The Bible gives us many illustrations of people being converted to Christ. It is very important for us to observe these events for they give us a more clear view of the work of evangelism. There are a couple of these events recorded for us in the central part of the book of Acts. And these two events are very different.
The conversion of Lydia shows us a religious and godly woman that was unsaved. Paul and his teammates met up with her in a place of worship. It was at this place that Paul explained the gospel and as the text says, “…(God) opened her heart”. This “opening” of the heart is a matter that we must respect as we do the work of evangelism. Lydia was religious, godly and yet blind and unsaved. And we see that God chose that by the “…foolishness of preaching…” she would be converted. Our part is to be a gospel sowing people and in that environment God often chooses to open hearts.
In another event we see the jailer in the same city converted as he observed the unusual conduct of two missionaries, Paul and Silas. It appears that somehow by the testimony of the lives of these two men this Roman citizen was challenged and his heart opened to the gospel.
We just don’t know what God may be doing around and through us and so we must always be observant and vigilant for the souls of men. It is just a part of what Christ meant when He said, “Ye are the light of the world…”
