Article: The Sin of Lawlessness: (Part II)

Most Christians would admit they know, quite well, the Story of Cain and Abel (The Sons of Adam & Eve) (Genesis 4). I thought I knew the story quite well too, until the Holy Spirit enlightened me, through Christian Author John Bevere who shares a revelation of truth in his book entitled UNDER COVER: The Promise of Protection Under His Authority. There has always been a lingering question regarding a particular portion of this story of the two brothers that has always had me scratching my head. Perhaps, even as a babe in the Lord, something always bothered me: Why was Abel's sacrifice acceptable unto God and his brother Cain's Sacrifice to God was not acceptable to God? I would ask myself things like, "I thought God wasn't no respecter of persons? "This sure sounds like favoritism to me!". For years, I used to really feel sorry for Cain because it seemed he was giving his very best from out of "his harvest".

In order to answer my long-held questions, we should take a look at the story and allow author Mr. Bevere to provide, while accrediting the Holy Spirit for the following revelation on the matter.

We'll begin by learning that Cain, the firstborn of Adam, was a farmer by occupation. His brother, Abel, Adam's second born, was a shepherd. Scripture tells us in the course of time Cain brought an offering of the fruit of the ground before the Lord, and Abel, brought an offering of the firstborn of his flock. We learn, "The Lord accepted Abel and his offering, but He did not accept Cain and his offering. (Gen. 4-4:5 NLT)

Mr. Bevere includes, as a side note, this refutes a common saying we often hear in our churches today, "God will accept you just the way you are." That is just not true. Goes does accept us IF WE REPENT of those things which contrary to God and what His Word says! Try this statement out on Ananias and Sapphira. It just doesn't fit; they're dead. (Act 5:1-11).

God didn't accept Cain's offering; furthermore, He didn't accept Cain! That God didn't accept Cain doesn't mean Cain's destiny was permanent rejection, but our modern-day theology of God's unconditional acceptance is inaccurate. In fact, it is dangerous because it removes the fear of the Lord from our hearts. The fear of the Lord guards us and causes us to depart from sin (Ex. 20:20). After the deaths of Ananias and Sapphira, the Bible tells us, "So great a fear came upon all the church" (Acts 5:11). No longer was disobedience a casual matter!

Author Bevere provides the following:

I would like to slightly modernize the story of Adam's two sons in order to bring it forward. His sons were raised in a home that called on the name of the Lord. Both brought an offering to the Lord, which represented their lives. The Bible says we are to offer our bodies as living sacrifices (Rom. 12:1).. Whenever a sacrifice is brought before God, it represents our service to Him. So we are not talking about Abel, who served God and brother Cain who did not. Cain was not hanging out at the sport's arenas, strip joints, or bars and avoiding any possible church attendance. Don't mistake Cain with a man who doesn't want anything to do with God. Both would presently be considered believers who had communication with God.

Author Bevere continues: (Below is where my "babe in the Lord" thinking Cain wasn't treated fairly comes from - but Praise God that truth sets you free (and brings clarity to the understanding of a "babe in the Lord").

Both men were diligent in their work to bring an offering to the Lord. In fact, we could safely say Cain worked harder than Abel. I know very little about farming and shepherding, but I know enough to know shepherding is work, but farming is harder. (As Jay's own side note, I could just end this article right here because this same question I has always stemmed from what was just said by Mr. Bevere when he says, "..but I know enough to know shepherding is work, BUT (my uppercase added) farming is
harder." (Note to myself (soon to be answered by Mr.Bevere - If Cain's farming labors were harder than Abel's shepherding than again, I ask, ""Why wasn't Cain's sacrifice accepted and pleasing to God?) Get ready folks - the answers are coming:

Bevere continues: While shepherding, you have responsibilities in the morning and afternoon, but usually in the heat of the day, you can rest under a shaded tree and sip on a cool drink. Farming is more labor intensive. Cain's offering came by the sweat of his brow, brought forth by toiling against the very ground God had cursed (Gen. 3 17-19) Cain cleared the ground of rocks, stumps, and watered, fertilized, and protected his crops. He expended a lot of effort to supply an offering.

WHY DIDN'T GOD ACCEPT CAIN?

The answer to why God has not accepted Cain's offering in found with his parent. In the Garden everything God created had a covering. Animals have fur, fish have scales, and birds have feathers. Adam and Eve were no exception. They did not have physical covering or clothing; rather, they were "crowned" with glory (Ps. 8:5). The word "crowned" means "to circle or surround". They were covered by it. The very glory that God placed on them was so overwhelming that, in their eyes, it concealed their physical nakedness. For this reason, the Scripture says, "They were both naked, the man and his wife, and they were not ashamed" (Gen. 2::25) They were not ruled by self-consciousness; rather their lives were before God. The thought of wanting clothes didn't cross their minds, because it wasn't necessary. But then the Serpent in the Garden of Eden conversed with Eve, challenging her to re-evaluate what God really said about not eating the fruit, in the center of the garden, called The Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. The crafty serpent knew how to insert doubt and twist the words God had told, first to Adam and he in turn shared it with his wife Eve. Note Here: Satan knew he had an advantage in choosing Eve because God had given Adam the exact words and he in turn shared these exact words to Eve, however, when Eve told the serpent what God had instructed she embellished by adding only a few extra words "God told us to not even touch the fruit". God never told Adam any such thing - God did not include the words "God told us to not even touch the fruit". The Serpent also interjected a few twisted thoughts, changing the fact that God gave an instruction to follow and be obedient. The Serpent began to make Eve think that perhaps God was keeping something from Eve and her husband.

As we know, the Serpent succeeded in convincing Eve to not only "touch the fruit", but she also picked it, took a bite and gave her husband a bite as well. In doing so, Adam and his wife realized they were naked and God had to kill some animals to cover them with its fur. The fact God had to kill an animal, He began to require that Adam''s two sons would adhere to an acceptable sacrifice of provide an "animal sacrifice". Abel, as a shepherd, slaughtered from his best animals and presented them before God and it was considered an acceptable and pleasing offering to God. Whereas, Cain, now being made aware of what was considered to be an acceptable and pleasing sacrifice to God, Cain, instead chose the best of his harvest (to include the fruit of the ground) and presented it as a sacrifice to God.

The story, to me, has always had a sad ending because Cain could have repented and sought after the acceptable animal sacrifice and this would be a great place to start over with God 1) Present the proper, acceptable sacrifice to God;
2) Cain would have favor once again with God and he could move forward in his life;
3) Cain could allow anger, disappointment and bitterness against his "goody-two-sandal" brother Abel to fester and he would move forward in total rebellion (lawlessness -disobedience to God) and end of killing his brother Abel (which is exactly what happened). This story isn't the kind of story that leaves me with a big smile. This is an example of "lawlessness Anytime any believer, whether it be a modern-day believer or a saint in the Bible lives in rebellion against God and His Word, he/she is guilty of the sin of lawlessness.

This Part II of this article concludes my addressing the subject matter of Lawlessness My beloved none of us wants to be found living in the sin of lawlessness. God MUST always be honored and His Word (Commands) must always be honored and respected. I pray that God would keep you in His tender care always. It is my deepest prayers that you and I would not submit ourselves to the sin of lawlessness-- but that each us would continue to do everything to subject ourselves to God's commands forever and for always!

May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.( 1 Thes. 5:23)

06-20-15 J.