'A Certain Woman Named Lydia'

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. - Acts 16:13-15

    There were many women at Philippi, and several who gathered every sabbath day for prayer by the riverside, but among the many there was 'a certain woman named Lydia', who had been separated and distinguished from the rest by the grace of God. This 'certain woman', who had been chosen by God and redeemed by Christ, must be regenerated by the Spirit and called to Christ. Before the world began the Lord God had appointed a time and a place for this woman's salvation. Now the time of mercy had come. The place grace had chosen was a riverside just outside the city of Philippi. Exactly at the time appointed, 'the time of love' (Ezek. 16:8), God brought Paul, his messenger of grace, to that little clearing by the riverside to preach the gospel to Lydia, 'whose heart the Lord opened'. This brief narrative of Lydia's conversion is here recorded by divine inspiration to teach us at least five things.

    I . Grace always has its way

    Salvation is by grace alone. That is stated so plainly and emphatically in the Scriptures that very few people openly deny it (Eph. 2:8-9; 2 Tim. 1:9; Titus 3:3-5). However, there are few people in this world who understand the meaning of the word 'grace', as it is used in the Bible. Grace is more than a divine attribute. It is a divine determination, a divine work and a divine gift. It is not merely a desire in God's heart to save. It is the operation of God's arm, accomplishing salvation.

    The grace of God is sovereign (Rom. 9:16). God alone deter mined whom he would save. His choice and election of some to eternal life was an act of his free, unconditional love (Jer. 31:3;Eph. 1:3-4). Grace is never caused by, dependent upon, or determined by man.

    The grace of God is eternal (2 Tim. 1:9). The people to whom grace would come, the blessings grace would bring and the works grace would accomplish were all determined by God before the worlds were made (Eph. 1:11).

    The grace of God is irresistible and effectual (Ps. 65:4; 110:3; Isa. 46:9-13). 'The marvel of God's grace is that it will not take "No" for an answer from some men,' said Walter Chantry. Grace is more than divine goodness. It is the omnipotent power of divine good ness. Grace is not something God simply offers to sinners. It is something God performs in them!

    The grace of God gives God alone all praise, honour and glory for his saving operations (1 Cor. 1:30-31). Grace attributes nothing to man but sin. Grace honours the triune God for salvation: the glorious Father, as the covenant-keeping God of heaven and earth; the gracious Son, as the Redeemer of his people; and the Holy Spirit, as the Author of regeneration.

    Grace is always on time (Ezek. 16:6-8). At the time appointed when the chosen sinner must be saved, grace comes calling, creating life and faith, causing the dead sinner to come to Christ. No wonder the psalmist sang, 'Blessed is the man whom thou choosest, and causest to approach unto thee' (Ps. 65:4). Every saved sinner is a trophy of grace for the praise of God (Eph. 2:7).

    2. Divine providence sovereignly rules all things for the salvation of God's elect

    This lesson is demonstrated repeatedly, throughout the book of Acts. In the passage we are studying we see grace making its way to 'a certain woman named Lydia'. Grace marked out its object Lydia! Grace set the time—a certain sabbath day. Grace deter mined the place—a riverside at Philippi. But how would Paul, the messenger of grace, and Lydia, the object of grace, be brought together at Philippi?

    Paul was brought to Philippi by a very remarkable work of divine providence. His intentions were in another direction altogether, but God's intention was to bring him to Philippi. The strife with Barnabas caused him to go in one direction and Barnabas in another (15:36-41). Paul wanted to go to Asia. Lydia lived there, in Thyatira, but she was not at home at the time. So the Holy Spirit forbade Paul to go there. Then Paul tried to go to Bithynia but, again, the Spirit of God would not allow it (16: 6-7). At last, he was called over into Macedonia, and the first city in his path was Philippi (16:9-10). He must needs go through Philippi, because there were chosen sinners there for whom the time of grace had come. At exactly the same time, divine providence brought Lydia to Philippi. She had come on business, because God almighty was doing business for her! Ever trust and admire God's wise, adorable providence! Often we murmur because we look at our circumstances. May God teach us to look instead to his purpose and to trust it (John 17:2; Rom. 8:28).

    3. Those who walk in the light God gives them will be given more light

    Salvation is by grace alone. Those sinners, and only those sinners, will be saved whom the Father elected, the Son redeemed and the Spirit calls (Rom. 8:29-30). Yet every person is responsible to obey the gospel. Here are three inescapable facts revealed in Holy Scripture: firstly, all men are responsible to trust Christ (Acts 17:30); secondly, no one will ever trust Christ unless God gives him faith (John 5:40; 6:44); and, thirdly, any sinner in all the world who will come to Christ may come to Christ and, corning to Christ, will be saved by Christ (John 6:37; Rom. 10:13).

    Lydia did not open her own heart. That was the work of God alone. But she was not indifferent to her soul's welfare, either. She did what she knew she should do. When she came to Philippi she sought out a people who sought to worship God, though they were only a band of women with no house of worship (16:13). When Paul spoke the Word of God, she 'attended unto the things which were spoken' (16: 14). Lydia was earnest about her soul. She sought the Lord, and seeking him she found him (Jer. 29: 12-13). You would be wise to follow her example (Prov. 1:23-33).

    4. God uses faithful men for the salvation of his elect

    As we have seen many times in the study of Acts, God's ordained means of grace to sinners is the preaching of the gospel (Rom. 10:13-17; 1 Cor. 1:21; 1 Tim. 4:16). Paul faithfully performed the work God had committed to him (1 Cor. 4: 1-7; 2 Cor. 4: 1-7). In all things he sought the will of God and laboured for the glory of God. He did not seek anything for himself, but faithfully served Christ in the place where God put him, ministering to the people God entrusted to his care, and counted it his great privilege to do so (Eph. 3:8).

    5. The Lord God alone can open the hearts of sinners

    Providence brought Paul and Lydia together. Lydia came to the place of prayer, because she sought to worship God. But their meeting on the sabbath day would have been a meaningless, insignificant exercise of religion except for one thing: the Lord was there! He was there working by his almighty, effectual, irresistible grace. Lydia was a woman 'whose heart the Lord opened'. He alone could do it. He who is the heart's Maker is the heart's Master. Christ alone holds the key to a person's heart, knows how to put the key in and opens the heart's door to let himself in! The Lord opened Lydia's heart to hear, understand and believe the message of grace in the gospel. Her faith in Christ was manifest by two things (16:15).

    First, she obeyed Christ, confessing him in believer's baptism.

    Secondly, she loved those who served her soul (Isa. 52:7). Grace made her generous and hospitable.