Thank you, my dear friend, for this very good question. From what we are given in Acts 8, I could not support a thought that Simon the Sorcerer was a true believer on the Lord Jesus Christ, at least not on the basis of what we see in this chapter. We do not hear more of him in Scripture, so I cannot say whether at some point later in his life he was indeed saved, but by this point in his life, I do not believe that he was a true believer. I must stress here that God alone knows the heart, and He knows those who are His own. In II Timothy 2:19 we read: “Nevertheless the foundation of God standeth sure, having this seal, The Lord knoweth them that are His. And, Let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity.” Had Simon departed from iniquity?  From Acts 8:23 it seems clear he had not. Now, I do realize that Acts 8:13 states, “Then Simon himself believed also….” but, remember the words of our Lord Jesus in Matthew 7:20: “Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.”  What fruit was Simon showing in Acts 8? Had he sorrow over his sins and showed signs of repentance? No indeed. While it is quite true that we are saved by grace through faith (Ephesians 2:8-9), there must first be acknowledgment of one’s sins leading to repentance. In Acts 2:38 Peter says: “…Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ….” In John 3:3, the Lord Jesus said: “…Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” We only read that Simon “believed,” and I would submit that the further facts that we read about in Acts 8 would indicate that he did not repent and that his “belief” was mere profession. He was indeed baptized, but he did not receive the Holy Spirit.  He was not born again.  All that we read about Simon is that he practiced sorcery to obtain a name among men, and that he was deeply impressed by the power of the Holy Spirit as seen in the works of Philip (Acts 8:9-13). We read further of Simon’s motivation in Acts 8:18-19: “And when Simon saw that through laying on of the apostles’ hands the Holy Ghost was given, he offered them money, Saying, Give me also this power, that on whomsoever I lay hands, he may receive the Holy Ghost.” He clearly was not interested in being forgiven for his sins, but rather in obtaining power, giving him the ability to do mighty works and to confer upon whomsoever he would, the Holy Spirit. Peter, by the Spirit, saw through his motives and rebuked Simon soundly, and in a way that would not be appropriate for a true believer who had simply made a mistake in judgment. In verses 20-24 we read: “But Peter said unto him, Thy money perish with thee, because thou hast thought that the gift of God may be purchased with money. Thou hast neither part nor lot in this matter: for thy heart is not right in the sight of God. Repent therefore of this thy wickedness, and pray God, if perhaps the thought of thine heart may be forgiven thee. For I perceive that thou art in the gall of bitterness, and in the bond of iniquity.” William MacDonald in his Bible Commentary explains verses 18-23 very well: “Peter’s answer indicates that Simon was not a truly converted man: 1. “Your money perish with you.” No believer will ever perish (John 3:16). 2. “You have neither part nor portion in this matter”; in other words, he was not in the fellowship. 3. “Your heart is not right in the sight of God.” This is a fitting description of an unsaved person. 4. “You are poisoned by bitterness and bound by iniquity.” Could these words be true of a regenerate person?”

And so, in summary, my dear friend, I do not think that Simon (in Acts 8) was saved. We must be born again to be saved; this means, we must confess that we are sinners, repent of our sins, and trust the Lord Jesus as our Savior and Lord. When we have believed truly on the Lord Jesus, the Holy Spirit comes into our heart and dwells within us, changing us (II Corinthians 5:17). We do not read of any fruit of the Spirit in Simon in this chapter. Salvation is not a matter of merely saying that we believe, nor is it a matter of being baptized with water.  It is faith in the finished work of the Lord Jesus Christ, our redemption purchased for us through the blood of Christ, on Calvary’s cross. And what are we saved from?  We are saved from the righteous judgment of the law for our sins, the punishment being physical and eternal death in the Lake of Fire (John 5:24). May it be that all who read this document are true believers on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thus born again or in other words saved.  (SF)  (616.2)