Featured The scriptural and contextual reading of Lydia's heart

Dave you keep saying it was not fair. Where does fair come into Gods plan of salvation. As I have said a number of times God will use whatever means He chooses to bring a person to Himself. God is actively working in and through His creation, our conscience, His bride, His Holy Spirit filled followers, and His Word to aid humanity in their conversion. That has not changed.

Are men blockheads by times? YES. But what Calvinists overlook is that under that theology man is only a blockhead because God caused them to be blockheads {divine determinism} That is a box that Calvinism cannot escape. The bible on the other hand shows man to be the one responsible for his being a blockhead via his God given free will. Man can and does freely reject the gospel just as man can and does freely accept the gospel and we see this in Lydia's case.

 

Spot on, if scripture does not say Lydia was regenerated, to claim it is there, but just invisible, is of no help.

What John 6:44-45 teaches is that individuals must be exposed to the gospel in order to be attracted by God's lovingkindness, and those who act on that attraction are the ones who "learned" from the Father. Regeneration is not taught or even implied.

Nothing in 1 Corinthians 2:13-14 teaches Lydia could not receive the "spiritual milk" things of the Spirit. Once again, a misreading of one verse is used to support a misreading of another view.

Lydia was in her natural person of flesh state, but able to understand the gospel when presented with clarity, such that her heart was opened.

Scripture uses "opened his eyes, opened his mind, or open her heart" to address where something is explained such that understanding occurs. Consider Numbers 24:16, and the idea that understanding has been achieved, and with understanding comes worship. In 2 Kings 6:15-19, once again we see having eyes opened simply means to understand, and does not suggest regeneration or enablement.

 

Do you doubt that Paul preached the word of God to Lydia ?

 

A regenerated person isnt converted until they are brought up under the Gospel. Like Cornelius, he was regenerated, then God sent him the Gospel by Peter

 

Again Lydia was regenerated of God because she was hearing the word of God through Paul. Paul as John knows that people who hear them "spiritually" are of God, born of God 1 Jn 4:6

6 We are of God: he that knoweth God heareth us; he that is not of God heareth not us. Hereby know we the spirit of truth, and the spirit of error.

When the word comes, it comes to either a person of God or not of God, if they are of God, meaning born of Him, they hear the messengers of God and believe.

 

Again, you make an assertion, Lydia was regenerated because your belief in total spiritual inability requires it, does not move the ball.

Citing non-germane verses, which use vague and ambiguous phrases, which you do not even attempt to explain, does not move the ball.

1 John 4:6:
We are of God - the idea is that some people claim they are emissaries of God, speaking His truth, but we need to test those claims to validate them.

He that knows God - the idea is that some have actual information from or about God, but others making the same claim do not.

Hears us - better heeds God's emissaries

He who is not of God - those not open to God's message

hears not us - better heeds not the message of God

So how do we know whether to listen? We must listen to ascertain whether the message reflects the consistent message of God, or whether it misrepresents God's message of hope and love..

Is it a bright flame or a dark shadow?

 

Its a fact, She heard Paul, the hearing is Spiritual. Acts 16:14

14 And a certain woman named Lydia, a seller of purple, of the city of Thyatira, which worshipped God, heard us: whose heart the Lord opened, that she attended unto the things which were spoken of Paul.

God had already given her a hearing ear to listen

Prov 20:12

The hearing ear, and the seeing eye, the Lord hath made even both of them.

Rev 2:7

He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God.

 

Dave you keep saying it was not fair. Where does fair come into Gods plan of salvation. The question is not whether God is fair but rather whether God is just. As I have said a number of times God will use whatever means He chooses to bring a person to Himself. God is actively working in and through His creation, our conscience, His bride, His Holy Spirit filled followers, and His Word to aid humanity in their conversion. That has not changed.

Are men blockheads by times? YES. But what Calvinists overlook is that under that theology man is only a blockhead because God caused them to be blockheads {divine determinism} That is a box that Calvinism cannot escape. The bible on the other hand shows man to be the one responsible for his being a blockhead via his God given free will. Man can and does freely reject the gospel just as man can and does freely accept the gospel and we see this in Lydia's case.

 

That's a rather silly question BF. Of course he did. Have you not read any of my posts? The real question is do you not believe the bible?

Romans 10:17 So faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ.
Lydia head the gospel message being preached by Paul.

Eph 1:13 In Him, you also, after listening to the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation—having also believed, you were sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of promise,

Is that not exactly what Lydia did
Act 16:14 A woman named Lydia, from the city of Thyatira, a seller of purple fabrics, a worshiper of God, was listening; and the Lord opened her heart to respond to the things spoken by Paul.

Lydia who already worshiped God heard the gospel message and God convicted her and she believed what she had heard regarding Christ Jesus.

 

How many verses can you cite that say Lydia was regenerated? Answer none.
So you claim a verse that says one thing actually means another. Incredible.

 

Scripture = faith comes from hearing
Brightflame = faith comes from having people being instilled with God's faith via irresistible grace.

 

BF the context {1 John 4:1-6} does not support how you are using 1John 4:6. John is writing to believers and warning them to not trust all who call themselves prophets but rather to test what they say. He reminds them that they are saved and so the indwelling Spirit is their strength. {1 John 4:4}
John is just saying that those that are already saved will trust what he is saying but those that are not saved will trust what the false prophets are saying.

Example those that are saved would listen to the late Dr. C. Stanley those that are not saved would listen to Joel Osteen.

 

Is being able to hear Paul at issue? Nope
Did Lydia need to be given an ear? Nope
Once false claim is never actually supported with another false claim.
How do individuals "overcome?" God puts them spiritually into Christ, and He overcomes. Really simple

 

Also no doubt the heart of lydia which the Lord opened, was a Heart given in the New Birth Ezk 36:26

A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh.

Its the New Heart that is made receptive to Spiritual truth

 

You seem to primarily bounce from one non-germane verse to another always implying but never stating support for the fiction of total spiritual inability.

 

silverhair

No its not lest you are calling yourself silly. Paul preached to her the word of God, and in order to hear it Spiritually you must be of God, or you cannot hear it spiritually. John 8:43,47

43 Why do ye not understand my speech? even because ye cannot hear my word.

47 He that is of God heareth God's words: ye therefore hear them not, because ye are not of God.

Now Lydia heard the words of God sent to her by the preacher Paul

 

I dont need one that says that, Im able to match scripture with scripture and see the Truth.

 

It does support it, it plainly says those who hear the preachers of the word, spiritual hearing is intended, knows God, if they dont hear Gods preachers, they are not of God. 1 Jn 4:6

6 We are of God: he that knoweth God heareth us; he that is not of God heareth not us. Hereby know we the spirit of truth, and the spirit of error.

 

I dont know what you talking about. Lydia was able to hear the word of God, faith comes by hearing, She was given the ability to hear. Jn 8:43,47

43 Why do ye not understand my speech? even because ye cannot hear my word.

47 He that is of God heareth God's words: ye therefore hear them not, because ye are not of God.

 

Man needs a spiritual heart to receive Spiritual things. God gives one that heart in regeneration, then one is spiritually prepared to receive the word and understand it Matt 13:23

23 But he that received seed into the good ground is he that heareth the word, and understandeth it; which also beareth fruit, and bringeth forth, some an hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.