Oasis Light    |    綠洲亮光

There is a kind of person who, before entering the church, is already accustomed to being looked up to. He does not need to speak loudly; when he speaks, the room naturally falls silent. He does not need to explain his decisions; his decisions, by nature, are the final results. He is the kind of person who changes the atmosphere of a room simply by walking into it.

In the eighth chapter of Acts, there was such a man in the city of Samaria—Simon. He practiced sorcery and boasted of his greatness; the people called him "the Great Power of God." Then, he met Philip, heard the gospel, believed, and was baptized.

This was a genuine belief. The Scriptures do not say he was pretending.

But what happened next reveals something critical: One’s faith can be real, while the old logic of life remains entirely untouched.

He Simply Moved to a Larger Stage

When Simon saw that the Holy Spirit was given through the laying on of the apostles' hands, he immediately said, "Give me also this ability." He even tried to buy it with money.

To us, this gesture seems absurd. But from Simon’s perspective, this was how he had solved problems his entire life—I have resources, you have what I need; we exchange. He wasn't a "bad" man; he was simply speaking the only language he had ever known.

The problem is, God does not speak that language.

Peter’s response was direct and solemn: "You are full of bitterness and captive to sin." Then, he left a way out: "Repent of this wickedness and pray to the Lord."

Bitterness. This word acts as a mirror.

The Simon of Today

He might be sitting in the front row of the church. He is a generous donor, efficient in his work, and knows the church’s financial situation inside out. He truly loves God, and he truly gives. Yet, deep within him, he still believes that the world operates on a specific logic—and he is a master of that logic.

He believes that if he can just find the right way, he can become equally influential in the spiritual world.

This is not hypocrisy; it is a deep-seated, untouched assumption about life: That power buys position, resources buy respect, and effort buys reward.

This logic works well in the world. But God is not found within this logic.

Bitterness Grows into Two Shapes

When this person discovers that God does not operate according to his logic, bitterness begins to grow. But it takes two distinct shapes.

Some choose Control. Since the Holy Spirit is uncontrollable, they turn to control spiritual procedures and proxies. They use donations to buy a "voice" and status to leverage decisions, turning ministry into management and the church into another field to be "handled." They build a polished, efficient exterior, yet it cannot fill the hollow void where they should have met God.

Others move toward Collapse. When they honestly realize that their hands, covered in the marks of "success," carry no weight before God, they shatter. Their entire life has been built on the logic of transactional exchange. When this formula fails, they don't just doubt God—they doubt the very meaning of the decades they have lived.

I once knew a brother—a professor turned businessman whose wealth once reached the Forbes list. After his business faltered, he believed in the Lord and even studied theology. Yet, the deep logic of his life remained unchanged. He brought all his achievements and connections before God, only to find they were not "knocking bricks" to open doors, but heavy weights that needed to be dropped. He could not let go. Bitterness grew, and his faith collapsed.

Control or Collapse. Two paths, one root: The refusal to accept the position of a created being.

The Door is Still Open

Peter did not give up on Simon. He said: Repent and pray.

These words are short, but they mean the way back still exists.

True transformation is never about turning from a "bad person" into a "good person." It is turning from "using God" to "knowing God." It is standing amidst the ruins of one’s own logic and saying honestly for the first time: "I don't know what to do. What I need is not more power, but You."

Those hearts, so accustomed to controlling everything, must learn to open—empty. This is the only posture through which Grace can enter.

Simon stood at that door. You and I might have stood there too, or are standing there now.

What are you pursuing—the power God gives, or God Himself?