One who heard us was a woman named Lydia, from the city of Thyatira, a seller of purple goods, who was a worshiper of God. The Lord opened her heart to pay attention to what was said by Paul. ( Acts 16:14 14 And a certain woman named Lydia, a seller of purple of the city of Thyatira, one that worshipped God, heard us: whose heart the Lord opened to give heed unto the things which were spoken by Paul. )

Everywhere Paul preached some believed and some did not. How are we to understand why some of those who are dead in trespasses and sins ( Ephesians 2:1 Chapter 2 1 And you `did he make alive,' when ye were dead through your trespasses and sins, , 5) believed and some did not?

The answer why some did not believe is that they “thrust it aside” ( Acts 13:46 46 And Paul and Barnabas spake out boldly, and said, It was necessary that the word of God should first be spoken to you. Seeing ye thrust it from you, and judge yourselves unworthy of eternal life, lo, we turn to the Gentiles. ) because the message of the gospel was “folly to [them], and [they were] not able to understand” ( 1 Corinthians 2:14 14 Now the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him; and he cannot know them, because they are spiritually judged. ). The mind of the flesh “is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God’s law; indeed, it cannot” ( Romans 8:7 7 because the mind of the flesh is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can it be: ).

Everyone who hears and rejects the gospel “hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed” ( John 3:20 20 For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, and cometh not to the light, lest his works should be reproved. ). They remain “darkened in their understanding . . . because of the ignorance that is in them, due to their hardness of heart” ( Ephesians 4:18 18 being darkened in their understanding, alienated from the life of God, because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the hardening of their heart; ). It is a guilty ignorance. The truth is available. But “by their unrighteousness [they] suppress the truth” ( Romans 1:18 18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hinder the truth in unrighteousness; ).

But why then do some believe, since all are in this condition of rebellious hardness of heart, dead in their trespasses? The book of Acts gives the answer in at least three different ways. One is that they are appointed to believe. When Paul preached in Antioch of Pisidia, the Gentiles rejoiced and “as many as were appointed to eternal life believed” ( Acts 13:48 48 And as the Gentiles heard this, they were glad, and glorified the word of God: and as many as were ordained to eternal life believed. ).

Another way of answering why some believe is that God granted repentance. When the saints in Jerusalem heard that Gentiles, and not just Jews, were responding to the gospel, they said, “Then to the Gentiles also God has granted repentance that leads to life” ( Acts 11:18 18 And when they heard these things, they held their peace, and glorified God, saying, Then to the Gentiles also hath God granted repentance unto life. ).

But the clearest answer in Acts to the question why a person believes the gospel is that God opens the heart. Lydia is the best example. Why did she believe? Acts 16:14 14 And a certain woman named Lydia, a seller of purple of the city of Thyatira, one that worshipped God, heard us: whose heart the Lord opened to give heed unto the things which were spoken by Paul. says, “The Lord opened her heart to pay attention to what was said by Paul.”

If you are a believer in Jesus, all of these happened to you: You were appointed to believe; you were granted to repent; and the Lord opened your heart. The rest of your life you should be overflowing with amazed thankfulness at the miracle that you are a believer.