The Religions Of Cain And Abel
by David J. Stewart | November 2015 | Updated April 2016
1st John 3:12, “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.”
In our text passage of Scripture above, God plainly calls Cain's
grain offering “evil,” but Abel's blood offering pleased the
Lord and was called “righteous.” The reason why is because
Cain's works were self-righteousness works; but Abel's works
were that of trusting the coming Messiah, the Lamb of God, Who
would take away the sins of the world. John 1:29, “The next
day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the
Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.”
As the Lamb of God, Jesus died on the cross as our sacrifice; but He raised up three days later from the dead, as our intercessory High Priest. Romans 8:34, “Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us.” Hebrews 4:15, “For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.” Thank God for the precious Lamb of God, Who has become our High Priest.
The disciples asked Jesus in John 6:28-29 what “works” were required to enter into Heaven. John 6:28-29, “Then said they unto him, What shall we do, that we might work the works of God? Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent.” Carefully notice their question to Jesus: “What shall we do?” “WE” cannot do anything, except to “DO THE WORK OF GOD,” which is to BELIEVE on the name of the Lord Jesus Christ; Who died on then cross for our sins, was buried, and raised up bodily from the dead three days later (1st Corinthians 15:1-4). Cain was not trying to please God in his own self-righteousness; but rather, he was trusting God to save him based upon the blood-sacrifice of the coming Savior. ...
Genesis 4:1-5, “And Adam knew Eve his wife; and she conceived, and bare Cain, and said, I have gotten a man from the LORD. And she again bare his brother Abel. And Abel was a keeper of sheep, but Cain was a tiller of the ground. And in process of time it came to pass, that Cain brought of the fruit of the ground an offering unto the LORD. 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: But unto Cain and to his offering he had not respect. And Cain was very wroth, and his countenance fell.”
In sharp contrast to Abel, Cain was trying to be saved by trying to please God, which is self-righteousness. Clearly, Cain had no faith in the coming Messiah, which is true of most people in the world today. In a study done over a decade ago, Dr. David Barrett (editor of World Christian Encyclopedia), discovered that there are at least 9,900 different religions in the world. ...
The only serious reference work in existence that attempts both to survey and to analyze the present religious make-up of the entire world is the World Christian Encyclopedia. Its mover and long-time editor, David B. Barrett, recently observed that 9,900 religions have been identified in the world and that this number is increasing by two or three new religions every day. “It's massive, it's complex, and it's continual...new religious movements (long derided and persecuted as cults) are not just a curiosity,...they are a very serious subject.”
SOURCE: Religion Is Not Withering Away; by Richard Layton, November 2002
Yet,
amidst these estimated 9,900 religions in the world, you can
break them all down into just two categories: Cain and Abel. Salvation is not doing your best, it is
having Christ's best put to your account through
receiving Him by faith. God will not save anyone who is trying to
be saved, He will only save those who are trusting to be saved. Abel
was trusting to be saved; but Cain was trying to
be saved.
As an example: Roman Catholics are making the same grave mistake as Cain, falsely thinking that God can be impressed by sacrament keeping, water baptism, partaking of the Eucharist, good works, chanting recited prayers, bowing to statues, et cetera. None of that impresses God! My friend, you need to be like Abel, who with childlike faith, believed the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Abel (Cain's younger brother) took one of his sheep, killed it and shed it's blood, as an offering to God. This demonstrated Abel's faith in the coming Savior. Hebrews 12:24, “And to Jesus the mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling, that speaketh better things than that of Abel.” Don't miss this truth taught in Hebrews 12:24. It wasn't the SHEDDING of Christ's blood on the cross that saves us; but rather, it was the SPRINKLING of Jesus' blood upon the Mercy Seat in Heaven, in the Holy Place, in the presence of God the Father (Hebrews 9:12, 24). The blood had to be applied. It's Not The Shedding Of Jesus' Blood That Saves, But The 'SPRINKLING' Of That Shed Blood.
When the 10th plague was about to be unleashed upon Egypt in Moses' day, the Lord instructed Moses to have the Israelites kill a young, male, lamb, without blemish (which pictured Jesus Christ). It wasn't enough to kill the lamb and let it bleed. God specifically instructed the Hebrews to take the blood of the slain lamb, and apply it to the door side-posts and doorplate (lintel) above the door of their home. God said in Exodus 12:13, “And the blood shall be to you for a token upon the houses where ye are: and when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and the plague shall not be upon you to destroy you, when I smite the land of Egypt.” Let me ask you friend, when God passes over your sins, will He see the blood of the Lamb? If not, you're going to Hell forever!
1st Peter 1:18-21, “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; But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot: Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you, Who by him do believe in God, that raised him up from the dead, and gave him glory; that your faith and hope might be in God.”
There are only two types of religions: DO and DONE. You either believe that you must DO something to be saved, as did foolish Cain; or else you believe that Jesus Christ has DONE it all for you through His blood, like Abel. Granted, no religion can get you into Heaven. Religion tries to fit us with glasses, but the Lord wants to open our eyes. There are nearly 10,000 known religions in the world, and not one of them can save anyone!!! Yet, the Biblical plan of salvation is taught in some churches; but false doctrines are taught in others, which are fake churches. Scientology is a false church. Roman Catholicism is a false church. Churches of Christ are a false church. Lutheranism is a false church. Universalist Unitarianism is a false church. Seventh-day Adventism is a false church. I'm an Independent Fundamental Baptist, but there are Baptist churches that I wouldn't send a dog to!
Each church has a different
atmosphere. I look for the presence of the Holy Spirit, and if
He's not there, leave! If you're saved, then you have the Holy
Spirit indwelling you (Romans 8:9; 1st Corinthians 3:16-17; 1st
John 3:24). If you've ever been in a Catholic church service
(called “mass”), then you know the empty and lonely feeling. All
their prayers are memorized chants. There's no Bibles in the
pews. There's always statues and images of Mary in the
auditorium. Usually you'll see
The Image Of Divine Mercy, which is a satanic painting,
featuring a freakish looking Jesus with an Illuminati pyramid
displayed as a light prism. The Holy Spirit is not present.
Satan Has Crept Into Many Churches
Most tragic is that many Baptist churches tolerate both religions of: Cain and Abel. The heresy of Lordship Salvation is the religion of Cain, adding personal behavior to faith alone. Proponents of the Lordship Salvation heresy say if you don't intend to cease from sinful living that you're not ready to be saved, or you're not saved. That is a doctrine of devils! Eternal life is a gift, which cannot be merited nor earned (Romans 6:23; Ephesians 2:8-10). So to require a person to clean-up their life of sinful behavior, and call it “repentance,” is gross theological incompetence. Biblical repentance is the realization that you are a guilty sinner in the eyes of a holy God, which compels a man to believe the Gospel. Repentance and faith happen simultaneously, and they are inseparable. You don't repent and then believe. If you admit that you are a guilty sinner in God's eyes and believe the Gospel, you are saved!
This is why the words “believe” and “believed” are mentioned 85 times in the Book of John, but the word “repent” is never mentioned even once. The man who believes has repented, and the man who repents has believed. If not, then it's not Biblical salvation, and you're not born-again. Lordship Salvation separates repentance from faith, requiring a person to repent (change their life) before they can put their faith in Christ. That's incorrect. Repent means “a change of mind,” not “a change of life.”
Also, beware of the hundreds of perverted modern English Bible versions who corrupt the Word of God for money, changing the meaning of repentance as “a change of mind,” to repentance as “a change of heart and life” (See “Easy-To-Read Version,” aka, ERV).
Please don't misunderstand, repentance and faith are not the same thing, although they do happen at the same time. Repentance is the acknowledgment of my sinnership in the eyes of a holy God. Faith is trusting upon the name of Jesus Christ, Who died on the cross for our sins, was buried, and bodily raised-up the third day. Repentance is necessary for salvation. Without repentance, no man would ever come to Christ to be saved (John 3:20). And no man has ever sincerely come to Christ to be saved, who didn't repent. The big problem is that the Devil has redefined many theological terms to confuse the churches.
Seventh-day Adventists deceitfully redefine the word “faith.” So when they boast of believing that salvation is by God's grace alone through faith alone, they don't really mean what it sounds like. The truth is that SDA views “faith” as fulfilling all the obligations of the Christian life without ever being born-again. They consider that salvation. Don't believe it? Read my article, Seventh-day Adventism Teaches Another Gospel. Like Mormons and Scientologists, Seventh-day Adventists hide their core beliefs at the beginning to new members, but then later on roll out their bizarre and cultic doctrines. These are the religions of Cain!
Many Pastors are in denial,
tolerating the heresy of Lordship Salvation, and promoting the
false prophets who teach Lordship Salvation (i.e., Paul Washer,
John MacArthur, Ray Comfort, John Piper, Rick Warren, Billy
Graham, Franklin Graham, Max Lucado, et cetera). The reason why
is simple—the love of money! Sadly, most evangelical Christian
leaders are at ease on Zion and don't care about the truth as
much as they do financial security. That is the main reason why
America's churches are in shambles! When you've got nothing to
lose, you can say what needs to be said, like Evangelist “BILLY”
Sunday did! The average pastor is afraid of unemployment, and so
he carefully dips-his-sails, trims his messages, and refrains
from offending those who need to be offended about sin and
heresy in the church. Consequently, heresy has crept into the
churches, so that many of them aren't even Biblical churches
anymore, Lordship Salvation is NOT the Gospel; therefore, such
religious groups are NOT churches. Just in case you didn't know,
Seventh-day Adventists,
Jehovah's Witnesses and
Mormons teach Lordship Salvation. How's your Baptist pastor
doing?
Cain Tried to Please God, But Abel Believed the Gospel
The Biblical account of Cain and Abel so plainly lays out the truth for all mankind to view. Cain offered the best of his works to God, and the Lord rejected it. Cain had worked long days in his fields growing crops. Cain sowed the seeds, tilled the soil, and harvested his crops when the time came. Cain selected and prepared the best of his crops, and then brought them before the Lord as an offering. God rejected all of it! We see this truth beared out in Matthew 7:21-23, by a religious group of people who did “many wonderful works” in Jesus' name, and “prophesied” (preached) in Jesus' name, calling Him “Lord, Lord” (there's your Lordship Salvation); but they were unsaved, unto whom the Lord said, “I NEVER KNEW YOU: DEPART FROM ME, YE THAT WORK INIQUITY!”
In sharp contrast, Abel was a sheep herder. Abel took a lamb, no doubt the best-of-the-best, with no blemish, a young male lamb, which he killed and shed its blood, offering it unto the Lord. God gladly accepted Abel's sacrifice, which demonstrated his faith in the coming Messiah (Jesus) millenniums later. Jesus was sent into the world by God the Father, to be offered up on the cross as a sacrifice for the sins of the world. Jesus bled and died on the cross for everyone's sins. The Lord gladly went to the cross, for the joy that was set before Him, knowing that salvation would be made available to all humanity once His work of redemption was complete. What a wonderful Savior!!!
It is difficult for many people to understand what is wrong with religion. Cain tried to please God by bringing an offering, which was the best he had to offer the Lord. Cain failed to understand that only by faith can God be pleased (Hebrews 11:6).
So many churchgoers these days have been deceived by the Devil, living the Christian life without ever having been born-again. That's what Seventh-day Adventism is all about. That's what the Jehovah's Witnesses are all about. That's what Roman Catholicism is all about. And sadly, that's what Southern Baptists are becoming. For an excellent book on the subject please read, “I NEVER KNEW YOU” (.pdf file) by Michael Bowen. Also, an awesome MP3 sermon on the subject is “HOW PERMANENT IS YOUR SALVATION?” by Dr. Hank Lindstrom. The religion of Abel is simple faith in the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. I hope that describes your faith. END
“Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering;
(for he is faithful that promised)” —Hebrews 10:23
