The Lord Opened Lydia's Heart
This assumes that Jesus meant what He said and that you have some choice in either accepting or rejecting the will of God. However, those who reject Christ's final commandment about baptism believe that you can do nothing until God selects you, puts faith into your by a direct infusion of Spirit and regenerates you whether you want it or not.
This false conclusion is based upon the statement that God opened Lydia's heart.
First, Jesus PROVED that there was no reason NOT to know and believe what the prophets had made perfectly clear by THE SPIRIT OF CHRIST (1 Pe. 1:11; Rev 19:10).
Then he said unto them, O fools, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken: Luke 24:25
Ought not Christ to have suffered these things, and to enter into his glory? Luke 24:26
And beginning at Moses and all the prophets,
he expounded unto them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself. Luke 24:27
Jesus said that ONLY FOOLS are prevented from having open ears and eyes.
Later, they recognized Jesus and after He left:
And they said one to another, Did not our heart burn within us,
while he talked with us by the way,
and while he opened to us the scriptures? Luke 24:32
It is a fact that God must open the heart or mind but He does it by saying to them or explaining. He did not perform a direct operation upon their mind. The SPIRIT was instilled in their minds by the WORDS of Christ which ARE Spirit and Life (John 6:63)
And he said unto them, These are the words which I spake unto you, while I was yet with you, that all things must be fulfilled, which were written in the law of Moses, and in the prophets, and in the psalms, concerning me. Luke 24:44
Then opened he their understanding, that they might understand the scriptures. Luke 24:45
Jesus opened their eyes by EXPLAINING the prophecy which they DID NOT yet understand.
G1272 dianoigo dee-an-oy'-go From G1223 and G455 ; to open thoroughly, literally (as a first born) or figuratively (to expound):--open.
And said unto them, Thus it is written, and thus it behoved Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day: Luke 24:46
And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. Luke 24:47
The eunch may have had an entire Old Testament bound in a book: he was reading from Isaiah which defines how Messiah will cleans mankind. When Philip convinced him that Jesus was that Messiah the eunuch wanted to be baptized. The OPENING wass always done with preaching.
Jesus opened their mind to the Old Testament prophecy by speaking to them and explaining that it is being fulfilled.
Paul, in Romans 10, makes it clear that faith comes from hearing and hearing from the Word of God. Therefore, before we look at Lydia we must understand that God uses human words to open our heart to Him and does not overpower us like inanimate objects
Lydia, a travelling saleslady of purple, was a worshiper of God even though she was not part of Judaism and certainly not paganism. She lived in relationship with the light which she had from nature and the higher values of religion.
Isa 9:6 For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.
Isa 9:7 Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this.
Mic 4:4 But they shall sit every man under his vine and under his fig tree; and none shall make them afraid: for the mouth of the LORD of hosts hath spoken it.
Mic 4:5 For all people will walk every one in the name of his god, and we will walk in the name of the LORD our God for ever and ever.
Mic 4:6 In that day, saith the LORD, will I assemble her that halteth, and I will gather her that is driven out, and her that I have afflicted;
Mic 4:7 And I will make her that halted a remnant, and her that was cast far off a strong nation: and the LORD shall reign over them in mount Zion from henceforth, even for ever.
Mic 4:8 And thou, O tower of the flock, the strong hold of the daughter of Zion, unto thee shall it come, even the first dominion; the kingdom shall come to the daughter of Jerusalem.
Jesus came to preach His gospel and those who rejected His commandements rejected Him and therefore rejected God Himself:
Jesus cried and said, He that believeth on me, believeth not on me, but on him that sent me. John 12:44
And he that seeth me seeth him that sent me. John 12: 45
I am come a light into the world, that whosoever believeth on me
should not abide in darkness. John 12: 46And if any man hear my words, and believe not,
I judge him not: for I came not to judge the world, but to save the world. John 12: 47He that rejecteth me, and receiveth not my words,
hath one that judgeth him: the word that I have spoken,
the same shall judge him in the last day. John 12: 48
Why is it so dangerous to reject the counsel of God for your life? Jesus said:
For I have not spoken of myself; but the Father which sent me,
he gave me a commandment, what I should say, and what I should speak. John 12: 49And I know that his commandment is life everlasting:
whatsoever I speak therefore, even as the Father said unto me, so I speak. John 12: 50G1785 entolī en-tol-ay' From G1781 ; injunction, that is, an authoritative prescription:--commandment, precept.
G1781 entellomai en-tel'-lom-ahee From G1722 and the base of G5056 ; to enjoin:--(give) charge, (give) command(-ments), injo
The common people believed the commandments about John's baptism but the experts tried to slither away from Him:
And all the people that heard him, and the publicans, justified (show regard for) God, being baptized with the baptism of John. Luke 7:29
But the Pharisees and lawyers rejected the counsel of God for themselves, being not baptized of him. Luke 7:30
When Mark wrote, he began with the word ARCHE which is THE MOST IMPORTANT part of the gospel for humans:
THE beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God; Mark 1:1
As it is written in the prophets, Behold, I send my messenger before thy face, which shall prepare thy way before thee. Mark 1:2
The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight. Mark 1:3
John did baptize in the wilderness, and preach the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins. Mark 1:4
Luke restates the preamble of the Gospel:
This is he, of whom it is written, Behold, I send my messenger before thy face, which shall prepare thy way before thee. Luke 7:27
For I say unto you, Among those that are born of women there is not a greater prophet than John the Baptist: but he that is least in the kingdom of God is greater than he. Luke 7:28
And all the people that heard him, and the publicans, justified God, being baptized with the baptism of John. Luke 7:29
G1344 dikaioo dik-ah-yo'-o From G1342 ; to render (that is, show or regard as) just or innocent:--free, justify (-ier), be righteous.
G1342 dikaios dik'-ah-yos From G1349 ; equitable (in character or act); by implication innocent, holy (absolutely or relatively):--just, meet, right (-eous).
But the Pharisees and lawyers rejected the counsel of God against themselves, being not baptized of him. Luke 7:30
Jesus commanded the Apostles:
After the death and resurrection, the gospel looked backward to the cross and baptism was in the name of Jesus Christ (Acts 2:38) because He summed up all of the authority (name) of Father, Son and Spirit. Christian baptism remits sins in the same way that it did before Pentecost.
The test, again, is not based upon works of human merit or upon the merit of water: it is based upon either accepting or rejecting the will of God for our lifes. Just before leaving, Jesus gave a key commandment as His will for our lives:
And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. Mark 16:15
Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned. Mark 16:16
The Gospel in Philippi - Lydia
The "gospel" includes remission of sins by God's grace: it is the gift of God. Remember, however, that food, clothing and even wealth is the free gift of God because we cannot make the creative process work. Can a person cause a wheat seed to germinate and produce life? Of course not, it is the gift of God.
And also that every man should eat and drink, and enjoy the good of all his labour, it is the gift of God. Ec.3:13
Can any person remove sins from their soul which they cannot even see? Of course not. It is the gift of God. Paul has been sent out to preach the gospel and has specificially been called into Macedonia through a vision. The "man" turned out to be a "woman" who was a God-seeker whom God does not dissapoint.
And from thence to Philippi, which is the chief city of that part of Macedonia, and a colony: and we were in that city abiding certain days. Acts 16:12
And on the sabbath we went out of the city by a river side, where prayer was wont to be made;
and we sat down, and spake unto the women which resorted thither. Acts 16:13
Paul MINISTERED the SPIRIT when he spoke the WORD to people:
And a certain woman named Lydia, a seller of purple, of the city of Thyatira, which worshipped God,
heard us:
whose heart the Lord openedPaul didn't open her WOMB to give Birth. The other meaning is that Paul expounded or preached the gospel to her. This is the ONLY way to open hearts outside of a somewhat distorted Calvinism?
Dianoigo (g1272) dee-an-oy'-go; from 1223 and 455; to open thoroughly,
LITERALLY as a first-born or
FIGURATIVE to expound: - open.
that she attended to Paul
Prosecho (g4337) pros-ekh'-o; to hold the mind (3563 towards, i.e. pay attention to, be cautious about, apply oneself to, adhere to
Jesus showed how God opens the heart:
And they said one to another, Did not our heart burn within us, while he talked with us by the way, and while he opened to us the scriptures? Lu.24:32
Calvin though fanatic those who thought that God produced faith apart from the Word or that the Spirit taught apart from the Word.
If Lydia was saved by a supernatural act then she was saved before the Lord opened her heart by Paul's speaking to her:
unto the things which were spoken of Paul. Acts 16:14
And when she was baptized... (Acts 16:15)
One of those listening was a woman named Lydia, a dealer in purple cloth from the city of Thyatira, who was a worshiper of God. The Lord opened her heart to respond to Paul's message. Acts 16:14LNIV
And when they were come, and had gathered the church together, they rehearsed all that God had done with them, and how he had opened the door of faith unto the Gentiles. Acts 14:27
So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. Acts 10:17
The same followed Paul and us, and cried, saying, These men are the servants of the most high God, which shew unto us the way of salvation. Acts 16:17
Paul commanded Lydia to do something; Lydia adhered to that command; Lydia was baptized.
Remember, that we saw above that Jesus created spiritual "heart burn" when He opened the Scriptures to them by preaching the gospel. Now, Lydia's heart is opened in the same way.
Preaching the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus does not call for any action whatsoever: it is just the statement of facts.
God opened Lydia's heard by having Paul preach the gospel to her.
As a result, Lydia applied herself to, or adhered to what Paul told her to do.
What did Lydia do? "And when she was baptized"
Her applying herself to or adhering to the teaching by being baptized proves that Paul preached baptism.What was Lydia's first question? "If you have judged me faithful."
How had she been faithful? She was trustworthy because of her obedience to what Paul told her to do!
When Paul preached the gospel he was obedient to Jesus in Mark 16:16 and commanded her to be baptized. She was faithful because she attended to what Paul told her to do and she "did not reject the counsel of God for her life" -- she honored God by being baptized.
To attend to Paul's preaching means more than just listening: it means to become an adherent to his gospel teaching. Attend is:
Prosecho (g4337) pros-ekh'-o; from 4314 and 2192; (fig.) to hold the mind (3563 impl.) towards, i.e. pay attention to, be cautious about, apply oneself to, adhere to: - (give) attend (-ance, - ance at, -ance to, unto), beware, be given to, give (take) heed (to, unto) have regard.
And said unto them, Ye men of Israel,
take heed to yourselves
what ye intend to do as touching these men. Acts 5:35
Lydia took heed to what Paul told her to do and she was baptized.
And when she was baptized, and her household, she besought us, saying, If ye have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come into my house, and abide there. And she constrained us. Acts 16:15 Only then could Paul judge Lydia as faithful to the command of the Great Commission by being baptized.
Looking at Parallel Statements
Lydia "showed regard for" the commandment of Paul by being baptized. This is identical to those who submitted to John's baptism:
And all the people that heard him, and the publicans,
........... justified God (or showed regard for God's commandment)
........... being baptized with the baptism of John. Luke 7:29But the Pharisees and lawyers
........... rejected the counsel of God for themselves,
........... being not baptized of him. Luke 7:30
This is what Jesus said about His Word:
hath one that judgeth him: the word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day. John 12:48
And if any man hear my words, and believe not, I judge him not: for I came not to judge the world, but to save the world. John 12:47
He that rejecteth me, and receiveth not my words,
This is the meaning of Christ when He bound the gospel and baptism together and we must not break them apart:
And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. Mark 16:15
Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned. Mark 16:16
No, not because he is not baptized: because he rejected the will of God for his life by rejecting baptism.
