***Genesis 4:7 If thou doest well, shalt thou not be accepted? and if thou doest not well, sin lieth at the door. And unto thee shall be his desire, and thou shalt rule over him. ***SIN LIETH AT THE DOOR*** The very first mention of the word sin is found right here in Genesis 4:7. God has just accepted Abels offering, while rejecting Cains. Due to his anger, the Bible says Cains countenance fell. In other words, his facial expression went from one of, perhaps, happy anticipation to anger, jealousy and disgust. The problem here was not that Cain did not know what kind of sacrifice to bring, it is that he rebelled and brought the sacrifice his own way, (Proverbs 14:12 There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death.). God clearly set the standard for the way he was to be approached after man died spiritually in the Garden of Eden. He slayed an animal, shedding its blood, to cover the nakedness of Adam and Eve. God set the precedence that the innocent would die for the guilty. In this case, Cain chose to disobey Gods way and bring an offering from the cursed ground. In the above verse, God calls to attention Cains reaction from having his sacrifice turned down. He asks Cain that if thou doest well, shalt thou not be accepted? The Lord goes on to tell Cain that if he does not do well, sin lieth at the door. The immediate context here is Gods warning that Cains response to this situation was what was going to determine his fate based on whether or not he was able to control his actions. We know Cain failed here because in the next few verses, he murders Abel. Have you ever gotten up on the wrong side of the bed and, instead of going to God in prayer about it, you simply ignored it? As the day progressed, one mishap lead to another until, by the end of the day, you are sinning and totally defeated. And if unchecked, you find yourself slipping further and further out of fellowship with God. You see, as in the case of Cain, when we fail to address the smallest of sins right away, they always lead us down the road of rebellion and unintended consequences. The bigger picture here is Gods loving advice that doing well will always bring acceptance. However, acceptance does not come through human merit, as with Cain, but by Gods grace. Paul reminds us of this in Ephesians 1:6 where he describes the riches the believer has in Christ, To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us ACCEPTED IN THE BELOVED (emphasis added). Sin is always ready to pounce and ultimately will defeat all who would not do what is required to be accepted of God. James says this about sin... James 1:15 Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death. But praise God, Jesus defeated sin at Calvary, paying the penalty for all mankind. Through the shed blood of the Lamb, all who would receive by faith may be pardoned. Sin can have many consequences, leading to troubled lives, but for the child of God, the victory has been won!! Whereas, all who seek acceptance from God by their own good deeds, sin LIETH AT THE DOOR and will ultimately confine them to a devils Hell! Romans 10:13 For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord, shall be saved. (and accepted)
Posted on: Tue, 05 Aug 2014 00:52:23 +0000
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