Heb 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.
Gen 4:3 And in process of time it came to pass, that Cain brought of the fruit of the ground an offering unto the LORD.
Gen 4:4 And Abel, he also brought of the firstlings of his flock and of the fat thereof. And the LORD had respect unto Abel and to his offering:
Gen 4:5 But unto Cain and to his offering he had not respect. And Cain was very wroth, and his countenance fell.
Gen 4:6 And the LORD said unto Cain, Why art thou wroth? and why is thy countenance fallen?
Gen 4:7 If thou doest well, shalt thou not be accepted? and if thou doest not well, sin lieth at the door. And unto thee shall be his desire, and thou shalt rule over him.
Gen 4:8 And Cain talked with Abel his brother: and it came to pass, when they were in the field, that Cain rose up against Abel his brother, and slew him.
Gen 4:9 And the LORD said unto Cain, Where is Abel thy brother? And he said, I know not: Am I my brother's keeper?
Gen 4:10 And he said, What hast thou done? the voice of thy brother's blood crieth unto me from the ground.
By FAITH Able offered God a more excellent sacrifice.
By FAITH.
Cain did NOT have the faith He needed. Cain did not believe and hope in GOD the way Abel did.
Why not? Cain spoke with God- isn't that proof enough of God and His love? Think about it, imagine yourself able to speak to God and hear His voice in reply. You'd think that'd be more than enough to give you all the faith you need, but Cain did not have the faith that Abel had.
God respected the offering Abel made because it was offered in FAITH.
Cain was upset because God did not respect his offering.
God told Cain that if he did well that he would be accepted, and if he didn't that sin would be right there ready for him. That doing well was FAITH, right? Because it was by FAITH that Abel's offering was more excellent than Cain's. Abel realized His need of God, His need of a Savior, Abel recognized God as His Creator and Redeemer. Abel BELIEVED in God in a way that Cain did not, not that He existed but His authority, His love, His ability to save, to bridge that separation that had been created by sin, that is was even necessary.
You know it's true that one person can have more faith in someone than another person. It's often the story that a wife will have faith in her husband even when her family has no faith in him. A parent will have faith in one child but maybe not so much in another, these are unfortunate facts. Then again, some people are more trustworthy than others and more deserving of faith than others. God is ALWAYS trustworthy, ALWAYS all deserving of our faith. When people do NOT have faith in God they are saying that God is undeserving, unworthy, in fact not truly God all loving at all. Cain did not have FAITH as Abel had FAITH. Abel believed, Cain did not believe.
God told Cain if he did well-he would be accepted.
If Cain had faith - he would be accepted.
Cain believed that while he was supposed to give offerings to God they didn't have to be real sacrificial offerings. Cain didn't believe that HIS sins warranted any real atonement. Cain did not have the faith he needed, the belief in God and God's plan. It was God's plan that man's sin needed to be recognized and a sacrifice needed to be made for that sin. It was God's plan that in time a Messiah would come who would be the ultimate Sacrifice and it would be to that Messiah we would all turn to. Until that Messiah came there would be a system set up for mankind to make sacrifices pointing towards that Ultimate Sacrifice. The FAITH needed to comprehend that God is GOD, and our SIN separates us from Him is what we ALL NEED.
Cain didn't have that faith, not fully. Cain could have that faith, he could do what was required by FAITH, but he didn't. Cain chose NOT to have that faith, that belief in God.
We are faced with the SAME choice as Cain and Abel. Real faith or no real faith, and it is only by a REAL FAITH that we will be accepted by GOD. Our sacrifices that we are called to make are different but no less real.
Psa_51:17 The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise.
Rom 12:1 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service
Mar 12:33 And to love him with all the heart, and with all the understanding, and with all the soul, and with all the strength, and to love his neighbour as himself, is more than all whole burnt offerings and sacrifices.
1Pe 2:5 Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ.
Acceptable to God.
Abel's offering was acceptable to God.
Cain's offering was not acceptable to God.
We must be acceptable to God and we are, through FAITH, through BELIEF, through HOPE, all through our SAVIOR!
All by HIS GRACE, HIS AMAZING LOVE!
Please Lord help us, make us acceptable to YOU- through YOU.
In Your LOVE.
Gen 4:3 And in process of time it came to pass, that Cain brought of the fruit of the ground an offering unto the LORD.
Gen 4:4 And Abel, he also brought of the firstlings of his flock and of the fat thereof. And the LORD had respect unto Abel and to his offering:
Gen 4:5 But unto Cain and to his offering he had not respect. And Cain was very wroth, and his countenance fell.
Gen 4:6 And the LORD said unto Cain, Why art thou wroth? and why is thy countenance fallen?
Gen 4:7 If thou doest well, shalt thou not be accepted? and if thou doest not well, sin lieth at the door. And unto thee shall be his desire, and thou shalt rule over him.
Gen 4:8 And Cain talked with Abel his brother: and it came to pass, when they were in the field, that Cain rose up against Abel his brother, and slew him.
Gen 4:9 And the LORD said unto Cain, Where is Abel thy brother? And he said, I know not: Am I my brother's keeper?
Gen 4:10 And he said, What hast thou done? the voice of thy brother's blood crieth unto me from the ground.
By FAITH Able offered God a more excellent sacrifice.
By FAITH.
Cain did NOT have the faith He needed. Cain did not believe and hope in GOD the way Abel did.
Why not? Cain spoke with God- isn't that proof enough of God and His love? Think about it, imagine yourself able to speak to God and hear His voice in reply. You'd think that'd be more than enough to give you all the faith you need, but Cain did not have the faith that Abel had.
God respected the offering Abel made because it was offered in FAITH.
Cain was upset because God did not respect his offering.
God told Cain that if he did well that he would be accepted, and if he didn't that sin would be right there ready for him. That doing well was FAITH, right? Because it was by FAITH that Abel's offering was more excellent than Cain's. Abel realized His need of God, His need of a Savior, Abel recognized God as His Creator and Redeemer. Abel BELIEVED in God in a way that Cain did not, not that He existed but His authority, His love, His ability to save, to bridge that separation that had been created by sin, that is was even necessary.
You know it's true that one person can have more faith in someone than another person. It's often the story that a wife will have faith in her husband even when her family has no faith in him. A parent will have faith in one child but maybe not so much in another, these are unfortunate facts. Then again, some people are more trustworthy than others and more deserving of faith than others. God is ALWAYS trustworthy, ALWAYS all deserving of our faith. When people do NOT have faith in God they are saying that God is undeserving, unworthy, in fact not truly God all loving at all. Cain did not have FAITH as Abel had FAITH. Abel believed, Cain did not believe.
God told Cain if he did well-he would be accepted.
If Cain had faith - he would be accepted.
Cain believed that while he was supposed to give offerings to God they didn't have to be real sacrificial offerings. Cain didn't believe that HIS sins warranted any real atonement. Cain did not have the faith he needed, the belief in God and God's plan. It was God's plan that man's sin needed to be recognized and a sacrifice needed to be made for that sin. It was God's plan that in time a Messiah would come who would be the ultimate Sacrifice and it would be to that Messiah we would all turn to. Until that Messiah came there would be a system set up for mankind to make sacrifices pointing towards that Ultimate Sacrifice. The FAITH needed to comprehend that God is GOD, and our SIN separates us from Him is what we ALL NEED.
Cain didn't have that faith, not fully. Cain could have that faith, he could do what was required by FAITH, but he didn't. Cain chose NOT to have that faith, that belief in God.
We are faced with the SAME choice as Cain and Abel. Real faith or no real faith, and it is only by a REAL FAITH that we will be accepted by GOD. Our sacrifices that we are called to make are different but no less real.
Psa_51:17 The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise.
Rom 12:1 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service
Mar 12:33 And to love him with all the heart, and with all the understanding, and with all the soul, and with all the strength, and to love his neighbour as himself, is more than all whole burnt offerings and sacrifices.
1Pe 2:5 Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ.
Acceptable to God.
Abel's offering was acceptable to God.
Cain's offering was not acceptable to God.
We must be acceptable to God and we are, through FAITH, through BELIEF, through HOPE, all through our SAVIOR!
All by HIS GRACE, HIS AMAZING LOVE!
Please Lord help us, make us acceptable to YOU- through YOU.
In Your LOVE.
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