Asked and Answered

Cain and Abel, Un-Repentance Played Out

Someone asked, “What does the Bible mean when it talks about in Genesis 4, don`t allowed sin to rule over you?”

“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? And if you do not do well, sin lies at the door. And its desire [is] for you, but you should rule over it’” (Genesis 4:6-7 NKJV).

The passage in question, we will assume, is above. It probably doesn’t mean don’t allow sin to rule over you. That is only accomplished by regeneration. It is good not to be under the dominion of sin, but here the meaning is probably more on the following order.

Cain, if you do not repent; sin like a beast will consume you, and you will spend the rest of your life trying to overcome [rule over] it. This is not very obvious from the translation, but the phrase, “but you should rule over it,” is like unto the phrase used in the curse.

“To the woman He said . . . Your desire [shall be] for your husband, And he shall rule over you” (Genesis 3:16 NKJV). The meaning is the woman will always want to usurp man’s authority, and the man will always be dealing with this struggle.

In Cain’s case, sin is waiting to consume him like a wild beast. If he repents, God has said he will be accepted, but if he doesn’t repent, then God will leave him to his own destruction. Of course, we see that play out very quickly in the murder of his brother Abel. Consider the following comment by Arthur Pink in his material, Gleanings in Genesis.

To summarize our suggested interpretation of verse 7: Cain’s offering having been refused, anger filled his heart. Jehovah asks him why he is wroth, and tells him there is no just cause for his displeasure, and that if he will bring the required offering it would he accepted and Cain would then retain the rights of the firstborn. At the same time God faithfully and solemnly warns him of the consequences which will follow his refusal to bring the specified sacrifice. If his sin is not removed by an expiatory offering, it will spring upon and devour him. Cain refused to comply with Jehovah’s demands and the Divine threat was carried out. What an illustration of James 1:15! "When lust (desire, passion) hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin when it is finished (consummated), bringeth forth death." This was the precise order in Cain’s case: first—lust, anger—then, sin—lying at the door,—then, death—Abel murdered.

However, with that said, the idea that we are not to allow sin to rule over us is very appropriate. This is only accomplished by repentance from sin and turning to Christ in faith.

Cain’s sacrifice lacked faith. While the required offering may have been a blood sacrifice like Abel offered, or any first-fruits offering, we are not really told in the text, the real issue was his lack of worship. Cain’s religion was self-styled, and consequently idolatrous.

Many people try to approach God on their terms. They believe if they try to be good and go to church regularly God will accept them. However, God is very specific when He says, “God [is] Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth” (John 4:24 NKJV).

That begins by forsaking all self-righteousness and by faith trusting that Christ’s righteousness will be imputed to those who repent.

This must happen because as it is written, "There is none righteous, no, not one” (Romans 3:10 NKJV). Abel’s blood sacrifice prefigured the sacrificial blood of Christ. Christ’s sacrifice is meaningful because He is the sinless Lamb of God.

Men must lay aside their own works as filthy rags and cling to the sacrifice of Christ by faith. In turn, God promises, just as He promised Cain if he should repent, acceptance and salvation. As it is written, “...The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart (that is, the word of faith which we preach): that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. For the Scripture says, ‘Whoever believes on Him will not be put to shame’” (Romans 10:8-11 NKJV).