Since Simon is called a "sorcerer" (as opposed to a former sorcerer which he would have been prior to his "salvation"), chances are very good that his faith was spurious at best, and he would not be only one in scripture with such "faith". It's doubtful that he had been given the new heart promised in the New Covenant, since as a supposed new convert his heart, as Peter said, was "not right before God." How could someone fall away so quickly? His heart was filled with bitterness and captive to sin, which are certainly NOT marks of a true believer.
One the other hand, if he was a true believer to begin with and he prayed to God as Peter exhorted him to do, then maybe God did forgive him. The passage doesn't say. But it is noteworthy that Peter did say, "PERHAPS he will forgive you for having such a thought in your heart", which is rather strange language if he were a true believer given all that scripture teaches us believers about praying for forgiveness, e.g. 1Jn 1:9. 1Jn 1:9 doesn't say that "perhaps" God will forgive our sins.
If Acts 8 is the best proof text you have, your false doctrine is truly on very shaky ground.
CHANCES ARE?? IT’S DOUBTFUL THAT…That’s your argument? You don’t really know anything for sure. You are going to argue on the basis that God didn’t use the word “former” sorcerer? Oh my!! So that makes him an unsaved person? Sir, it’s not MY faith that is on “very shaky ground.” Surely you can do better than that!
If you will read my other posts on this site , you will see I have given many scriptures that teach a saved person can be lost. Your “answer” is the same as all the other Calvinist’s—he wasn’t saved in the first place. Are you God , that you can see a person’s heart and know whether he was saved or not saved ; , when the inspired scripture says he BELIEVED and was BAPTIZED? Talk about JUDGING!! I am always amazed when you say a person was not saved. Isn’t God the only one to judge and KNOW that? Now if there was some thing said in the scripture that would indicate he was not saved, I could understand it—maybe— but everything stated in that story indicates that Simon WAS saved. Only someone who doesn’t want to believe a person can be lost would ignore the obvious and say the opposite. That suggests to me that you are not really searching for the “truth”, you are only interested In promoting John Calvin and his doctrine. Matthew 15:9-“ In vain they worship me, teaching as doctrine the commandments of men.”
But… just in case the person reading this does not know what the Bible says, here is the proof -as 1 Thess. 5:21 says we need to prove all things,
——Exodus 32:332-33-Moses said, “Forgive them or else BLOT ME OUT OF YOUR BOOK.” Moses believed he could be lost; or are you going to say that Moses was never saved? That seems to be your answer for everything. “The Lord said to Moses, ‘WHOEVER HAS SINNED AGAINST ME, I WILL BLOT HIM OUT of MY BOOK.” Moses and God were talking about God’s people, the Israelites. Read the context if you don’t believe it. These were God’s chosen people—not unbelievers, not gentiles, but the ones He promised to give the “promise land to. Put this with….
—-Revelation 3:5- Jesus said, “He who overcomes (sin) shall be clothed in white and I will NOT BLOT OUT HIS NAME FROM THE BOOK OF LIFE.” He was talking to the CHURCH , and he told them to repent. The reverse of that would have to be true— If you don’t repent, , I WILL blot out your name from the book of life.
—-1 Cor. 9:27- Paul said he was in a race ( life) for an imperishable “crown” (of life, heaven). Verse 25, Paul says he tries not to sin “ lest when I have preached to others, I myself should become disqualified.( thereby losing the race and the crown). So far we have MOSES and PAUL and GOD testifying that Saved people can be lost spiritually.
—-1 Tim. 1:18- having FAITH and a good conscience, who some have rejected having shipwrecked their faith.
—-1 Cor. 10:12- “Therefore let him who thinks he stands (strong in the faith) take heed lest he FALL. Fall from where? If they are not saved they are already lost, so where did they FALL FROM and where did they FALL TO?!?! PLEASE Answer.
—-2 John 8-9-“Look to yourselves THAT WE DO NOT LOSE the things we worked for ( these are NOT UNBELIEVERS), but that we may receive a full reward….Whoever does NOT ABIDE in the doctrine of Christ HAS NOT GOD.” They have to be “IN” the doctrine of Christ in order to “ABIDE” in it.
—-Roman’s 11:22-“ Toward you goodness, IF you continue in His goodness, OTHERWISE, YOU ALSO WILL BE CUT OFF.” They were SAVED because they were IN GOD’s GOODNESS. You can’t CONTINUE in something if you are not already in it in the first place. But he tells them if they don’t CONTINUE in His goodness, HE WILL CUT THEM OFF. This harmonizes with Revelation 3:10- remain FAITHFUL to the end and He will give you a crown of life. It’s conditional upon FAITHFULNESS.
—-1 Chron. 28:9- David said to Solomon,”If you forsake Him(God), hHe will cast you off forever!” Was Solomon NOT saved? No! Solomon was God’s handpicked King of the Jewish people. Of course he was saved and so was David. Here we have another testimony from King David.
—-Rev. 2:4- Jesus speaking to the CHURCH (saved people), “Repent! Or I will remove your lamp stand.”
—-Hebrews 2:1- “Give heed to the things we have heard, lest we DRIFT AWAY. Paul says “WE” placing himself in the group he is speaking to. Was Paul saved or are you going to say he was never saved? Or do you think he was saved but the people he was talking to were not . Then why put himself in that group of unsaved people? He placed himself as one of the ones who could DRIFT AWAY.
—-Hebrews 4:11- “Be diligent to enter that rest ( heaven) lest anyone FALL according to the same example of DISOBEDIENCE. Fall from where? Fall to where?
—-Hebrews 6:4-6- “For it is impossible for those who were once ENLIGHTENED ( by the gospel), and HAVE TASTED THE HEAVENLY GIFT ( Of salvation) aThey have been saved. “AND HAVE BEEN PARTAKERS OF THE HOLY SPIRIT, AND HAVE TASTED THE GOOD WORD OF GOD, if they FALL AWAY to RENEW THEM AGAIN to repentance.”
—-Hebrews 10:35- Therefore do not CAST AWAY your confidence ( of salvation), which has great reward. For you need to ENDURE, so that AFTER YOU HAVE DONE THE WILL OF GOD, you may receive the promise (of heaven). Read the preceding verses-32-34. These were Christian’s who had suffered persecution because (verse34), because “they knew they had a better and enduring possession for yourselves in heaven.”
—-Hebrews 12:15 “Lest anyone FALL SHORT of the grace of God.” Read who these people are in verse 1.
—-Galations 5:4- “YOU ARE FALLEN FROM GRACE.” Please tell me if God WANTED TO WARN US that we could fall from grace and be lost, how could he have said it any better?
—-2 Peter 3:17- you, BELOVED ( Christian), BEWARE, lest you FALL FROM YOUR OWN STEADFASTNESS—did you get that? These people had been STEADFAST. (Definition: loyal, faithful, devoted firm, unwavering.) being LED AWAY from what? With the error of the wicked.” (You) Grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Wouldn’t you have to be IN GRACE before you could GROW IN GRACE?
As you read this remember that God is looking for, not just sincere hearts, but Honest hearts also. God’s word will not return unto Him void. But it will accomplish what He pleases. Isaiah 55:11