#08a A Picture of New Covenant Salvation

While waiting on the next study, I wanted to jump ahead in Acts for a moment to share with you a perfect picture of how a person is saved in the new covenant. We will be covering this portion later, but I felt it would give you something to think on.

Every component of how our salvation works is laid out in Acts 16:13-15:

"And on the Sabbath day we went outside the gate to a riverside, where we were supposing that there would be a place of prayer; and we sat down and began speaking to the women who had assembled. A woman named Lydia, from the city of Thyatira, a seller of purple fabrics, a worshiper of God, was listening; and the Lord opened her heart to respond to the things spoken by Paul. And when she and her household had been baptized, she urged us, saying, 'If you have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come into my house and stay.' And she prevailed upon us."

Considerations:

(1) Philippi did not have a Jewish synagogue. The Lord led them to the river area.

(2) Lydia was a Gentile who believed in the true God. (She was not a convert to Judaism. She was like Cornelius.)

(3) Paul, Barnabas, and Timothy began sharing the gospel. (Paul was the primary speaker.)

(4) Lydia was listening carefully, and the Lord opened her heart to 'respond' to the message. Paul explains what happened in Lydia's heart in his first letter to the Thessalonian believers:

"For this reason we also constantly thank God that when you received the word of God which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men, but for what it really is, the word of God, which also performs its work in you who believe." (1Thess2:13)

(5) Lydia and her household were baptized.

(6) She speaks of her new faith by saying, "If you have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come into my house and stay."

To Lydia, 'the Lord' was now Jesus Christ. She had found the one in whom her heart longed. Her conversion was true. Lydia now had the Spirit of Jesus in residence.

Just something to think about.

Previous: #08 (Acts 4:1-12) Apostles First Confrontation with Temple Authorities
Next: #09 (Acts 4:13-22) The Challenge of Authority

This study on Acts was originally part of a series on the book of Acts given to members of Hebraic Foundations from July 10, 2002 through January 19, 2003. They were written by Pastor Buddy Martin, Founder and Senior Pastor of Christian Challenge International.