All of us have choices before us.  And as we make those choices we must understand that we are being watched by God Almighty … and when God watches us, He knows not only what we did but what we were thinking when we did it.

I have read Genesis 4 many times.  Today, as I read it, I am convicted by three things:  Honesty, Entitlement, and Responsibility.

Genesis 4 2 … Now Abel kept flocks, and Cain worked the soil. 3 In the course of time Cain brought some of the fruits of the soil as an offering to the Lord . 4 But Abel brought fat portions from some of the firstborn of his flock. The Lord looked with favor on Abel and his offering, 5 but on Cain and his offering he did not look with favor.  So Cain was very angry, and his face was downcast. 6 Then the Lord said to Cain, “Why are you angry? Why is your face downcast? 7 If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must master it.” 8 Now Cain said to his brother Abel, “Let’s go out to the field.” And while they were in the field, Cain attacked his brother Abel and killed him.  9 Then the Lord said to Cain, “Where is your brother Abel?” “I don’t know,” he replied. “Am I my brother’s keeper?” 

Cain’s offering was not good enough.  And it was not received.  In that moment, he had a choice to make.  This situation made me wonder:  How often have I laid down an offering thinking that it was “all I had” when in reality, it was not.  How often has my sacrifice been no sacrifice at all?  If God is honest with us … we must be honest with ourselves.  And if we are to be honest, we must know that what we give God does not amount to very much.  He tells us in Isaiah 64 that even our good works are like “dirty rags”.  The Honesty required in the Bible is something that is very difficult.  We must be honest with … OURSELVES.

Genesis 4 also contains Entitlement.  And God was merciful with Cain … even trying to warn him.  But Cain thought that he was somehow entitled to something more.  And because of that, he was taken captive by sin to the point of murder.  The reality is that Cain was not Entitled to anything … and neither are we.  We are sitting ducks for Hell that bring nothing before God.  And He owes us nothing.  He chooses to offer us a chance to have Him.

My last thought from Genesis 4 is that of Responsibility.  Cain’s very question:  “Am I my brother’s keeper?” is easily answered.  Yes.  Yes you are your brother’s keeper.  This means that if your enemy hurts you, if your friend overlooks you, if your trusted colleague makes you look bad … no matter the situation … you are the keeper.  Not just of the person … but of the gospel.  What Jesus did, and what God did in sending Him, can not be brought down to the level of our individual grievances.  Ever.  And so … YES … YOU are your brother’s keeper.  ALWAYS.

This gospel is the ticket to eternal life.

It is a scandalous event that allows us to know God in spite of our unpayable debt.

It is the hope of the world … and it is our only hope.

Jesus’ blood is the key.  The cost He paid is beyond anything we could ever come up with.  It is not to be undervalued or overlooked.  And it certainly can’t be compared to anything that any man has done …

But isn’t that the reason that we needed Him to show up some 2000 years ago?

In The Name of the Father and the 

Son and the Holy Spirit.  Amen.

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Coach J