The ways and the spirit of Cain are still in our world.
The first man God created in this world was the father of the first murderer in this world. Did this abort God’s original plan and purpose for this world? Not in any way! Because we are created (Genesis 1:27) in God’s image we must have at least some of God’s characteristics. One of these is a free will choice. Our will is not to the limitless extent of God’s will. Our will is limited under the authority of God’s overall Sovereignty. God never withdraws (Romans 11:29) or takes back anything He has given us. His gifts are irrevocable. Also, God never changes His plans and purposes for those gifts. We have an excellent illustration from Israel of how willful disobedience and every sin including idolatry, can never cancel out the Lord’s original plan and purpose no matter how long it is delayed. The Jewish nation was chosen by God to exalt Him and make His Name and power known to the nations of the world. But Israel (Judges 11:6) turned away from the True God and turned to idolatry. So, then Israel was cut off from the olive tree and (Romans 11:17) a wild branch, the Church of Gentiles, was grafted in, in order to preach the Gospel to all nations including Israel. To-day many churches and people (Pastor McBride) have a distorted view of God so they work hard (Matthew 25:24-25) to bury God’s wealth and hide the Truth and freedom of the Gospel from lost people. After the Rapture (1 Thessalonians 4:16) of the Church there will be no Christians left in the world. Then during the Great Tribulation, there will come from the 12 tribes of restored, regrafted-in Israel, 144,000 Jewish witnesses (Revelation 7:3-4) who will spread the Gospel of the Kingdom throughout the whole world. Exactly what God intended from the beginning. Together with Israel, believers from (Revelation 5:9) every tribe and nation will be the population of the world when Jesus establishes His eternal kingdom on earth.
As I was having lunch to-day this thought came to me. Every person on earth, including atheists and those who worship the false gods of false religions, sustain life by eating the wide variety of foods which God has created, with little or no thought about its origin. Sadly many, if not most ignore the Creator and reject the Truth that the Creator is also both God and Saviour. To these also we are debtors.
We have to be alert and sober minded because (1Peter 5:8) our adversary, the devil, prowls about – not on a scenic tour but actively looking for someone to devour. Satan will deceitfully use Scripture and twist its meaning to deceive us into the bondage of legalism and false feelings of guilt. We can choose (2 Timothy 2:15) to study God’s Word and to discern its illuminating Truth and be (John 8:32) free indeed from Satan’s wicked strategies and free to obey the Lord. The Holy Spirit is our Teacher. So read your Bible in loving companionship with Him.
(Oswald Chambers) “Naturally if a man doesn’t hit back, it is because he is a coward; but, spiritually (Matthew 5:39) if he does not hit back it is the manifestation of the Son of God in him. When you are insulted you do not only resent it but make it an occasion of revealing the incredible sweetness of the Lord Jesus. If I insist on my rights, I hurt the Son of God or I can prevent Jesus from being hurt by taking the blow myself”. What a priceless and holy privilege for us that the incredible sweetness of Jesus can be revealed in and through us.
My prayer for myself is that the fragrance of the sweetness of Jesus, the beauty of His love and the compassion of His heart will be reproduced in me by the Holy Spirit and outflow from me in love and blessing to others. Nothing contrived or manipulated - - just Jesus being Himself in me. We are privileged and obligated debtors (Galatians 1:15-16) to Jesus Christ to live the life which His death made possible. It is (Romans 1:14) a debt we owe to Jesus to make the Gospel known in our world.
Even Christians can still side with Cain because of greed and envy and the deadly sin of hatred which is equal to (1 John 3:15) murder in God’s sight. We have an adversary who knows our weak points and how to tempt us. None of us can live the Christian life (Philippians 2:13) in our own strength because the Christian life is the Life of Jesus. If Jesus is not living His Life in me, then the life I am living is not the Christian life. No matter how it looks, it is a bad and worthless counterfeit. As I abide in Jesus, He abides in me and lives His Life in and through me by the (Romans 8:2) power of the Holy Spirit Who is the Spirit of the Life that is in Christ Jesus. Cain still murders Abel – the ways and the spirit of Cain are still in the world trying to kill off everyone and everything that is righteous and holy and standing by godly principles.
The Jewish nation chose Barabbas and rejected Jesus because they wanted a king who would immediately deliver them from Rome, but in no way interfere with their lives. They wanted blessings but rejected holiness. This wicked world still chooses sinful Barabbas and utterly rejects Jesus and his disciples. We must recognize the reality of God’s will behind everything and rest confidently in His overall sovereignty. The darker the world, the brighter the Light shines (Psalms 119:105) on our homeward path. They will all pass away into (Jude 13) the gloom and blackness of darkness forever. But we will shine with the (Jude 24) reflected glory of God in heaven with Jesus forever. While we are still here on earth – remember – because our loving, eternal Lord had no beginning and will never have an ending, we now live in the wondrous mystery and limitless scope of the Perpetual NOW of Almighty God. Every day I prove by experience that God knows best, that His way is the right way, the best way, the only profitable way and my faith continues to grow. When my prayer requests are according to God’s will, my every request will always become a reality.
If Jesus Christ our Saviour is not Lord of all - - He is not Lord at all. I bow (John 13:13) in glad submission to the Lord Jesus as the Master of my life and every detail of my life, and I find that my attitude is always to obey Him. I have no other desire. I have nothing to worry about or be upset about in the sweet intimacy of adoring Jesus. I can honestly say that I am more thrilled with Jesus every day.