Sin and Grace

more than just a case study of murder. It is in fact a case study of what to expect

in life outside of the garden of Eden. Genesis 4 exposes three realities

which are ever present in everyday life, in every part of life outside of the garden.

There are always three things that are operating in life, three things in a world destroyed by

rejection of God and that is sin, grace and the ever-present possibility of salvation

and that's the outline for this morning, secret sin. The first place in the Bible where the word

sin is used is in verse 7 of chapter 4. The point that I want to make here is though that sin had

its beginning before the actual action of sin, of murder. Sin was existing before the actual

commitment of murder here. There is a run-up action if you like to murder and we see it

in the difference between Abel and Cain. Both of them are respectable human beings working hard,

both of them believe in God, both of them are worshipping God, both bring an offering to God.

There's no difference on the surface between these two. So why is it then that Abel's offering was

accepted but Cain's offering was rejected? Some have thought that it's, well, it's because that God

prefers animal sacrifices rather than grain sacrifices. That's his preference. But you read the rest of the

Old Testament, that's not the case at all. Both harvest sacrifices, you know, the offering of grain and the

offering of blood sacrifices, both honoured by God and both instituted in the sacrificial system,

in Leviticus. So what's the difference? The clue is in verses 3 and 4 where it says,

Cain brought some of the fruits of the soil but Abel brought an offering, fat portions, from some of the

firstborn of his flock. The words fat there, fat portions and firstborn mean that Abel gave to God

the pick, the best, if you like, the very best. And this is in contrast to Cain's indifference

difference to what he brought to God, some of the grain. That is, what we see there subtly in verses 3 and 4

is a heart difference between the two. A heart difference, an attitude of the heart. Cain's heart

is exposed in verse 7. If you do not do what is right, this is God speaking to Cain,

sin is crouching at your door. It desires to have you but you must rule over it. What a metaphor that

is right there. Sin is hiding itself. It's crouching down, trying not to be noticed with the intention

that it is going to pounce on you. We've got this kitten in our home at the moment and it does it

all the time. Hides behind a door and next thing you know you walk past and pounces on your feet.

Or it sits there like just with the ears popping up, peeking at you over the top of the stairs,

waiting for you to come down the stairs so it can pounce on you. That's the description here of sin.

Right here. On the surface, these two brothers look exactly the same but there's something wrong

with Cain's heart. It is subtle. In fact, it's so subtle that not even Cain notices it.

Sin does not want to be noticed. Sin, in fact, is so subtle it will even present itself as a virtue

or as a non-issue or as a small issue. Sin will try everything in order to stay hidden

or present us with something else until it has us and then it comes out of the shadows.

See, in the early stages of pride or prejudice of addictions of anger, we tend to think that we

have it all under control. We think it's not a problem. I can manage this. It's not a problem.

And when sin comes out of the shadows, it becomes a power in our life that it controls us.

Verse 7 says, sin desires to have you, control you, master you.

You see, before long, it takes over, takes control. You see, if we do sin, sin will ultimately do us.

There is no stronger controlling power in our life than a power that is invisible to us.

Gossips will find themselves gossiped about. Haters will hate. Cowards will be deserted.

Those who will do anything in order to be popular will be cancelled.

Sin is not just a choice we make. It is a power in our lives that controls.

And so, I suppose, do you know what your crouching sins are in your life?

Our weak points are the things we don't think are that bad right now.

The things that we think we're controlling, things that we think we have a power over.

In fact, our weakest point is often the place where we are, in our own perception, the strongest.

And I managed to recently, in the middle of the year, drag my family along to a military museum in Singapore.

And I used the word drag intentionally.

They were there under US, for sure.

The fall of Singapore in 1942 to Japanese forces was, in fact, by Churchill's regard,

the greatest military defeat in the British Empire's history.

The island's defences for the entire time up to that point were designed to protect the naval base at Changi from sea attacks.

But it left the northern shore of Singapore vulnerable.

That is, Singapore's defences were facing south out to the sea.

For decades, the assumption was that Singapore's weakest spot was a seaborne invasion.

That's its weakest.

It was considered for decades that the jungle from Malaysia through to Singapore was impenetrable for a large army,

and certainly by a mechanised army, until the 8th of February, 1942,

when the Japanese army arrived on Singapore shores.

Where we think we are strong, where we think we are okay, where we think we are safe,

is often where sin is crouching ready to pass.

So I ask you again, what are your crouching sins in life?

What sin are you currently turning into a virtue?

I'm not greedy, I'm just frugal.

I'm not angry and bitter, I, in fact, are just simply expressing righteous moral outrage.

I'm not a workaholic, I'm productive and I'm diligent.

I'm not gossiping, I'm just sharing prayer points.

Sin is always crouching down, but in the end, it will have you.

Now, against this narrative of devastating sin and murder,

we encounter a God of gentle grace.

My second point.

Genesis 4, in fact, none of Genesis at all,

but even in Genesis 4, it does not present us with a God who is a cosmic policeman,

but instead a God who refuses to choose between justice and mercy.

A God who's not just angry and smite,

but neither a God who just,

oh, we'll let bygones be guygones and we just embrace and sing kumbaya.

He does not choose between justice and mercy.

We saw in chapter 3,

and so again, God graciously initiates here in chapter 4.

God does not turn up after the murder of Abel.

He turns up as soon as he sees sin crouching.

Before sin has become a power over Cain.

Notice verse 5.

So Cain was very angry and his face was downcast.

The original language, the word downcast means his face fell.

What that means is Cain could have taken God's communication to him

about his offering as a rebuke,

as a correction,

and he could have in that moment sought God's forgiveness.

Instead, he starts to spiral down.

And it's only then we read in verse 6,

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 the door.

It desires to have you,

but you must rule over it.

Cain did not call out to God in any way.

But God came to Cain.

God is always there.

God always initiates.

He always steps in.

And notice the other thing here that God graciously and gently affirms.

God comes not as a policeman,

nor even as a teacher,

but as a counsellor.

He doesn't show up angry.

He doesn't push back at Cain.

How dare you get mad with me?

How dare you, Cain?

Don't you know who I am?

I'm the creator of the universe.

Let me just sit down and I...

Verse 7, he comes to Cain and says he wants him to master sin.

God is encouraging him to master sin

and make the right choice.

You see, grace always initiates.

It always affirms and it always exposes.

See, there in verse 6 is where God really is the counsellor exposing.

Why are you angry?

Why are you angry, Cain?

That's a good question, isn't it?

Why is Cain angry with God?

Why is he angry?

You see, he looked on favour with Abel's offering,

but not on Cain's.

So why does this infuriate Cain?

I mean, he could have gone and got another one,

another offering, had another crack.

Could have said sorry, moved on.

Why is he so infuriated?

Well, the clue is in their name.

The name Cain means things like productive, fruitful, successful.

Abel means breath, vapour, mist, meaningless, nobody.

That's the clue.

Unfortunate name for sure.

And you see it actually hinted at it in the text, in the narrative.

You know, Eve was so excited when Cain came along,

but there's nothing with Abel.

Have a look.

Verses 1 and 2.

With the help of the Lord, I have brought forth a man.

Speaking of Cain, later she gave birth to Abel.

You see, in the text here, in their names,

we see Cain's the winner, Abel's the loser.

Cain gets angry when God's favour landed on the loser,

on the spare.

That's not his life at all.

The nobody was regarded as a somebody,

and the somebody was disregarded.

That's Cain's problem.

Cain's identity was constructed from his relationship to his brother.

He was great because he was better than Abel.

And when God turns up and favours Abel,

Cain can...

He either had to readjust his sense of self,

or he had to eliminate Abel.

You see, when God is confronted with God's...

Sorry, when Cain is confronted with God's measure

of what truly matters,

and what is truly great,

he has no choice in the end,

or this was the choice that he had,

was either have a new sense of identity in God,

or he has to exclude both God and Abel.

You see, the premise of Cain's life goes something like this.

If Abel is who God regards him to be,

then I am not who I understand myself to be.

And the essence of sin in the Bible

is to build an identity

outside of the identity given to us

by our Creator God.

That's the essence of sin.

It's to say,

what makes me cool,

what makes me okay,

what makes me significant,

is I'm living up to

what my parents say I am.

I'm living up...

I'm a success in life.

I've accumulated

these vast resources.

I have all of these experiences.

I am this.

I am that.

And that means I am a somebody.

And anyone who doesn't have what I have

is a nobody.

And when God shows up,

he has an entirely different value system.

And Cain goes berserk.

His whole life

has been defined

as him being the number one son,

the better brother.

And he can't handle it.

You see,

an identity built

outside of our Creator God

is so fragile.

fragile.

And every time

someone kicks

the golden calf

that is my identity

at the core

of my being,

there is one

emotional response

linked to a challenge

to my deepest value.

You know what it is?

Psychologists will tell you this.

Anger.

Anger.

Anger.

And every single one of us

has built a life

outside of our Creator God

and our identities are fragile.

There are some things

that we will do

anything to keep

because losing it

means we lose ourselves.

And so God

graciously,

gently comes after Cain,

probing him

and convicting him

to see if he knows

why he is angry.

What is it

that's been attacked

in your sense of self

in this moment?

In every single issue

of life,

sin is a factor

and God's grace

is a factor.

At every point,

God is pushing us

to examine

the very foundations

of our lives.

to take a look

at what it is

that we build our lives on

and how fragile it is.

Every single problem in life,

everything that makes

our face downcast,

in God's grace,

is an opportunity

to reflect,

to identify,

to search,

and to grow.

And he does it

in life for us

consistently

because it is only

in our creator,

God's approval,

his love,

his grace,

his forgiveness

that we can have

a completely

unchanging

and secure

and sure identity

and a sense

of ourself.

So that means

that in every moment

of life,

not just sin

and grace operate,

but in every moment

of life

is a possibility

for salvation

for each of us.

And we get a glimpse

of the possibility

of salvation

in these verses

where there's an opportunity

to cooperate

with God's initiating grace

and to escape sin.

None of us

has to end up

like Cain,

destroying ourselves

and others

in order to protect

the fragile self.

And to see that,

I want to just quickly

jump to the New Testament

and how it understands

Genesis 4.

Hebrews 11 verse 4

Hebrews 11:4

says this,

by faith,

Abel brought to God

a better offering

than Cain did.

Now,

when it says there

by faith,

that's not saying

that Abel believed

in God's existence

and Cain didn't believe

in God's existence,

you know,

why on earth

would Cain be bringing

an offering to God

if he didn't believe

God existed?

And I'm pretty sure

God speaking to him,

asking why he was angry,

would allow him

any confusion

as to whether

God existed.

It's not faith

in God's existence.

It is what we said

in Genesis chapter 3,

Genesis 3 · chapter mention

it is faith

in the goodness

of God,

in the grace

of God.

That is,

Abel brought

his offering

to God

completely confident

and trusting in

and leaning in

to a gracious

and merciful God.

You see,

Abel,

just like Cain,

would have heard

from his parents

fresh out of the

Garden of Eden

about the promised

head crusher

from chapter 3,

verse 15,

who would defeat

the lie of Satan,

who would reverse

the effects of sin,

the lie of Satan

which says,

God is not good,

he is not for you.

They would have heard

that from,

you know,

these boys' age,

you know,

like right through.

Would have heard it

again and again and again.

Abel made his offering

in response

to who God is.

It was an offering

out of gratitude

for God's grace

and his mercy.

Cain's offering

was not a belief

in the goodness

of God

and it was an attempt

to secure God's favour.

That's Cain's offering.

That's why God

was not pleased.

Cain's offering

was an offering

of religion,

not an offering

of faith.

Religion,

as I've often said

from here,

religion is

an activity.

It's an activity

like turning up

to church.

It's an activity

like serving

and reading the Bible

and preaching

and giving away money

and praying

and getting baptised

and taking communion

and being a moral,

upright,

good person

in the hope

and the expectation

that when God shows up

he will find me acceptable.

When we pursue religion,

we have all the marks

of Cain.

we have the attitude

in the heart

of Cain.

Cain is mad

at God

because God

isn't affirming

his sense

of self.

God is not

giving him

what he expects

God to give him.

You see,

if we think

that God

owes us

a particular

kind of life

because of who we are

or because of

what we've achieved

or because of

what we've done

in his name,

we are Cain.

We are not able.

We might even believe

that God exists

but our confidence

is in ourselves

and not

that we are saved

by his grace

and his mercy.

So how do we turn?

Where do we look

in order to go

from Cain

to become an Abel?

And the answer

is just a little bit

further on

in Hebrews chapter 12.

Hebrews 12 · chapter mention

You have come to God

the judge of all,

the one who brings

justice to all,

to the spirits

of the righteous

made perfect,

to Jesus,

the mediator

of a new covenant,

and to the sprinkled blood

that speaks

a better word

than the blood

of Abel.

You see,

many,

many centuries

after Abel

came a greater Abel,

Jesus Christ.

And like the first Abel,

the greater Abel

was murdered.

murdered.

Not killed by

the outcast,

the bad people

of society,

not by the prostitutes,

the pimps,

the thieves,

and the whatever else's,

but murdered

by the good people,

the religious people.

Why was he murdered

by the religious people?

Because he turned up

and he said

outrageous things

in a sermon

much better than this one,

Matthew chapter 5,

Matthew 5 · chapter mention

in fact,

the greatest sermon

of all priests,

the Sermon on the Mount.

He turns up

and he confronts

the religious people

with attitude

of the heart.

He said,

you know,

you've heard it said,

do not commit murder.

I want to say to you,

if you've been angry

with your brother,

you've committed murder

in your heart,

even if you haven't

stabbed them with a knife.

Your problem

is an attitude

of the heart.

He said things like that

to the religious people

and they were furious

with him

because he exposes

the attitude

of the heart.

And they're nailed

into a cross.

But it was God's plan

of mercy

and grace,

Jesus' death

on the cross,

God's plan

of mercy

and grace

in order

to secure justice.

Jesus' blood

was the just payment

for crimes

against all

of humanity,

all of the Cains

who followed

on from Cain,

every human being.

Genesis 4,

Genesis 4:10

verse 10,

God says to Cain,

what have you done?

Listen,

your brother's blood

cries out to me

from the ground.

Although Abel's body

was covered by dirt,

it could not be hidden.

Sin would not be hidden.

His blood cried out

for justice.

According to the Old Testament,

blood and life

belong to God alone.

murder is a direct

assault

on creators,

on our created God's

right of possession

of another human being.

Spilled blood

will never be covered.

It cries out

directly to the Lord

of life

looking for justice

for a life

that's been taken.

And Hebrews 12

tells us

that Jesus' blood

cries out

for justice

too.

but it cries out

for justice

differently.

It's better

than the blood

of Abel.

1 John 1,

1 John 1:8

verse 8

tells us why.

If we confess

our sin,

he is faithful.

He is good.

He is merciful

and just

and will forgive us

our sins

and purify us

from all unrighteousness.

If we confess

our sins,

he is faithful,

he is good

and just

and will forgive us

our sins

and purify us

from all unrighteousness.

You see,

what that says there

is that

God does not just,

he's not just

the great eternal

grandfather

sitting on a throne

just,

you know,

wanting everyone,

just hugging everyone

and just bearing

with all the failures

and the faults

of the world.

He's not just

sitting up there

waving a wand,

cancelling debt,

just loving everyone,

just forgive,

peace man.

He actually

absorbs our debt.

That's how he deals

with the issue

of justice.

He absorbs our debt.

It is because

he absorbs the debt

that we owe him

for being murderers

in our hearts

for our sin

against him.

It's because

he absorbs the debt.

He is therefore

able to forgive.

You see,

what 1 John 1

tells us

is because

he's not just

gracious

but he's just

and deals

with the debt

himself,

our debt

against him

himself,

it tells us

exactly how

secure we

actually are

in the salvation

he offers.

How secure

we are

in his love

and his mercy

and his forgiveness.

You see,

too many

Christians

live

each day

thinking

in the back

of their minds

that if they

commit the wrong

sin

or if they

commit too

many sins

then God

is just

going to

be like

the God

of the Simpsons

and just go

Flanderers

again.

Just fed up

with us.

I've had

enough

of this

and no way.

Jesus'

blood

speaks a

better word

than Abel's.

When we

come to

Jesus,

when we

confess our

rebellion

against him,

our attitude

of the heart,

our religion

and trust in him,

our sin

is forgiven

forever.

The slate

is wiped

clean

forever.

Forever.

Forever.

Forever.

Forever.

Forever.

Forever.

Forever.

Forever.

Forever.

Forever.

Forever.

Forever.

Forever.

Forever.

Jesus paid

the complete

just

payment

for all

of our

sin

which means

according to

1 John 1

if he was

to not

forgive us

for our

sin

right now

if you're

a believer

in Jesus

it would

be an

act of

injustice

because

a double

payment

can never

be extracted

for a

debt

paid.

He

willingly

shed

his

blood

on

the

cross

to

bring

us

this

kind

of

forgiveness

this

kind

of

love

this

kind

of

hope

this

kind

of

certainty

forever

it's

the

justice

of

Jesus

Christ

that

will

ultimately

transform

us

from

being

a

cane

to

an

able

and

that's

the

possibility

of

every

day

of

every

moment

in

every

circumstance

it's

the

possibility

of

salvation

in

Jesus

in

verse

nine

back to

Genesis

four

God

comes

to

Cain

and

asks

him

where's

Abel

and

Cain

says

I

don't

know

am

I

my

brother's

keeper

and

then

we

have

the

only

time

in

the

Bible

where

a

human

being

is

cursed

God

curses

Cain

and

sent

out

from

that

moment

as

a

wander

of

the

earth

his

name

means

as

Eve

said

I

have

created

a

man

and

from

that

moment

every

being

wanders

the

earth

looking

for

their

home

for

their

place

looking

for

hope

and

when

God

does

that

to

Cain

Cain

absolutely

falls

to

pieces

not

because

he

felt

compassion

for

his

brother

dead

or

for

his

parents

he

felt

no

remorse

over

his

sin

against

God

at

all

his

cry

out

in

this

moment

was

a

cry

of

terror

and

self

pity

and

then

we

have

this

strange

statement

in

verse

15

then

the

Lord

put

a

mark

on

Cain

so

that

no

one

who

found

him

would

kill

him

what

is

the

mark

of

Cain

lots

of

speculation

some

reckon

it

was

a

dog

not

sure

how

they

got

to

that

point

you

can

actually

go to

a

tattoo

artist

nowadays

and

ask

them

can

I

please

get

a

tattoo

the

mark

of

Cain

it's

a

particular

kind

of

I'm

pretty

sure

it

wasn't

that

but

so

while

it's

not

clear

it

reveals

something

very

significant

it's

what

it

reveals

it

reveals

something

about

the

character

of

God

it

reveals

a

God

whose

commitment

to

justice

for

the

innocent

is

matched

by

his

care

for

the

sinner

a God who is faithful and just

and even Cain's appeal in verse 13 and 14

sorry Cain's prayer to God in verse 13 and 14

contains a hint of an appeal to God

God's answer to Cain together with his mark on Cain

is not a stigma

but a promise of self-safe conduct

in other words in this moment

God has become Cain's protector

how is it possible that God can be merciful to the unrepentant sinner

how can he be so merciful to someone who won't even budge

it's because on the cross of Jesus God's mercy and justice

meet

and the blood of Jesus shouts forgiveness to all who come to him

as we wander the earth like Cain

protected by God

until we die

in the hope

that in the circumstances of life where we see sin and grace

that we would pursue salvation

that we would not be like Cain

but that we would pursue salvation

God has brought you to this day

protected you in all of life

in all the experiences of sin

he's revealing his grace all the time

so that you might come to him for salvation

he's protecting you for salvation

the blood of Jesus washes away all of our hidden sin

his blood washes away all of our public sin

no sin

is beyond his grace

no sin

and so that

is the possibility of salvation that he offers you today

whether you're tuning in online

you're gathered here right now

that is the possibility of salvation

that he offers you today

choose Abel not Cain

choose the way of Abel not the way of Cain

don't dig your heels in

and fall to the sin

that is pouncing

and ready to destroy your life

by his grace

and his mercy

he's protected you to this point

that you might take up his offer of salvation

take it up today