A Word in Season: The Opened Heart (Acts 16:14)

The New Birth and the Inward Change in Conversion

What actually happens when somebody is converted? What takes place when someone becomes a Christian? Well, in every case there's an inward change. God, by his Holy Spirit, works in the soul so that where before there was only darkness, now light begins to shine.

Where there was only death in trespasses and sins, now God works life, so that by the gifts of repentance and faith that sinner now turns to the Lord Jesus Christ, sees in him, in his redeeming work, all that is needful in order for there to be peace between a holy God and sinful man, and laying hold upon the Lord Jesus, finds in him that joy and that forgiveness that only God can give.

Saul of Tarsus and the Danger of Expecting Dramatic Conversions

But what does that look like from the outside? And here we have to be careful because we can, if not quite demand, at least give the impression that a conversion needs to be something like that of Saul of Tarsus.

Perhaps we imply that there needs to be days or weeks or months or perhaps even years of torment and distress, that there needs to be some obvious clash of wills before somebody is left humbled and broken and ready at last to seek the Lord.

And some of us, God does deal with in that way. In his providence, that's the way he brings us, and that's what is needful for us. But God is just as able to deal more gently or gradually with somebody, and that's what seems to have happened in the case of a certain woman named Lydia.

Lydia at Philippi and the Gospel in Acts 16

She's described for us in Acts chapter 16 as a seller of purple from the city of Thyatira. She seems to be an intelligent and industrious, competent, professional woman, and she's now in this Roman colony of Philippi going about her business.

She's also described as someone who worships God. Now, in the context, that probably indicates a Gentile who's become weary of the emptiness and the wickedness of the ancient world with all its pagan idolatry.

And she's found in the God of Israel, a God who is pure, a God who is holy. There's a cleanness. There's a beauty to this God and those who approach him in faith. She knows then perhaps something of the religion of Israel, but there's no necessary indication at this point that she truly knows God, however much she now knows about him, until this morning when she goes to pray with others by the river in Philippi.

And there God brings the apostle Paul, this man who was converted in this striking way, and he begins to speak about the gospel. He begins to explain how God, in his mercy, has sent his son, Jesus Christ, into the world to save sinners.

No doubt he describes his perfect life, his atoning death, his glorious resurrection, his present reign. He shows how God has made himself known as redeemer in the person of his son, Jesus Christ, in a way that transcends all the revelation that previously came through the Old Testament, the final and the clearest demonstration of the heart of the God of love towards sinners of every kingdom, tribe and tongue and nation.

The Lord Opening Lydia's Heart

And in this beautiful phrase in verse 14, the Lord opened Lydia's heart to heed the things spoken by Paul. It doesn't mean that Lydia didn't need to have her heart made new. It doesn't mean that she was by nature inclined to seek after God.

The Lord had already begun some work in her heart. He had already shown her something of the emptiness and the wickedness of sin more generally, and in her in particular. And now this was his means at this moment to finally, as it were, open the curtains of her soul that the light of the gospel might shine in and that she might find in Christ Jesus joy and peace in believing.

So don't be distressed if you don't have a striking and extravagant story of salvation with regard to the externals. It is just as striking and significant when the Lord gently and mercifully opens the heart of a man or a woman like Lydia that they might come to know him and find peace through Jesus Christ, hearing and heeding his good news.