Did you know, you can do the right thing but your heart not be right with God? God cares not only about what we do, but He cares also about why we do it. In this study, Don Blackwell examines why our motives matter to God. Is your heart right with God? The answer has eternal implications.
Does the Heart’s Motive Matter?
Acts 8:14-25 (NLT2)
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.
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.”
24 “Pray to the Lord for
me,” Simon exclaimed, “that these terrible things you’ve said won’t happen to
me!”
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.