In order to look at what a biblical conversion is, we must also look at what the Bible tells us about false conversions. It can be dangerous to take one verse or a few verses and think of salvation in terms of the few rather than the Bible as a whole. If we limit ourselves to one or a few verses we will tend to read our own culture and traditions into it rather than submit to the Bible for what it actually teaches. To be truly converted means that the person must believe as the Bible says and not what the Bible teaches about false belief. The Bible tells us “that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved” (Rom 10:9). Yet it also says that not all who say to Him “Lord, Lord” are converted. So the Bible tells us that all who believe are saved, yet also that many who believed in some way in the Bible were not saved. Obviously, then, Scripture is telling us that there is a kind of belief that goes with salvation and a kind that does not. We must be careful to believe and practice evangelism according to what Scripture tells us true belief is.
13 Even Simon himself believed; and after being baptized, he continued on with Philip, and as he observed signs and great miracles taking place, he was constantly amazed. 14 Now when the apostles in Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent them Peter and John, 15 who came down and prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Spirit. 16 For He had not yet fallen upon any of them; they had simply been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. 17 Then they began laying their hands on them, and they were receiving the Holy Spirit. 18 Now when Simon saw that the Spirit was bestowed through the laying on of the apostles’ hands, he offered them money, 19 saying, “Give this authority to me as well, so that everyone on whom I lay my hands may receive the Holy Spirit.” 20 But Peter said to him, “May your silver perish with you, because you thought you could obtain the gift of God with money! 21 “You have no part or portion in this matter, for your heart is not right before God. 22 “Therefore repent of this wickedness of yours, and pray the Lord that, if possible, the intention of your heart may be forgiven you. 23 “For I see that you are in the gall of bitterness and in the bondage of iniquity” (Acts 8:13-23).
If we take the story of Simon (above) according to modern evangelism and Romans 10:9, we would think that he was a converted man. But without any question (Acts 8:19-23) he was not a converted man. This is a great danger with modern evangelism and conversion. He made his profession and was baptized. He followed a true believer and was constantly amazed at the signs and miracles that God was doing. But the truth with Simon had happened to others who saw signs too. “Jesus answered them and said, “Truly, truly, I say to you, you seek Me, not because you saw signs, but because you ate of the loaves and were filled”” (John 6:26). Simon believed, true, as indeed did many who saw Jesus feed thousands from a few loaves and fish. But they sought Jesus for free food rather than for who He really was. They believed in Him as a food source rather than as Lord. They would follow Him as king as long as He gave them free food, but they would not follow Him as absolute Lord.
Simon was amazed when he saw the signs and the miracles, but he was taken with the power rather than the glory of God who was doing these things through Philip. He was taken with what those things could do for him rather than seeing the glory of God in them. While indeed he believed something, his heart was not changed. He was still a man in the bonds of self and he interpreted things for what they would do for him and his selfish heart. This is seen in his offering money for the ability to give the Holy Spirit. Peter, instead of being what modern people term “gracious,” loved God and the truth enough to be straight with Simon. He told the man that he was “in the gall of bitterness and in the bondage of iniquity.” Simon, though he had believed and was baptized, was a man still in the bondage of iniquity and was not converted and so not a new creature in Christ Jesus.
21 “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter. 22 “Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?’ 23 “And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; DEPART FROM ME, YOU WHO PRACTICE LAWLESSNESS'” (Mat 7:21-23).
It is true that all who really believe will be saved, but not all who believe really believe. In other words, we must be very careful to understand “belief” as the Bible sets it out. We must be careful to have a biblical understanding about what it means to confess Christ as Lord because God’s glory and eternal souls are at stake. We must know what the biblical meaning of “confess” is, of the biblical meaning of “Christ,” and the biblical meaning of “Lord.” But even more, these things must be true in our hearts and not just bits of information in our brains. If we are not careful to attach a biblical meaning to biblical words and terminology, we will be guilty of transporting false teaching into the church with biblical language. If we are not careful to seek the Lord to apply these to our hearts, then the correct information can deceive us as well. These are very dangerous practices in our day. False and unbiblical meanings enter the church in the guise of biblical language. Coupled with the desire ministers have to be gracious, these are not applied and so souls are deceived. In Simon’s case, he had Peter who had died to self enough to plainly point the truth out to Simon. Simon really needed to hear that and Peter had true love.
In the case of Simon we have a man who believed, was baptized, had a changed life, and was zealous in his religious activity. He was around Philip a lot who was filled with the Spirit, but Simon was not a converted man and was deceived for some time. But compare Simon with what passes as salvation in the modern world. He did believe and was baptized. For many, that is enough to guarantee a life free from worry. But even more, he had the evidence of a changed life in that he had left his magic arts and was now zealous in religious activity. Surely these were clear signs of conversion. But Simon was a man with a history in the magic arts and he desired to have himself thought of as great (Acts 8:9). When he saw a greater power, he wanted to be able to have it, but he wanted to obtain it with money. He had not learned that he must be converted and become like a child to enter the kingdom (Mat 18:3) which was what Jesus told His disciples when they desired greatness.
It is not hard to imagine Simon professing Christ as Lord since he heard Philip preach “the good news about the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ” (Acts 8:12). He had, after all, followed Christ in baptism and in turning from his magic arts. But the modern day must learn that just because a person prays a prayer and professes Christ as Lord does not mean that God has converted that person. One difference between true and false conversion is the nature of the heart when the word “Lord” is said. It is not the uttered words in and of themselves, but the heart must truly have Christ in it as Lord for the mouth to confess Christ as Lord in truth. To confess Christ as Lord in truth means that the heart has been broken from self and the love of self so that self is no longer ruler in the heart but Christ is. A person can say the words, but that would be speaking a lie if the heart is not truly submitted to Christ. A person can say the words while thinking that in his or her own power s/he has submitted to Christ and He is Lord over them. But Christ must truly be Lord in the heart for the confession to be a true confession. All other confessions are simply from deceived people or outright liars.
Matthew 7:22 gives the pleas of those about to enter hell: “Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?” The text says “many” will say they prophesied in His name and many who call Him Lord will be lost. One can hide an unregenerate heart behind an orthodox confession and a position as preacher. One can deceive others and self with an orthodox confession and a position as preacher. We must beware. Then we see that some said that they cast out demons and performed miracles. This was what excited Simon. He followed Philip around who was doing signs and wonders. He was taken with the signs and wonders rather than Christ Himself. He was taken with the signs and wonders and wanted to do them rather than be broken and humbled. As those things are not signs of salvation in Matthew 7, neither did they show Simon to truly be converted. He was still in the bondage of self and self-love.
I Corinthians 13:2 tells us that “If I have the gift of prophecy, and know all mysteries and all knowledge; and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing.” A person only has true love if Christ is the life and Lord of that soul. All the practices of Christianity can be practiced by the unbeliever apart from true love. This is how the devil has deceived many about true love and true conversion. As there is a type of confession of Christ which is a lie and not true, so there is a type of love that is not true love at all. The devil has transported error into the church using the word “love” as well. Simon did not have true love and did not truly have Christ. So he was an unconverted man despite his belief, baptism, outward repentance, and religious zeal. This should make us feel the danger for ourselves and those around us. It should make us ransack our hearts to see if Christ is really there and concerned for others who profess Christ in some way. I John 2:26 is sobering: “These things I have written to you concerning those who are trying to deceive you.” He wrote about true salvation to answer the ways of deception. We must hear his words and try to help others who are deceived. True conversion is utterly essential.
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