The Lord Opened Lydia's Heart

And so it is with all who believe.

The regenerating (heart-opening) work of the Holy Spirit and the gospel go hand in hand.

I think it's interesting that Paul gave Lydia the gospel, the HS opened her heart and then she was saved.

Would it make any difference if the order were different? Such as, the HS opened Lydia's heart, she heard the gospel and immediately embraced it.

I think not. Without the regenerating work of the HS, and without the preaching of the gospel, no one will be saved.

 

The question to me is, does the statement "the Lord opened Lydia'a heart" = regeneration? If she is already a God-fearer, how can she be unregenerate? My understanding of Calvinism is that a person who is unregenerate cannot know God because of their state of total depravity. How could she be a God-fearer and yet not know God in her unregenerate state?

 

Great question! If the unregenerate are dead corpses...how does a corpse fear God?

 

Is an Orthodox Jew regenerate because of the knowledge of God that he has? I thought that there is no other name under heaven in which a person must be saved. A Jew that does not believe Jesus is the Messiah is not regenerate. They do not have a saving knowledge. In answer, I would say that yes, when the Lord opened Lydia's heart it was to saving faith in Jesus as Lord and Savior.
There are many today that think they know the one true God, or believe that a person could be saved by faith in God alone, without ever knowing Jesus... our Lord and God. According to God's word however, they are in error.

 

What Swaimj said.

Lydia already believed in God, evidently as a Jew/proselyte, evidently not having knowledge of Christ. Was she really unregenerate or does the phrase "the Lord opened her heart" simply mean that God moved her to pay attention to what Paul had to say in the same way He moves us toward perfection in Him?

Quick edit:

Not at this time, but at that time for Lydia and for those gone before such as David and Abraham, THE way to salvation was through the Jewish law that looked forward to the time of Christ. Lydia having not yet heard of Christ but evidently believing that He would come is said to be a worshipper of God. Again, was she really unregenerate and if she was what do you suppose Abraham and David did to gain salvation?

 

Are you saying everyone except the Orthodox Jew is in a state of total depravity?

 

Not at all.

 

References From The NIV

Lydia was unsaved ; in an unregenerate state . That's why the Lord had to open her heart to be able to respond to Paul's message . She and her family members were baptized and then she said in verse 15 : "If you consider me a believer in the Lord ..." IOW , if you now ( after having accepted Paul's message ) agree that I am a true Christian ...

In Acts 13 Paul spoke to a number who were God-fearers , yet still unregenerate . Try out verse 16 : "Men of Israel and you Gentiles who worship God ..." Or how about verse 26 : "Brothers , children of Abraham , and you God-fearing Gentiles ... " When Paul had concluded his message it is said in verse 48 : WHEN THE GENTILES HEARD THIS , THEY WERE GLAD AND HONORED THE WORD OF THE LORD ; AND ALL WHO WERE APPOINTED FOR ETERNAL LIFE BELIEVED ."

Do you understand ? They were formerly unregenerate , but now they had become believers . It's also interesting that they became believers because of the decree , just as all of us became Christians because the Lord had appointed us to be so before the foundation of the world .

 

I understand what you are saying, I just don't believe it that is what happened.

I believe there were many Jewish believers in that time after Christ's death who were true believers in God but hadn't yet heard or didn't understand the events surrounding Christ's death and how it applied to their spiritual lives. These were folk who had heart knowledge but not head knowledge.

When the scripture says "AND ALL WHO WERE APPOINTED FOR ETERNAL LIFE BELIEVED", I think it means that these folk who already had faith in God, but no knowledge of Christ. They were saved but like Abraham or David, didn't yet understand the mechanism of their salvation.

 

This is supposed to be a blessing and encouragement to believers, yet many seem to make it out to be a curse.

 

Again...how does a corpse fear God?

 

And why do you suppose He set up the meeting? Because He knew that these folks had already chosen him (remember God fearers) and now they needed to know the mechanism by which their faith would be fulfilled. You know "seek and ye shall find".

God sent Phillip to the Ethopian also. It merely means that if someone seeks God He will provide the information by which they must be saved and indeed are saved.

I'm not sure how you can use these examples to prove election.

 

Uh uh, Lydia was seeking but wasn't regenerated until she believed in Christ's sacrifice as the only way to God. (as I understand the meaning of regenerated)

 

No, belief first, then regeneration. Why would God bother to regenerate a person who didn't believe?