COTR CG Leaders Week 8 Devotional

Devotional #8 COTR Small group leaders Jan. 27, 2019

Aren't you exceedingly glad that our God MAJORS in "Do-overs"?!

When we last heard from Cain in Genesis 4, he was spurning God's offer of grace and forgiveness. His life

trajectory then took a decidedly negative and ungodly turn. In choosing not to repent of anger, bitterness,

and covetousness, Cain not only spurned God's offer of forgiveness and saving grace for himself, but he

established a legacy of unbelief in his descendants.

TALK ABOUT A GUY IN DESPERATE NEED OF A "DO-OVER" with GOD!

Cain's story didn't need to end with Cain establishing his legacy as the "FIRST" human hardened and

embittered by sin! God was ready and willing to meet Cain in his sin and pain. Cain would not yield. So, sin and death reigned. What purpose did Cain's life serve and what SHOULD we learn? Before we head into Genesis 5-6, I believe we need to see two contrasts in Gen. 4: God's character vs. man's nature as portrayed by Cain.

Both character profiles weave throughout the Bible's overarching theme: A sovereign, grace-filled GOD is continually desiring and seeking a relationship with sinful, stubborn people. Throughout the bible, we see that "man" is enamored with himself; we are self-driven, self-centered and self-protecting. LOTS OF SELF! In spite of this love affair with ourselves, God is continually reaching out to draw us to himself. And, unfortunately, God is frequently rejected.

WHY is God so patient with us, and why does God love us so much when we love Him so little? God loves us

because He IS love! God by His very nature defines love. We DO NOT! In contrast, to grasp what selfishness looks like, look at "man," or, in this case, Cain. Humanity has frequently rejected God's grace, and because of that decision, our inherited, human sin tendencies have continued to toxify the gene pool. Apart from God and His saving grace, we are literally "dead" on delivery!

In Genesis 4:6-7 we see God continuing to pursue Cain with grace and mercy in the form of questions-

"The Lord said to Cain, "Why are you angry, and why has your face fallen? If you do well, will you not be

accepted? And if you do not do well, sin is crouching at the door. Its desire is contrary to you, but you must

rule over it."

God is omniscient- he "knows" everything. He doesn't need to "ask" questions to be "informed." So why does

God ask Cain questions about WHY he is angry and depressed/unsettled? In asking questions about Cain's heart condition, God invites Cain to dialogue with Him. It's a relational tactic to help draw out the heart of the one you love. Well-crafted questions can help another person "see" or understand what's going on in their heart and causing the unrest.

God sees Cain in anguish and asks him questions-hoping to prompt Cain's heart to unmask its sin and to

repent and be set free by God's forgiveness. God is moving towards Cain in grace, exactly like GOD interacted with Cain's parents in the garden. Sadly, how does Cain respond? Cain dove headlong into sin- Genesis 4: 8-16

"Now Cain said to his brother Abel, "Let's go out to the field." While they were in the field, Cain attacked

his brother Abel and killed him. Then the Lord said to Cain, "Where is your brother Abel?" "I don't know," he replied. "Am I my brother's keeper?" The Lord said, "What have you done? Listen! Your brother's blood cries out to me from the ground. Now you are under a curse and driven from the ground, which opened its mouth to receive your brother's blood

from your hand. When you work the ground, it will no longer yield its crops for you. You will be a restless

wanderer on the earth."  Cain said to the Lord, "My punishment is more than I can bear. Today you are driving me from the land, and I will be hidden from your presence; I will be a restless wanderer on the earth, and whoever finds me will

kill me." But the Lord said to him, "Not so; anyone who kills Cain will suffer vengeance seven times over." Then

the Lord put a mark on Cain so that no one who found him would kill him. So Cain went out from the Lord's

presence and lived in the land of Nod, east of Eden."

When God speaks to us and tries to draw out our "real" heart motives, it can be painful. In trying to avoid pain we sometimes run and hide, or play a game of "pretend"- anything but be honest about the actual condition of our heart, mind, and soul. Cain ran away, and as he ran, he hardened. Cain hardened so much that he killed his only brother.

And as Cain continued running from God and the truth of his own heart, he grew more deranged, self-protective

and irrational. Cain rejects and spurns God's pleas in verse 7: "IF you do well, will you not be accepted?"

God's saying to Cain: I have a way out for you? Admit and "own" your sin- repent and turn back so I can heal

you! You don't have to stay stuck in this sin and turmoil! I'm paraphrasing loosely, but I think God is most definitely "FOR" Cain! God desires that Cain not be "mastered" by sin brooding in his chest. God wants to "save" Cain from sin, as well as the bondage sin brings. God is by nature A SAVIOR! God is desperately pursuing Cain to deliver him from sin and death.

Unfortunately, Cain stubbornly refused to surrender or admit his sin; so, SIN, being the "live" essence of the

EVIL ONE, took root and from sin came death. (See James 1: 13-15)

Cain boldly asserted in vs. 13-14 that GOD was " driving me from the land…" God had brought "punishment

more than I can bear"- effectively accusing GOD of being "too hard"- an assault on God's "fairness."

Not GOD, but Cain's pride, hate, and bitterness brought about his demise. Rather than admit sin, Cain blamed

God. When Cain killed Abel, he brought sin's consequences down on his head, by his hand. God did not

"cause" the results. Sin breeds harmful, hard, life-altering changes. Cain would not abide by God's diagnosis of

sin causing death and destruction in his soul, so Cain's heart hardened further, and his mind darkened.

Cain's unrepented sin crouched, sprang, and devoured his mind and heart. Sin consumed and altered him.

Cain loved sin more than he loved God. (See John 3:19) God had warned Cain in verse 6: either repent and be forgiven of sin and gain "mastery" over it, or see sin "master" you!

It reminds me of 1 Peter 5:8 that says that Satan goes about "like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may

devour." Sin is a "living" and active opponent! And so, like Cain, sin is sometimes troubling to us. If we are honest, we don't always like God's diagnosis of our "stuff" either. And, if we are not forthright about repenting of our sin, it, too, will produce hardness and blindness in our soul. God knew what Cain needed more than Cain did. Sin's stronghold COULD have been broken if Cain had himself before God. But, Cain refused to humble himself.

So often in refusing to humble ourselves at God's "wooing," God must then bring stronger measures -

sometimes even allowing humiliation to work its softening effect. Cain's character portrayal reminds me that I am no better than Cain in my human propensity to sin, BUT, I am saved and rooted in GOD's redeeming love through Jesus' shed blood! Because of Jesus' sacrifice, I don't NEED to remain "STUCK" in sin. It needn't "master" me. God's mercy and grace have met me in my sin and saved me from bondage to Satan, sin, and self. Christ's blood is the continuous, forgiving power I need to apply as I walk and face sin in my own life. The GREAT news is that we can avail ourselves of as many "DO-OVERS" as we need. God's supply of grace is abundant! It never runs out. His mercies are fresh every day! I grieve that Cain may have walked into eternity without the comfort of knowing a Holy God's love and forgiveness. Cain CHOSE to reject God's gracious offer of the ultimate "DO OVER." His spurning God's mercy has cast a very long shadow on his lineage. His legacy is dark, unloving and violent. 

Cain's story does not have to be ours, nor the story of those God calls us to pursue with the GOSPEL OF JESUS CHRIST!

May we, by God's grace, be mighty ambassadors of GOD'S ULTIMATE "DO OVERS"!

Living by his grace and for HIS GLORY!

Mary Kaye Abbott