"We Have A Choice" Part III

“Why are you so angry? And why has your countenance fallen? Behold, If you do well, you will be accepted. And if you do not do well, sin sits waiting at the door, and its desire is to possess you, but you can rule over it.” Gen. 4:1-7. 

 During the second generation of mankind living on earth, God warned Cain that if he persisted in his anger toward his brother Abel, something worse would happen. He warned him that sin was crouching at the door of his heart and wanted to possess him or take control of him. Sin was first present in the garden of Eden with his mother Eve. She listened to the voice of Satan, the great deceiver, and allowed him to influence her choice to disobey God. Then she influenced her husband Adam to disregard the command of God not to eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, and he too made the wrong choice. From one generation to the next through out history, the great deceiver has been trying to influence and control people and nations. All of mankind now is endowed with a sin nature passed down from generation to generation. Man's spiritual connection and adoration of God died in the garden of Eden. It is part of our spiritual DNA and is why we need to be born-again from above with Christ living in our heart.

Why was Cain so angry at his brother? Genesis chapter 4 tells us that the two brothers came before God with their offerings. Abel brought the proper offering of a first born lamb and Cain brought some of his produce from the soil. God looked upon Abel with pleasure, because of his obedience. God looked away from Cain with dissatisfaction, because of his disobedience. If we do what is right in God's eyes, He will be pleased with us and bless us. If we choose to not do what is right, then we are under God's curses for disobedience. Read Deut. Chapter 28 for a detailed description of the blessings and cursings we bring upon ourselves because of our choices.

Notre Dame Cathedral

 

 

 

Cain was angry that God did not accept his offering which was the work of his hands and not what God required. Cain was jealous that God turned his countenance or favor upon his brother and rejected him. Cain tried to worship God his own way. He was disobedient and rebellious. Cain's number one enemy was himself; his own prideful, sin nature that wanted to be independent of God. Unfortunately, like his mother Eve, he wanted to be like God himself: knowing good from evil, able to provide for himself, enjoying the lust of his eyes and wise in his own understanding.

Unredeemed men and women have their little gods, or their own idols, which they worship and their own personal agendas they want to achieve. When we don't get what we want, we look to other means to get revenge or justice for those who have wronged us. That opens the door for demonic oppression which compels us to sin further until, our demons are possessing us and dictating to our mind, will and emotions. Cain progressed from pride, to disobedience, to anger and finally to murder. After God warned him to do what was right, he left the very presence of God and went out in the field and murdered his brother Abel. The demonic spirits that were crouched close by finally persuaded him to rebel completely against God. The spirits of revenge and murder became Cain's masters when he listened to and obeyed them. 

 

However, God did not leave us alone, without hope and doomed to destruction. He sent His Son Jesus Christ to die on the cross for our sins, the offering of a sacrificial Lamb who's blood was poured out on God's heavenly altar for us. Jesus paid the price for our redemption and paved the way for us to become sons and daughters of God. We can not earn such a status with our own will power or works. It is freely given to us when we draw near to God, repent of our sins and pray to be continually filled with the Spirit of God. With complete salvation we become a part of God's family and enter into all the privileges that go with that honor. It is called living in the Grace of God. We have a choice!

 

Scriptures taken from the One New Man Bible: Revealing Jewish Roots and Power, translated by William J. Morford, 2011, True Potential Publishing, Inc. Travelers Rest, SC.