Tragedy of Abel and Cain – No Repentance

Tragedy of Abel and Cain – No Repentance: Cain’s Problem

• Genesis 4:13-15, “And Cain said unto the Lord, My punishment is greater than I can bear. Behold, thou hast driven me out this day from the face of the earth; and from thy face shall I be hid; and I shall be a fugitive and a vagabond in the earth; and it shall come to pass, that every one that findeth me shall slay me. And the Lord said unto him, Therefore whosoever slayeth Cain, vengeance shall be taken on him sevenfold. And the Lord set a mark upon Cain, lest any finding him should kill him.”

Tragedy of Abel and Cain – No Repentance: Cain’s Condition

Cain’s own words show the state of his heart.
“My punishment is greater than I can bear.”

Cain was not sorry for the sin he had committed by killing his brother. He was only sorry for the punishment. He didn’t realize God was chastising him for his own good. The problem with Cain is a problem with mankind today.

Tragedy of Abel and Cain – No Repentance: Blaming God

Cain blames God for casting him away, but the Lord was chastising Cain as a son.  The same problem exists today.  Men would rather blame others or even God himself for their sin and chastisement.

Tragedy of Abel and Cain – No Repentance: Children

Why does God chastise people?

Hebrews 12:5-8, “And ye have forgotten the exhortation which speaketh unto you as unto children, My son despise not thou the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of him: For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth. If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not? But if ye be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sons.”

Mankind was created to be children of God. If we repent and accept the chastisement of God he will deal with us as sons. That’s why Jesus died and rose again, so we could become the children of God and live forever.

Tragedy of Abel and Cain – No Repentance: Holiness

God chastises us because he wants us to be partakers of his holiness.

Hebrews 12:9-10, “Furthermore we have had fathers of our flesh which corrected us, and we gave them reverence: shall we not much rather be in subjection unto the Father of spirits, and live? For they verily for a few days chastened us after their own pleasure; but he for our profit, that we might be partakers of his holiness.”

What an honor that God has given us the opportunity to become partakers of his holiness through Jesus Christ, if we will only submit to him.

Tragedy of Abel and Cain – No Repentance: Christ’s Glory

God chastises us so we can receive reward and be partakers of Christ’s glory.

Matthew 5:11-12, “Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake. Rejoice and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.”

I Peter 4:12-13, “Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you: But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ’s sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy.

Romans 8:18, “For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.”

The Lord’s chastisement is not to cast us away. God’s chastisement is to draw us to him. It is to make us partakers of eternal life. It is to help us to acquire his Godly nature.

Tragedy of Abel and Cain – No Repentance: Condemnation

Finally, God chastises us so we won’t be condemned with the world.

I Corinthians 11:32, “But when we are judged, we are chastened of the Lord, that we should not be condemned with the world.”

My God give us wisdom to submit to God through Jesus Christ that we may become the sons of a holy God. In Jesus name. Amen.

In Christ
J-me
copyright 2009 J-me

The Articles in this Series Are:

Tragedy of Abel and Cain – Offerings
Tragedy of Abel and Cain – Cains Sin
Tragedy of Abel and Cain – Deception
Tragedy of Abel and Cain – No Repentance
Tragedy of Abel and Cain – Defiance
Tragedy of Abel and Cain – Cain Leaves God’s Presence
Tragedy of Abel and Cain – Cain Builds Enoch
Tragedy of Abel and Cain – Worldly Success
Tragedy of Abel and Cain – Calling on the Name of the Lord