Lydia's Heart

[Scot]

Recently, I was discussing the state of a person's heart before conversion with a synergist. I brought up the fact that the Lord opened Lydia's heart (Acts 16:14). I thought you guys would get a kick out of this reply:

Synergist: God did not open Lydia's heart against her will. She willingly came to listen to Paul, thereby indicating she was willing to be receptive to the message. Then God opened her heart.

Me: So why did God need to open her heart? You're saying that it was already opened since she came to listen to Paul.

I then tried to explain that God gives us a new "will" so we "willingly" come to Christ, etc.

Synergist: Nowhere does it say that God gave her a new will to respond. Scripture shows that she willingly came to listen to Paul, thereby indicating that she was willing to listen and was at least somewhat open minded. Then God opened her heart, which finished her change of heart.

 

[Scott Bushey]

Johns gospel is conclusive. The Greek is clear. Regeneration comes from above (anothen).

John 3:3 Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.

Men are not able to perceive spiritual things unless God gives spiritual eyes. *See Isaiah 6/Blindness

1Co 2:14 But a natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and he is not able to know them, because they are spiritually discerned.
1Co 2:15 But the spiritual one discerns all things, but he is discerned by no one.

Men are dead-no? Could Lazarus raise himself? Can anything good come from something bad? Can a leopard change it's own spots?

Joh 6:44 No one is able to come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him, and I will raise him up in the last day.

2Co 1:9 But we ourselves have the sentence of death in ourselves, that we should not trust on ourselves, but on God, the One raising the dead,

Eph 5:14 Because of this, He says, Arise, sleeping ones and stand up out of the dead ones, and Christ will shine on you.

Drawing is from God; 'raising' is also........

Dan,
Board rules now prohibit 'cutting and pasting' posters comments or referencing our board in other board debates.........


[Edited on 12-4-2004 by Scott Bushey]

 

[Scot]

Dan,
Board rules now prohibit 'cutting and pasting' posters comments or referencing our board in other board debates.........

O.k, understood

 

[Scott Bushey]

:bigsmile: