"No Purchase Necessary"

My ten year old granddaughter recently attended a church service where there was an utterance in tongues given.  Afterwards she asked her mother if she would purchase the Rosetta Stone course for her so she could learn to speak in tongues. While Addison was innocent in her request we read of a man named Simon in Acts chapter 8 that was not.  He was involved in sorcery and loved to be considered “the great one.” Following is the account as given by Luke: “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. When the apostles in Jerusalem heard that the people of Samaria had accepted God’s message, they sent Peter and John there. As soon as they arrived, they prayed for these new believers to receive the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit had not yet come upon any of them, for they had only been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. Then Peter and John laid their hands upon these believers, and they received the Holy Spirit. When Simon saw that the Spirit was given when the apostles laid their hands on people, he offered them money to buy this power. “Let me have this power, too,” he exclaimed, “so that when I lay my hands on people, they will receive the Holy Spirit!” But Peter replied, “May your money be destroyed with you for thinking God’s gift can be bought! You can have no part in this, for your heart is not right with God.” This was quite a rebuke but totally necessary. There are two things about God that we must always remember.  One, He loves to provide the power of the Holy Spirit as well as other gifts we need. Just as importantly, He loves to provide those things for free.  While we are so accustomed to patronizing stores that display items for a suggested price; God operates just the opposite.  He offers us grace, gifts, and glory with a sign attached, “No Purchase Necessary!”  So why not capitalize on His offer—nothing pleases Him more.