If You Do Well, Will You Not Be Accepted?

"So the Lord said to Cain, 'Why are you angry? And why has your countenance fallen? If you do well, will you not be accepted?' " (1)

Adam and Eve had two sons, Cain and Abel. Cain became a gardener, and Abel was a shepherd. Cain and Abel made offerings to the Lord. Cain brought an offering of the fruits of his labor and Abel brought an offering of a first born lamb. The Lord accepted Abel's offering, but did not accept Cain's offering. Cain was very angry and upset because the Lord did not accept his offering. So the Lord said, "Why are you angry? -- 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 for you, but you should rule over it." (1) Cain did not get the victory over his sin and he rose up against his brother, Abel, and killed him.

Cain's sin was that he did not accept the provision that God had provided for sin offerings. Throughout the Old Testament the offering of lambs represented and prefigured the sacrifice that Jesus would make on the cross. See Genesis 22:7, 8; Exodus 12:21-23; Leviticus 4:27-33. See also, John 1:29; 1 Peter 1:18-20; and Revelation 5:12 where Jesus is referred to as the lamb slain on our behalf. Cain would rather substitute what he preferred to offer, rather than give the offering prescribed by God. By offering something other than the prescribed lamb that represented "The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world" (2), Cain disrespected God and His provision for Cain's salvation. The best that we can offer can never save us. Only what God has done for us through Jesus can save us. That's why doing what God asks us to do rather than doing what we know to be wrong is so important.

That's why Jesus appeals to us, "If you love Me, keep My commands.-- He who receives my commands and obeys them, he it is who loves me. He who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and manifest Myself to him.-- If anyone loves me, he will keep My word, and My Father will love him and We will come to him and make Our dwelling with him." (3) Jesus also gave the following advice to sinners? "Sin no more, lest a worse thing come upon you." (4)

When we accept God into our lives, we are under His protection. However, we remain under His protection to the extent that we do what is right. When we stray from doing what we know to be right we risk the consequences of our actions. When we do what is right, even our enemies will be at peace with us. (5).

1. Genesis 4:6, 7.
2. John 1:29.
3. John 14:15, 21, 23.
4. John 5:14 and 8:11.
5. Proverbs 16:7.