Jump Start # 3413

1 John 3:11-12 For this is the message which you have heard from the beginning, that we should love one another;  not as Cain, who was of the evil one, and slew his brother. And for what reason did he slay him? Because his deeds were evil, and his brother’s were righteous.”

Cain and Abel—the first people born on earth. Brothers. They did not know Eden, but they knew of God. They came to sacrifice to God. Hebrews tells us by faith Abel offered a better sacrifice. Our passage in John’s letter, twice states that what Cane did was evil. It seems that some have the idea that Cain’s problem was a bad attitude. Had his attitude been better, God would have accepted the veggies he was offering. Such a conclusion doesn’t stand upon what the Bible teaches us about faith.

  Faith is not an attitude. Faith is conviction that is built upon what God says. How was it that Abel happened to offer a lamb? Lucky guess? Nothing else he had to offer? None of those. Faith, God tells us, comes from hearing God’s word. Faith is not a feeling. It is not an intuition. Faith is listening and doing what God says. The Lord must have told them. Abel obeyed and Cain didn’t. His disobedience made him evil.

 One can hear the cries today trying to justify Cain’s offering. Someone might say, “God never said, ‘No vegetables!’” We don’t know. But even if the Lord had not said that, He must have said, animal sacrifice. God doesn’t have to tell us No to everything. All He has to do is tell us what He wants.

  Another might say, fruit and vegetables look so much better than a bloody animal. UGH. I once ate trout for dinner. It came with head and eyeballs. I put my napkin over his head as I ate it. Yet, it doesn’t matter what sounds good to us. It is the Lord that the sacrifice is directed to.

  Someone might conclude, “I don’t see any harm in offer a few pieces of vegetables.” You might not. But, it’s not what the Lord wanted. The Corinthians were told, “We make it our ambition to please the Lord.”

  Cain’s mistake was that he offered the wrong gift. His mistake was in thinking that he could do what he wanted. And, his mistake was in the way he reacted to God’s displeasure. There is no sorrow for his wrong. There is no self examination. There are no prayers to God for mercy and forgiveness. Instead, he kills his brother. Did he think that would make his offering right with God?

  We find God speaking to Adam after he sinned. We find God speaking to Cain after he offered the wrong sacrifice. We find God speaking to Cain after Abel was murdered.

  Now, some conclusions we find:

  First, how you worship God is important. The Cain and Abel example tells us that God does not accept all worship. It might be amazing to us, but it may not be to God. It might thrill us, fill us, excite us and yet, displease Him. Worship is acceptable when we follow God’s word. The modern church has turned worship into a comedy hour and a rock concert. It fills the buildings, but does it fill Heaven with praise? Just throwing God’s name in a song, a skit, or a joke, doesn’t make it Biblical. When will we ever learn to do what God says? Why are we not content with the Bible as God wrote it? Why must we always be looking for the new, the different, the unusual? The problem isn’t worship as God designed it. The problem is our hearts and being satisfied with the Lord.

Second, faith is the only way to win the heart of God. The Lord isn’t impressed with numbers, volume or the things that we notice. Faith and righteousness is manifested in obeying God. Walk through the letter of 1 John and notice how often abiding in Him, knowing Him, loving Him is connected to keeping the commandments.

  Third, God will judge us for our actions. Don’t think that just having a wonderful attitude will excuse disobeying God. If attitude alone is all that matters, then forget preaching and teaching God’s word. But we know better.

  What Cain did was evil. That’s how God sees it. That’s how God called it. Some would think, “Well, you shouldn’t go that far. He could have done better, but he did the best he could.” Stop throwing the ball underhand and giving wrong a break. Wrong doesn’t deserve a break.

  Cain and Abel—powerful lessons that need to be learned, even in these days.

  Roger