Cain’s hatred for Abel was not a petty rivalry—it was the inevitable reaction of the flesh to the righteousness that comes by faith. Scripture is clear: “Cain hated Abel because Abel’s deeds were righteous.” But what made Abel’s deeds righteous? It was not his effort, nor the quality of his offering, but the faith that lay beneath it—a faith in the promised Seed and the Blood. Abel’s offering was accepted, not because of ritual or merit, but because it was an act of trust in God’s testimony concerning Christ.
How did they know whose offering was accepted? The answer is not left to speculation. God Himself bore witness: fire came down and consumed Abel’s sacrifice—the firstlings of his flock, with their blood and fat. This was not mere symbolism; it was God’s public declaration that He accepts only what is offered on the basis of faith in the coming Redeemer. Genesis tells us, “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.” (Gen 4:4) The text is a summary, but the reality is weighty: Abel, the first prophet, stood on the ground of the Gospel before there was any written Scripture. He did not take the way of the flesh, nor did he trust in his own works. He took God at His word concerning the Seed and the Blood. This is the pattern of justification from the very beginning.
Do not miss the gravity of this: Abel’s faith was in Christ, and his acceptance by God was the result. To reject this is to reject the only ground on which God receives anyone. The alternative—the way of Cain, the works of the flesh—finds no acceptance with God. This is not a secondary issue. If you replace faith in the testimony of Christ with human effort, you forfeit acceptance, righteousness, and sonship. The entire structure of justification collapses, and with it, the inheritance and blessing that come only through the everlasting covenant.
Paul makes this explicit in Galatians: “The Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel beforehand to Abraham” (Gal 3:8). There were no written Scriptures in Abraham’s day, but the Word of God—the Person of Christ—appeared and spoke directly. Christ is both the One who made the promise and the Seed who inherits it. “Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made. He saith not, And to seeds, as of many; but as of one, And to thy seed, which is Christ.” (Gal 3:16) The everlasting covenant is not with many, nor with those who labor in the flesh, but with Christ alone. He is the promise-maker, the promise-fulfiller, and the sole inheritor.
What is lost if you accept the error of works-based acceptance? Everything. You lose the ground of righteousness, the assurance of sonship, and the inheritance secured by Christ. You exchange the testimony of Christ—the only means by which God has ever justified sinners—for the barren toil of the flesh, which God has never accepted and never will. The history of Abel and Cain is not an ancient tale; it is the dividing line between Gospel and religion, between life and death.
From the beginning, God’s way has never changed. Acceptance has always been through faith in Christ and His testimony. Whether in Abel’s altar or Abraham’s tent, the Gospel was present, and the Word—Christ Himself—was active. To stand anywhere else is to stand outside the covenant, outside the blessing, and outside the very life of God.
Christ is everything: the Word who speaks, the Seed who inherits, the Blood that cleanses, and the Righteousness that justifies. This is the testimony of Christ, and there is no other foundation.
