The account of Cain and Abel is not a mere story of sibling rivalry—it is a divine exposure of two irreconcilable ways to approach God. At stake is nothing less than the heart of the gospel: justification by faith in the blood of Christ versus the futile pursuit of righteousness by human effort. The way of Cain is not a minor error or a secondary doctrinal issue; it is a satanic opposition to God’s testimony concerning His Son, and it always results in hatred and persecution of those who are truly justified.
The Two Offerings: Faith Versus Works
Cain and Abel each brought an offering to the Lord. Cain presented the fruit of the ground—the product of his own labor, the sweat of his brow, the best he could muster from the cursed earth. This was not an innocent mistake or a naive attempt to please God. It was a deliberate rejection of God’s ordained way: the blood sacrifice that points to Christ. Abel, on the other hand, brought the firstlings of his flock and their fat—a blood offering, testifying to faith in God’s promise of redemption through the seed of the woman.
“And in process of time it came to pass, that Cain brought of the fruit of the ground an offering unto the LORD. 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: But unto Cain and to his offering he had not respect.”
(Genesis 4:3-5)
God’s response is decisive: He accepts Abel’s offering of faith and rejects Cain’s offering of works. This is not arbitrary. God will not recognize or reward any attempt to approach Him apart from the blood of Christ. The way of Cain—works-righteousness, self-effort, and religious striving—is exposed as utterly bankrupt.
The Double Fall: From Adam to Rage
Cain’s reaction to God’s rejection is telling. Instead of repentance, he is filled with anger and his countenance falls. This is the “double fall”: first, Cain is fallen in Adam; now, he falls further by resenting and rejecting God’s method of justification. His rage is not simply personal disappointment—it is enmity against God’s way and, by extension, against all who are justified by faith.
“Not as Cain, who was of that wicked one, and slew his brother. And wherefore slew he him? Because his own works were evil, and his brother’s righteous.”
(1 John 3:12)
Abel’s faith exposes Cain’s unbelief. The justified become a living rebuke to those who trust in their own righteousness. This is why the way of Cain always leads to hatred and persecution of the justified. It is not a misunderstanding; it is a willful, satanic opposition to the gospel.
The Way of Cain in the Church: A Form of Godliness Without Power
The spirit of Cain is alive and active wherever men maintain an outward profession of faith while denying the power of godliness—that is, the power of the blood to justify the ungodly. They may speak of Christ, claim to love God, and even boast of their religious devotion. Yet, when confronted with the truth that God justifies the ungodly by faith alone, their fury is unleashed. They demand more works, more evidence, more self-effort, and accuse the justified of being unclean or unsaved.
“Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.”
(2 Timothy 3:5)
“But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness.”
(Romans 4:5)
This is not a peripheral issue. To walk in the way of Cain is to reject God’s testimony concerning His Son. It is to call God a liar by refusing to believe the record He has given of Christ’s finished work.
What Is Lost If the Error Is Accepted
If the way of Cain is tolerated—if we allow works-righteousness, religious self-effort, or demands for additional evidence to stand alongside the gospel—we lose everything. Justification collapses. Inheritance is forfeited. Sonship is denied. The conscience is left uncleansed, and the church becomes a battleground where the justified are persecuted by those who masquerade as brethren but are, in truth, antichrists. The gospel is emptied of its power, and God’s testimony is trampled underfoot.
The Only Acceptable Ground: Resting in Christ’s Finished Work
To believe God’s testimony concerning His Son is to possess the witness within. Those who rest in Christ’s finished work are accepted by God, not on the basis of their own efforts, but solely on the blood of the Lamb. This is the dividing line: faith in Christ’s blood versus the way of Cain. There is no middle ground.
“He that believeth on the Son of God hath the witness in himself: he that believeth not God hath made him a liar; because he believeth not the record that God gave of his Son.”
(1 John 5:10)
Let no one deceive you: the way of Cain is not a harmless alternative. It is the spirit of antichrist, the rejection of God’s method of justification, and the root of all persecution against those who are truly justified. Stand fast in the faith. Refuse to mix the fruit of your own toil with the blood of Christ. The only offering God accepts is the one He Himself has provided—Christ crucified, received by faith alone.
