Cain vs Abel: Which One are You? [podcast]

A Blood-less Gospel is a False Gospel

Cain offered what he chose to offer God. Abel humbly offered God what God desired.

Cain had a self-styled religion emanating out of his self-serving pride-filled heart while Abel had a Savior-centered relationship with the LORD.

“And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world. 9 If any man have an ear, let him hear.” Revelation 13:8-9 

From Genesis to Revelation, into eternity, we see the scarlet thread, the divine instituting, establishing, and proclaiming of the blood of the Lamb who was slain from the foundation of the world. If we miss this divine revelation, we missed all. It seems apparent that Bible truths, words such as the blood, the cross, faith, repentance, grace, justification, righteousness, worship, and holiness are all interconnected and inseparable. As you are going to behold in the following moments, everything pertaining to heavenly worship, all that is in the divine economy, in Christ’s eternal kingdom, is predicated upon the precious blood He shed for us.

“Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; 19 But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot:” 1 Peter 1:18-19  

Beloved of God, when’s the last time you heard a preached message on the blood of Jesus Christ? A gospel that does not center around the cross and blood of Jesus Christ – “the blood of His cross,” is “another gospel,” a false gospel (2 Corinthians 11:2-5, 11-15; Galatians 1:6-9; Colossians 1:20).

“Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation (atoning sacrifice) through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God;” Romans 3:25

Are we trusting our own good works, our own “filthy rags” righteousness, or are we trusting the crimson red blood of our LORD and Savior Jesus Christ – that it not only initially, but also continually washes us clean of our sins in the eyes of the “Holy, holy, holy” God with whom we have to do? See Isaiah 6:3; 64:6; Revelation 4:8 and 1 John 1:7.

“Now to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt. 5 But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness.” Romans 4:4-5

Those who seek to work for, to earn, to merit their own justification, instead of surrendering in repentance and faith in the blood of the Lamb of God, the only perfect sacrifice, will perish in the flames of eternal damnation.

“How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation…” Hebrews 2:3

It’s “the blood of Christ” alone that justifies us. We appropriate it, we connect to God by faith in Christ, in His perfect blood sacrifice (John 19:30). It’s by His blood alone that we are “justified” – that we “shall be saved from wrath.”

“Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him.” Romans 5:9

May God be praised, afresh, right this very moment and forevermore for “The blood Christ” which exclusively cleanses us of our sin and brings us to Him.

“How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?” Hebrews 9:14

“And almost all things are by the law purged with blood; and without shedding of blood is no remission.” Hebrews 9:22

Revelation 5 informs us that we shall in Heaven forever declare in worship, in song the glories of the precious blood of the Lamb of God. All heavenly praise to God will be due to and centered on the blood of the Lamb of God by which we are redeemed, bought back to our God. Read Revelation. Here’s a taste:

“And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation; 10 And hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth. 11 And I beheld, and I heard the voice of many angels round about the throne and the beasts and the elders: and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands; 12 Saying with a loud voice, Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing. 13 And every creature which is in heaven, and on the earth, and under the earth, and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, heard I saying, Blessing, and honour, and glory, and power, be unto him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb for ever and ever. 14 And the four beasts said, Amen. And the four and twenty elders fell down and worshipped him that liveth for ever and ever.” Revelation 5:9-14 

1. What can wash away my sin?
   Nothing but the blood of Jesus;
   What can make me whole again?
   Nothing but the blood of Jesus.
   • Refrain:
     Oh! precious is the flow
     That makes me white as snow;
     No other fount I know,
     Nothing but the blood of Jesus.
2. For my pardon, this I see,
   Nothing but the blood of Jesus;
   For my cleansing this my plea,
   Nothing but the blood of Jesus.
3. Nothing can for sin atone,
   Nothing but the blood of Jesus;
   Naught of good that I have done,
   Nothing but the blood of Jesus.
4. This is all my hope and peace,
   Nothing but the blood of Jesus;
   This is all my righteousness,
   Nothing but the blood of Jesus.
5. Now by this I’ll overcome—
   Nothing but the blood of Jesus;
   Now by this I’ll reach my home—
   Nothing but the blood of Jesus.
6. Glory! Glory! This I sing—
   Nothing but the blood of Jesus,
   All my praise for this I bring—
   Nothing but the blood of Jesus.

Do you desire to become grounded in the original Gospel of the name and precious blood of Jesus Christ? Go here.

WHY DID CAIN KILL ABEL?

“Hell is full of people who think they deserve heaven. Heaven is full of people who know they deserve Hell.” Unknown

Cain is the father of all those who do things their own way and not God’s. They are wise in their own conceit (Proverbs 3:5-7).

Cain, a self-righteous, self-willed, religious hypocrite, is the father of the many “false brethren” we have among us today (2 Corinthians 11:26; Galatians 2:4). They worship and yet it’s not according to the stated will and desire of the God they claim to serve and worship. These are the Judases, the betrayers, the traitors who are still slanderously character-assassinating the true worshippers, the children of Christ. They are of their father, the devil as were the God-less pharisees of Christ’s day (John 8:44).

It was because Cain’s own heart was dark and evil, because he was unrepentant and refused to turn to the LORD and do things HIS way, that he slew his brother Abel.

“Because his own works were evil, and his brother’s righteous.” 1 John 3:12

Cain and Abel’s parents were Adam and Eve. Read Genesis 4. Cain murdered Abel due to his religious jealousy. Abel obeyed God by simply offering the Messianic type blood sacrifice. God rewarded Abel for doing things HIS way (Hebrews 11:4). Abel represents those who truly trust God by faith, doing things HIS prescribed way – which is blood sacrifice and faith (Hebrews 9:22). The shedding of the animal blood to clothe Adam and Eve after they sinned prefigured the perfect sacrifice which was to be offered by our LORD Jesus Christ on the cross (Genesis 3:21; Matthew 26:28; John 19:30, etc.). In contrast to his brother Abel, Cain is like those today who serve their religion, vainly thinking they are serving the LORD. See Proverbs 14:12. Following Christ means repenting and believing on Him, obeying and worshipping the LORD Himself. Getting right with God will always lead to ditching religion. If not, those who insist upon clinging to their religion, will perish in the flames of eternal damnation. Jesus Christ is the only way to God, to Heaven.

“Jesus saith unto him, I am THE way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.” John 14:6

Any man who refuses to give up his religion to follow Jesus is a hell bound antichrist idolater (Matthew 23; Galatians 5:19-21; Revelation 21:8, etc.).

“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.” Hebrews 11:4 

Do we offer faith in the perfect blood sacrifice of Jesus Christ? If not, we offer the sacrifice of Cain and are possessed with a wicked heart and are in need of repentance.

Do you trust God on the basis of Christ’s perfect blood sacrifice OR is your approach based on your own religious good works? Is your heart engaged, is it in love with Jesus? Is He truly your “first love”? (Read Revelation 2:4-5.) Are you murderously wielding a rusty sword? Are you more like Cain or Abel?

As it was then, so it is now (Ecclesiastes 1:9). Jesus was delivered to be crucified by the envious false religionists of His day (Matthew 27:18). There are those who will jealously attack believers and they do so due to their own envy of God’s blessings on His disciples, who do things HIS way and not their own way. Cain was jealous of Abel his brother and murdered him (Genesis 4). Why? Abel offered the correct sacrifice, the way the LORD ordained them both to offer. Cain did things his way instead and was not blessed as was Abel. So it is today when the wicked become jealous at God’s blessing on the just – the just being those who simply, humbly do things God’s way and not their own way. Isn’t this the same thing that happened to Saul who became enraged and furious with David, so much so that he set out to murder David? Saul was rebellious as he did things his own way instead of God’s (1 Samuel 15:22-23). In contrast the LORD blessed David for being a man after His own heart (Acts 13:22).

Are you saved by grace and operating by grace, or law keeping? | Law vs Grace!

Ever been attacked viciously by those who refused to serve God the way He requires He be worshipped? And they became enraged at you as you humbly served the LORD as He prescribes? Abel and Jesus were both victims of this type evil envy.

“And when the chief priests and scribes saw the wonderful things that he did, and the children crying in the temple, and saying, Hosanna to the Son of David; they were sore displeased.” Matthew 21:15 

As opposed to counterfeit religionists, those who truly serve the LORD, do so on the basis of blood sacrifice, culminating in the blood sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the altar of the cross.

Abel’s sacrifice was a BLOOD sacrifice, depicting Christ to come, but Cain chose to make an offering from the earth, which was cursed. Abel did things God’s way. Cain did things his own way. David declared that he “hated every false way” (Psalms 119:104, 128).

Cain and Abel Compared and Contrasted

“In this the children of God are manifest, and the children of the devil: whosoever doeth not righteousness is not of God, neither he that loveth not his brother. 11 For this is the message that ye heard from the beginning, that we should love one another. 12 Not as Cain, who was of that wicked one, and slew his brother. And wherefore slew he him? Because his own works were evil, and his brother’s righteous. 13 Marvel not, my brethren, if the world hate you. 14 We know that we have passed from death unto life, because we love the brethren. He that loveth not his brother abideth in death. 15 Whosoever hateth his brother is a murderer: and ye know that no murderer hath eternal life abiding in him.” 1 John 3:10-15

The Engaged Heart

” …for who is this that engaged his heart to approach unto me? … “And their nobles shall be of themselves, and their governor shall proceed from the midst of them; and I will cause him to draw near, and he shall approach unto me: for WHO IS THIS THAT ENGAGED HIS HEART to approach unto me? saith the LORD. 22 And ye shall be my people, and I will be your God.” Jeremiah 30:21-22 

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