CAN THE GIFT OF GOD BE BOUGHT WITH MONEY?

18 AND WHEN SIMON SAW THAT THROUGH THE LAYING ON OF THE APOSTLES' HANDS THE HOLY SPIRIT WAS GIVEN, HE OFFERED THEM MONEY,
19 SAYING, “GIVE ME THIS POWER ALSO, THAT ANYONE ON WHOM I LAY HANDS MAY RECEIVE THE HOLY SPIRIT.”
20 But Peter said to him, “Your money perish with you, BECAUSE YOU THOUGHT THAT THE GIFT OF GOD COULD BE PURCHASED WITH MONEY!
21 YOU HAVE NEITHER PART NOR PORTION IN THIS MATTER, FOR YOUR HEART IS NOT RIGHT IN THE SIGHT OF GOD.”
Acts 8:18-21 (NKJV)

If the call of God and the baptism of the Holy Spirit were given by man, some would bribe their way to have them.
Jesus is a gift to sinners, while the Holy Spirit is a gift to believers (John 3:16; 4:16,17; Acts 2:38).
You have to be born of the Spirit before you can receive the baptism of the Holy Spirit (John 3:5,6; Acts 1:4,5; 8:14-17).
The Holy Spirit is not for the world, that is, baptism of the Holy Spirit is not for those who are not born-again (John 14:16,17).
Peter told the crowd who gathered to listen to his preaching on the Day of Pentecost to repent that they might receive the gift of the Holy Spirit:
“THEN PETER SAID TO THEM, “REPENT, AND LET EVERY ONE OF YOU BE BAPTIZED IN THE NAME OF JESUS CHRIST FOR THE REMISSION OF SINS; AND YOU SHALL RECEIVE THE GIFT OF THE HOLY SPIRIT” (Acts 2:38 NKJV).

• Repentance, genuine salvation, is needed for you to be whatever you desire to be in the Lord (Romans 10:9,10).
It may not be bad outrightly if you desire to be used of the Lord, but the motive in your heart and how you go by it mattered to God (1 Timothy 3:1).
Simon the sorcerer who had claimed to be saved, offered money to the apostles to give him the power to lay hands on people; that whoever he lays hand on would receive the Holy Spirit (Acts 8:13,17-19).
There are some in the church of Christ today who are mixed multitude, foreign rabbles, who have no genuine salvation; yet they are desperate to stand in the ministry offices.
They want the call of God, they desire the gifts and the anointing of the Holy Spirit on their lives (Hebrews 5:4).
God has neither called them nor chosen them; yet they would not mind to offer money to get their hearts desires. They are ready to bribe their ways through (Exodus 12:38; Matthew 7:20-23; Acts 8:13,17-19).

The call of God is honourable, it is given by God, and God only—it cannot be bought with money: “AND NO MAN TAKES THIS HONOUR TO HIMSELF, BUT HE WHO IS CALLED BY GOD, JUST AS AARON WAS" (Hebrews 5:4 NKJV).
However, those whose hearts are not right in the church would want to bribe their way to be used by God, even when they are not genuinely called by God.
If you have desire to be used by God, He probably did put the desire in you: “FOR IT IS GOD WHO WORKS IN YOU BOTH TO WILL AND TO DO FOR HIS GOOD PLEASURE" (Philippians 2:13 NKJV).

“THIS IS A FAITHFUL SAYING: IF A MAN DESIRES THE POSITION OF A BISHOP, HE DESIRES A GOOD WORK.”
1 Timothy 3:1 (NKJV)

However, the desire is not a thing to be pursued with an impure motive; it should not be a thing you wanted to get through a dubious means.
When the desire to be used of God in a person got to the point that he is ready or willing to do anything, even unrighteous thing, to get it accomplished—it means the desire is not of God. The agitation may have ulterior motives, wrong motives that are not of God.
Whoever had the agitation to be used by God, to the point of offering bribe—supplanting or defaming others that he may be considered for a post in the church—then something is wrong (2 Samuel 15:1-6).

Anyone called genuinely by God should rather be apprehensive about it.
If you study the Scriptures carefully, most of the people used mightily by God were initially hesitant when they were called—they had feelings of unworthiness.
They were not quick to receive the offer of being the called; they had sense of inadequacies.
For examples:
• Moses gave series of excuses why he would not be able to do the assignment given to him by God (Exodus 3:10-14; 4:1-5,10-13).
• Gideon, Jeremiah, and some others were full of excuses when they were called—they had sense of inadequacies (Judges 6:11-16; Jeremiah 1:4-8).

In most cases, anyone who agitates to be used of God to the point of offering bribe: who wants to supplant or malign others to have his way, such a person might not be called by God genuinely.
Such may have other motives, motives of making money—their motive may not be mainly about serving God or working to expand God’s Kingdom (1Timothy 6:5).

18 FOR MANY WALK, OF WHOM I HAVE TOLD YOU OFTEN, AND NOW TELL YOU EVEN WEEPING, THAT THEY ARE THE ENEMIES OF THE CROSS OF CHRIST:
19 WHOSE END IS DESTRUCTION, WHOSE GOD IS THEIR BELLY, AND WHOSE GLORY IS IN THEIR SHAME—WHO SET THEIR MIND ON EARTHLY THINGS.”
Philippians 3:18,19 (NKJV)

• If God has not called you into the work of ministry, do not force yourself to do it.
However, If you are called, be satisfied and contented with whatever God has called you to do.
• Do not intrude into the ministerial office you are not called (1 Timothy 6:6-11). If you are not called to be a prophet, do not try to be one. Every minister must know the call of God on their lives: Am I an apostle, a prophet, an evangelist, a pastor, or a teacher?
• The anointing for the office you are not called into would not be on your life.
In other words, the anointing to operate in the ministry office you are not called or assigned would not be on your life:
“AND HE HIMSELF GAVE SOME TO BE APOSTLES, SOME PROPHETS , SOME EVANGELISTS, AND SOME PASTORS AND TEACHERS" (Ephesians 4:11 NKJV).
• Every minster must know what God has called them to do!
• You must know the gift of God in your life and the anointing God has placed on your life. In other words, you need to know the spiritual equipments you are endowed with, to fulfill your vision.

Simon the sorcerer wanted to buy the power to lay hand on people, that whoever he lays hand on may receive the Holy Spirit—but he received a rebuke and a curse instead (Acts 8:20-23).
Let your motives be right!

You will not fail in Jesus’ name. Peace!