Christians only, A tricky question?

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ByFaith

New member
The first son of Adam and Eve. Cain became the first murderer when he killed his brother, Abel. He also was the inventor of false religion, as he refused to approach God in the prescribed manner (Ge. 4). "The way of Cain" mentioned in Jude 11 is the way of self-willed, false religion, the religion of self works rather than acceptance of the grace offered through God's appointed Sacrifice, the Lord Jesus Christ.

(1) It was the way of following man's thinking rather than God's Word. God had made His way of salvation plain to Adam and Eve and to their children, but Cain simply ignored what God had said and devised his own plan. This is exactly what men have done through their false religions ever since. Even many professing Christians ignore the Bible and exalt their own philosophy and traditions.

(2) It was the way of self-works instead of faith and grace (He. 11:4). Though Cain was a hard-working religious man, God refused to receive him because he refused to come by faith through grace.

(3) It was the way of following the pride of religion rather than the humility of true salvation. Instead of humbling himself to bring the proper sacrifice and to admit thereby that he was a sinner in desperate need of the Sacrifice which only God can provide, Cain brought the fruit of his own proud endeavors and expected that God would accept him.

(4) It was the way of beauty rather than blood and death. Cain gloried in his lovely fruits and vegetables and refused to bring the bloody, dead lamb God required. He thereby ignored the curse of God upon the ground and upon this present creation (Ge. 3:17-19; Ro. 8:22-23; Ga. 6:14-15). Religious men ever since have followed in Cain's footsteps, glorying in their impressive cathedrals and self-willed religious activities, and refusing to acknowledge the need for God's Sacrifice. False religion looks holy and good to man, but it is abominable to God.

(5) It was the way of anger rather than repentance (Ge. 4:5). Cain refused God's attempts to turn him from error and angrily killed his brother. In this Cain became the forerunner of those multitudes who have refused ever since to repent before the Word of God and have been angry at the messengers of God, persecuting and killing the prophets. Cain was the forerunner of those who killed the Son of God. This same crowd is operating today. A one-world "church" is forming, and Buddhists, Muslims, and Hindus are working side by side with false Christians. The only people hated by those who promote false religion are true Christians who follow in the footsteps of Abel and who humble themselves before the Sacrifice of God. Cain had no excuse; God spoke to him. Likewise, God speaks to every man that comes into the world (Jn. 1:9; Ro. 1:20; 2:15; 3:1-2). God has given light, but unrepentant men spurn the light and lash out at the light-bearers.

(6) Cain was cursed by God and suffered eternal separation from Him (Ge. 4:11,14). This is the judgment of God upon all who follow in the way of Cain (Jude 11-13).
 
M

Muldah

Member
Scxripture states that he was simply more pleased with Abel's because his was a "more excellent sacrifice".

God had sacrificed an innocent animal to clothe Adam and Eve.

Gen 3:21 Unto Adam also and to his wife did the LORD God make coats of skins, and clothed them.

They likely told their sons about it. Abel remembered the animal sacrifice. Cain apparently did not.

Hbr 11:4 By faith Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, by which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts: and by it he being dead yet speaketh.
 
R

redheaded

New member
The Bible does not say why his offering wasn't accepted, in Proverbs 21:27 it says the sacrifice of the wicked is abomination. Whatever it was, in Genesis 4:7 God gave him the chance to do something about it, and he chose to murder his brother instead.
 
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Daliah1

New member
"Able gave God the best lamb he had. He gave God his best.
Cain gave God his leftovers. He didn't put all he had into it.
God is pleased with the best we can give Him."


and btw, the exact same story is in the hebrew bible.
 
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GaTitA

New member
“By faith Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, through which he had witness borne to him that he was righteous, God bearing witness in respect of his gifts: and through it he being dead yet speaketh” (11:4).

How did Abel present his sacrifice unto the Lord? It was by faith. Moses did not write that Cain offered his sacrifice by faith, and no New Testament writer comments on the faith of Cain demonstrated by this offering.

If Cain did not offer his gifts unto God by faith, then how did he worship? The opposite of faith is sight (2 Cor. 5:7), that is, through human intuition. He worshipped according to “sight” —according to what his own senses and wisdom dictated would be an honorable gift unto the Lord.

No doubt, his produce was lovely to look upon. No doubt, he labored over those crops until the harvest. No doubt he anticipated that all the hard work, time, and care he had spent on those offerings would be acceptable. This is clearly demonstrated by his reaction to the Lord’s rejection of his sacrifice.

Cain’s offering was not rejected because it was not made in earnest. Instead, his offering was rejected because it was offered according to his own presumption and not by faith.

Faith is not simply a feeling of confident expectation. Cain had that. Rather, faith is the result of hearing God’s word, submitting the mind and body to its dominion, and acting in accordance to what the Lord has instructed.

There is a truism attributed to a Chinese philosopher that says, “To know and not do is to not know.” The same principle can be applied to faith, “To believe God, and not obey him, is to not believe him.” Or as James wrote, “…faith apart from works is dead” (2:26).

To whatever extent it could be said that Cain worshiped before the Lord, his activity was negated by the fact that it was not according to faith.

By way of contrast, Abel’s offering was by faith. Why is faith attributed to Abel? Paul defines the source of faith that is well-pleasing to God in Romans 10:17, So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.

gatita

Apostolic Believer In One God, Jesus
 
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