Christian life

favorite quotes from “The Horse and His Boy” (C.S. Lewis)

/ Heather Davis Nelson / 2 Comments

While on a road trip to South Carolina a few weekends ago, I listened to the audio version of “The Horse and His Boy,” one of C.S. Lewis’ books in the beloved Narnian Chronicles. It paints a beautiful picture of redemption – of Shasta’s journey from slavery to freedom, from being owned by another to discovering his royal identity. It truly becomes a metaphor for those who are Christ-followers. Enjoy a few of my favorite “nuggets”:

[Aslan to Shasta toward the end of the book] “There was only one lion … I was the lion … who forced you to join Aravis. I was the cat who comforted you among the houses of the dead. I was the lion who drove the jackals from you while you slept. I was the lion who gave the horses the new strength of fear for the last mile so that you should reach King Lune in time. And I was the lion you do not remember who pushed the boat in which you lay, a child near death, so that it came to shore where a man sat, wakeful at midnight, to receive you.”

[to Shasta when he questions Aslan and asks for an explanation for Aravis’ story] “Child,” said the Voice, “I am telling you your story, not hers. I tell no one any story but his own.”

Identity, security, glory (Ephesians 1.1-14)

/ Heather Davis Nelson / 4 Comments

When was the last time that you heard something that you thought was too good to be true? It probably won’t take you long to think of something, whether it’s as trivial as the diet pill pop-up advertisement or the free* vacation (*requiring only that you listen to their 2 hour long time-share presentation and give your credit card info to them so that they can charge a non-refundable $75 deposit  – true story, by the way, that happened to friends of mine a couple weeks ago). Yet I imagine that you, like me, have other deeper and more life-defining moments of disappointment: like the parent who walked out on your family when you were young or the spouse who seemed to make all your dreams come true – until you discovered he or she had been living a double life for years. These kind of disappointments make us as a generation prone to cynicism. Or in its “milder” forms perhaps “realism” or “not-getting-your-hopes-up-too-much” kinds of approaches to life.

God’s promises for the Christian in Ephesians 1:1-14 require that we leave our disbelief, cynicism, disappointment behind. Because to comprehend even a small part of what  God is saying will feel at first that it is simply too good to be true. Yet we forget the difference between our Creator God and our own fragile and broken humanity. People will always disappoint, but God stays true forever. So suspend your disappointment, and imagine that this is true for you as one who believes in Christ! Be encouraged and amazed by our God … and come to Him with your worship and your questions.

1Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God,
To the saints in Ephesus, the faithful in Christ Jesus:

2Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

3Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. 4For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love 5he predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will— 6to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves. 7In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace 8that he lavished on us with all wisdom and understanding. 9And he made known to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ, 10to be put into effect when the times will have reached their fulfillment—to bring all things in heaven and on earth together under one head, even Christ.

11In him we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will, 12in order that we, who were the first to hope in Christ, might be for the praise of his glory. 13And you also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, 14who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession—to the praise of his glory.

I want to highlight three aspects of this feels-too-good-to-be-true passage:

  1. The identity of God’s people: in Christ
  2. The security of God’s love in Christ
  3. The beauty and glory of God’s purpose in Christ

1. The identity of God’s people: IN CHRIST

  • Jesus Christ is key to the security of God’s love and the beauty of God’s purpose, and so it is in Christ that we find our identity. We’re now, like those this letter was addressed to, saints – faithful – holy – blameless – we’re loved because we are  “the Beloved”: is this how you think of yourself?
  • We are:
    • Blessed in Christ (3 & 6)
    • Chosen in Christ (4)
    • Adopted through Christ (5)
    • Redeemed & forgiven through Christ’s blood (7)
    • Recipients of an inheritance in Christ (11) through hoping in Christ and believing in Christ (12-13)
  • We exist by His grace in Christ, through His grace in Christ, and for displaying His grace in Christ. “For the praise of His glory” is the refrain of this passage. Glory means God’s beauty, goodness, character. In essence: who He is. This phrase means that it’s not about me but about God. My purpose and identity is discovered as I see myself in Christ: redeemed, holy loving — existing to love God with all I am and love others as God loves me. This is not, as a friend of mine said, making us less of who we are but MORE of who we are meant to be.
  • We are God’s own adopted children enjoying the same rights as natural children: both privileges and responsibilities.

2. The security of God’s love in Christ

  • Secure because His love began before the beginning of time – before you were born, before the world was created. God knew everything about you, yet chose to love you. “Having been predestined” means that God gave you a destiny before the beginning of time, and this destiny was to be His beloved one. It is not unlike the love of a mother for her yet unborn child, or parents anticipating adoption: they choose to love this child before they know him or her.
  • Secure because it depends on God’s work, not yours. It is not the strength of our faith that matters most, but the faithfulness of God, as my friend April reminded me. It is primarily God’s activity that is highlighted in this passage, and our activity is merely to respond. God chose, adopted, redeemed, forgave, gave an inhertance, sealed, lavished, and made His will known – to US! Our response is to hope in Christ by believing in Christ when we hear the gospel (the good news that Jesus Christ died and rose again that we may be called “holy and blameless” before God – that our sins may be forgiven and redeemed).
  • Secure because of this cascade of blessings (vv. 3-14). God not only chose us in Christ, but also adopted us in love. He not only adopted us in love, but also redeemed us. Not only redeemed us, but also forgave us. Not only forgave us [the debt], but gave us an inheritance [put credit to our account]. And how do we know we won’t lose this? We’re not only given an inheritance, but sealed us with the Holy Spirit as a guarantee of what’s to come. This is total and complete security from beginning to end.
  • What difference does this make? [what Ephesians lays out for us is termed by theologians as the doctrine of election]  I can testify personally that it makes all the difference in the world. Before God opened my eyes to the beauty of His secure love for me, I constantly vacillated between pride and fear. On the days when I felt like I had done pretty good (enough good deeds, loved others, wasn’t impatient in traffic/etc), I would feel prideful – confident that I had deserved God’s favor. However, on the many other days when I saw my own failures, I would be full of fear, worry, insecurity, and anxiety. How could God possibly love me if I struggled so much? The security of God’s love in Christ frees me from both. I have no room for pride, because God has done it all. And fear is banished, because I can’t be separated from God’s love. (see Romans 8:28-39 for another full description of these truths)

3. The beauty  and glory of God’s purpose in Christ

  • His love and choosing of us in Christ isn’t a haphazard wish, but it is intentional and purposeful. Verse 5 says that these promises are “according to the purpose of his will,” verse 9 repeats that: “according to his purpose,” and  verse 11 sums it up by saying it is all “according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will.” Even right after the Fall in Genesis 3, there is the promise that Jesus will come – the seed of Eve who will crush the serpent’s head – God purposed to send Christ to make it possible for us as sinful people to become holy and blameless.
  • His purpose/will is to bless us with “every spiritual blessing” – to lavish us with “riches of his grace,” making us who hope in Christ recipients of His grace.
  • His purpose/will is that we who were his enemies, who are broken and marred by sin, become holy and blameless – as Christ takes our sin and gives us His righteousness.
  • And God’s purpose/will is not only to reconcile individuals to himself and to each other, but to restore all things in Christ – in heaven and on earth – in the “fullness of time” (v. 9-10). This is all about understanding the larger story, summarized so well by N.T. Wright in his excellent devotional commentary on Ephesians as follows:

“God’s great prayer at the opening of this letter is a celebration of the larger story within which every single Christian story — every story of individual conversion, faith, spiritual life, obedience and hope — is set. Only by understanding and celebrating the larger story can we hope to understand everything that’s going on in our smaller stories, and so observe God at work in and through our own lives.”

It is often hard to wrap my mind around such a beautiful picture of full redemption. That is why I think C.S. Lewis has done it so well in the closing chapter of the last book in his excellent series, the Narnia Chronicles, entitled “The Last Battle.” Soak it up – and believe it is really as good as it seems and as true as it is good:

Then Aslan [the character of a good lion who represents God in these stories] turned to them and said, “You do not yet look so happy as I mean you to be.”

Lucy said, “We’re so afraid of being sent away, Aslan. And you have sent us back into our world so often.”

“No fear of that,” said Aslan. “Have you not guessed?” Their hearts leaped and a wild hope rose within them.

“There was a real railway accident,” said Aslan softly. “Your father and mother and all of you are — as you used to call it in the Shadowland — dead. The term is over: the holidays have begun. The dream is ended: this is the morning.”

And as he spoke He no longer looked to them like a lion; but the things that began to happen after that were so great and so beautiful that I cannot write them. And for us this is the end of all the stories, and we can most truly say that they all lived happily ever after. But for them it was only the beginning of the real story. All their life in this world and all their adventures in Narnia had only been the cover and the title page: now at last they were beginning Chapter One of the Great Story which no one on earth has read: which goes on forever: in which every chapter is better than the one before.

Introduction to Ephesians: Identity & Grace

/ Heather Davis Nelson / 1 Comment

So my apologies to those of you who have faithfully followed my blog. I took a break because I was preparing to present two lectures on Ephesians to our church’s women’s Bible study. But I hope you’ll also be encouraged by these truths as well. Here’s week 1: introduction to Ephesians …

INTRO: The New Year is often a time for reflection, review, and resolutions. (and hey, it’s still January – so it’s not too late!) I tend to be a reflective person, and so there’s something I love about this transition. What’s often inherent in the “new year promise” is the hope of a new identity. Yes, you can have the body you’ve always wanted, and so new gyms lure you in with promises of new rates and fitness challenges – and the “January crowd” always packs it in. Finances went bad last year? This year offers new promises of sticking to your budget and paying off debt. This is the year to finally put to rest old family feuds; to finally face the “ghosts from your past”; to finally overcome that besetting habit that’s plagued you. And our resolutions reflect our desire to recreate our identities – to make over our selves into the better versions we know we could be.

I, too, enjoy this aspect of a new year. I’ve reflected on the old year; thought about how I want this new year to be different. There’s something hopeful about the freshness of the calendar year. Listen to these resolutions I came up with in 1996 (when I was a junior in high school):

1. To be more diligent in schoolwork-try very hard to complete the work the night before.

2. To go to God first about everything that happens

3. To have a more consistent walk with God – not so many ups and downs

4. To not be a part of a car accident in the next year

5. To exercise at least once a week

6. To have a daily quiet time of 5 minutes or more

7. To be rid of all jealousy

8. To have better family relationships

9. To watch for God’s hand in all that happens in my life and see the good in all situations

And apparently I was still working on some of the same things in 1997 (senior year of high school):

1. To have a daily quiet time with God greater than 15 minutes

2. To exercise 3 times a week [at least I moved up closer to what’s recommended!]

3. To give each day to God by prayer and thank him for each day in the evening

4. To cease complaining

5. To try to complete all homework before Sunday

6. To be uninvolved in a car accident this year [I was only in one, by the way, and that was Dec. ’95]

7. To live each day in full reliance upon my Lord with the hope that He has a wonderful plan for my life and “is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine” (Eph. 3:20)

These resolutions are not bad in and of themselves. I included some good goals — yet the truth is that I’m still working on much of them! The promises of Ephesians offer something much better than our reflections and resolutions that accompany the New Year. Ephesians speaks directly to the question of identity – offering you the reality of the identity you’ve been given if you are a Christian, or the identity you’re invited into if you’re not yet a Christian.

Who needs Ephesians? All of us do! As you can tell from my new year’s resolutions, I tend to struggle with finding my identity in my own righteousness – my efforts to pray more, read the Bible more, exercise more, even love people more – and I forget grace. I first really read, studied, meditated (and even attempted to memorize) Ephesians the summer between my sophomore and junior year of college. For those of you who have heard my testimony of God’s work in my life, this summer is the one I refer to as “the summer of grace.” I entered this summer an exhausted legalist, trying to perform the works God required of me in my own strength, and I left the summer an energized, free daughter of God, empowered by grace to minister in new ways to the 50 freshmen and sophomore women I was an R.A. to my junior year. I can say that I would not have gotten through that stretching year without the grace of God in Christ described so beautifully in the book of Ephesians.

Where are you?

  • Maybe you, like me, are a legalist worn out from trying to live a holy life and do good. You’ve probably focused on the last half of Ephesians and skimmed over the first half. Yet these last chapters cannot be lived apart from the grace we find in Christ – which is the focus of the first 3 chapters. You need to remember to start at the beginning!
  • Or perhaps you are a Christian who has forgotten what kind of life grace compels you to. The struggle against sin has ceased to be a struggle, because you’ve given in and now find yourself caught in habits you’re ashamed of. You know you’re “saved by grace” anyway, so what’s the big deal? Jesus comes to you through the message of Ephesians to call you into a bigger life – one of obedience and transformation motivated by grace. You’ve been rescued from darkness, so live no longer there.
  • Maybe you are unsure of Jesus and His claims. You wonder what all of this Jesus stuff is all about. You heard about the hope of a Savior to come promised and pointed to through our study in Genesis, but you wonder why you need Him. Or if you really need Him at all. The gospel message is loud and clear throughout Ephesians – describing what grace is and why all of us need it.
  • Perhaps you’re doubting who you are and you are struggling to find your identity. You’re looking in all the typical places: marriage (or independence), children, career, even good deeds, friendship, fitness & health … yet you find that each of these crumbles as soon as you seek to hold onto it and find your life here. You were made for more than this.

This is a letter written to people who also were struggling with identity and reconciliation: Gentile Christians in the region surrounding Ephesus.

  • Ephesus was the 2nd largest and 2nd most important city in the Roman Empire (2nd only to Rome!) – modern day Turkey
  • For Gentiles to be able to be in God’s family was revolutionary. Before Jesus Christ, spots in God’s family were reserved only for Jews. After Jesus, salvation is made available to all who believe, both Jews and Gentiles. The Jews weren’t too happy about that – and this left the Gentiles feeling a bit insecure of their identity.
  • PAUL wrote this letter to as a circular letter, meant for Christians in this entire region, to assure them of their identity as Gentiles in Christ. (like a group email – why there’s not as many personal references like in the parallel book of Colossians, written around the same time)
    • How was Paul qualified? What were his own identity struggles? He was a Jew who was known as “Saul” and who persecuted Christians. God interrupted him en route to Damascus and saved him, calling him now Paul. And then he experienced intense persecution for the rest of his life as he became a missionary – bringing the good news of the gospel of Jesus Christ’s salvation through Asia, all the way to Rome.
    • Yet he’s writing while imprisoned in Rome – for the very identity of “Christian” that he now writes and reminds them of. Imagine the impact this would have had on the first readers!

So what does Paul write? What will you find here?

  • THEMES:
    • Central message of be who you are – in contrast to who they used to be and how they used to live in the past
    • Your past before Christ, your future in Christ, and how this is to affect your present day-to-day life in Christ
    • Reconciliation: being made right with God and with others – “Only through Christ can all other division be brought to an end.”
    • Truth and beauty of the Triune God (God the Father, Jesus Christ the Son, the Holy Spirit)
    • Grace
    • Challenge/call to exhibit God’s glory and grace through daily life
    • God’s action and His work
    • A high calling empowered by the Spirit
    • A love story written before the beginning of time
    • How to engage in the spiritual battle we’re in
  • STRUCTURE:
    • Intro/greeting; body of the letter; closing
    • Two halves: 1-3 – who God’s made you as a Christian; 4-6: call to live like who you really are
    • Eloquent prayers
    • Truth and promises that are gems of grace to be treasured
    • Practical exhortations
    • Household code
    • Spiritual warfare

It’s very easy with the changes of life, whatever they might include for you in this new year, to forget who you are. Or to feel like you’ve lost a part of who you are. Changes that come with moving are always hard for me and provide an opportunity for me to re-examine where I’ve really been finding my identity – is it in being known by friends, playing a crucial role in a small church plant, being a counselor with a large church counseling center, not getting lost when I drive. The most recent move for us from Philadelphia to Norfolk has been no different! And I’ll admit that although I would say this has been the best, smoothest transition I’ve ever experienced, it has still served to be a bit of an identity-shake-up for me.

And I found myself feeling a bit down in December – generally unmotivated, wondering whether I was really making a difference, missing familiar holiday celebrations with close friends, and questioning what my identity is here in Norfolk.

Yet God met me through the study of Ephesians to remind me that who I truly am has not changed at all over this year, and it won’t change for the next 10 years either. It gave me hope and motivation to pursue what God’s given me to do during this season, not having to make it my life or where I’m finding my meaning (which would make any task unbearable) – and there’s been a true sense of joy where there was a vague sense of discontentment because of the riches that are mine in Christ.

So our prayer for you as you begin to read this book, either for the first time or the 50th time, is that you will be refreshed and revitalized in seeing the beauty of who Christ is for you and who you are in Christ – and it will become a letter that you will keep close to you to return to often.

[you can hear the talk at this link]

Advent meditations week 4/Christmas: love

/ Heather Davis Nelson / 1 Comment


As I am surrounded by loving family this Christmas, it is not hard to reflect on the love of God in Christ this holiday is meant to celebrate. Yet I know that for so many, Christmas becomes a painful reminder of the absence of love. Perhaps it’s the memory of a loved one who has passed away. Or maybe it’s physical distance from one(s) you love. Or emotional/relational distance due to conflict or feuding. Into this pain that the word “love” can hold, the beauty of Christ our Redeemer becomes even more powerful. Here is one whose love is eternal in measure, depth, quality, essence. No good-bye is ever forever; no fighting will cause conflict too great for reconciliation; there is even hope for life beyond death.

Where? And how? The promise of God is no haphazard well-meaning wish. It’s a covenant of Love guaranteed by blood. The blood of his son, Jesus, sent to earth as a vulnerable baby. Birthed in a cave. Cradled in a feeding trough. Celebrated by lowly shepherds. Rejoiced over by angels. Worshiped by kings from the East. Despised by the king (Herod) in his homeland. Anticipated by a prophet (Simeon) and a prophetess (Anna) in the temple. Announced by the prophet Zephaniah centuries beforehand, who spoke this about this one who would come to bring eternal Love. Listen and rejoice that there is such a Love – found through a saving relationship with God through Jesus Christ: [substitute “daughter of Zion,” “Israel,” “Jerusalem” with your name]

14Sing aloud, O daughter of Zion;
shout, O Israel!
Rejoice and exult with all your heart,
O daughter of Jerusalem!
15The LORD has taken away the judgments against you;
he has cleared away your enemies.
The King of Israel, the LORD, is in your midst;
you shall never again fear evil.
16 On that day it shall be said to Jerusalem:”Fear not, O Zion;
let not your hands grow weak.
17The LORD your God is in your midst,
a mighty one who will save;
he will rejoice over you with gladness;
he will quiet you by his love;
he will exult over you with loud singing.

18I will gather those of you who mourn for the festival,

so that you will no longer suffer reproach.

19Behold, at that time I will deal
with all your oppressors.
And I will save the lame
and gather the outcast,
and I will change their shame into praise
and renown in all the earth.
20At that time I will bring you in,
at the time when I gather you together;
for I will make you renowned and praised
among all the peoples of the earth,
when I restore your fortunes
before your eyes,” says the LORD.

Advent meditations week 3: joy

/ Heather Davis Nelson / Leave a comment

Christmas joy as a child seems to come more easily than for us too-often-jaded (and stressed out) adults. I reflected on this in a post 4 years ago. The cynical side of me dismisses that with the explanation that a child’s joy is often an adult’s stress (like all of their gifts they open gleefully on Christmas morning). Or with a reflection on a child’s naive belief compared to an adult’s “innocence lost.” (who doesn’t remember how disillusioning it was to learn the truth about Santa?) But then there’s the part of me that is fighting cynicism and remembers Jesus’ words in Mark 10:15 –

I tell you the truth, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.

And so perhaps this Christmas, we need to learn from the children around us and enter into true Christmas joy. Pure delight and awe and enthusiasm for this season. For Christians, we have every reason to rejoice at what is celebrated – God becoming man – and this week’s Advent readings reminded me of this hopeful mystery.

It began in a strange place: Habakkuk 3, but with a chapter that closes in verses that have given me joy in the midst of some of the darkest and saddest seasons –

17Though the fig tree should not blossom,
nor fruit be on the vines,
the produce of the olive fail
and the fields yield no food,
the flock be cut off from the fold
and there be no herd in the stalls,
18 yet I will rejoice in the LORD;
I will take joy in the God of my salvation.

What this seems to mean is that God is his strength. Not his “herds” or “vines” or “fields” or “fig trees.” (I’m thinking “money” or “career” or “marriage” or “friendships” or anything else I think will give me strength only promised by God.) When all of that is stripped away, he still has joy because he has God. And because God has come to earth in the person of Jesus Christ and now dwells in the hearts of all who believe, there is the promise that God will never leave me. And so neither will joy.

Joy is guaranteed by the coming of the “Helper” – the Holy Spirit who will reveal all things and who guarantees that we will see Jesus again and be filled with joy. (John 16:5-28) I get a taste of this future joy now as I pray in my Father’s name and watch him answer prayer. As well as when I listen to and read God’s Word – when God works its effect on me, I will “go out in joy”  and “be led forth in peace” because that is the purpose for which he gives His Word. (Isaiah 55:9-13)

Psalm 66, 96, Isaiah 12, and 1 Peter 1:3-9 expand on the concept of Christmas joy by giving reason after reason to “shout for joy to God, all the earth …” (Psalm 66:1). It’s a joy at the gifts we’ve received, not unlike children on Christmas morning. The difference is that these are gifts that have been guaranteed to last forever and which will impart a joy to carry us even through the trials of life. And perhaps that trial includes Christmas this year – the promise is that there is yet a joy to be found and celebrated.

Advent meditations week 2: peace

/ Heather Davis Nelson / 1 Comment

Peace: what an elusive concept this time of year! And yet it is the heart of Christmas. Who needs peace? Perhaps images of war in the middle east come to mind. Or maybe it’s closer to home: a family feud which makes you dread the inevitable holiday “celebrations” together. If you’re married, you might think about your spouse and the ceaseless arguments that seem to have taken away the feelings of love and romance. If you have kids, you may be groaning right now at overhearing yet another sibling squabble.

Let’s take it one step further and say that all humanity needs peace with their Creator. Aren’t our arguments, conflicts, wars just an overflow of our inner unrest? An inward sense that all is not right in the world? All creation is groaning for peace. The kind of peace that the Advent meditations from last week give us a picture of — where we are to place our hope. It is ultimately people being reconciled to God. But how? God bridges the gap. He initiates and does what seems impossible: divinity is clothed with humanity and takes the form of a baby. The Advent readings from this week focus on peace from several angles.

There’s the image of God as a shepherd bringing peace, tenderly tending his flock like a shepherd from Isaiah 40:9-11

He will tend his flock like a shepherd;

he will gather the lambs in his arms;

he will carry them in his bosom,

and gently lead those that are with young.

And the description of an inward peace that’s known by those who see that the Lord is near and who lift up their anxiety to him – receiving this peace that “passes all understanding” to guard their hearts and minds. How?  In Christ Jesus – God made flesh; God coming near. (Philippians 4:4-7)

This peace does not mean the lack of affliction, but the experiential knowledge of God’s comfort in the midst of affliction. It is finding God’s comfort in the affliction that brings peace. (2 Corinthians 1:2-5)

There’s the surprising image in this list of “peace” passages of a city that was desolate that’s now filled with joyful celebration. A city marked by restoration and rebuilding – a people marked by the cleansing of the guilt of their sin. And how? A “righteous branch” [descendant] of David who “shall execute justice and righteousness” and the people of this new city are known by the name: “The Lord is our righteousness.”  (Jeremiah 33:7-16) This is key to true peace: I cannot earn my own righteousness, but I trust that Christ has done so for me and I rest from my striving, my posturing, my attempts to be good on my own. And I rest in the peace from the Prince of Peace. And as a result, I am changed – my family is changed – my community is changed – entire cities are changed – to be havens of peace. Where do I need to begin? Where do you need to begin?

It begins by following the One who faithfully persevered in bringing peace and did not grow faint or easily discouraged. He did not give up on anyone, but is gentle, tender, compassionate. He brought peace not through “crying aloud in the streets” like a revolutionary political hero that we’d expect  (Isaiah 42:1-9) but actually came humbly, riding on a donkey and speaking peace (Zechariah 9:9-17). Now peace comes as the people of God continue the work of the Peace-giver. And so let us follow him this Christmas season into paths of peace!

hope found in a geneaology: Genesis 4:17 – 5:32

/ Heather Davis Nelson / Leave a comment

I will admit that when I found out that my second week of teaching women’s Bible study at Trinity was going to be a geneaology (from Cain/Seth through Noah), I instinctively thought – “What will I find here?!” Yet it is amazing to see that there are gems of hope and the gospel “even” in a geneaology (another word for a family tree as listed in the Bible). May you be as encouraged (and surprised) as I was at what we can find here:

(1) Even in what seems to be a godless family (Cain – murdered his brother Abel), there will be evidence of God’s common grace – the hope that we all bear the indelible stamp of God’s image upon us. AND SO, we have much to learn from one another – Christian or not. I was reading a book this week where I found the following quote – what testimony to the God-consciousness all humanity possesses!

“I am in a silent war against an enemy as pernicious and omnipresent as evil. Evil? I don’t believe in evil any more than I believe in God. But at the same time I know this: only Satan himself could have designed a disease that has self-deception as a symptom, so that its victims deny they are afflicted, and will not seek treatment, and will vilify those on the outside who see what’s happening. [the author writes about his son’s drug addiction] “

(2) Enoch vividly demonstrates the hope of walking with God and resurrection life as its reward. Seven generations from Adam, we read this terse statement about Enoch – which breaks the pattern throughout the rest of the chapter of living, having children, and dying:

And after he became the father of Methuselah, Enoch walked with God 300 years and had other sons and daughters. 23Altogether, Enoch lived 365 years. 24 Enoch walked with God; then he was no more, because God took him away. [Genesis 5:22-24, italics added]

Hebrews 11 expands on this commentary:

5By faith Enoch was taken from this life, so that he did not experience death; he could not be found, because God had taken him away. For before he was taken, he was commended as one who pleased God. 6And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.

Walking with God – an image of personal relationship – and then not experiencing death – a foreshadowing of the hope of resurrection life that Jesus Christ would bring to all who believe in him.

(3) As Lamech names his son, Noah, saying, “Out of the ground that the Lord has cursed this one shall bring us relief from our work and from the painful toil of our hands,” there is introduced to this story of humanity the hope of relief from the curse of sin and death. It is clear from Noah’s life that the relief he brought was probably not the relief pictured by his father and hoped for by humanity. And yet through God preserving a family from the destruction of the flood, there is a foreshadowing of how God will save those who believe in the gospel and grace of Jesus Christ from the destruction and death/separation of his wrath. Jesus Christ is the ultimate hope and he alone will completely fulfill this hopeful prophecy spoken by a father over his son.

Who knew a geneaology could hold so much hope?!

Coveting & Murder: a lesson from Cain & Abel in Genesis 4

/ Heather Davis Nelson / 1 Comment

This morning I taught about Cain and Abel at our women’s Bible study at Trinity Presbyterian Church. And so during the process of study, I found some intriguing aspects of this story that I’d never seen before. Below is the rough draft of my talk … hope that you’re able to learn something new, too!

We as women are as familiar with jealousy/envy/coveting … the root of it being discontentment. When I was 14, I was jealous of all my friends who had cars and could drive. Then I got a car and I couldn’t wait to just get to college. And then in college, I couldn’t wait to have a real job. Before I was married, I was jealous of my married friends. After getting married, I can easily grow jealous of friends who have a bigger house – or beautiful children – or a nice job. There is never enough. And the marketing industry builds on this idea. In fact, I recently got a coupon in the mail from a store that I try to avoid if I’m sticking to our budget that actually advertises one of their new lines as the “covetables collection.”

And yet to be honest, I rarely think twice about my covetous thoughts. I don’t usually fight them, but rather I indulge them. That’s why I had to buy the silver shoes from Target. I saw someone in a magazine with cute shoes, and this image drove me to purchase them for myself. I could say that my coveting fueled my shopping (and often does). And then I went home and laughed about it with friends – but was reprimanded (mildly) by my husband. The truth is that I just don’t often think that my coveting/envy/jealousy is that big of a deal. Yet the truth is that it’s so serious that it’s the heart of murder. And that’s where our story of Cain & Abel takes us today: right into the heart of a murderer – and you might be surprised at what you see there. It just looks a little too familiar.

What’s this story about? It’s familiar to us and easy to skim over, but I want us to slow down and look at it closely together this morning. You’ll see things you’ve never seen before. I would suggest there are 3 main themes of this story:

(1) how sin brings forth death

(2) how a worship problem becomes a relationship problem

(3) why humanity needs a Savior to master sin

  • (1) how sin brings forth death

This story is a story that takes us deeper into the fall and the consequences of sin. Sin’s ultimate progression and consequence of death and murder is laid out in the first homicide recorded in human history. And it’s a brother killing his own brother. And what’s even more chilling is that it starts with something so subtle and so common to you and me: a bad attitude and an envious thought. It’s sibling rivalry taken to the extreme.

Yet this story begins with the first birth announcement in human history: Eve speaks with joy of Cain’s birth, saying “With the Lord’s help, I have produced a man!” Shortly afterward Abel’s birth is also recorded, with the telling introduction as “his brother” with reference to Cain. As I studied this passage, you’ll notice that “brother” is a key word – used 7 times in these 16 verses!  It is always used for Abel, as Cain’s brother.

And soon after this, we fast forward to Cain and Abel as adults in different professions who are making offerings to God from their livelihood. Cain brings fruit (as a farmer) and Abel brings a sheep (as a shepherd). Although Cain’s offering goes without further description, in Hebrews 11:4 we read that  Abel’s sacrifice is said to be “by faith” and so it is more acceptable than Cain’s. Abel’s heart must have been in it; Cain was merely “going through the motions” of worship and offering. Abel’s is given descriptive words that best answer why his offering was regarded instead of Cain’s: he offers the “firstborn” and “their FAT portions.”  There’s been much debate over why his offering is rejected, and one commentator Bruce Waltke summarized it well: “Cain’s sin is tokenism. He looks religious, but in his heart he is not totally dependent on God, childlike or grateful.”

At this point, Cain’s sin is still rather hidden from view as we read the story. But like any sin, as it grows, it will become more and more obvious – and its fruit will be borne in time. Like good fruit produced by a good heart, Cain’s evil heart will bear bad fruit.

The first major key is that Cain responds to God’s lack of regard for his offering with anger that shows up in his countenance. He’s having a pity party, which exposes his self-righteous tendency. He is jealous and envious that Abel’s sacrifice was accepted and his wasn’t. He feels like he deserves better.

Does this sound familiar? Do you find yourself in this story? The parallel with the older brother in the story of the two lost sons (aka Prodigal sons) begins to show up here. Again, it’s an older brother who feels like he deserves more of God’s favor because of his hard work. Yet Cain is apparently blind to the fact of why his offering was rejected (that he was only giving “just enough to get by”). He, like the Israelites who first heard this story in the desert, was going through the motions of worship without the love for God. Their hearts were far from him.

But as his sin becomes more evident, so does God’s grace toward Cain. He confronts him, but not in an angry way nor an indirect way. He speaks to Cain with truth and love, coming to him with a question and a warning. This metaphor of sin as “crouching at the door” “ready to devour” makes us picture a predator waiting for its prey. And this is an apt picture of sin. James 1 speaks of the progression of our sinful desire – which “lures us away” and “entices us” – yet when its fully grown, it bring forth death. And we see in Cain’s response to God’s warning that this is exactly what happens. Instead of heeding God’s warning and finding hope in the promise that he COULD rule over sin (instead of sin ruling over him), the next verse rather tersely lays out Cain’s inward decision.

Cain murders Abel while they’re out in a field. There is no question of Cain’s sin at this point: he is a murderer and any person (Christian or not) would recognize Cain’s action as evil.

Yet we see God’s pursuing grace even still. God speaks again to Cain, asking him a question that hints of his question to Adam after their first sin: “Where is Abel your brother?” He shows mercy, yet Cain’s response shows how entangling sin can be and how deceptive. Cain must still think he can hide from God. And so not only does he lie about the answer to the question, but he denies all responsibility for his brother through his question as to whether he is his brother’s keeper.

God answers again with three verses saying that although Cain has not been Abel’s keeper, God has heard the cry of Abel’s blood rising to him from the ground. What a poignant picture of God’s concern for those who have been victimized by the powerful! Take great courage from this, that although none else may have seen or known about the worst evils committed against you, there is One who has seen – and who is a God of justice. If you have been abused, He wants to bring justice and also redemption. He has heard your cry.

God holds Cain accountable for Abel’s blood, and works justice for Abel through the judgment on Cain: that he will become a “fugitive and a wanderer” and that his work as a farmer will become even more difficult. Cain’s response to this, instead of being one of humble repentance and confession is one of proud complaint. He says that he’s being punished more than he deserves (he still maintains his self-righteous attitude here). And yet God’s grace still abounds: he listens to Cain and essentially does for Cain what Cain refused to do for his brother Abel: God promises to protect Cain’s life. And so against the background of Cain’s sinfulness, God’s grace abounds even more.

And yet we see the ultimate end of sin: being banished from the Lord’s presence into the land of Nod (literally – the “land of nomadic existence”). What begins with mere jealousy develops into murder and then the ultimate consequence of separation from God.

  • (2) how a worship problem becomes a relationship problem

As we step back to look at the context of this story, we see that it follows a similar pattern to the fall – when Cain’s parents introduced sin into the world (and their family) through breaking God’s command not to eat of the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil. There is God’s gracious confrontation of Cain – and even more, a warning before he murders Abel. And yet it’s even worse: whereas Eve had to be talked into sin by the serpent, Cain cannot be talked out of sin. Then there follows a curse because of the sin – and Cain’s became even worse than his parents’: the ground will be even more futile, and Cain will be banished not just from Eden but from the Lord’s paradise. He will now essentially be homeless – a wandering fugitive. The story has deepened in the level of sin and judgment.

And in the Fall, part 1 (with Adam & Eve), the relationship with God is broken. Here we see that the broken relationship with God has spilled over into broken relationships with fellow people – even to his own brother! This is the way of sin: it begins by breaking my relationship with God, and then it spills over into the brokenness of my relationships with those around me.

It shows that humanity is not essentially good. People, left to their own devices, do not become better but worse.

The key is to master sin – which God warns Cain that sin is “crouching at his door” – like a predator waiting for its prey – and that Cain must master it (or overcome it). But he does not and he cannot. This is the story of our world, isn’t it? For the next centuries, humanity will try unsuccessfully to master sin. And it proves impossible. We need more than a warning, we need one to rescue us.

  • (3) humanity’s need for a Savior to master sin

This story of Cain and Abel is our story: you and I are Cain. Over and over again, God warns us of the danger of sin, but over and over again I give in. The chocolate is too tempting; the new shoes would be so cute. I must have them. I cannot say no to sin!

And so this story of deepening evil that seems so hopeless actually points to the hope of Jesus Christ – it increases our need for Him. As we see sin’s progression in humanity and in Cain’s own heart, we are reminded of how hopeless we are without a rescuer – and how hopeful the gospel is to us.

We, like Cain, have murdered the innocent. My sin today is enough to condemn an innocent man to die – because Jesus is the only way I could be forgiven. Hebrews 12:24 says that Jesus’ blood “speaks a better word than Abel’s.” This intrigued me! What could that mean?

As Abel’s blood is said to cry out – and it cried out for Cain’s guilt and punishment and banishment away from God – Jesus’ blood (the only truly innocent man because he was God’s very own Son – fully human, fully divine) cries out not that you and I are guilty and deserve to die, but that the guilt and wrath of our sin has been removed. And so now Jesus’ blood does not incriminate us, as Abel’s blood did, but Jesus’ blood cries out “righteous! Holy! Mine!” and it declares this of all those who admit to their own sin and way of seeking to live life apart from God.

And so against the backdrop of the progression of sin in our own hearts, as we express the brokenness of our relationship with God in fellow human relationships, we see that we need rescue. And in this way, the story of Cain and Abel brings you and I who live in the era after the Redeemer great hope. Jesus reverses sin’s progression, restores our brokenness with God and one another, and gives us power through the Spirit to overcome (master) sin as it tempts us through our covetous desires.

We live in a new era, where Christ has mastered sin for those who trust fully in him (not their own effort or goodness), and so the words of Romans 6:12-14 become a hopeful promise for us:

12Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its evil desires. 13Do not offer the parts of your body to sin, as instruments of wickedness, but rather offer yourselves to God, as those who have been brought from death to life; and offer the parts of your body to him as instruments of righteousness. 14For sin shall not be your master, because you are not under law, but under grace.

*SOURCES: I am indebted to the following commentaries that I used in my study, whose ideas have informed my writing: “How to Read Genesis” by Tremper Longman III, “Creation & Blessing” by Allen P. Ross, “Genesis: A Commentary” by Bruce Waltke, “Study of Genesis” guide by Tim Keller

where did August go?

/ Heather Davis Nelson / 1 Comment

So, alas, August came and went and I did not blog at all. Now it is barely September, and I hope to get back into a routine which will include blogging.

I have enjoyed reading through the Bible this summer. I started out attempting “90 days in the Word” which is turning into, well, a few more than 90. It has been enlightening to get a broad sweeping overview of the Story that is also my story through the life Christ has given me.  And regardless of how many times I read the Bible, I always find something new. Here are a few of my favorites from  the past few weeks:

Isaiah 60:4 – a picture of heaven, when Christ returns again: “Look and see, for everyone is coming home!” Particularly poignant in light of our friend Beverlee Kirkland’s recent home-going

convicting commentary in Jeremiah that so easily applies to me and to our culture today: “From the least to the greatest, their lives are rules by greed.” (Jeremiah 6:1-3)

Jeremiah 31:25 – God is talking about the future restoration of Israel from their captivity – and  ultimately pointing to Jesus’ arrival as the one who invites all into His rest – “For I have given REST to the weary and JOY to the sorrowing.”

Micah 7:7-8 – “As for me, I look to the Lord for help. I wait confidently for God to save me, and my God will certainly hear me. Do not gloat over me, my enemies! For though I fall, I will rise again. Though I sit in darkness, the Lord will be my light.”

Luke 1:78-79 – “Because of God’s tender mercy, the morning light from heaven is about to break upon us, to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, and to guide us to the path of peace.” Zechariah, a prophet in Jesus’ day, speaks these words when he sees baby Jesus in the Temple for the first time

And a convicting note to end on, which I’ll point you to Katherine’s blog to read a full exposition on this idea: Luke 21:34 -“Watch out! Don’t let your hearts be dulled by carousing and drunkenness and by the worries of this life. Don’t let that day [when Jesus returns or when we die] catch you unaware …” It’s easy to see how the heart grows dull through “carousing and drunkenness” but Jesus goes further to include “this life’s worries.” Who can not but relate to that one? It is much more subtle, this kind of dulling of the heart and numbing to the Life that is truly life. Oh, that we would NOT be caught unaware!

Rest

/ Heather Davis Nelson / 1 Comment

Rest … an elusive concept unless you’re experiencing it. I’ve been studying it a lot lately (which can, ironically, take away from the experience OF rest) in a few different places: learning about its role in the self-care of a counselor, meditating on what it means in preparation for a retreat I’m speaking at in March on “Chasing life/longing for rest,” discussing it with my best friend, Katherine, who’s blogging about it now. (see my links for her blog)

There are many different angles of rest and what is referred to as rest. There’s rest in the sense of a Sabbath rest — a deliberate ceasing of accomplishments/activities for one day out of the week. Marva Dawn writes of it in her book I’m reading now – “A Sense of the Call: a Sabbath way of life for those who serve God, the Church, and the world.”  Listen to this invitation, and feel your heart leap in hope:

“The Sabbath offers the magnificent gift of an entire day to ponder God’s truth instead of our work, to notice God’s creations of beauty, and to relish God’s goodness in our closest relationships. After a beautiful Sabbath of intellectual rest, we will know ourselves more truly and can pursue paths more closely attuned to God’s own righteousness. … this is the goal of the Sabbath: that we can cease our worrying about time and be released from its constrictions into this weekly experience of eternity.”

Of course, as much as you want this, there are likely 100 reasons that come to your mind of why you can’t possibly afford to do this. I’m challenged by the author’s own story of when she began deliberately resting for one day of the week: when she began working on her doctorate! I don’t want to become legalistic about this, but I think it’s a goal I’m aiming for in my life. I have rested more intentionally in other seasons of my life, and I think I need this reminder to do so again. Marva Dawn points out that what underlies my reluctance to rest is often an over-inflated sense of my importance:

“…our Sabbath ceasing has to begin with an honest assessment of how much we keep depending upon ourselves instead of God — so that we can give up and let everything go for a day. But we have such expectations of ourselves. Sometimes it is quite scary to imagine our disillusionment if we were thoroughly to face the genuine reality of our own lives.”

There is also the sense of rest that should be part of our daily rhythm. This requires me to live within my limits — not to rush from one activity to another — and to be content with what I can and cannot do. The old cliche rings true here that we are not human “do-ings” but human “be-ings.” What is my do-ing to be-ing ratio these days?

And of course, there is the broader sense of the term rest that applies to a way of life in Christ. We are called to come to Jesus, to take His yoke upon us, and to find rest for our weary souls (Matthew 11:28-30). This invitation speaks to souls weary because they continually strive to work for what is already given: salvation found in Christ. I can rest because Christ’s work on the cross is sufficient, and I can rest because I am already loved by my Creator God. I can rest because grace is at work, and my work is the overflow of another Life at work within me. My Redeemer’s words call out to me: “It is finished.”  And so I rest.