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The Way Of Cain

April 13, 2014 Speaker: Ken Ramey Series: Stand Alone Sermons

Passage: Genesis 4:1–16

Sunday Service

Genesis 4:1-16

The story of Cain and Abel is a contrast between faith and unbelief, with the emphasis being on unbelief. Cain serves as a tragic example of every unbeliever who ever lived and ever will live. There are SEVEN CHARACTERISTICS of unbelievers who are guilty of going “the way of Cain” (cf. Jude 11).

1. Those who go the way of Cain disregard God’s gift of life (vv. 1-2)
Life is a gift from God (Acts 17:25), ultimately to be used for His honor and glory and it’s duration is extremely short (Psalm 39:5, James 4:14). Taking the another’s life amounts to disregard for God’s gift of life - a low view of life.

2. Those who go the way of Cain fail to offer God what He requires of them (vv. 3-5)
Those who disregard the gift of life also disregard what God requires for an offering. God requires offerings of faith, rather than offerings than offerings that are produced by the works of men (Hebrews 11). Cain offered a token sacrifice - one that was not offered from a broken heart. His offering was not taken from his first or his best fruits (2 Timothy 3:5).

3. Those who go the way of Cain resent God and respond wrongly to His Word (vv. 6-8)
Cain was angry and became depressed when God rejected his offering. This was an indication of Cain’s rebellion against the Lord (Isaiah 3:8-9). His countenance was an outward expression of his rebellion and depression is one of the symptoms of a rebellious state.

4. Those who go the way of Cain refuse to admit their sin to God (vv. 9-10)
God graciously gave Cain the opportunity to confess his sin, just as he had given his parents Adam and Eve the opportunity to confess their sin. Instead of confessing however, each of them tried to cover up their sin in front of God. This is a characteristic of unbelievers. God commands us to love one another, for the thoughts and deeds of evil and hate are of Satan (Numbers 35, 1 John 3:12).

5. Those who go the way of Cain receive the due penalty for their sin (vv. 11-12)
You may not admit your sin, but you will receive just penalty for it. God cursed Cain so that he would not even receive the fruits of his labor - he would no longer be able to make a living from working the land. He was therefore relegated to the life of a fugitive.

6. Those who go the way of Cain protest against God’s judgement (vv. 13-14)
Not only will an unbeliever refuse to admit their sin, but they protest God’s punishment for that sin. Cain’s’ attitude was remorse for the consequences of the sin, but he was not was not (2 Corinthians 7) truly repentent. This was a demonstration of worldly sorrow, rather than spiritual sorrow.

7. Those who go the way of Cain fail to appreciate God’s common grace (vv. 15-16)
God provides for all of His creatures, whether or not they worship Him or believe in His Son. He graciously provides for unbelievers out of mercy, for the just punishment for sin against a holy God is immediate physical death as well as eternal spiritual death. Cain remained ungrateful to God for His mercy and persisted in rebelling against Him. Cain’s life was therefore hard for the rest of his life because he chose to live his way rather than God’s way (Isaiah 48:22).

Thank God for providing you a complete and permanent atonement for sin through the sacrifice of His Son Jesus Christ. Ask Him to give you an opportunity this week to share the story of Cain with an unbeliever you know and to encourage them to go the way of Christ.

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