Table Of Contents

1. Introduction
2. Religious Zeal
3. Human Goodness
4. Legalistic Bias
5. Power Driven
6. Living It Out

Introduction

There is such a thing as impure faith. It is not the absence of belief in God, but faith in which human thoughts, fleshly understanding, and our own ideas have been mixed with divine truth. When we begin to interpret God according to our own philosophical thinking or understanding of Scripture, we can add our own ideas to what God has already accomplished and place confidence in our own efforts. These impurities are serious because they can hinder a person from being saved, weaken the faith of those who are already saved, and prevent believers from becoming effective witnesses. The Gospel of Water and Spirit brings us back to the foundation of true faith—that the issue of sin has been completely resolved through Jesus’ baptism, death, and resurrection.

In Acts 8–10, as the Gospel of Water and Spirit moved from Jerusalem to Samaria and eventually to the Gentiles, we discover four impurities of faith revealed through four individuals. Each account shows us how something can be mixed into our faith and cause us to move away from the finished work of Christ. Through Saul, we see religious zeal; through Cornelius, we see human goodness; through Peter, we see legalistic bias; and through Simon the sorcerer, we see a power-driven faith. As we examine these four individuals, let us allow the Word of God to search our own hearts and reveal whether our faith is resting fully on Christ and His perfect finished work.

Religious Zeal

The first impurity of faith is religious zeal, and we see this clearly in Saul. Acts 8:1–4 introduces Saul as someone deeply involved in the persecution of the church. He consented to Stephen’s death and went from house to house, dragging believers away and putting them into prison. Saul was not someone who rejected God; rather, he was deeply zealous for the Mosaic Law and believed he was serving God. Yet his religious fervor was directed against the very Gospel that proclaimed the finished work of Christ.

We see the contrast in the believers who were scattered because of the persecution. Although they were scattered, they continued preaching the Word wherever they went. Saul, however, continued to persecute those who believed in Christ because he was holding on to a work-oriented belief system. He believed that something still had to be done, even though the work of Christ had already been completed. Through His baptism, death, and resurrection, Jesus had dealt with the issue of sin. The Gospel therefore calls us to believe in this finished work rather than depend on our own efforts.

Many people today, even inside the church, carry this same religious zeal. They come, and they go, because a work-oriented mindset keeps resisting the simple, finished gospel. Some never get saved because of it; others are saved but never grow, because they keep falling back into a performance-based relationship with God. Religious zeal without the removal of sin results in impure faith, no matter how sincere the fervor looks — even Saul, in the middle of his zeal, was actually a man doing great harm while thinking he was serving God, establishing his own self-righteousness rather than resting in what God had already done.

Human Goodness

The second impurity of faith is human goodness, and we see this through Cornelius in Acts 10. Cornelius was a Gentile centurion who feared God, gave generously to others, and prayed continually. Acts 10:1–6 records how an angel appeared to him and acknowledged his prayers and generosity, yet the angel did not tell him that his goodness was sufficient. Instead, Cornelius was instructed to send for Peter, who would tell him what he needed to do.

Cornelius was a good man, but his goodness could not resolve the issue of sin. This is an important distinction. We can do many good things, give generously, help people, and live morally, but none of these things can become our basis for salvation. Cornelius still needed to hear the Gospel. God did not tell him to become better or to perform more good works. He sent Peter to preach the Gospel to him.

Peter came and preached the Gospel, and Acts 10:44 records that while he was speaking, the Holy Spirit fell upon those who heard the Word. The Scripture shows that Cornelius needed more than human goodness. He needed to hear the truth concerning Jesus Christ and the complete work He had accomplished. The Gospel of Water and Spirit declares that through the baptism, death, and resurrection of Jesus, the issue of sin has been resolved. The coming of the Holy Spirit upon Cornelius and his household testified to this finished work.

This is why human goodness can become an impurity of faith. When we look at the good things we have done and begin to believe that they qualify us for heaven, we are placing confidence in ourselves rather than Christ. True faith is not based on our works. It is based completely on what Jesus Christ has done. Even though Cornelius was a good man, he still needed to hear and believe the Gospel.

Legalistic Bias

The third impurity of faith is legalistic bias, and this is revealed through Peter in Acts 10:9–16. Peter was already an apostle and had believed in the finished work of Jesus. Yet God still had to correct something within his understanding. While Peter was praying, he fell into a trance and saw heaven opened and a great sheet descending, containing various animals. A voice said to him, “Rise, Peter; kill and eat.” Peter responded that he had never eaten anything common or unclean. God then answered, “What God has cleansed you must not call common.” This happened three times.

Peter’s impurity came from his Jewish background. He had been taught through the Mosaic Law about clean and unclean things, and this understanding had also influenced how he viewed people. He thought that the Jewish people were clean while others were unclean. Yet God was showing him something much greater: through the finished work of Jesus, all men are potentially included in God’s plan of salvation. The vision was therefore not simply about food. It revealed the breadth of the Gospel. Jesus took the sins of the world and died for the sins of all men. The work of Christ is open to everyone, and no one should be excluded from hearing the Gospel based on human prejudice or religious preference. Peter had to learn that he could not decide selectively who should receive the Gospel.

This also challenges us to examine our own hearts. Sometimes we can become selective about whom we speak to, whom we witness to, or whom we believe is worthy of hearing the Gospel. Yet God’s plan is not selective in this way. We are called to bring the Gospel to all people. We are not called to reject or despise sinners, but to recognize that sin is the problem that separates people from God, and it is this problem that Jesus came to resolve through His baptism, death, and resurrection. The Gospel of Water and Spirit reminds us that Jesus came for the whole world. His finished work is sufficient to deal with the sin of all men. When we unite with Christ by faith, we die to sin with Him and rise with Him. Peter therefore had to move beyond his legalistic bias and preach that the issue of sin had been resolved through the perfect finished work of Christ.

Power Driven

The fourth impurity of faith is being power driven, and this is revealed through Simon the sorcerer in Acts 8. Philip went to Samaria and preached the Gospel of Water and Spirit—the baptism, death, and resurrection of Jesus and the truth that sin had been dealt with completely. As Philip preached, remarkable things happened. People were delivered from demons, and those who were lame and paralyzed were healed. Simon was a well-known sorcerer who had gained a reputation because of the astonishing things he performed. When he saw the works taking place through Philip’s ministry, he was impressed. He listened to the preaching, believed, was baptized, and followed Philip. Yet when Peter and John came and the Holy Spirit was given through the laying on of hands, Simon offered money because he wanted the ability to perform these great works himself.

Peter rebuked Simon because the gift of God could not be purchased with money. Simon’s problem was not simply that he wanted to see something supernatural. His desire for power had become connected to his own position and ability. The focus had shifted from resolving the issue of sin through the Gospel to obtaining power for personal purposes. This is an important warning for us. Spiritual power must never become more important than the salvation of a person’s soul. There can be a great attraction toward ministry influence, recognition, status, glamour, and the ability to perform impressive works. Yet all these things become empty if the issue of sin has not been dealt with. 

Matthew 7:21–23 also gives a sobering picture of people who could point to the mighty works they had done in Jesus’ name, yet were told, “I never knew you.” The emphasis here is that spiritual activity and mighty works cannot replace being cleansed from sin and sanctified in the heart. The will of God is that we are saved from sin and sanctified. This is why we must be careful about what we consider important in our faith. Power may attract attention, but forgiveness of sin is what matters eternally. What we need is not a faith driven by the desire for influence or recognition, but a faith grounded in Christ and His finished work. The most important thing we can receive and share with others is the truth that our sin has been dealt with through the Gospel of Water and Spirit.

Living It Out

Acts 8–10 reveals four impurities of faith through four individuals: Saul shows us religious zeal, Cornelius shows us human goodness, Peter reveals legalistic bias, and Simon the sorcerer exposes a power-driven faith. Although these impurities appear in different forms, they all have one thing in common—they can shift our focus away from what Jesus Christ has already accomplished. The Gospel of Water and Spirit brings us back to the foundation of our faith: through Jesus’ baptism, death, and resurrection, the issue of sin has been completely dealt with. We are therefore called to examine our hearts and ask whether we are trusting in our own religious efforts, our goodness, our understanding, or the pursuit of spiritual power instead of resting in Christ and His finished work.