“But Peter said to him, ‘May your silver perish with you, because you thought you could obtain the gift of God with money!'” (Acts 8:20).
Peter’s rebuke was spot on and urgently needed. God’s gifts can never be bought, nor can they be merited by our good works. While Simon the magician’s sin is immediately obvious (trying to buy an apostolic gift), preachers who peddle a works-based gospel are no different than Simon. These preachers claim that “faith is necessary but not sufficient for salvation.” According to their gospel, we must “obtain the gift of God with good works!” Take careful note of Peter’s swift and severe reaction to this kind of false gospel, and stay clear.
We receive God’s gifts by faith alone, but these gifts are certainly not free.
They were purchased by the precious blood of Messiah. Let us never wave our good works in God’s face, and insult the One who paid such a high price to purchase these gifts for his children!
“For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast” (Eph 2:8-9).
