Well, it is indeed my honor to
be here, and my privilege to be here. And it's good to see
some old faces that I haven't seen for a while, and it's also
good to see so many new faces. New faces. Turn to the book of
Genesis, chapter 4. The book of Genesis, chapter
4. And I'm sure most of you are
familiar with this passage and these two men, Cain and Abel. I don't think they were teenagers. I believe they were grown men. Genesis chapter 4, verse 1, And
Adam knew Eve, his wife, and she conceived and bared Cain.
and said, I've gotten a man from the Lord. And she again bared
his brother Abel. And Abel was a keeper, a leader
of sheep. But Cain was a tiller of the
ground. And in the process of time, it
came to pass that Cain brought the fruit of the ground, an offering
unto the Lord. He also brought the firstling
of his flock, and 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, and Cain was angry." Cain got mad at God, didn't he?
Cain got mad at God. Cain was angry. With Roth and
his countenance. His countenance fell. He no doubt,
he came that day with full pride, full of himself, and God in essence
said, away with it. Away with it. Because it's filthy
rags. He got upset. Now, in this scripture, we're
going to consider, it sets before us very plainly,
plainly. If there's ever a day when we
need to be plain, it's now to speak plainly. Paul said, seeing
we have such a hope, we use great plainness. of speech, it's time
to speak plainly about who God is, about what happened in the
garden, about what happened at Calvary, about what happens when
God saves sinners. It's time to speak plainly, plain
speaking. And this scripture sets before
us very plainly the way of salvation that God has established throughout
the scriptures, throughout the scriptures. In the very beginning,
and that's what the book of Genesis means, it means beginnings. In
the very beginning, God establishes the way of mercy. In the very
beginning, God establishes plainly how to worship God. God establishes
plainly how to approach God. And this story here, very plainly,
in the beginning, in the beginning, God said salvation is through
a substitute. In the beginning, God said salvation is in the Lord Jesus Christ. In the beginning, God establishes
that the way of salvation is totally by the free, sovereign,
almighty grace of God. Grace of God were justified freely
by God's grace in the beginning. You see what he's doing here? Just as, just when God put Adam
out, and he establishes with Adam, before he puts Adam out,
that salvation is through a substitute. You notice in Genesis 3, 21,
and Adam also, and to his wife did the Lord God make coats of
skin, and he clothed them. Now that's a picture of salvation
in Christ. God provided the covering through
a substitute. In the beginning, God establishes
the way of grace. the way of mercy in and through
the Lord Jesus Christ. In the beginning, God establishes
the way of faith as the means to receive this
salvation. In the beginning, God establishes
that His justified, His grace must be justified and His grace
must be magnified through a suitable sin offering, through a substitute,
Jesus Christ. Now listen to me carefully. God
has never, with emphasis upon the word never, that's a powerful
word, isn't it? Never, never, God has never saved
any sinner apart from the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. From
Adam to the last man ever called and redeemed by the grace of
God It's always, always through Christ. Everyone that was declared
justified by God in the Old Testament was justified by God in Christ. Is that right? We don't have
different distinctions in salvation. God didn't start out by saving
men by conscience or law. In the beginning, He establishes
The way when Adam fell, God provided a substitute right in the beginning. My friend, it hasn't changed.
Has not changed. Not at all. Now, admittedly,
we live in a religious world, especially this day. Especially this day, everybody
goes religious, everybody goes religious crazy. especially on this day, in every
country, in every county, in every culture, in every corner.
Among all people, there's some form of religion. Is that true? You study history, study different
cultures, they always had some form of religion. And all religion can be summed
up in two categories, the way of Cain, the way of Abel. I don't
care what you color it, what you call it, how you dress it
up. It all shakes down to these two. You ever had someone ask you
this question? How can everybody read one book
and come up with so many different things? It all boils down to two. Salvation
is either all of grace or it's all of works. Can't be
both. Can't be both. And what the religious
man does in our day, he tries to make a concoction of his own
mind. He tries to mix grace and works
together. The Apostle said, it's either
all of grace, or grace is not grace, or it's either all of
works. You can't be both. You can't
mix. You can't mix it. All religion shakes down to the
way of Cain and the way of Abel. Now, Cain represents the way
of flesh, the way of self. You know, we live in a society
today, don't we? When it's do-it-yourself. We
have the do-it-yourself mentality. You can buy a do-it-yourself
kit for everything, can't you? To build a house? To build a
tractor? To build a race car? To build
an airplane? Do it yourself. Do it yourself. And then thrive upon, and they
pride themselves, don't they? Look what I built. Look what
I did. The way of Cain represents the
way of works, the way of flesh, the way of self-glory, the way
of pride. But the way of Abel represents
the way of grace. the way of mercy revealed in
and through the Lord Jesus Christ. Now, these two brothers both
had proper instruction how to worship God. They had a father
who believed the gospel. They had a father who taught
these men. When they were young boys, God
taught Adam the gospel. And I know Adam, as a loving
father, just as you do your children, you see to it that your children
come here. You wouldn't have it, would you?
Would you have your children go somewhere else and hear a
gospel that's damning to their soul? You wouldn't have it, would
you? Don't you know that Adam was very particular about teaching
these boys how to approach God? You see, Adam tried the way of
figlings one time, didn't he? Didn't work, did it? Didn't work
at all. So he was very careful as to
how to instruct his children how to approach God. Very careful
about it. And these boys had proper instruction
how to worship God. Always through a substitute.
Always through the blood. But we see that Cain refused
a way of grace. He rebelled against God's way
of salvation. He refused his father's instruction,
and he thought his way was better. Adam said, it's the blood. It's
the blood. He said, well, I think I'll just
bring to God some labors and fruit of my hand. He thought his way was better.
There is a way that seems right on the men. But the end of that
way is death. Death don't go that way. Abel, on the other hand, believed
God, obeyed God, brought the sacrifice that was pleasing unto
God. Again, we see sovereign mercy
in action. You see who made the difference
here? Just like Jacob and Esau. Now, I don't know. I'm speculating
here. But did you ever think about
this? That Cain and Abel may have been twins. It said she
conceived and then it says she bared twice. I don't know. I'm just speculating. They were born of the same mother,
had the same father, just like Jacob and Esau, right? And yet
it says that one came his way, the way of works, and the other
submitted to God and came to God and approached God through
the blood sacrifice. Now again, we see the sovereign
mercy of God illustrated. Who made the difference? Who made the difference? God
made the difference. Turn over to Romans 9. Let's
read this again. about these other twins, Jacob
and Esau. Romans 9, 12, it was said unto
her, The elder shall serve the younger, as it is written, Jacob
have I loved, Esau have I hated. What shall we say then? Is there
unrighteousness with God? God forbid. For he saved Moses,
I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy. I will have compassion
on whom I will have compassion. So then, it's not of him that
willeth, nor of him that runneth, but it's God who shows mercy."
You see, all the way through the Scripture, we see the distinguishing,
sovereign mercy of God. God will have mercy on whom he
will have mercy. Now, does that make you mad? Thank God that he's pleased to
show mercy to somebody. Thank God he's pleased to show
mercy to somebody. God has singled out these two
sons of Adam to teach us the way of grace in the Lord Jesus
Christ, salvation through the blood, and to condemn salvation
by works. Abel brought the lamb, typical
of Christ, substitution, satisfaction, while Cain brought the fruit
of his labor, typical of works. Let's consider two things here.
First thing is this. What was wrong with the way Cain
approached God? What was wrong with Cain's offering? What was wrong with Cain's offering?
Well, the first thing is this. It was a bloodless sacrifice.
It was a bloodless sacrifice. Had no blood. God requires blood.
I'm sure Cain brought the best he had. He labored all the year
to bring his vest before God, labored to work hard and tilled
his soil and labored and sweated and pruned and plucked and cultivated
and worked and worked and worked all year long, and at the harvest
he comes to God and offers the labors of his
hand. But Cain's sacrifice It said
down in verse 5, notice, that under Cain and his offering,
he had no respect. That is, Cain's offering didn't
satisfy God's offended justice. Didn't satisfy. God didn't have
any respect to that offering. Not at all. Cain's offering did
nothing to put away his sin. Did it? Not at all. The point is this, the best we
have, the best we can bring, God says what? Man at his best
state is what? Filthy rights. That's right. Vanity. Vanity. All of our righteousness
is filthy rights. Man at his best state is altogether
vanity. Right? The best we have will never satisfy
God. We're not redeemed with corruptible
things. We're not redeemed with corruptible
things. Everything, now you think with
me now, everything we say, touch, think, and do is tainted with
sin. Is that right? That's what I am. Sin's not what
I do. Sin is what I am. I have a nature
and a principle that's fallen and corrupt before God. Therefore,
everything I touch and say and think and do is tainted with
sin because that's what I am. And that's all I can produce.
A sinner can only produce sin. And that's all we have. That's
why the best we have will never do. Our works will never save
nor sanctify. Our works will never justify
nor will they satisfy. It's not by works of righteousness
which we have done, but according to God's mercy, he saved us. Do you see that? It's not by
our works. I know works religion is popular.
Isn't it? Works religion is popular. You
drive by the building where works religion is preached and propagated
and flourishing, and it's popular in the community, isn't it? Let
me tell you something, not popular with God. Not at all. Away with it. Away with it. Lord, we preached in your name.
Lord, we've done many wonderful works in your name." Remember
what he said? Depart from me, I don't know you, you that work
iniquity. Away with it. Away with it. Our works will never save or
justify because they can never satisfy. Secondly, Cain, he came
with a bloodless offering. Secondly, Cain came unto God
in a way that denied he was guilty. a guilty sinner before God. He
approached God on the ground of his own merit, thinking he
deserved a reward. You know he did. He was thinking,
boy, look what I've done. Look what I've done. He thought
he deserved a reward rather than one who comes to God stripped
before God deserving condemnation. Isn't that the way David prayed?
God, if you judge me and condemn me and send me to torment, that's
exactly what I deserve. That's what repentance is. It's
taking God's side against myself. When God says you're guilty,
but oh, therefore the law sayeth, let every mouth be stopped and
let everyone become guilty before God. When God says you're guilty,
sinner, you agree and you say you're right. And if you judge
me and condemn me and send me to hell, I'm getting what I deserve.
I don't deserve your mercy. I deserve your wrath. Cain was
proud of his efforts and thought it sufficient to please God.
Two reasons why we can't approach God like Cain. One, God is holy
and dwells in a light to which no, that's another powerful word,
isn't it? No man can approach unto. He's holy. The second problem
is this, we're guilty. Remember reading Psalm 24? Who
shall ascend unto the hill of the Lord? Who shall stand in
his holy place? He that hath clean hands and
pure heart, who has never lifted up his soul to vanity, who has
never sworn deceitfully? That's not a description of us
by nature. That's a description of Christ.
And our only hope is that we can ascend and stand before God
Almighty in Christ, the Lord of Hosts. Read the last verse
of Psalm 24. That's our hope. He's the Lord
of Hosts. And when He goes before God,
we can in Him. You see, we're accepted in the
Beloved, in the Beloved. Now, let me ask you this question. Have you fallen into the error
of Cain? Now think with me, have you?
Have you fallen into the error of Cain? Have you gone the way
of Cain? Do you continue to believe that
your works will cover your sin? Do you deny that you need a substitute,
the Lord Jesus Christ? Are you going that way? Do you
still deny that you're guilty before God, deserving of God's
wrath? Do you still refuse to come to
God by the only way described in the Word? He said, I am able to save to
the uttermost all that come to God by him. He said, I am the
door by me. If any man enter in, he shall
be saved. Turn to Jude 11. Notice this
scripture here. Jude 11. Jude 11. woe unto them, for they have
gone the way of Cain, ran greedily after the heir of Balaam for
reward, and perished in the gainsaying of Korah." Cain, Balaam, and
Korah all tried to approach God by some different other way than
Christ alone. Now, have you gone the way of
Cain? Scripture here gives us a warning, whoa, beware, beware
those who approach God the way Cain came unto God. Now, secondly, let's consider this.
Why did God have respect unto Abel's offering? Now, clearly
we see why God didn't have respect unto Cain's offering. But why
did God have respect unto Abel's offering, unto Abel's offering? Let me give you several reasons.
First reason is this. It was an offering that demonstrated
his faith. It was an offering that demonstrated
his faith. Now, turn to Hebrews chapter
11. And God says this, Hebrews chapter 11, verse 4. Hebrews 11.4, By faith, Abel,
by faith, Abel, he came the way of faith. By faith, Abel offered
unto God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, by which he obtained
witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts,
and by it, he being dead, yet preaching today. That's right. Preaching today, he came by the
way of faith. It was an offering that demonstrated
his faith. Abel, like Abraham, came to God
and believed God concerning the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. You mean Abraham came to God
in Christ, believing him? Certainly. Remember what the
Lord said? Abraham saw my day. Abraham rejoiced to see my day.
He saw and was glad. When did he say it? Well, I think
several times, but specifically there in Genesis 22, it's recorded
when he took his son Isaac up on the mountain. And Isaac, here's
another father and a son. And Abraham taught his son Isaac
how to approach God. And it's the same lesson that
Adam gave Cain and Abel with the blood offering, with the
sacrifice. And so here they go toward Mount
Moriah. And Abraham has a fire. has wood, has an eye, and his
son Isaac, knowing we're going to worship, where's the lamb?
Have to have a lamb. Remember what he said? God will
provide himself a lamb. God will provide. God will provide. Abel, like Abraham, came to God,
believed God concerning the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. Secondly, you see, he came by
way of faith, and this is how salvation is received. By grace
are you saved through faith. Faith is like the hand that reaches. Faith is like the eye that sees. Faith is the heart that believes. Faith is the feet that run. Faith is the arms that embraces
him sweetly to your breast. Faith is the means that God has
given to receive the gospel. Now, faith doesn't produce salvation,
does it? Does it? Faith's not salvation. Christ is salvation. But faith
simply receives him who is salvation. You see that? And this faith
is not a product of the flesh. This faith doesn't bloom from
its old rotten nature. This faith is the gift of God. For by grace are ye saved through
faith, and that neither selves. It is the gift of God, not of
works, lest any man should boast. In salvation, all boasting is
excluded, except one. God forbid I should glory save
in the cross of the Lord Jesus Christ." Now, we can boast and
brag about him, what he's done. What he's done. He came by faith. Secondly, it
was an offering that typified Christ Jesus as the Lamb of God. Look back at the text again.
Notice what Abel brought unto God. Verse 4, Abel, he also brought
the firstling of his flock and the fat thereof. He brought a
lamb. He brought a lamb. And the firstling
of his flock and the fat thereof, and the Lord had respect. This
offering pleased God. This offering satisfied God.
The Lord had respect unto Abel and to his offering. This offering typified the Lord
Jesus Christ as the Lamb of God, as the Lamb of God. Remember
what John the Baptist said, the forerunner of the Lord Jesus? Now, consider this. You ever
thought about this? John the Baptist, his father
was a priest, right? Zechariah. You know, he grew
up around the temple. How many times, Stan, do you
think that he saw lambs come every morning, every evening,
the Day of Atonement? He knew all about these lambs
according to the law, didn't he? Old John knew all about the
lambs. But when the Lamb came, he identified
Him who was prophesied and tempified. He identified Him as, this is
God's Lamb. This is God's Lamb, the Lamb
of God. And this lamb here that Abel
brings is typical of the Lord Jesus Christ. Like that Passover
lamb, it was a special lamb. He brought the first sling of
his flock. Now, you studied the Passover, right? That lamb had
to be without blemish, without spot. It had to be put up a certain
date and observed. Was it fourteen days? It had
to be observed. It had to be a special lamb.
You see, it must be without blemish to be offered unto God. And this
is what Abel brought. He brought that blue ribbon winner. Any of you children involved
in 4-H, raised a sheep or lamb or rabbits? When I was a little
boy, where I grew up, we had 4-H club. And we all tried to
raise rabbits or chickens or cows or horses. And we thought
we had that blue ribbon prize. And we went to the fair and we
brought, we didn't bring that old maned and scurvy rabbit. I raised rabbits is what I did.
We brought the best rabbit we had because we thought that was
the one that would win the trophy, win the prize. See my friend,
the Lord Jesus Christ is the best that God has. He's the blue ribbon winner. He's the first thing of the flock.
God said, this is my beloved son in whom I am well pleased. God pleased with his son. Just like that judge. When that
judge came there at the county's fair time and he passed by all
those rabbit cages, he's looking for the best. And the one that
pleased the judge, he took the ribbon and said, this is the
grand prize winner. And my friend, the Lord Jesus
Christ is the Lamb of God. that pleases God in all points.
He's the first thing of the flock. He's the only begotten of the
Father. He's the firstborn of every creature.
There in Colossians 1 where it talks about Him being the head
of the body of the church, the firstborn of every creature.
By Him were all things created that are created. All things
were by Him and for Him and by Him all things consist. When
it talks about Him being the firstborn, you know what that
means? It means He's Lord. Lord of every creature. He's
Lord of everything. He's Lord of everything. He's
the firstborn.