Owning Repentance
Acts 8:9–25
Pray for me to the Lord. Acts 8:24
It is possible, just possible, that Simon was a believer. Nevertheless, this seems rather to be a case of one who had been exposed to strong preaching, was impressed by the miracles, and wanted to tap into the evident blessings of the gospel, but who did not have that genuine change of heart that would have meant that he was born again. We can apply the story either way.
It ends with Peter’s words to Simon. Peter tells Simon, “Repent, therefore, of this wickedness of yours, and pray to the Lord that, if possible, the intent of your heart may be forgiven you. For I see that you are in the gall of bitterness and in the bond of iniquity” (vv. 22–23).
Simon replied, “Pray for me to the Lord.”
Does that sound pious to your ears? “Pray for me to the Lord.” That is the sort of thing ministers hear all the time. We talk to somebody about spiritual things, and he or she says, “Well, pray for me. Pray for me.”
I do not want to be misunderstood: it is good to pray for people. If somebody says, “Pray for me,” I try to do it. But Peter had told Simon to pray. He was to repent of his wickedness and pray to God. So when Simon replied by saying, “Pray for me,” he was not being pious at all but rather disobedient. His words were what we would call in colloquial English “a cop-out.” He was refusing to do what he had been told he should do and was passing the buck to Peter.
Do you do that? Do you pass the buck for your spiritual growth to other people? Do you pass it to your minister? Lots of people try to pass the buck to me. They think that somehow I can solve their problems. I cannot. I cannot even solve my own problems, let alone their problems. If you are sinning, you are the one who must repent of the sin. If prayer is needed, you are the one who must pray.
The Bible says that it is our “iniquities” that have separated us from God. It is because of our “sins” that “he does not hear” us (Isa. 59:2). If you have sinned, you must confess it and repent of the sin; then you can pray. You must come to God like the prodigal, saying, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you” (Luke 15:21) or like the tax collector at the temple, “God, be merciful to me, a sinner” (18:13). It is hard to pray in that fashion. But if you do it, you will find, as Peter suggested to Simon, that God will forgive your sin, cleanse and restore you, and save your soul.
Taken from Come to the Waters by James Boice ISBN 9798887790954 used with permission from P&R Publishing, Phillipsburg NJ 08865
Scripture quotations are from the ESV (the Holy Bible English Standard Version) copyright 2001 by Crossway a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. All rights reserved.