Jump Start # 3094

Genesis 4:7 “If you do well, will not your countenance be lifted up? And if you do not do well, sin is crouching at the door; and its desire is for you, but you must master it.”

Our verse comes from the story of Cain and Abel. They were the first children born on earth. They offered a sacrifice to God. Abel offered a lamb, a blood sacrifice. Cain offered vegetables. God accepted Abel’s offering. God rejected what Cain brought. Cain got upset. He wasn’t mad at himself. He was angry with his brother. Our verse appears right before Cain made another terrible choice. He killed his brother. There was no bringing him back. Abel was the first to die physically. Centuries and centuries later, Abel’s name appears in Hebrews 11. His voice still speaks, is what that passage tells us.

In our verse today, God is warning Cain. You don’t have to continue on the course that you are on. You can change the direction of things. However, Cain would not listen to God. What a powerful expression, “sin is crouching at the door.” It sounds like Peter’s description of Satan as a roaring lion. He’s there waiting for you. He has his eyes on you. He’s crouching. He’s ready to pounce on you.

Some thoughts from our verse:

First, God was aware of what Cain was thinking about. God saw that Cain’s expression or countenance had fallen. He knew that Cain was thinking about doing something wrong. God was aware that sin was about to happen. What a thought for us! God knows what you are thinking. God knows when you are upset, sad, bothered or angry. God knows what plans you have planned. There is nothing that we do that surprises God.

Second, God knew the next step in Cain’s thinking was going to be the wrong step. He knew it involved sin. He knew that he was about to make a terrible mistake. I wish we could put such thoughts to our plans. We often do not think things through. We’ll say something without considering how hurtful our words could be. We do things without thinking about the spiritual consequences.

Third, God knew that Cain was in the driver’s seat. You can do well or you may not do well, God saw that and God knew that the choices of Cain would determine the outcome. Even though Cain’s thoughts were going the wrong way and sin was right at his door, God knew that Cain could master it. Cain wasn’t predestined. He didn’t have to go through with what he was thinking. He could master it. He could master jealousy, hatred and anger.

And, that’s a great reminder for us. We don’t have to say what’s on our mind. We don’t have to vent. We don’t have to explode. We don’t have to sin. The choices are with us. We can master the temptation that is placed in our minds and hearts. Jesus did. The hungry Jesus did not turn the rocks into bread. He mastered the temptation. Jesus did not bow down to Satan. He mastered that.

The way to master sin is to be in control. Much too often we are a passenger to our feelings and emotions. They get the best of us and we say things we shouldn’t. We fly off the handle. We do things that we later regret. Self control is one of the virtues that Peter said we need to add to our faith. Self control was part of Paul’s sermon to Felix. Control our emotions. Controlling our tongue. Controlling our attitudes. You can master it, is what God said. You get behind the wheel of your life and get things under control. Stop spinning around, allowing others to determine your moods, attitudes and words.

Fourth, Cain didn’t listen to God. We know the story. Cain kills Abel. God knew what would happen. He warned Cain. He told Cain that things could be different. He told Cain that he could master his feelings. Even though God had rejected Cain’s offering, God had not given up on Cain. He was still talking to Cain. He still cared about Cain. He wanted Cain to do what was right. He believed that Cain could master those feelings. However, God was not going to break the free will of Cain. If Cain chose to do wrong, God was going to allow that. The innocent died by the hands of the guilty. This in many ways is a picture of Jesus, the innocent, who died for our sins.

If you are set on doing wrong, God will allow that. You’ll find God warning you through His word. You may find God’s people trying to talk you out of it. But if you are bent on doing what’s in your mind, only you can stop it.

Sin is crouching…but you can master it. Simply words from long ago that ought to help us.

Roger

Jump Start # 1034

Genesis 4:7 “If you do well, will not your countenance be lifted up? And if you do not do well, sin is crouching at the door; and its desire is for you, but you must master it.”

  The words of our verse today are what God spoke to Cain. Cain was smoking mad. He had reason to be mad, but his anger was out of control and directed to the wrong sources. Cain and Abel—the first children born on earth; Adam and Eve’s first children. They were grown. They offered sacrifices to God. Abel, a shepherd, offered a lamb. Cain, a farmer, offered crops. Abel’s sacrifice was a true sacrifice. For a lamb, there was no coming back from a sacrifice. Once a lamb was offered it was finished. Cain, offering vegetables, was a gift, but not a sacrifice. The plant that produced tomatoes, would continue to produce more throughout that season. The offering of Cain and Abel is discussed in the New Testament. In Hebrews, the writer tells us that it was by faith that Abel offered a better sacrifice. Faith, not meaning attitude, but rather, according to what God directed. God has never left worship up to us. He has never said surprise me. Liberal commentators want us to believe that God would have accepted Cain’s offering, had he a kinder or better attitude about it. They miss it all together. The type of sacrifice was directed by God. After the flood, Noah offered an animal sacrifice. Abraham offered animal sacrifices. The shedding of blood, connecting to what God Himself would later offer through Jesus, is the pattern we find in the Bible. After Adam’s sin, God covered the first couple with animal skins. The shedding of blood was necessary for the coving of sin. John refers to Cain’s act in his letters. There he says what Cain did was evil.

God accepted Abel and his sacrifice. God rejected Cain’s. Cain messed up. He was wrong. God doesn’t accept anything we do in worship. Oh, if the modern church could get that lesson. The entertainment styled churches are wooing crowds and making God frown. We can’t ignore what God says and think He’ll be happy with it. Cain’s sacrifice was rejected. He got mad. Real mad. And, maybe he should have. His sacrifice didn’t really cost him anything. It was easy and it wasn’t much of a sacrifice at all. He should have kicked himself. He messed up. It wasn’t God’s fault. It certainly wasn’t Abel’s fault. Abel did what God wanted. Abel pleased the Lord. Now, Cain was smoking mad.

A person doesn’t think straight, logically, and certainly not Biblically, when they are all worked up. We tend to say and do things that we later regret. Without any self control, some punch holes in walls, others punch someone’s nose. Anger leads to threats, bad words, and dumb conclusions. The Ephesians were told “do not let the sun go down upon your anger and do not give the devil an opportunity.” Anger is an invitation for Satan to come on in and mess things up. He’ll take you up on the invitation every time.

God recognized Cain’s anger. It should have been God who was angry. Cain was wrong. His sacrifice insulted the Holy God of Heaven. He was cheap and thoughtless in what He did. God should have walked away from Cain. He didn’t. God’s not like that. God spoke to Cain, as He did Adam. Anger leads to worse things. God saw that. He saw that Cain wasn’t finished. Worse things were about to happen.

God gave Cain the eternal words that helps all of us when we are at a crossroads and especially when anger is driving our emotions. Do well. Do well and all will be well. If you don’t do well, sin will get you. What a masterful description God gives us. Sin is crouching at your door…it sounds like Peter’s words centuries later, “The devil prowls about like a roaring lion…” Lions crouch. They are patient. They lay in the tall grass watching. They wait for the right moment. And in an instant, the pounce upon the prey and destroy it. This is how God describes sin. It’s at the door. It’s crouching. It’s watching you, Cain. It wants you, Cain.

Notice what God adds…He says, “you must master it.” You don’t have to become a victim. You are destined to be eaten. There is a way out. You can beat this. You can overcome. You must master it. Did God know? Did God know what was brewing in Cain’s anger? Did He see that anger was quickly turning to hatred? Did He see that anger was contemplating murder? Did He see the bottom falling out of Cain’s heart? Master it, Cain. Master it!

Cain failed. He lost. He didn’t master sin. Sin mastered him. He found an opportunity to be alone with Abel and he killed him. When God asked about the whereabouts of Abel, Cain gave that famous line, “Am I my brother’s keeper?” He lied. He knew. God knew. Sin won. His anger got the best of him.

Our passage reminds all of us that sin is often just outside the door waiting for us. We don’t have to do wrong. We can master it. When a person says, “I couldn’t help it,” he is denying Scripture. You can help it. When a person states, “I was born this way,” they are stating that I’m doing wrong and it’s not my fault. I’m not responsible, because I was made this way. WRONG. Sin is at the door. Sin wants you. You must master it. You can do what is right.

God is telling Cain that you control your destiny. The choice you make is your choice. It’s the same for us. Addictions come from wrong choices. Sin comes from wrong choices. There are things that can encourage wrong choices and there are things that can encourage right choices. We can feed our faith or feed our temptations. We can help our self, or hurt our self. A person doesn’t have to be governed by their feelings. Anger can be controlled. Self control, the control of self, is one of the virtues found in Peter. We are not animals. We are not running on instincts. Saying, “I can’t help it,” doesn’t fly. You can help it. You can do right. You can please God. You can master sin. You can, because God says so and He is never wrong.

Sin is crouching outside the door. It’s watching you. Do you see it? It’s waiting for the right moment. A time when you are alone…a time when you are stressed and bothered…a time when you are angry. It’ll wait. It’ll wait all day on you. It never gets tired. It won’t go home. It’ll just sit there, hiding, and waiting. James tells us to “resist the devil and he will flee from you.” That’s the answer. Open your eyes and recognized danger. Fight it. Flee from it. Resist it. It’ll leave, for a moment. But it’ll come back.

Some day this fight will be over. Some day there will no longer be sin crouching at the door. Some day God will toss Satan where he belongs. Some day temptations will cease. Come, Lord Jesus.

We are one day closer to Heaven.

Roger