2014.03.09 Acts 8: 9- 25
Simon´s False Faith
Last week we saw that wherever the message is preached
there are always two results….. There's true faith and there's false faith…..
There are wheat and tares…. the rocky ground and good soil….. Those who believe to the saving of the soul…. and
those who draw back unto perdition…… The preaching of the gospel forces people
to choose….…… Those who hear and repent and believe the Good News… They become true
believers their hearts are transformed and they act differently…..
Others reject the Gospel and persecute true believers… There
is a 3rd group…. they try to play both sides….. They try to be fans of Jesus…. Saying that they are Christians….. but their
faith does not save…… because they are unwilling to repent and believe the Good
News…. When Phillip went to Samaria….. Many
believed and there was great joy in the city…. Let´s back up a few verses
to see the context…. Acts 8v4….
Acts
8: 4- 8
NLT
4
But the believers who were scattered preached the Good News about Jesus
wherever they went. 5 Philip, for example, went to the city of Samaria and told
the people there about the Messiah. 6 Crowds listened intently to Philip
because they were eager to hear his message and see the miraculous signs he
did. 7 Many evil spirits were cast out, screaming as they left their victims.
And many who had been paralyzed or lame were healed. 8 So there was great joy
in that city.
Acts
8: 4- 8
Neues Leben
4 Doch die Gläubigen, die aus Jerusalem geflohen waren,
zogen umher und verkündeten die Botschaft von Jesus.
5 Philippus ging in die Stadt Samaria und erzählte den Bewohnern
von Christus.
6 Die Menge hörte ihm bereitwillig zu, und sie sahen auch
die Wunder, die er tat.
7 Viele böse Geister wurden ausgetrieben und fuhren mit
lautem Geschrei aus. Außerdem wurden viele Menschen geheilt, die gelähmt oder
verkrüppelt gewesen waren.
8 Darüber herrschte große Freude in der Stadt.
As we look at the revival that happened in Samaria….. One Samaritan…. Simon becomes an illustration
of faith that does not save…. He becomes a tare in the middle of this great
wheat harvest of Souls….
This chapter is about the ministry of Phillip…. He was a
prophet and an evangelist…… And in the course of his ministry he was used by
God to bring about a great revival in Samaria….. And he meets this man Simon…… Many repented and believed
and there was great joy in the city…. But….. there was a certain man called
Simon….
v9,10…..
Acts
8: 9,10 NLT Neues Leben
9 A
man named Simon had been a sorcerer there for many years, amazing the people of
Samaria and claiming to be someone great. 10 Everyone, from the least to the
greatest, often spoke of him as “the Great One—the Power of God.”
9 Schon seit vielen Jahren lebte in dieser Stadt Simon,
ein Magier, der sich für etwas Besonderes hielt. Mit seiner Zauberei zog er die
Leute in seinen Bann.
10 In Samaria nannte ihn jeder, den man fragte, nur »den
Großen - die Kraft Gottes«.
v9,10….. Simon was a magi… A magician….. A sorcerer… The
Samaritans gladly accepted his magic and accepted him as some great one…. Everyone said this man is The great power
of God…..
The Samaritans were 1/2 Jewish…. They had adapted the
false gods of their neighbors and over time because of their sin and
rebellion….. They were worshipping idols and God….. This kind of mixing of beliefs
is called syncretism…. They were
very far from the one true God…. Syncretism means that they mixed together the
false religion of the pagans in the area….. But they tried to hold onto the God
of Abraham at the same time…. They were very confused and easily deceived…. Simon´s
magic and the fact that he claimed to be an emanation from God…. was an
easy fit with the syncretism that
they had believed over the years…..
Simon looked good…. But he was not a genuine believer…. he was like Judas….. Why did
Simon mess up? Why did he blow this opportunity? Why did it happen?
I want you to understand something important here…. True salvation is a work of the Spirit of God
in the hearts of men and women…. Simon was not converted…..
Simon believed in
some sense…. He was baptized….. But
Simon was unconverted……. He was looking for something in it for himself….. He
wanted to be close to this incredible
power that was being manifested By
Phillip and Peter and John….. The Samaritans thought of him as a god….. But he
knew better…. he knew it was a lie…. Simon promoted himself as a great one…. A
god…… This was because he loved the praise of men…. Just like the chief priests
and the Pharisees from last week….
As he observed Phillip and later Peter….. He wanted the
power that they had….. You see it was the power
that he really believed in…. He was
very impressed by the signs and wonders…. The miracles had seduced him…..
Simon
was an instant fan of Jesus….. He wanted to add Jesus to his life and faith system…. And
he stayed very close to Phillip and the power that he wanted….
Simon knew that these men were genuine servants of the
Lord…. He did not understand the sin and rebellion
that was in his heart…. He had lived the
lie that he was something wonderful…. He had deceived himself about himself… His
great sin was his pride….. It is the great enemy of us all….. Pride is the #1 obstacle to genuine repentance….
Simon is introduced to us here as a very proud man…..
He was not some great one….. Simon thought that he could
gain some more glory for himself by getting in on this new thing…… Pride is a huge problem in keeping people
from repenting and coming to God…… Pride is a basic part of the faith that does
not save….. Pride prevents genuine repentance….
As
we read…. Simon announced to everybody that he was some great one, some great power of God…… Later
on he will be one of the founders of the Gnostic
heresy that is still with us today….. They teach a different gospel and a
different Jesus…. They deny that Jesus is God in the flesh come to redeem
believers…… They teach that everything made of matter is evil…. Simon will be a
big part of these heresies as time goes on….
Simon yielded control of his life to demonic magic and he
was being used to hold the people captive and now Satan is trying to use him to
infiltrate the church……. He has already gained the confidence of the people……
Simon
refuses to repent because of his pride…
Sometimes it is
hard to detect…. In the Jewish leaders it wore the mask of deep love for God…. But they rejected the Messiah and killed
God's Son…..
The Pharisees
wore the mask of Holiness and perfect obedience to the law…. It was all
external and not from the heart….…. It
was a mask…. Just to hide their pride….. It is deadly…... turn to James 4…
James
4: 6 NKJV Sch 2000
6
But He gives more grace. Therefore He says God resists the proud, But gives
grace to the humble.
6 um so reicher aber ist die Gnade, die er gibt. Darum
spricht er: »Gott widersteht den Hochmütigen; den Demütigen aber gibt er
Gnade«.
James goes on in this chapter in verse 10 to give us the
cure…. Humility…. James 4: 10…Humble
yourselves in the sight of the Lord….. He will lift you up….
When
it comes to pride…. The leaders of Israel and the Pharisees were unbeatable…. Do
you remember the Parable that Jesus told
about the Pharisee and the tax collector?.... It´s in Luke 18…. Let´s look at one verse…v9…
Luke
18:9
NKJV Sch 2000
9
Also He spoke this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were
righteous, and despised others:
9 Er sagte aber auch zu etlichen, die auf sich selbst
vertrauten, daß sie gerecht seien, und die übrigen verachteten, dieses
Gleichnis:
Spiritual
pride is a great danger to us…. It causes us to think that we are Godly….. and better than
others…. Even our brothers and sisters….
We desperately need the humility that
comes from really seeing ourselves as we are…. How do we do that?... We hold up lives to the light of the Word of God….. 2 Tim 3: 16…
2
Tim 3: 16,17 NLT Neues Leben
16
All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to
make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong
and teaches us to do what is right. 17 God uses it to prepare and equip his
people to do every good work.
16 Bis dahin war der Heilige Geist noch auf keinen von
ihnen herabgekommen; sie waren nur auf den Namen von Jesus, dem Herrn, getauft
worden.
17 Petrus und Johannes legten den Gläubigen nun die Hände
auf, und sie empfingen den Heiligen Geist.
Now humility is not running around saying….. Oh I'm
nothing… I´m a worm…. Humility is
knowing in your heart your sin and imperfection…. And acknowledging before God that you are hopelessly lost without
Him….. Only humble people find the faith
that saves…. proud people don't need to be saved….They are already something wonderful and special…. Simon was a fan of Jesus….. but he
did not repent and believe the Gospel…v11…
Acts
8: 11,12
NLT Neues Leben
11
They listened closely to him because for a long time he had astounded them with
his magic.
12
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.
11 Durch die Zauberkünste besaß er großen Einfluss, denn
er hatte viele Anhänger.
12 Doch nun glaubten die Menschen an die Botschaft vom
Reich Gottes und vom Namen Jesus Christus, die Philippus predigte. Viele Männer und Frauen ließen sich
taufen.
verse l2…. The people believed the Gospel and were
converted…. God was moving and people were joining Philip…. And Simon was
losing his following…..
Simon was impressed….. to him Christianity was another belief to be
added to what he already had…… Simon saw the power of Jesus followers as a new
bag of magic tricks….. He thought of salvation as an external something that he
could add to his Syncretism… Verse l3…
Acts
8: 13 NLT Neues Leben
13
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.
13 Auch Simon wurde gläubig und empfing die Taufe. Er
begann, Philippus auf Schritt und Tritt zu folgen, und staunte über die
großartigen Wunder und Zeichen, die dieser vollbrachte.
V13…
Then Simon himself believed and was baptized…. He followed and watched….
There is a faith that doesn't save….. It is possible to
miss heaven by 18 inches…. The distance from your head to your heart…. Simon
was not converted…. Genuine believers are given a new heart by God…. He removes
our hearts of stone and gives hearts of flesh to obey him…. James 2:19 reminds us that…. Faith without
works is dead…. There is a relationship between faith and works…. Works
cannot save us…. They cannot even help us…… It is not faith plus works….. It is
not faith or works…. It is genuine faith that produces good works…..
Do you remember when Jesus cleaned out the Temple the
first time?......
Let´s turn to John 2….v23….
John
2: 23- 25 NKJV
23
Now when He was in Jerusalem at the Passover, during the feast, many believed
in His name when they saw the signs which He did. 24 But Jesus did not commit
Himself to them, because He knew all men, 25 and had no need that anyone should
testify of man, for He knew what was in man.
John 2: 23- 25 Sch 2000
23 Als er aber am Passahfest in Jerusalem war, glaubten
viele an seinen Namen, weil sie seine Zeichen sahen, die er tat.
24 Jesus selbst aber vertraute sich ihnen nicht an, weil
er alle kannte,
25 und weil er es nicht nötig hatte, daß jemand von dem
Menschen Zeugnis gab; denn er wußte selbst, was im Menschen war.
When He came to the temple after His ministry began…. Jesus
did miracles that time and many people believed Him….. But He didn't commit
Himself to those people….. Because he knew their hearts…. He knew what was in
them…… What did He know?
He
knew their faith was not the faith that saved…..
They believed the miracles….. But they weren't willing to give their life to
Him as their Christ and Messiah…..
Simon
believed that the miracles were from God….. He was very impressed with these miracles…. Perhaps he thought he
could learn how to do them….. He was a
phony…… But it says he continued with Phillip….
Why do you think he continued?
He in his pride thought that Phillip was like him…… He
was in it for the money….. He assumed that everyone was serving God for the
money…. He wanted to buy Philip's tricks……
The idea that Gain is Godliness….
That our wealth or success is a sign of goodness or Godliness…. Just like the
prosperity preachers in America….. It is the great lie of this 21st
century…. Paul wrote to Timothy about it in 1 tim 6… read it when you can….
Simon thought that he was a good and great man…. Look at
my power he says…. He thought that godliness was about what he did…… I´m sure
that even the fact that the people adored him was in a twisted way proof that
he was a great man….. It was all external….. Looking on the outside is very
natural….. It´s all we can see…. Man
looks on the outward appearance…. But God looks at the heart…
You know… there are lot´s of people that think salvation
is an external issue? Something that I can do or not do…..
Simon was baptized and Simon went to hell because he did
not repent from his heart…. He was not converted…. He was never saved….. Salvation is not
external…...
Don't ever think that salvation is something to be added
to your life….. Don't you ever think that Jesus Christ is some religious bag of
tricks to add to the way you live…. It's a total commitment of life or it's
nothing…. True salvation is not a mere profession of faith….. it is no sudden impulse to do or be good…. It is an entire commitment to Jesus Christ….. It
is a total transformation….. It is God Himself who does the work… turn to
Ezek36…
Ezekiel
36: 25-27
NLT
25
“Then I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean. Your filth
will be washed away, and you will no longer worship idols. 26 And I will give
you a new heart, and I will put a new spirit in you. I will take out your
stony, stubborn heart and give you a tender, responsive heart. 27 And I will
put my Spirit in you so that you will follow my decrees and be careful to obey
my regulations.
Ezekiel 36: 25-27 Neues Leben
25 Dann
gieße ich reines Wasser über euch aus, und ihr werdet rein sein. Von allen
euren Unreinheiten und von allen euren Götzen werde ich euch reinigen.
26 Und ich werde euch ein neues Herz geben und euch einen
neuen Geist schenken. Ich werde das Herz aus Stein aus eurem Körper nehmen und
euch ein Herz aus Fleisch geben.
27 Und ich werde euch meinen Geist geben, damit ihr nach
meinem Gesetz lebt und meine Gebote bewahrt und euch danach richtet.
4 times in these verses God says I will….. He does the work in us….
v25… I will wash
you…you will no longer worship idols…
v26… I will give
you a new heart…. I will take out your stony heart…
v27… I will put my
Spirit in you… and you will be careful to obey… It is a total
transformation….. It is God Himself who does the work… back to Acts 8…v14
Acts
8: 14- 17 NKJV
14
When the apostles in Jerusalem heard that the people of Samaria had accepted
God’s message, they sent Peter and John there. 15 As soon as they arrived, they
prayed for these new believers to receive the Holy Spirit. 16 The Holy Spirit had
not yet come upon any of them, for they had only been baptized in the name of
the Lord Jesus. 17 Then Peter and John laid their hands upon these believers,
and they received the Holy Spirit.
Acts 8: 14- 17 Sch
2000
14 Als die Apostel in Jerusalem hörten, dass das Volk in
Samaria die Botschaft Gottes angenommen hatte, schickten sie Petrus und
Johannes.
15 In Samaria angekommen, beteten die beiden für die
neuen Gläubigen, damit sie den Heiligen Geist empfingen.
16 Bis dahin war der Heilige Geist noch auf keinen von
ihnen herabgekommen; sie waren nur auf den Namen von Jesus, dem Herrn, getauft
worden.
17 Petrus und Johannes legten den Gläubigen nun die Hände
auf, und sie empfingen den Heiligen Geist.
v14-17…..The news of Philip's work in Samaria has reached
Jerusalem….. and so the Jerusalem church sends
Peter and John up to Samaria…… At this time in the early church Peter and John
were leading the Jerusalem church and the Lord made sure that they were the
ones to lay hands on the Samaritans ….. They
were there to see the Lord give them the very same outpouring of the Holy
Spirit that they received on the day of Pentecost…. This was God´s stamp of
blessing on these ½ gentiles….. And soon the revival will spread to the heathen
as well…..
They had been saved…. they had been baptized….. but they
had not received infilling of the Holy Spirit…... Does this mean that you can be saved and not have the Holy Spirit…… Does
this mean that the Baptism of the Holy Spirit is a second and separate work of
grace?... No!
When you are converted and redeemed you are given the
Holy Spirit….. The Holy Spirit comes into you and takes up permanent residence……
We are baptized by one spirit into the
body of Christ…. Let´s look at what Paul wrote to the Corinthians…
1Corinthians
12: 13 NKJV Sch 2000
13
For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—whether Jews or Greeks,
whether slaves or free—and have all been made to drink into one Spirit.
13 Denn wir sind durch "einen" Geist alle zu
"einem" Leib getauft, wir seien Juden oder Griechen, Sklaven oder
Freie, und sind alle mit "einem" Geist getränkt.
This verse was a great revelation to the Jewish people…..
They thought that the Messiah was only for the Jews….. They did not understand
That Jesus the Messiah is the God of the Gentiles too…. So it was important for
Peter and John to be there…. In fact later on Peter will testify to the fact
that even the despised Gentiles had received the same Holy Spirit…. in the same
way as they had on the day of Pentecost….Turn with me to Acts 15….v7
Acts
15: 7-9 NKJV
7
And when there had been much dispute, Peter rose up and said to them: “Men and
brethren, you know that a good while ago God chose among us, that by my mouth
the Gentiles should hear the word of the gospel and believe. 8 So God, who
knows the heart, acknowledged them by giving them the Holy Spirit, just as He
did to us, 9 and made no distinction between us and them, purifying their
hearts by faith.
Acts 15: 7-9 Sch 2000
7 Nachdem aber eine große Auseinandersetzung
stattgefunden hatte, stand Petrus auf und sprach zu ihnen: Ihr Männer und
Brüder, ihr wißt, daß Gott lange vor diesen Tagen mitten unter uns die Heiden
erwählt hat, daß sie durch meinen Mund das Wort des Evangeliums hören und zum
Glauben kommen sollten.
8 Und Gott, der die Herzen kennt, legte für sie Zeugnis
ab, indem er ihnen den Heiligen Geist gab gleichwie uns;
9 und er machte keinen Unterschied zwischen uns und
ihnen, nachdem er ihre Herzen durch den Glauben gereinigt hatte.
V8,9… God,
who knows the heart, acknowledged them by giving them the Holy Spirit…
purifying their hearts by faith….. Every
genuine believer possesses the Spirit at the moment of salvation……
Let´s continue….. back to Acts 8v18…
Acts
8: 18- 23 NKJV
18
When Simon saw that the Spirit was given when the apostles laid their hands on
people, he offered them money to buy this power. 19 “Let me have this power,
too,” he exclaimed, “so that when I lay my hands on people, they will receive
the Holy Spirit!”
20
But Peter replied, “May your money be destroyed with you for thinking God’s
gift can be bought! 21 You can have no part in this, for your heart is not
right with God. 22 Repent of your wickedness and pray to the Lord. Perhaps he
will forgive your evil thoughts, 23 for I can see that you are full of bitter jealousy
and are held captive by sin.”
Acts 8: 18- 23 Sch 2000
18 Als Simon sah, dass der Heilige Geist gegeben wurde,
wenn die Apostel den Leuten die Hände auflegten, bot er ihnen Geld und sagte:
19 »Gebt auch mir diese Macht, damit die Menschen den
Heiligen Geist auch empfangen, wenn ich ihnen die Hände auflege!«
20 Doch Petrus erwiderte: »Dein Geld soll zusammen mit
dir verderben, weil du glaubst, du könntest Gottes Geschenk kaufen!
21 Du hast kein Recht darauf, weil dein Herz vor Gott
nicht aufrichtig ist.
22 Kehre dich ab von deiner Verdorbenheit und bete zum
Herrn. Vielleicht vergibt er dir deine bösen Gedanken,
23 denn ich sehe, dass du voll Bitterkeit bist und
gefangen in der Ungerechtigkeit.«
When Simon sees the Holy Spirit come upon the believers
by the laying on of hands…… He is amazed… But There is no evidence that he
received the Holy Spirit himself…. I am certain that he did not…. We´ll get to
that in a minute… He sees this awesome event….. He wants that power….. He tries
to buy it…... Fail…. Wrong….!
Simon says…. Wow,
this is fantastic!….. I'd like to buy this one….. He thought the Holy Spirit
was for sale….. That proves that he was unconverted…..
Philip's miracles were something…. but Peter and John,
they had really demonstrated The great
power of God….. Simon had a very high opinion of himself and a low opinion
of God because he was not a genuine believer…
You want to know something interesting about God? Nothing
He has is for sale….. You cannot give God enough to get Him to do anything for
you….. I don´t care what the prosperity
preachers tell you…… God is not for sale…. Why? Because we have not got anything
He wants….. The gift of God is eternal life…. It is free….. It is a gift that
we could never buy….. That we could never earn….. It is a gift that we will
never deserve……. Read Romans in your
quiet times…….
You can't buy grace….. Grace is undeserved favor and
blessings…. When we look at the OT scriptures we see one of my favorite words….
CHESED….. Underserved and unfailing
love and mercy…. it isn't for sale….. God saves us for His great names sake…
Ezek 36….
v20…. Well,
Peter heard this offer of money and he got mad….. the Greek says, hang on to
your hats - To hell with you and your
money….. I didn't say that, Peter did…… He was sailor you know…. Well God
gave Peter discernment and He rebuked Simon with force…
v21
You can have no part in this, for your heart is not right with God….. This
is proof that Simon had not received the Filling of the Holy Spirit….. You
look good on the outside-….. But on the inside you're rotten to the core of
your being….
v22….
Peter says, "Repent therefore of
this thy wickedness"….. See it for what it is and turn from it. Repent…greek… metanoeoa hundred and eighty degree turn from
sin toward God…... He says, Turn around Simon …. Now…. God may forgive you for this wickedness… Ask
God to forgive you…… maybe he will ….. Maybe there´s still a chance for you to
get saved…. Peter's saying that he doesn't know whether God will forgive him…..
v23…
for I can see that you are full of bitter jealousy and are held captive by sin…..
He says, See your sin and turn from it…..
Simon was bound by his sin greed… . He says, Turn to God, see your sin, repent, repent,
What did he do? Verse 24…
Acts
8: 24 NKJV Sch 2000
24
“Pray to the Lord for me,” Simon exclaimed, “that these terrible things you’ve
said won’t happen to me!” 24 »Betet für mich
zum Herrn«, rief Simon, »dass mir nichts von dem Schrecklichen zustoße, wovon
ihr gesprochen habt!«
Simon is not repenting here….. He is just saying - Do
something to save my from God´s judgment…… There is no forgiveness asked for…. no confession of sin...... He was sad and he
was scared….. But there was no Godly sorrow here… turn to 1 cor 7…v10..
2
Corinthians 7: 10 NLT
Neues Leben
10
For the kind of sorrow God wants us to experience leads us away from sin and
results in salvation. There’s no regret for that kind of sorrow. But worldly
sorrow, which lacks repentance, results in spiritual death.
10 Denn Gott kann die Traurigkeit in unserem Leben
benutzen, um uns zur Umkehr von der Sünde und zur Suche nach der Erlösung zu
bewegen. Diese Traurigkeit werden wir nie bereuen. Eine Traurigkeit ohne solche
Umkehr dagegen führt zum Tod.
Godly sorrow leads to genuine repentance…. It leads us
away from sin…. He was a fan of Jesus….. He was very impressed by the power of
Followers of Jesus…. but he did not repent and he wasn't saved….. As I said
earlier this morning….. Simon goes on to be one of the founders of the
heretical sect of Gnostics…. Let´s look at Acts 8….v25…
Acts
8:25 NKJV Sch 2000
25
After testifying and preaching the word of the Lord in Samaria, Peter and John
returned to Jerusalem. And they stopped in many Samaritan villages along the
way to preach the Good News.
25 Nachdem Petrus und Johannes in Samaria das Wort des
Herrn bezeugt und gelehrt hatten, kehrten sie nach Jerusalem zurück. Unterwegs
machten sie in vielen Städten Samariens Halt, um auch dort die Botschaft zu
verkünden.
Peter and John help Phillip in his ministry to the
Samaritans…… Maybe that´s why the Lord sent Phillip to go to the Ethiopian
eunuch…. After they finished teaching in Samaria…. The Capitol of the land of
Samaria was the city of Samaria…. After they left the main city they stopped in
many Samaritan villages along the way….. Preaching the Good News….…. This is
the last time we see John in the book of Acts…. Peter and James continue in
Jerusalem´s leadership and John hits the road…. Many years later he ends up ministering
to former Gentiles in Asia Minor in Ephesus… Paul´s letter to the Ephesians is
another great place for your own quiet times this week…. Let´s close by reading
Eph2….v.1…
Ephesians
2: 1- 5, 10 NLT
1
Once you were dead because of your disobedience and your many sins. 2 You used
to live in sin, just like the rest of the world, obeying the devil—the
commander of the powers in the unseen world. He is the spirit at work in the
hearts of those who refuse to obey God. 3 All of us used to live that way,
following the passionate desires and inclinations of our sinful nature. By our
very nature we were subject to God’s anger, just like everyone else.
4
But God is so rich in mercy, and he loved us so much, 5 that even though we
were dead because of our sins, he gave us life when he raised Christ from the
dead. (It is only by God’s grace that you have been saved!)
10
For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can
do the good things he planned for us long ago.
Ephesians 2: 1- 5,10 Neues Leben
1 Auch ihr wart früher tot aufgrund eurer Sünden.
2 Ihr habt genauso in der Sünde gelebt wie der Rest der
Welt, beherrscht von Satan, der im Machtbereich der Luft regiert. Er ist der
Geist, der in den Herzen derer wirkt, die Gott nicht gehorchen wollen.
3 Wir alle haben früher so gelebt und uns von den
Leidenschaften und Begierden unserer alten Natur beherrschen lassen. Wir wurden
mit dieser Natur geboren und waren Gottes Zorn ausgeliefert wie alle anderen
Menschen auch.
4 Doch Gott ist so barmherzig und liebte uns so sehr,
5 dass er uns, die wir durch unsere Sünden tot waren, mit
Christus neues Leben schenkte, als er ihn von den Toten auferweckte. Nur durch
die Gnade Gottes seid ihr gerettet worden!
10 Denn wir sind Gottes Schöpfung. Er hat uns in Christus
Jesus neu geschaffen, damit wir zu guten Taten fähig sind, wie er es für unser
Leben schon immer vorgesehen hat.
What about your faith? Is it faith that saves? Are you
just a fan? Let's pray
