Simple Obedience

Good Morning!

As a follow-up to Friday’s Good Morning…

Genesis 4:1-16 (English Standard Version)
Cain and Abel
1Now Adam knew Eve his wife, and she conceived and bore Cain, saying, "I have gotten[a] a man with the help of the LORD." 2And again, she bore his brother Abel. Now Abel was a keeper of sheep, and Cain a worker of the ground. 3In the course of time Cain brought to the LORD an offering of the fruit of the ground, 4and Abel also brought of the firstborn of his flock and of their fat portions. And the LORD had regard for Abel and his offering, 5but for Cain and his offering he had no regard. So Cain was very angry, and his face fell. 6The LORD said to Cain, "Why are you angry, and why has your face fallen? 7 If you do well, will you not be accepted?[b] And if you do not do well, sin is crouching at the door. Its desire is for[c] you, but you must rule over it."
8Cain spoke to Abel his brother.[d] And when they were in the field, Cain rose up against his brother Abel and killed him. 9Then the LORD said to Cain, "Where is Abel your brother?" He said, "I do not know; am I my brother’s keeper?" 10And the LORD said, "What have you done? The voice of your brother’s blood is crying to me from the ground. 11And now you are cursed from the ground, which has opened its mouth to receive your brother’s blood from your hand. 12When you work the ground, it shall no longer yield to you its strength. You shall be a fugitive and a wanderer on the earth." 13Cain said to the LORD, "My punishment is greater than I can bear.[e] 14Behold, you have driven me today away from the ground, and from your face I shall be hidden. I shall be a fugitive and a wanderer on the earth, and whoever finds me will kill me." 15Then the LORD said to him, "Not so! If anyone kills Cain, vengeance shall be taken on him sevenfold." And the LORD put a mark on Cain, lest any who found him should attack him. 16Then Cain went away from the presence of the LORD and settled in the land of Nod,[f] east of Eden.
Footnotes:
a. Genesis 4:1 Cain sounds like the Hebrew for gotten
b. Genesis 4:7 Hebrew will there not be a lifting up [of your face]?
c. Genesis 4:7 Or against
d. Genesis 4:8 Hebrew; Samaritan, Septuagint, Syriac, Vulgate add Let us go out to the field
e. Genesis 4:13 Or My guilt is too great to bear
f. Genesis 4:16 Nod means wandering

I was thinking about the second question I posed the other day … “if I am right, what then does the person who rejects God have…”?

The crux of Christianity is the finished work of Jesus Christ at Calvary. When Jesus uttered the words “it is finished”, He was not saying that He was dying – but rather was saying that the payment was complete. The Greek term He used was a commercial term meaning “paid in full”. What was paid in full? In offering His life, Jesus made the sacrificial offering of blood for the sin debt of mankind. Contrary to popular belief, God’s requirement for the salvation of a person is that he or she place their trust in Jesus having paid his or her sin debt – not that he or she is a “good person”. Choosing not to do so is being disobedient to God – which leads us to the Scripture passage above.

Both Cain and Abel brought an offering to God. Cain brought an offering of the commodities he was working with – fruits and vegetables. Abel brought an offering of what he was engaged in doing. So why did God “regard” (accept) Abel’s offering and not Cain’s? The book of Hebrews gives us some insight in that it points out that Abel’s offering was a blood offering whereas Cain’s was not. From the very first, God had demonstrated that sin was costly – costing the life of the animals He killed to make the covering for Adam and Eve in the garden of Eden. God’s actions point directly to what He knew would be required for mankind’s redemption – the blood sacrifice of Jesus the Messiah.

When Cain’s offering was rejected, Cain became very angry – and God explained to Cain what was required. Unfortunately, Cain chose to listen to himself rather than to God – and he murdered his brother. Now, there are other applications that attach to these verses but here I want you to see where we are today. God has pointed out to us the one and only way – through Jesus Christ (John 146Jesus said to him, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.). Peter stated it thusly: Acts 412And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved." But we struggle with this thought – try to add our two cents – “being good”; “giving abundantly”; and so forth. And then wonder why our offerings are not acceptable.

People who have chosen not to believe in God usually consider themselves to be “good” – but usually on terms defined by themselves. Salvation is not about being good – it is about be obedient to God in trusting in the finished work of Jesus Christ. I realize it is difficult for a person to release control of his or her destiny to God – but that is where the future ultimately lays – at the very throne of God.

Cain looked for an alternative and it led him away from God. Our role is to point folks to the one true way – Jesus Christ … and to continue to love them even if they blow us off.

Well, today is Monday – the beginning of another week God has granted for us in His service. God bless you and keep you this week.

Agape’

Mr. Jim