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Cain vs. Abel

In Genesis 4, Cain and Abel both brought offerings to the LORD. Scripture tells us that Cain brought of the fruit of the ground, which makes sense because he grew crops for a living. Abel, on the other hand, brought one of the firstlings of his flock, which also makes sense as Abel kept sheep for a living.

Now, Genesis 4 tells us that God had respect for Abel’s offering, but not Cain’s. As a result, Cain became very upset. God confronted Cain about his attitude, saying, “If you do well, won’t you be accepted? And if not, sin lies at the door.”

Cain did not do well, however. As he and Abel worked in the field, Cain vented his frustration on Abel, resulting in a fight that led to Cain killing Abel. Cain was subsequently banished, leading him to found a godless society. Adam and Eve had another son, who fathered the Godly lineage in the pre-flood world.

Such set the stage for the downfall of mankind, leading to the flood in Genesis 6-9.

In taking all of this into consideration, the question is often posed, “Why did God respect Abel’s offering, but not Cain’s?”

One answer commonly given is that Abel offered a blood sacrifice, while Cain did not. While this explanation harmonizes with the Gospel pattern of the shedding of blood for the remission of sins, the fact is that there is little Biblical evidence for it, especially when you consider that grain offerings were a completely legitimate part of the temple system of worship in the Old Testament.

The explanation with scriptural evidence is actually much simpler. Abel offered his sacrifice by faith, whereas Cain did not.

Hebrews 11:4 says, “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.”

Abel offered his sacrifice by faith. He knew God was God, trusted in His goodness, and rested in His grace.

On the other hand, Cain lacked this faith. He obviously knew God existed, but did not trust God’s goodness and grace. For Cain, the offering was more of an obligation than an offer of thanksgiving or worship. Thus, God rejected it.

Scripture is very clear, and the point is driven home in Hebrews 11. What pleases God is faith, that simple trust in His existence and grace. While that faith motivates action, the fact is without that faith, the most righteous acts in the world will not please God.

So, with all that in mind, do you have faith. Do you believe that God is? And do you trust in His goodness and grace? (Hebrews 11:6)

And if so, are you living by that faith? May God grant you clarity as you reflect on your faith.

What you believe shapes how you see things

Have you ever noticed that multiple educated people can evaluate the same sets of data, and come up with two completely different conclusions?

One Wall Street analyst looks at a particular company and recommends buying their stock. Another looks at the same company, with the same financial statements and business prospects, and recommends selling their stock.

One football scout watches a prospective quarterback and sees vulnerability and liability. Another sees the same quarterback in the same game and sees the future of the franchise.

Multiple experts, same information, different conclusions.

Today, we see the same things happening in the debate over evolution. The evolutionist sees evidence such as carbon dating and fossils, and concludes that evolution is true. The creationist sees the exact same evidence, and concludes that the fossil record proves the existence of the flood from Genesis 6-9, and thus creationism is true.

Both the evolutionist and the creationist are highly educated and well-reasoned in their conclusions. So, how do they look at the fossil record, carbon dating, canyons and rock formations, and come to such different conclusions?

It has to do with their faith.

The evolutionist has a faith that the world was created by various physical forces and chemical reactions without the intervention of a divine creator. Thus, when he examines the fossil record, his faith is validated by what he sees as evidence of an old earth. Through his faith, he believes in evolution.

The creationist has a faith that the world was created by God, so when he examines the fossil record, his faith is validated by what he sees as evidence of God’s intervention (such as the worldwide flood).

You see, faith is not shaped by evidence, but rather, faith shapes how we evaluate evidence. If you are looking for proof before you believe, then you will never find the evidence you are looking for. However, if you believe, you will see things that validate your belief.

Thus, we find in Hebrews 11:3 that “Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear.”

Our demand for proof of God’s existence will never be satisfied, at least, not until the end time. However, when we decide to trust that God exists and that He is good, then God responds to that faith and rewards it (Hebrews 11:6).

So, the question is, what do you believe? And how is that belief shaping your worldview?

What is the Gospel?

“Gospel” is a buzzword that is widely circulated in Christian circles. There’s Gospel music, Gospel preaching, spreading the Gospel and standing for the Gospel.

There are full Gospel churches and Gospel revivals.

With all this talk about the “Gospel,” what is it really? What is “The Gospel?”

Some say that the Gospel is the entire word of God from Genesis to Revelation. However, while the scriptures contain the Gospel from Genesis to Revelation, the scriptures themselves are not the definition of the Gospel.

The Gospel is defined in 1 Corinthians 15:3-4, which states that Paul delivered unto the saints at Corinth how Christ “died for our sins according to the scriptures, that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the scriptures.” Thus, the Gospel is the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ for our sins according to the scriptures.

By giving His life on the cross, our Lord endured God’s punishment for sin, thus removing the condemnation of sin from us. We have been forgiven because our sins have been paid for, and it was Christ that made that payment.

By rising from the grave, Christ defeated death, and brought eternal life to all who believe.

This is the central message of the Bible, and the theme that runs through all the scriptures. The deeper you dig into scripture, the deeper an understanding you gain of the Gospel.

It is through the Gospel that we have salvation. It is through the Gospel that we find peace, and we find deliverance from shame and regret.

In His messages of repentance, Christ urged the people to believe the Gospel. By believing the Gospel, your faith is placed squarely on Christ and you will have salvation. With that salvation, you have the blessed assurance that you will spend eternity in Heaven.

To explore the theme of the Gospel throughout the Bible, check out The Gospel Expedition, posted via YouTube or Soundcloud below:

Gospel Expedition Podcast Expands to YouTube

As part of our ongoing effort to promote the Gospel across all platforms, we are adding the Gospel Expedition podcast to our YouTube channel. By adding the Gospel Expedition to the YouTube platform, the podcast will be available to more listeners and will be readily available to users on an app that is often pre-installed on their smart phones. If you haven’t checked out the Gospel Expedition, give it a listen and let us know what you think.