Called 4 Jesus

by TA York

Genesis 4:1
“Now Adam knew Eve his wife, and she conceived and bore [a]Cain, and said, “I have acquired a man from the Lord.” 2 Then she bore again, this time his brother [b]Abel. Now Abel was a keeper of sheep, but Cain was a tiller of the ground. 3 And [c]in the process of time it came to pass that Cain brought an offering of the fruit of the ground to the Lord. 4 Abel also brought of the firstborn of his flock and of their fat. And the Lord respected Abel and his offering, 5 but He did not respect Cain and his offering. And Cain was very angry, and his countenance fell.
6 So the Lord said to Cain, “Why are you angry? And why has your countenance fallen? 7 If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin lies at the door. And its desire is [d]for you, but you should rule over it.”
8 Now Cain [e]talked with Abel his [f]brother; and it came to pass, when they were in the field, that Cain rose up against Abel his brother and killed him.”

When I first read the story of Cain and Abel, I struggled with the idea that God might show favoritism. It was a confusing thought. Clearly, Cain did something wrong, but I found myself asking: how do I avoid becoming like him? Was God simply being a bully? Or—on a lighter note—maybe God just didn’t like vegetables as much as I do!

In reality, Cain had every reason to believe in God. His parents, Adam and Eve, had literally walked and talked with the Creator. It stands to reason that they would have passed those stories and instructions down to their children. So, what was the real issue? Let’s explore the roots of this conflict together.

Point I: The Absence of External Excuses:

We often look for external reasons to justify bad behavior. In modern society, we blame “the wrong crowd,” violent media, or toxic environments. However, Cain had no such excuses. At this point in history, there were only four people on Earth. The negative influences of a “fallen world” had not yet infiltrated human culture.

Cain didn’t listen to death metal or succumb to the internet; his environment was pristine. This suggests that the issue wasn’t external—it was internal. Adam and Eve were the root cause of the Fall, and every human born after them was born into a “sin nature.” Cain’s actions prove that sin doesn’t need a bad neighborhood to thrive; it only needs a human heart.

Point II: The Duel of Two Natures:

As human beings, and especially as believers, we experience a dual nature: the sin nature and the God nature. We don’t have to teach children to be selfish or dishonest; those tendencies are ingrained from birth.

Alongside these natures, we are given freewill. We have a voice within us that prompts us toward the right or the wrong. The struggle Cain faced is the same one we face today: the “heart issue.” Our choices are the evidence of which nature we are feeding.

Hebrews 12:15 “See to it that no one falls short of the grace of God and that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile many.”


Point III: Rejection vs. Correction:

It is a common misconception that God rejected Cain himself. In truth, Cain was caught making a wrong choice with wrong intentions. This is what angered him. Have you ever been caught doing the wrong thing? I have and I had a chip on my shoulder.

The Wrong Choice:

Cain gave a substandard offering. While Abel brought the “firstborn and the fat” (the very best of his flock), the text simply says Cain brought “fruit of the ground.” Imagine Cain taking a bite out of an apple, deciding he didn’t like it, and tossing the rest to God. He likely kept the prize harvest for himself and offered God the leftovers—the bruised, the moldy, or the worm-ridden.

We see this same pattern addressed later in Malachi 1:6-8, where God rebukes priests for offering blind, lame, and diseased animals. God asks, “Try offering them to your governor! Would he be pleased with you?” Cain’s offering lacked respect because it lacked sacrifice.

The Wrong Intention:

Cain’s issue was pride. He grew his crops by the “sweat of his brow,” and his attitude was likely, “Look what I have done.” Much like King Nebuchadnezzar in the Book of Daniel, Cain failed to give honor to the One who provided the strength to work the land in the first place.

Isaiah 2:11, 12

11 “The eyes of the arrogant will be humbled and human pride brought low;
the Lord alone will be exalted in that day.
12 The Lord Almighty has a day in store for all the proud and lofty,
for all that is exalted (and they will be humbled).”

Point IV: The Warning at the Door:

God’s response to Cain was not demeaning; it was a revelation. In Verse 7, God says, “If you do well, will you not be accepted?” This was an invitation to obedience. God was providing Cain an opportunity to “be real,” to search his heart, and to adjust his attitude.

The warning that followed is one that applies to us all: “Sin lies at the door. And its desire is for you, but you should rule over it.” When our countenance falls—when we feel that bitterness or anger rising—it is our responsibility to return to God and allow Him to change us.

Application: Moving Toward Maturity:

In Hebrews 5:12-13, we are warned against remaining “infants” who can only handle milk. To grow, we must learn to discern right from wrong through self-examination, prayer, and fellowship.

The Danger of Suppressed Emotions:

I grew up in a household where emotions were suppressed. If I cried, my father would say, “I’ll give you something to cry about,” and follow it with a beating. As an adult, I learned to hide my feelings so well that I eventually lost touch with them entirely. I would tell myself “it’s okay” while stuffing the anger down, only to explode later over something tiny.

I believe this may have happened to Cain. I believe Cain loved his brother, but because he masked his resentment and refused to deal with his heart before God, that suppressed emotion turned into a flash of murder and a lifetime of regret. We cannot act as if nothing is wrong for years and expect not to react when the pressure builds.

The Power of Accountability:

I have a brother in Christ (accountability partner) with whom I share my life. We don’t judge or preach; we listen and ask questions. Recently, a man interrupted me during a Bible study to turn it into his own “teaching moment.” Initially, I told my accountability partner I was fine. He pushed further, asking, “How did that make you feel?”

After sitting with it, I realized I felt annoyed and “upstaged.” By acknowledging that minor emotion, I was able to pray, ask God to take that stronghold away, and forgive my brother. This prevents “small” sins from crouching at the door and turning into “large” destruction.

Again, it seems a tiny issue, but these are the issues to catch before they compile and become an avalanche.

Conclusion: The Divine Covering:

God has always wanted to be our provider. Just as He provided Adam and Eve with animal skins to cover their nakedness, He wants to provide a covering for our hearts. This is the true freedom found in Christ: a mind and heart where we learn to love by God’s grace.

Here’s a thought; I believe Cain was a loving son and brother. Satan slowly worked his way into Cain’s life. To the point where Cain’s rage turns him into a murderer. Cain regrets this the rest of his life.

Do not allow Satan into your life.

A Practical Exercise:

I invite you to spend time in your “prayer closet” this week. Sit in total silence for a few minutes. Clear the clutter, then ask the Holy Spirit to speak. This isn’t an overnight fix; it is a process of re-sensitizing yourself to God’s voice.

After all, who wants to be Cain? We are called to a different standard:

1 John 3:11-12: “For this is the message you heard from the beginning: We should love one another. Do not be like Cain, who belonged to the evil one and murdered his brother.”

It’s time to re-sensitive our lives, through prayer, Bible study and good accountability.