Genesis 4:3 – And in process of time it came to pass, that Cain brought of the fruit of the ground an offering unto the LORD.

Genesis 4:4 – And Abel, he also brought of the firstlings of his flock and of the fat thereof. And the LORD had respect unto Abel and to his offering:

Genesis 4:5 – But unto Cain and to his offering he had not respect. And Cain was very wroth, and his countenance fell.

Hello readers, today I want to do my final blog on Cain. You can read about him in Genesis 4, he is a famous (or rather infamous) Bible character. We aren’t too many chapters into the Bible before we meet Cain. He is then referenced later on in the Bible in various places. It’s good to ask ourselves — am I a Cain? Remember those disciples when Jesus said one of them would betray him. Is it I? they asked. We can tend to read the Bible and apply it other people, but not to ourselves. We tend not to see ourselves. We have that “I’m the exception to the rule” attitude. Nathan said to David… THOU art the man. That cooled David’s anger at the man of Nathan’s parable right! God’s word holds a mirror up to you today to really see yourself for who you truly are. But most people look in the mirror and walk away. And people get to liking what they see in the mirror, it’s God that’s the problem! But as we will see, Cain was the problem. There is a generation of Cain today, people that are angry at God because he doesn’t accept their way and pander to them, because he’s not amenable to their self willed life… a generation that is offended at God’s word and has departed from God, a generation who’s guilt and blame lies in themselves, not in those around them despite trying to cast it off. Cain so willingly abandoned God’s word for what he thought and preferred to think.

Eve, Adam’s wife, said she had gotten Cain from the Lord. She had. Where do you come from? Your life, your breath, your spirit… it comes from God. That’s why this world is so troubled, and angry, and dark, and lost… because it’s rejected where and who life comes from. Your purpose in life will come from being right with God. He is the source of light, of good, of truth… so to do life not just apart from him, but in rebellion to him… you’ve separated yourself from all those things by choice. Man was created in God’s image originally (God created everything very good), but Adam sinned, and that image was marred. Adam passed that marred image along, Adam’s sons all inherited Adam’s sin and the consequence thereof… and because we all come from Adam… sin is upon us all. It’s in our DNA. That is why Jesus’ virgin birth is so important, he had a heavenly father… God the Father. He is God in the flesh… the promised seed, the seed through which the earth would be blessed, the seed that would bruise the head of the serpent. This world will never know peace, love, truth or anything … because they seek these things in anything and everything other than the Lord Jesus  Christ. Doesn’t matter how much you till a life of sin, a life of pleasure, a life of serving your self… it’s all cursed and vanity without Jesus.

Cain knew what God required… so he brought an offering. Lots of people investigate God’s word, or try their hand at Christianity (so they say)… but then they draw back. They pull away. It didn’t suit them. It didn’t do it for them… right? That’s Cain. Cain tried his hand at doing religion. He brought an offering… that’s pretty good right? He could’ve not at all. But he did it his own way, he didn’t actually obey God. He made up his own way. Offering the fruit of the ground seemed right to him. But nothing you’ve produced that you offer God will ever get it done. That’s why he sent his Son, because there is noone and nothing worthy. But we live in a world today where everyone does what’s right to them… everyone’s got their own truth and their own interpretations and so on. But there is one truth and one way… ultimately it doesn’t matter what you think, what matters is what God’s word says, and Jesus Christ is the only way you’re going to be accepted.

Cain was pretty disingenuous in his attempt, because in offering, he did it his own way. This really trips people up. Because they do church or religion but do it totally opposite to what and how the Bible says and then blame God for failure. They don’t get what they expect because they’re in total ignorance and defiance to God and then it’s God’s fault. People do religion all around the world, but they try coming to God other ways… but Jesus said I am the way. There is only one way to God. Cain’s sacrifice showed he really wasn’t interested in obeying God. On the surface it may have looked ok, but murder was in his heart, inside things were that bad. Sin is that bad. Who we truly are is that bad. We think we’re good, but we’re not. People try their hand at religion but the Bible trips them up. God’s word turns them off. There were huge multitudes that followed Jesus Christ, but when they heard what he had to say… they turned away… because he offended them. It wasn’t what they signed up for! Cain’s heart was the problem, and this whole process just showed who and what he truly was. And who and what people truly are is unrepentant sinners, that’s why they faded away, or stopped their “my faith journey”.

Cain knew what sacrifice to bring. He had been told. And he got to hating Abel because Abel obeyed God. It’s amazing how twisted it got. Jesus said in his parable… is thine eye evil, because I am good? Paul said… am I your enemy, because I tell you the truth? Why get so mad at Abel for doing right? Could he not do right just like Abel? Yes he could have. Easily. Maybe he got angry at Abel because as usual the world says “oh you’re so much better than me” because they feel conviction of wrong doing. They make it someone else’s fault when it’s their own. People criticize Noah, but the people of his day could’ve got saved, however they chose not to prepare for the flood. It’s not Noah’s fault he prepared himself and his family. Judgement was pronounced, and read your Bible and you have been warned, you have been told how to be saved… God’s not going to force you to believe or obey. That’s not someone else’s fault, that’s your fault when it all backfires after a life of going it according to you. This world hates people that do right. Because they hate Jesus, therefore they hate people that believe on Jesus. It’s amazing how truth makes people feel so judged. You can tell people about Jesus Christ, and they hate it because it brings judgement and conviction. Just your life and very existence makes people feel uncomfortable. That’s why modern churches change the gospel, to take away that offense the bright light of the truth of God’s word brings to the unsaved.

Cain’s life shows that it’s not the world can’t get saved, it’s they don’t want to be saved. But they want to assert their way rather than submit to God’s way. Cain clearly “knew better” than to bring a lamb. He had a more hip way of doing the offering. People have their righteousness, their sentiments, their thoughts… and think they know better than the Bible? Pride prevents us from being able to yield… Cain was proud… and it made his heart very hard to God’s still small voice. It’s amazing how pride just makes us so hard inside. God gave Cain a chance to repent and do things right, but Cain didn’t want any of it. Cain ended up going out from the presence of the Lord, and man departs from God by choice. God didn’t make you to go to hell, you go there by your choosing. God originally made everything very good, he didn’t create man to die and go to hell… they’re the consequences of man’s disobedience and rebellion. And God has provided chance after chance, and he’s done everything you require for acceptance, liberty and life. Salvation is a free gift! Jesus died for you before you were even born, he’s done everything already, all he requires is for you to believe that he has done it for you.

You might say that you would definitely be different to Cain if you had a conversation with God that Cain had… thinking you haven’t. But maybe you have had. We tend to look at the Bible and be envious of that direct contact they had with God… conversations… dialogue. But maybe you’ve had that conversation. You see, God’s voice comes to people, not in a mystical spooky way, but the voice of God through conscience, that still, small voice of God’s word. It could be when you’ve heard the gospel, when someone has told you what God’s word says. But you’ve had that same reaction and callousness than Cain had. It’s you really who is in the wrong… but out comes the accusations and justifications against God. The Bible says let God be true and every man a liar. Cain accused God of being unfair, unequal, unjust… but God wasn’t that, but look at Cain, he was a murderer and a liar.

Cain got angry at being rejected by God. Did you know the world is angry at God? If you haven’t gauged how angry they are, go and tell someone the gospel. They will go on a rant about how the Bible is a fairy tale, why does God let children get cancer and on and on. God’s word makes people mad. They find fault in in God. They wanted to shove Jesus off a cliff when he told them the truth. Cain thought God was unfair and the problem… but was God the problem? No. Cain was the problem. It’s amazing how it could go from an offering to God to murder. It shows how not being right with God can just completely taint and pervade your life.  That’s why God is interested in what’s inside, the true you, that’s what needs to be fixed first. You couldn’t possibly a Cain? Most people gauge whether they are good or not by “I haven’t murdered someone”. And that’s good. But Jesus said if you hate someone in your heart you are a murderer. And although there is a difference between actually doing it and just hating someone in your heart, the point is, sin is in you. We are all capable of unimaginable evil. So while you may not have done this or that, by the grace of God that is, you are no better than Cain. Indeed we all have many things which we’d hate for other people to know about us, just like Cain’s murder of Abel. You may be able to conceal who and what you truly are from others, and even live in denial yourself, but that blood cried from the ground. Your sins will tell on you.

It is important to note that nobody taught Cain to murder another man… it was a “new” sin. People blame sin on other people, on upbringing, on being taught to do wrong… and although your environment does affect you, the sin is actually in you. You could live as a hermit, be raised apart from anyone else… but it’s in our nature people. Sin is inherited, we are sinners by nature, because the very seed we are of is fallen. You need to be born of new seed… of that incorruptible seed of the word of God. Cain had never seen murder before, but he did it. You weren’t taught to be proud, to be selfish, to be lustful… life just dredges out what is truly in you to do. Jesus said that it is out of the heart that evil thoughts, adulteries, thefts, blasphemies, murder etc proceed. That’s why ye must be born again. New birth, new spiritual life, new heart, a totally new creation inside of you.

God’s word quickly brought Cain into judgement. And we know people don’t like feeling judged. The Bible says the Holy Spirit convicts the world of sin, of righteousness, and of judgement. That’s what happened with Cain. Although that sin was buried and hidden by him… God’s word brought it into light. People don’t like the light shining on them showing them for who they are. People don’t like the law of God reviving the knowledge and reproving of sin in their life. But instead of admit and agree, they harden to God’s word. They prefer the darkness, so they get away from the light. Why did Cain leave the presence of God? Then there would be no light on his sin, no reminder of sin, no reproving of sin. People are interested in a God that will go along with whatever they are doing. God is ONLY welcome so long as he doesn’t judge me, or reject me, or interfere. Right? The offense came when Cain was rejected. Everything was hunky dory til then. That’s why for many people… idols are better, because they are the work of YOUR hands. A better god is the god you are in complete control over right? One that can’t rebuke your sin, one that you can shape just to custom fit your life? Why is mainstream Christianity so popular? Because it is offense free… God doesn’t have any authority or demand anything of them. One of those idols that are blind, deaf and dumb… just the way we want them.

Cain went on a spiel about God’s unfairness… but who was really the problem? This world slams the Bible, slams Jesus Christ, slams everything from Genesis to Revelation… but who is really the problem? What was Cain’s problem? Well, HE was the problem. Why didn’t he just obey God? He could’ve easily brought a lamb to offer God. But no, he brought the fruit of the ground, the work of his hands. But it was rejected. There is only one way to God, there is only one way to be acceptable to God, there is only one way to be worthy… it’s through the Lamb of God… Jesus Christ. God’s the Creator, the Judge, he gets to make the rules. He’s a faithful Creator, Cain got a pretty good deal considering how wicked he was. Quite the opposite of what Cain thought, God was actually longsuffering and merciful to him. You see that angry world? God is being longsuffering with them, because he is not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance. And he gave Cain a long time… more time than Cain gave Abel that’s for sure.

Cain actually went on to live quite a “successful” life. But was it really success? His descendants achieved things, but without God. They also repeated his sins. They also weren’t interested in God’s word. Ultimately, what was all his achievements worth? Nothing. He built a city but that’s gone now. He named the city after his son. Cain loved himself. It’d be better to live a life dedicated to the Son of God. The world hates Jesus because it loves itself. Ain’t room for both. People love me, myself and I. Ultimately they reject God because they want to do what is right in their eyes. God doesn’t go along with it, so he gets in their way, so they combat him and anything that reminds them of him (like Christians). They’re happy in a life of sin, they’re there by choice. The world is quite happy pursuing a life independent of God. But this world is a mess. Cain’s descendants were a mess. Murder stayed in the family. It was a vain empty life, because he left God out. Sin never was repented of in his life. How vain it is to live a life for yourself, pursuing your lusts, living in pride, consumed with yourself… but then to die and go to hell. All because you couldn’t confess sin? All because you couldn’t obey God? It wasn’t worth it for Cain.

Life is so short, yet we spend that precious breath God gave us to pursue basically nothing, devoting ourselves to things that will perish and be forgotten quickly, that ultimately don’t matter. Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away. Cain had the precious word of God, but he chose to leave. He was the problem, and reader, God isn’t the problem… you are. And until you realize this you won’t get right with God, because you’ll be  too busy justifying and defending and accusing and blaming and everything else, and maybe you’re happy to live a life apart from God… but death is coming, then what of you? And truly, what was there really to defend? What did Cain really have to defend… he was a liar and a murderer. Why do we so vigorously defend our life, our ways, our corruption, our sin? Is it really that worth defending? And will you truly find fulfillment, peace, love, purpose outside of God? No. It’s vanity and emptiness… and you look at this evil world… and it’s a mess, you could have forgiveness and real hope to look forward to, but it’s all up to you. You can leave God’s word in your rear view mirror, but it will catch up with you one day, your spirit will return to God for judging when you die… and then what? God is not the problem, just like with Cain, we each are… and you are. That’s why Jesus Christ came, to save us from our sins, and that’s the gospel.

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