Since doing the study on Genesis chapter 4 the Lord has been showing me something. Cain is like a person who is relying on “works” for salvation, and Abel is like a person who is relying on faith. That’s kind of an obvious message, but I want to explore it a little more.

Genesis 4: 2-8
² And she again bare his brother Abel. And Abel was a keeper of sheep, but Cain was a tiller of the ground.

³ And in process of time it came to pass, that Cain brought of the fruit of the ground an offering unto the Lord.

⁴ And Abel, he also brought of the firstlings of his flock and of the fat thereof. And the Lord had respect unto Abel and to his offering:

⁵ But unto Cain and to his offering he had not respect. And Cain was very wroth, and his countenance fell.

⁶ And the Lord said unto Cain, Why art thou wroth? and why is thy countenance fallen?

⁷ If thou doest well, shalt thou not be accepted? and if thou doest not well, sin lieth at the door. And unto thee shall be his desire, and thou shalt rule over him.

⁸ And Cain talked with Abel his brother: and it came to pass, when they were in the field, that Cain rose up against Abel his brother, and slew him.

Both brothers were working for the Lord. The difference between them was that one was doing it out of obligation and the other out of love for the Lord.

At Christmas, there are 2 types of gifts I buy. One kind is a gift that says Merry Christmas, I’m thinking of you warmly….. and the other one says I love you so much I paid attention to the things you were wishing for all year long and went out to find those things for you because I really want to be a blessing to you……you mean so much to me.
The first gift is one of obligation, and the second one is from a loving commitment.
You can bet I put way more effort and money into the second gift than the first… in fact, the first gift is sometimes a gift card.
Of the gifts I’ve received myself at Christmas, the ones I remember are the ones people have gotten with me in mind….in their own attempt to bless me. They were listening to me when I wished for things all year long…they remembered and took their time and energy to go out and get those things for me.
The gift that is given out of obligation is like Cain’s gift… it’s works. The gift given from the point of a loving commitment is like Abel’s gift…it’s faith and love.

Cain is a kind of model for the churchgoer who has no real commitment to God… they know about God… they believe in God…. they go through the same motions as a person who is committed, but their heart isn’t in it. They also can’t see that they are different from those that are committed from their hearts. The Cain type person places value on the flesh… they see things in the flesh and are blinded to the things of the spirit. Abel is a model for the born again believer who has a real relationship with God. They are inspired to serve God out of love and a desire to bless God.
Both types have works… both do “good” things for the Lord.

Matthew 7:21-23
²¹ Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.²² Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?²³ And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.

The Cain type does good works to gain salvation.
The Abel type does good works because they have salvation.
Both of them gave gift offerings.
We are not saved by works… but works are the by-product of our salvation. The difference is in the heart of the person. I know there are those who claim to know Jesus as their savior, but their lives don’t bare witness to that fact…. they will also say they are saved because they received Jesus and aren’t required to do any kind of work since they are saved by grace. Here is the thing though, when you really are saved by grace…. you will work, because, you’ll want to. If your born again experience didn’t change you in that way, then you weren’t born again. When the light and life of Jesus comes to live in your heart, you are changed… the desires of your heart will align themselves with Jesus and Jesus will be living through you…. and JESUS IS A WORKER. So if your walk with Jesus has no fruit, you might want to check yourself against the word of God. The works don’t produce salvation, salvation produces the works.

Cain didn’t know the difference, so when he offered his gift to God and Abel offered his to God, and only Abel’s was respected, Cain was angry. He could not see the difference between the two gifts…. he allowed feelings of rejection and jealousy to creep in instead of reflecting inwardly as to why his was rejected, he looked outwardly at Abel and God. Look at the response he gave to God when God asked him where Abel was…. he basically said, “I don’t know, it’s not my job to watch him.”

God told Cain before he murdered Abel that if he had done things correctly in offering his gift, then his gift would have been accepted the same as Abel’s.
John 4:23 ²³ But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him.
Cain was relating to God in the flesh and could not understand the difference between his relationship with God and Abel’s relationship with God.
Cain was religious
Abel was a child of God (today he would be a Christian)

Churches deal with this type of thing today. A position will come open, and two people are up for the placement, the Pastor will (hopefully) chose the one who is a Spirit filled Christian… leaving the religious person who was also in line for the position to feel angry. Next thing you know, the religious person who lost out to the Christian is trying to undermine the work they are doing. While the Spirit Filled Christian understands that God is in control and his way is best, the one who is religious doesn’t understand the things of the spirit… they walk only in the flesh.