Jordan and he'll be clean. And Naaman said,
well, I thought that he'd come out that Elijah the prophet would
come out and he'd strike his hand on me and I'd be healed.
I thought it should have been this way. Yet God sent a little
humble servant with the Word of God. You see, by nature, left
to ourselves, we all think we can merit God's favor or remove
His wrath by something I do or don't do. We thought. I thought that way. a long time,
until God corrected my thinking and taught me that salvation
is the gift of God. You thought that the gift of
God, forgiveness of sin is a gift of God, the wages of sin is death. The gift of God is eternal life. Now, if it's a gift, and it is,
is it earned? Or is it freely given? A gift
is freely given of God. Freely given of God. Hold your
place there and find Romans 8. It's the gift of God. The gift
of God. Romans 8, verse 32, He that spared
not His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall
He not with Him also freely, freely give us, give us all things? Salvation is the gift of God.
It's not of worthless any man should boast. It's the gift of
God. Salvation is the free gift of
God. It's purchased. It's a purchased
gift. When you buy a gift for a loved
one, you have to go and buy it, and then you buy it and freely
give it, don't you? Well, this gift of salvation, it costs the
Lord Jesus Christ His life. He bought us with His own blood,
and He bought it at His expense, and you know what He does? He
freely gives it to whom He will. He freely gives His salvation.
Now, what was this man's problem? Peter reveals it, what it is
here, verse 21. Your heart, he says, Simon Magus,
he said, your heart is not right before God. in the sight of God. We look on the outward countenance,
don't we? God looks on the heart. He knows
your thoughts afar off. God knows. And this is our problem
here. Our problem is by nature our
heart is wrong. We are born with a most vile
and wicked sinful nature. We are born that way. We are
born to pray, totally pray. It affects all of our thinking
from the head to the foot. It affects our thinking, our
motives, our desires, everything, everything we do. Because our
sinful heart, because of our sinful heart is so desperately
wicked, we must be given a new heart, a new heart, a new heart. And as I said earlier, salvation
is a heart work. Only God the Holy Spirit can
make a sinner and give a sinner a right heart in His sight. We read in the Scriptures, God
is nigh unto them of a broken heart and save us such as be
of a contrite spirit. You remember over here in chapter
2 of Acts, turn back over there, Acts chapter 2. Verse 37, Acts 2, 37. When Peter was finished preaching
this message, setting forth the person and work of the Lord Jesus,
in Acts 2, 37, when they heard this, they were pricked in their
heart. The gospel was sent to their
heart. And they said unto Peter, and
to the rest of the apostles, What shall we do? We are guilty. We are guilty before God. What shall we do? You see, only God... I want you
to take your Bible and I want you to look at this carefully.
Only God can create a right heart in us. In us. Only God can do that. It takes
His sovereign, almighty power to create in us a new heart. And I mean by that, and I repeat
myself again on purpose, the heart involves the will, the
mind, the affection, the spirit, the thoughts of thy heart. Only God can create a clean heart. Turn over to Psalm 51. I want
you to take your Bible and let's look at these carefully. Psalm
51. And here's what we need. Because
my heart is dirty, I need a clean heart. I need
a right heart. In this site, Psalm 51, David
prays this way, verse 7, and I shall be clean. Wash me, and
I shall be whiter than the snow. Make me to hear joy and gladness,
that the bone which thou hast broken may rejoice. Hide thy
face from my sin. Blot out all my iniquity. Now,
look at verse 10. Create in me a clean heart, O
God, and renew a right spirit in me. Only God can create a
clean heart. A clean heart. I want you to
find Ezekiel 36. Ezekiel 36. If you want to jot
these down and write them down, I would encourage you to do so.
Only God can make our heart right. Only God can give us a clean
heart. purge our conscience from dead
works to serve the living God. Now, Ezekiel 36 verse 25, only
God can give a new heart, a new heart. Ezekiel 36 verse 25, Then will
I sprinkle clean water upon you, and you shall be clean from all
your filthiness and from all your idols. I will cleanse you.
This is God talking about the new covenant in Christ. A new
heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within
you. I will take away that stony heart. That's that wrong heart. That's
that hard heartedness. Out of your flesh and I'll give
you a heart of flesh. I will put my Spirit within you
and cause you to walk in my statutes and you shall keep my judgments
and do them. A new heart. A new nature in
Christ Jesus. Now I want you to find Ephesians
chapter 4. Ephesians chapter 4. We are encouraged here in
Ephesians chapter 4 verse 22 that you put off concerning the
old, the former conversation, the old man which is corrupt
according to the deceitful lust, Ephesians 4 verse 23. And be
renewed in the spirit of your mind that you put on the new
man which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness. Only God can do this by the power
of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Now, only God can create a clean
heart. Only God can create a new heart.
Only God can open the heart. Turn to Acts chapter 16. Only
God can open the heart. Acts chapter 16. You see, salvation
is a heart work. When Paul went to Philippi, there
was a woman there named Lydia. She was a business lady. In verse
14, when Paul went to that city and couldn't find a synagogue,
so he went down by the creek bank to find somebody to worship
with. In Acts chapter 16 verse 14,
And a certain woman named Lydia, a seller of purple, the city
of Thyatira, which worshipped God, heard us, whose heart the
Lord opened that she attended unto the things which were spoken
of Paul. God opened her heart. God gave her ears to hear. God
gave her new life in Christ Jesus. Only God. Now find Hebrews chapter
10. Only God. You see what Peter
is saying? Your heart's not right. Your
heart's not right, Simon Magus. And that's true of every one
of us. We're born with a heart that's not right. We need to
be changed. What I'm saying is God's the
only one who can change us and make us new creatures in Christ.
In Hebrews chapter 10, only God can write his gospel upon the
heart. In Hebrews chapter 10, look at verse 14. For but one
offering hath perfected forever them that are sanctified, Wherefore
the Holy Ghost is also witness to us, for after that he hath
said before, This is a covenant that I will make with them after
those days, saith the Lord. I will put my laws into their
hearts, and in their minds will I write them, and their sins
and iniquities will I remember no more." You see, God is the
only one who can write His gospel on our heart, our mind, our will,
our affection. Now, turn to Romans 10. Only
God, through the gospel, that's the power of God. And I tell
you, it takes the dynamite of God. Romans chapter 10, it takes
the dynamite and the power of God to create. Who can create? In the beginning, God created. You see, only God can create
a clean heart, a new heart, a new nature, make us a new man in
Christ Jesus. It's the work of God, the sovereign
work of God. Now, in Romans chapter 10, only
God can create and give a heart of faith, a believing heart,
a believing heart. What's our makeup naturally? Well, it's unbelieving. We love
darkness rather than light. Only God can give the heart of
faith that believes Him. Look what he says here in Romans
10. Romans 10, verse 6. But the righteousness which is
of faith speaketh on this wise. Say not in thy heart who shall
ascend to heaven. That is to bring Christ down
from above. For who shall descend into the deep, that is, to bring
Christ up again from the dead? But what saith it, the righteousness
which is of faith, speaketh this wise? What saith it? The word
is nigh thee, even in thy mouth and in thy heart, that is, the
word of faith which we preach, that thou shalt confess with
thy mouth Jesus to be Lord, and shalt believe in thy heart, that
God raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. You see,
it's a heart work. For with the heart man believeth
under righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made
unto salvation. For the Scripture says, Whosoever
believeth on him shall not be ashamed. There is no difference
between Jew and Greek, for the same Lord over all is rich unto
all that call upon him. For whosoever shall call upon
the name of the Lord shall be saved. Faith is a gift of God. Only God can give us a heart
that believes Him. We believe according to the working
of God's mighty power. Now, turn to 2 Corinthians 4. 2 Corinthians 4. Only God can reveal the gospel
to the heart. You see, this is a heart work. Is your heart right before God? That's what I'm asking. Only
God can reveal Christ to the heart. 2 Corinthians 4 verse
6, For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness,
has shined in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of
the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. He commanded
the light to shine in our hearts. In our hearts. Now an unbelieving heart, look
back to the text again, Acts chapter 8. An unbelieving heart is full of poison and unbelief. Verse 23, I perceive that thou
art in the gall of bitterness and in the bond of iniquity. Only God can give a repentant
heart. As it says in verse 22, repent
therefore of this thy wickedness and pray to God. Pray to God. Don't look to me,
Peter's saying. You need to repent because your
heart's wrong. And you need to ask God to give
you a right heart. So repent therefore of your wickedness
and pray to God. You see, He shut him up to sovereign
mercy, sovereign mercy of God. He's exalted, remember? In Acts
chapter 5, the Lord Jesus Christ is exalted to give repentance
to as many as the Father hath given Him. Repent therefore and
pray to God if perhaps the thought of your heart... You mean God's
going to hold me responsible for wrong thoughts? Absolutely. He said, you better repent of
the wicked deeds of your hand. He didn't say that. It goes deeper
than the hand to the heart. Repent of the wickedness of your
heart that God would forgive you. Why would He forgive you?
Only one reason. Because of Christ. Because of
Christ paying our sin debt. Has God made our heart right
before Him? I can't answer that question
for you. I can answer for myself. You have to answer that question
for yourself. Has God made your heart right before Him? How can I know? How can I inspect
myself and know and trust that God has given me a right heart? Well, let me give you this. Three
things. Three or four things. Do we have right thoughts of
Him? Right thoughts of the Lord Jesus Christ. What kind of right
thoughts should we have of Him? Turn to John chapter 20. Remember
what Thomas said to the resurrected Lord when He stood before Him? John
chapter 20 verse 28. He had a right heart. Thomas
did. He was given a clean heart. God
created a new heart in him. made him a new creature in Christ.
In John chapter 20 verse 28, Thomas answered and said unto
him, My Lord and my God. At the right heart. You see,
he had right thoughts about the Lord Jesus Christ. That he is
God. That he is God, our Savior. He is the only Savior of sinners. So it's to think right thoughts
of Him. Turn to Matthew chapter 16. Matthew
chapter 16. So it's to think, do you think
right thoughts of Him? If your heart's made right, and
created a new heart, you have right thoughts of Him. Matthew
16. Turn there. Matthew 16. Look at this. Our Lord asked the question that
day, Whom do men say that I am? In Matthew 16, verse 13, Whom
do men say that I am? Well, they said, some think you're
John the Baptist, some think you're one Old Testament prophet.
Then the Lord put the question right to them. Whom do you say
that I am? You see that in verse 15? Simon
Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the
living God. You're the Christ. You're the
Savior. And the Lord said, Blessed art
thou, Simon Bar-Jonah, son of Jonah, for flesh and blood hath
not revealed this unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven."
It's a revelation. He had right thought. A right
thought. Has God made your heart right
before Him? To think right thoughts of Him.
Secondly, right motives. Right motives by Him. What's
a right motive? What would be a right motive
to serve Him? Turn to 2 Corinthians 5. What would be a right motive
to serve the Lord Jesus and worship Him as God? 2 Corinthians 5 verse 14. For the love of Christ, 2 Corinthians
5 verse 14, the love of Christ constrains us. You see, we love
Him. because He first loved us. He's
given us a heart of love. We serve Him motivated not by
fear, not by promise of reward or fear of punishment, but we
serve Him with a right motive, a new motive. It's a motive of
love. We serve Him out of love because
He died to put away our sin. So it's to have right thoughts
of Him, right motives, A right attitude about the Gospel. A
right attitude. Is it the power of God unto salvation? Is the Lord Jesus Christ the
only Savior of sinners? Turn to Acts chapter 15. Acts
15. Here's the right attitude about
the Gospel. And those who have a right heart,
here's their attitude. Acts 15 verse 11, But we believe,
Through the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, we shall be saved. By grace alone, through faith
alone, in the Lord Jesus Christ alone. Right attitude about the
gospel. I want you to find Colossians
chapter 3. Is your heart right before God? That's the question I'm asking
all of us today. We think right thoughts of Him
if our heart is right. We have right motives before
Him. We have a right attitude about the Gospel. And fourthly,
you know what else? Our affection. Our affection
set on things above. Colossians chapter 3 verse 1. If you then be risen with Christ,
seek those things which are above, where Christ sits on the right
hand of God, set your affection. That's your mind, your will,
your heart on things above, not on the things of this earth.
For you're dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God. Crucified
with Christ. The will of the mind, the affections
are set on things above. Well, turn back to the story
now. Let me close with this one thought
right here. I think this is a valid question. It's an important question. Is your heart right before God? Those who heart are not made
right by God will perish under His just condemnation. Now, what
would you suppose after Simon Magus heard that from the Apostle? He answered in verse 24 and said,
Well, pray to the Lord for me that none of those things come
upon me which you have spoken about, perishing with my money. Now it seems he was more interested
in escaping judgment than begging for mercy or asking for pardon. Such is the case of those who
are most religious but lost. They're not interested in the
true Savior. He didn't say, Lord, reveal the
gospel to my heart. He didn't pray, Lord, forgive
me the thought of my heart. Peter, you pray for me, will
you? So I don't go to hell? You see, he had no real interest.
He just wanted to escape judgment, didn't he? He's not interested
in the true Savior, not interested in true salvation. He wasn't
willing to bow to Christ. God had never changed His heart.
Now, I don't know if God ever did change His heart. Scripture
is silent about it. I pray and hope that He did.
But at this point, certainly, He reveals that He still had
that stony heart that needed to be changed. He was only interested
in escaping judgment, no interest in the true Savior, true salvation,
in the Lord Jesus Christ. Is your heart right before God? That's the question. And I pray
that it is. And I pray if it's not, that
God will make it so. I know He's able to save.