Sin's Costly Consequences

Gen. 4:6-7 "Then the LORD said to Cain, "Why are you angry? Why is your face downcast? If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must master it."

God reminds Cain that if you would have done what was was right - what you knew to do, you wouldn’t be angry and downcast. But if you do not what is right, sin is coming after you. But does Cain learn from this? No, he doesn't. Undoubtedly, if he would have, he wouldn't have committed the first murder on the earth.

10-13 "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."

Cain did not learn anything, did he? Again, he does not do what is right and he is feeling sorry for hiself as he deals with the consequences of his sin. I suggest to you that Cain's self-pity and resentment over his unaccepted sacrifice led to his murder of his brother and for a Cain a more unbearable punishment. As God said, Sin was crouching at the door.

If Cain would have humbled himself and confessed his sin regarding the sacrifice, the murder of Abel would not have happened. Cain's mistake is often repeated in our world today. It is imperative that when we sin against God we are broken and repentant. When we are not, Satan is setting his trap for even a bigger fall to come with even greater consequences.

-Pastor Randy