After the fall of Adam and Eve, their first two boys were born, who turned out to be widely different in character, in practice, and ultimately, in destinies. Cain, who was first, introduced a subjective religion, and he stands at the head of every deviation, from a thus saith The Lord. But Abel who came after was of an entirely different character, for he chose to serve God objectively, meaning that his will, his way, and his ideas and opinions gave deference to whatever God said, and required.
Thus, the various forms of religion today are divided into only two groups, those who serve, and worship God objectively, and those who attempt to worship Him subjectively. However, for the purposes of this Bible study, we will focus primarily on Cain’s brand of religion, since it is by far the most prolific existing today, and which God is seeking to rescue earth’s inhabitants from.
The religion of Cain has at least three fundamental principles, and elements at its core, which must be exposed, and understood for what they are.
[1] Self-righteousness.
The doctrine, and the practice of self-righteousness began with Cain, who contrary to what many folks believe, was quite a religious person. Cain built an altar, he believed in bringing offerings to God, and he showed up for worship service on time, just like his brother Abel.
But there was only one problem, he attempted to serve God according to his own opinions, and as a result, he rendered only partial obedience. When we deliberately omit, or overlook, or disregard any one of God’s requirements in particular, then we are following in the footsteps of Cain, and any deliberate, partial obedience, is equivalent to total disobedience in God’s sight.
King Saul, Judas, and most of the Hebrews rendered partial obedience deliberately, and most will be lost eternally. Similarly, in our day, there are millions of Christians who vouch for placing in public areas, the Ten commandments, while at the same time some are found to be disregarding some portion of the decalogue. A person who speaks the truth, who is faithful to his/ her one spouse, but who indulges in covetousness will be lost forever just like Bin Laden, if they do not repent. In fact, God prefers that we obey Him in entirety, but if not, He prefers total disobedience. In other words, to straddle both sides of the fence is particularly displeasing to Him. Let’s read:
Revelation 3:14 And unto the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write; These things saith the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God;
15 I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot.
16 So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth.
1st Corinthians 10:1Moreover, brethren, I would not that ye should be ignorant, how that all our fathers were under the cloud, and all passed through the sea;
2 And were all baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea;
3 And did all eat the same spiritual meat;
4 And did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ.
5 But with many of them God was not well pleased: for they were overthrown in the wilderness.
Whoever attempts to be righteous, outside of the parameters God has ordained, will find himself, or herself destitute of God’s grace, if repentance isn’t done, for our own goodness, and our sincerity will never atone for conscientious obedience to God’s revealed will. In fact, being zealous, and devout, or being religious does not automatically translate into being righteous, because righteousness cannot, and does not originate with fallen man. Thus, whenever we deliberately omit any stipulation God has given, whilst at the same time we obey others, then the syndrome of self-righteousness becomes evident. Let’s read:
James 2:10 For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all.
11 For he that said, Do not commit adultery, said also, Do not kill. Now if thou commit no adultery, yet if thou kill, thou art become a transgressor of the law.
12 So speak ye, and so do, as they that shall be judged by the law of liberty.
Matthew 15:8 This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoreth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me.
9 But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.
This leads us to the second undergirding principle involved in Cain’s worship:
[2] Substitution.
All false religions have substitution of God’s will as a core element. This substitution may be paraded in sincerity, and the worshipers may feel, that having given God what they think is their very best, then He ought to accept it.
Substitutes may come in the form of doctrines, or in the form of preachers who may specialize in smooth things, or in the form of a substitute day of rest, and in the form of counterfeit principles for living. But one thing is certain, substitution will be found to be a core principle, around which any false religion will revolve. This is what constitutes one of the primary problems with the contemporary Christianity of our day, because the principle of substitution is to be observed throughout the ranks of many Christian churches, ministries, and organizations.
When the two brothers came with their offerings to God, Abel brought a lamb, in harmony with what God had specified, but Cain came with the fruit of the ground, something which God had not required nor ordained, and the rest is history, because the Bible states that God had no respect unto Cain’s offering. Similarly, if we bring “Fruit”, instead of a lamb, The Lord cannot accept it, even if it is organic. And if we bring Sunday, instead of Saturday, God cannot accept it, for it is not aligned with His will, nor His specification. Let’s read:
Genesis 4:3 And in process of time it came to pass, that Cain brought of the fruit of the ground an offering unto the Lord.
4 And Abel, he also brought of the firstlings of his flock and of the fat thereof. And the Lord had respect unto Abel and to his offering:
5 But unto Cain and to his offering he had not respect. And Cain was very wroth, and his countenance fell.
Exodus 20:8 Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy.
9 Six days shalt thou labor, and do all thy work:
10 But the seventh day is the sabbath of the Lord thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates:
11 For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the Lord blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it.
This second point is of critical importance to fellow earthlings, especially as we are already in an era of unprecedented disasters, as predicted by Christ in the gospels, and by the prophets, throughout the old, and new testaments. If we expect God to have “Respect” unto our prayers, and offerings, we can’t not be found deliberately trampling upon one of His precepts, for by so doing, our supplications, and our prayers are rendered null, and void. This is the very inconvenient truth shining in a dark place, and one which will be discovered all too late. Let’s read:
Psalms 66:18 If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me.
Proverbs 1:24 Because I have called, and ye refused; I have stretched out my hand and no man regarded.
25 But ye have set at naught all my counsel, and would none of my reproof:
27 When your fear cometh as desolation, and your destruction cometh as a whirlwind; when distress and anguish cometh upon you.
28 Then shall they call upon me, but I will not answer; they shall seek me early, but they shall not find me:
29 For that they hated knowledge, and did not choose the fear of the Lord:
30 They would none of my counsel: they despised all my reproof.
33 But whoso hearkeneth unto me shall dwell safely, and shall be quiet from fear of evil.
Last, but not least, is the third principle, which is always the result of indulging the two former ones.
[3] The use of force.
Whenever, and wherever, true and false religions exist side by side, the latter will ultimately turn on the true sooner or later, because the truth becomes an annoyance, to those who are averse to Christ’s righteousness. The disposition to eliminate those who are following truth and duty, is the inevitable outflowing from the first great rebel.
Abel was not interfering with Cain’s worship, for he acknowledged his brother’s freedom to choose. But Cain, on the other hand was not so disposed, for he interpreted Abel’s obedience as a constant reproof of his own evil doings. Therefore, he saw that the only way to quiet his disturbed conscience, was to resort to the use of force, by killing his own brother. The first murder on planet earth took place over the issue of worship, and the very last murder to take place will also be over worship. Let’s read:
Genesis 4:3 And in process of time it came to pass, that Cain brought of the fruit of the ground an offering unto the Lord.
4 And Abel, he also brought of the firstlings of his flock and of the fat thereof. And the Lord had respect unto Abel and to his offering:
5 But unto Cain and to his offering he had not respect. And Cain was very wroth, and his countenance fell.
6 And the Lord said unto Cain, Why art thou wroth? and why is thy countenance fallen?
7 If thou doest well, shalt thou not be accepted? and if thou doest not well, sin lieth at the door.
8 And Cain talked with Abel his brother: and it came to pass, when they were in the field, that Cain rose up against Abel his brother, and slew him.
9 And the Lord said unto Cain, Where is Abel thy brother? And he said, I know not: Am I my brother's keeper?
Revelation 13:12 And he exerciseth all the power of the first beast before him, and causeth the earth and them which dwell therein to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed.
15 And he had power to give life unto the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak, and cause that as many as would not worship the image of the beast should be killed.
16 And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads:
17 And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name.
18 Here is wisdom. Let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast: for it is the number of a man; and his number is Six hundred threescore and six.
Thus, we are constrained to turn to the scriptures, to understand one of the fundamentals principles of our relationship with God. Any relationship with The Lord can only occur on His terms, not ours. In other words, God stipulates the parameters, and we either choose to agree, or renege, as the case might be. When we rebel deliberately, we often forfeit His protection, and our choices can, and will produce a level of collateral damage.
The city of Jericho is about to be taken by the army of The Lord’s hosts, but before this occurs, specific commands and instructions are given to govern the actions of the people, both before, and after the unusual conquest. Now, it’s of critical importance for every particular to be followed exactly as God has instructed. Thus, because God teaches us by repetition, we will choose an unusual text to begin the narrative. Let’s read:
Exodus 20:8 Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy.
9 Six days shalt thou labor, and do all thy work:
10 But the seventh day is the sabbath of the Lord
thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates:
11 For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the Lord blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it.
God does not leave the “Remembering” up to us, who are so prone to forget, so at every opportunity, He seeks to remind us of the sacred day. Thus, His instructions to us are tailormade, coupled together with significant experiences that will be etched into our memory. The following passages also include the inevitable results of explicit obedience to God’s will, as well as the dire effects of partial obedience, as both were manifested in Achan. Let’s read:
Joshua 6: Now Jericho was straitly shut up because of the children of Israel: none went out, and none came in.
2 And the Lord said unto Joshua, See, I have given into thine hand Jericho, and the king thereof, and the mighty men of valor.
3 And ye shall compass the city, all ye men of war, and go round about the city once. Thus shalt thou do six days.
4 And seven priests shall bear before the ark seven trumpets of rams' horns: and the seventh day ye shall compass the city seven times, and the priests shall blow with the trumpets.
5 And it shall come to pass, that when they make a long blast with the ram's horn, and when ye hear the sound of the trumpet, all the people shall shout with a great shout; and the wall of the city shall fall down flat, and the people shall ascend up every man straight before him.
6 And Joshua the son of Nun called the priests, and said unto them, Take up the ark of the covenant,
and let seven priests bear seven trumpets of rams' horns before the ark of the Lord.
8 And it came to pass, when Joshua had spoken unto the people, that the seven priests bearing the seven trumpets of rams' horns passed on before the Lord, and blew with the trumpets: and the ark of the covenant of the Lord followed them.
10 And Joshua had commanded the people, saying, Ye shall not shout, nor make any noise with your voice, neither shall any word proceed out of your mouth, until the day I bid you shout; then shall ye shout.
11 So the ark of the Lord compassed the city, going about it once: and they came into the camp, and lodged in the camp.
13 And seven priests bearing seven trumpets of rams' horns before the ark of the Lord went on continually, and blew with the trumpets: and the armed men went before them; but the rearward came after the ark of the Lord, the priests going on, and blowing with the trumpets.
14 And the second day they compassed the city once, and returned into the camp: so they did six days.
15 And it came to pass on the seventh day, that they rose early about the dawning of the day, and compassed the city after the same manner seven times: only on that day they compassed the city seven times.
16 And it came to pass at the seventh time, when the priests blew with the trumpets, Joshua said unto the people, Shout; for the Lord hath given you the city.
18 And ye, in any wise keep yourselves from the accursed thing, lest ye make yourselves accursed, when ye take of the accursed thing, and make the camp of Israel a curse, and trouble it.
So far so good, for Achan, together with the rest of the Hebrews had followed God’s commandments explicitly, and the inevitable results could only be success, and victory. But after such a mountaintop experience, Achan descended into the valley of sin by rendering partial obedience, which resulted in collateral damage through the loss of life, in 36 men who had nothing to do with his sin, and in the loss of his entire family, who had collaborated to some extent in the plot. Let’s read:
Joshua 7:1 But the children of Israel committed a trespass in the accursed thing: for Achan, the son of Carmi, the son of Zabdi, the son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah, took of the accursed thing: and the anger of the Lord was kindled against the children of Israel.
2 And Joshua sent men from Jericho to Ai, which is beside Bethaven, on the east of Bethel, and spake unto them, saying, Go up and view the country. And the men went up and viewed Ai.
3 And they returned to Joshua, and said unto him, Let not all the people go up; but let about two or three thousand men go up and smite Ai; and make not all the people to labor thither; for they are but few.
4 So there went up thither of the people about three thousand men: and they fled before the men of Ai.
5 And the men of Ai smote of them about thirty and six men: for they chased them from before the gate even unto Shebarim, and smote them in the going down: wherefore the hearts of the people melted, and became as water.
6 And Joshua rent his clothes, and fell to the earth upon his face before the ark of the Lord until the eventide, he and the elders of Israel, and put dust upon their heads.
7 And Joshua said, Alas, O Lord God, wherefore hast thou at all brought this people over Jordan, to deliver us into the hand of the Amorites, to destroy us? would to God we had been content, and dwelt on the other side Jordan!
8 O Lord, what shall I say, when Israel turneth their backs before their enemies!
9 For the Canaanites and all the inhabitants of the land shall hear of it, and shall environ us round, and cut off our name from the earth: and what wilt thou do unto thy great name?
10 And the Lord said unto Joshua, Get thee up; wherefore liest thou thus upon thy face?
11 Israel hath sinned, and they have also transgressed my covenant which I commanded them: for they have even taken of the accursed thing, and have also stolen, and dissembled also, and they have put it even among their own stuff.
12 Therefore the children of Israel could not stand before their enemies, but turned their backs before their enemies, because they were accursed: neither will I be with you any more, except ye destroy the accursed from among you.
In our day, there is also an “Accursed thing” in our midst, which is causing the multitudes to render a partial obedience, and which, as in Achan’s case, will result in catastrophic loss of life. The Sabbath day, the 7th day of the week, is now trampled upon by most of earth’s inhabitants, and instead, a man-made blessing has been pronounced upon the first.
And even though many sincere Christians have been taught by their spiritual, and political leaders that it is right to revere, and honor Sunday, yet that day of rest is representative of the “fruit” which Cain first brought to worship God, and just as in Cain’s case, The Lord will never have any respect unto such an offering, even if it is organic!
Thus, in closing, The God of heaven is appealing to our consciences, for us to choose right over wrong, good over evil, and righteousness over sin, while we still have opportunity to do so, for what took place in Texas is just the tip of the iceberg, according to the Bible. Let’s read:
Luke 21:25 And there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity; the sea and the waves roaring;
26 Men's hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth: for the powers of heaven shall be shaken.
27 And then shall they see the Son of man coming in a cloud with power and great glory.
28 And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh.
34 And take heed to yourselves, lest at any time your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting, and drunkenness, and cares of this life, and so that day come upon you unawares.
35 For as a snare shall it come on all them that dwell on the face of the whole earth.
36 Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man.
2nd Chronicles 7:14 If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.
15 Now mine eyes shall be open, and mine ears attent unto the prayer that is made in this place.
He who has ears to hear, let him hear what The Spirit of God is saying to the churches.
God bless!