Learn from the example of “ Lydia, the seller of purple” in Acts..... it was said of her that God “ opened her heart” to receiving the Gospel......why would it be any different for anybody else?
“ Nobody comes to God lest the Spirit draw them” .....the Holy Spirit “ draws” with the Conviction Of Sin.....one must see that they are a Lost Sinner That MUST have a Savior or why go “looking” for one, much less making the decision to put your Trust in one for your Salvation ?
Like many preachers say, “ Ya gotta get ‘ em Lost Before you can get them Saved !”
Even the Phillipian Jailer who asked, “ What must I do to be Saved?” Had to have the Conviction Of sin or he would have never asked that question....
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.
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.
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.
---1 Cor 1:21 men are saved through preaching for Christianity is a taught religion and not by some random, miraculous act of the Holy Spirit apart from the gospel being taught to men.
---Paul was sent to Macedonia to go there to "
preach the gospel unto them", vs 9-10. If the HS miraculously 'enlightens' one understanding apart from the gospel being preached then why send Paul to Macedonia to preach? Why would the Spirit send for Phillip in Acts 8 to preach to the eunuch if the HS 'enlightens' one's understanding apart from the word being preached? In Acts 26:16ff God made Paul a "minister", a preacher of the gospel to "
open the eyes" of the Gentiles. Open the eyes is the same as open the heart and it is done by ministering the word to men not by a miraculous act of the HS apart from the word being preached. Why need for the great commission to go and teach if the HS is required to first "regenerate" men then miraculous 'enlighten" man's understanding of the gospel?
---Paul
FIRST "SPAKE" to Lydia and she "HEARD" and
THEN the Lord opened her heart. The Greek word for heard is akouo and carries the meaning to comprehend, to understand. Jesus gives order of events in Matt 13:15 "
...lest at any time they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and should understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them." One must FIRST see/hear the gospel THEN understand THEN be converted THEN He heals them.
---hence Lydia's heart was opened by the Lord
through HIS WORD being spoken to Lydia and her hearing it (understanding) and developing faith by hearing that word, Rom 10:17. Lydia "
gave heed" to what was SPOKEN to her by Paul showing she had believed what was SPOKEN to her.
---Lydia was observing the Sabbath day and she "worshipped God" while in a lost state, hence there is no such thing as total depravity that requires some miraculous act of the HS upon one before one is willing or able to understand God's word.
--Lydia was baptized for God has chosen baptism as the means by which He saves....'
and when she was baptized" is HOW Lydia '
gave heed" to what was spoken to her and is proof she received the gospel spoken to her by Paul.
Acts 2:41 "
Then they that gladly received his word were baptized:" therefore those that reject the gospel word rejected being baptized. Hence the logical conclusion is being baptized is how one receives the gospel (Acts 8:12-14 and Acts 10:47-48 cf Acts 11:1). Rejecting baptism is rejecting the gospel word.
---Jn 6:45 the context tells us
HOW God draws men in v45;
It is written in the prophets, And they shall be all taught of God. Every man therefore that hath heard, and hath learned of the Father, cometh unto me.
God draws men, as He drew Lydia by His word when people are TAUGHT, HEARD and LEARNED as exactly happened with Lydia.