1 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.)

The first offering presented by the first offspring of mankind reveals the two different kinds of people living on the face of the earth.

The first man, Cain, offered the fruits of the earth, which represent the works of the flesh, while his brother offered a sacrifice from his flock, representing the blood of atonement ordained by God.

The church of God also consists of these two kinds of people: the seed of the woman versus the seed of the serpent, the generation of Cain versus the generation of Abel.

The kind of sacrifice we offer to God points to the group we belong to. We are either in the generation of Cain or in the generation of Abel, who offered the sacrifice of righteousness.

The church of God is divided into two groups: goats and sheep. While both appear to serve God with all their hearts, the kind of sacrifice brought to the altar determines whether it will be accepted or rejected.

Our requests also reveal the group we belong to. Those who seek material things above spiritual things belong to the generation of Cain. Those who seek the things of the flesh above eternal values also belong there.

There are also two different kinds of music used to glorify God. One elevates the flesh and suppresses the spirit, while the other is centred on God and the work of salvation. Not every song draws people closer to God. Much of today’s music directs people towards self instead of Christ.

Music inspired by the flesh, though labelled as gospel, often focuses on glorifying the flesh instead of bringing souls to Christ. Such songs make many people twice the children of hell.

The gospel of prosperity belongs to the gospel of Cain. It makes people think more about the earth than heaven. It appeals to selfish desires instead of directing hearts towards eternal life.

Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. The minds of many Christians no longer focus on heaven because they have laid up their treasures on earth. The spirit of acquisition has engulfed the church and made many people earth-minded.

Spirituality is now measured by possessions instead of one’s relationship with God. Growth is measured by social status instead of growth into the stature of Christ.

This is the spirit of Cain in the church of God. It causes the names of many who claim to belong to God’s kingdom to be absent from the Book of Life. Their sacrifices, prayers, and acts of worship are rejected by God, making their worship vain before Him.

The prayers of the saints, which ought to be a sweet-smelling savour before God, have become offensive in His sight because they proceed from hearts that have not experienced the cleansing power of the blood. Such prayers become like Cain’s sacrifice.

Many prayers are centred on the flesh: “What can I get from God?” instead of “What does God want from me?”

Crusades are organised every day for one of two purposes: either to draw people to God or to draw them away from Him.

You must discover, before it is too late, which side you belong to, so that you will not be found wanting on the day of judgement, when all your service on earth is tested by fire and consumed because it has no eternal value before God.

When I see some Christians, I feel pity for them. Many believe they are serving God, yet in reality, their sacrifices have not passed beyond the ceiling of their houses, let alone ascended before the throne of God.

That is why we need to pray for our brothers and sisters in the Lord, that after all their service on earth, they will not hear the dreadful words, “I never knew you.”

God will test every person’s work by fire. Much of what is done in His service will prove to have been in vain when it is consumed in the end.

Works done in the flesh cannot meet the demands of heaven and will never be acceptable in His sight.

God wanted Cain to repent. That is why He confronted him. But Cain’s pride would not permit repentance. Instead, he ended the life of his brother in the field.

This is the difference between the children of the earth and the children of heaven. Peter repented when he realised his failure in denying the Saviour, but Judas, who represents the seed of the serpent, went and hanged himself instead of repenting.

A child of God is not above correction. It is the child whom the Father loves that He rebukes and disciplines, so that the child may bear the fruit of repentance and return to Him like the prodigal son.

Abel’s offering pointed to the sacrifice of the blood, while Cain’s offering represented the sacrifice of the flesh, the fruits of the earth.

Jesus Christ described that generation as a wicked and adulterous generation because it gave to the things of the earth the devotion that belongs to God alone.

Cain’s offering came from the ground that God had cursed. It signifies the offering of spiritual adultery, while Abel’s offering pointed to the one true God in heaven.

Wherever an offering is presented to God without the blood, it is unacceptable to Him, for the earth represents the fall of man, while the blood represents the sacrifice of the Lamb of God.

That generation was called adulterous because it focused on earthly things instead of heavenly things, making itself detestable before God.

…To be continued.

Prayer:

Let the meditation of my heart be acceptable in Your sight, O LORD, in Jesus’ name. Amen.