By Faith Able...
Understanding Faith Through Abel's Story
In the journey of faith, we often encounter stories that challenge our understanding of what it truly means to trust God. The account of Abel and Cain provides one of the earliest examples of faith in action and the consequences of rejecting God's way.
What Does Real Faith Look Like?
Faith is not about our works or what we can produce. The very best efforts we can muster, even a lifetime of good deeds, cannot save us. Nothing we can create on our own has eternal value. As created beings, we cannot create anything of lasting spiritual significance apart from God.
Real faith produces action in the life of a believer for the glory of the object of faith. Your life will demonstrate to everyone watching what you truly believe. This isn't about works-based salvation, but rather about how genuine belief in who God is naturally produces something in our lives for His glory.
Why Was Abel's Sacrifice More Excellent?
In Hebrews 11:4, we read: "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 speaketh."
The interesting phrase here is "a more excellent sacrifice." This suggests that Cain's sacrifice had some excellence to it. There was nothing inherently wrong with Cain being a farmer or bringing produce as an offering. His work to produce the fruit was good, and he was likely an excellent keeper of the ground.
The difference wasn't in their vocations or even necessarily in the quality of what they brought. The critical difference was that Abel's sacrifice was offered by faith.
How Did Abel Know God's Way?
In Genesis 3:21, we see that God made coats of skin to clothe Adam and Eve after their sin. This required the shedding of blood from animals. This was God showing how sin was to be covered - through sacrifice and the shedding of blood.
Abel trusted this way that God had established. Whether he learned it directly from God or through his parents' teaching, Abel believed God's word about how sin should be addressed. His faith was so resolute that God placed him in the hall of faith as the first example of living by faith.
What Happens When We Reject God's Way?
When Cain's offering was rejected, God didn't immediately punish him. Instead, God confronted him with truth he already knew: "If thou doest well, shalt thou not be accepted? And if thou doest not well, sin lieth at the door" (Genesis 4:7).
This wasn't God giving new information; it was confronting Cain with information he had already received. God's Word is informational once, giving us faith through hearing. But when we're in sin, God's Word becomes confrontational.
God reminded Cain that if he would just do things God's way, he would be accepted and would have power over sin. Instead, Cain rejected this counsel and killed his brother.
How Does Faith Help Us Overcome Sin?
Sin is always lying at our door. Our flesh is at enmity with God. But God has given us His Word, His Spirit, and the example of Christ to help us overcome.
When we trust that God's way is right, regardless of our circumstances, He takes care of us. But when we reject His way, we often take out our frustration on others who are trying to live by faith.
The question becomes: Will we compound our lack of faith by sinning more, or will we be resolute in our faith and trust God and His Word?
Life Application
The story of Abel challenges us to examine our own faith. Are we truly trusting God's way, or are we trying to approach Him on our own terms? Here are some questions to consider this week:
This week, commit to identifying one area where you've been resisting God's way. Choose to trust Him by taking a step of faith in that area, believing that His way is not just right, but the only way that leads to righteousness and life.
Remember, like Abel, our faith is not about earning praise for ourselves, but about glorifying the object of our faith - God Himself. And even when our faith costs us greatly, as it did for Abel, it speaks powerfully long after we're gone.
In the journey of faith, we often encounter stories that challenge our understanding of what it truly means to trust God. The account of Abel and Cain provides one of the earliest examples of faith in action and the consequences of rejecting God's way.
What Does Real Faith Look Like?
Faith is not about our works or what we can produce. The very best efforts we can muster, even a lifetime of good deeds, cannot save us. Nothing we can create on our own has eternal value. As created beings, we cannot create anything of lasting spiritual significance apart from God.
Real faith produces action in the life of a believer for the glory of the object of faith. Your life will demonstrate to everyone watching what you truly believe. This isn't about works-based salvation, but rather about how genuine belief in who God is naturally produces something in our lives for His glory.
Why Was Abel's Sacrifice More Excellent?
In Hebrews 11:4, we read: "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 speaketh."
The interesting phrase here is "a more excellent sacrifice." This suggests that Cain's sacrifice had some excellence to it. There was nothing inherently wrong with Cain being a farmer or bringing produce as an offering. His work to produce the fruit was good, and he was likely an excellent keeper of the ground.
The difference wasn't in their vocations or even necessarily in the quality of what they brought. The critical difference was that Abel's sacrifice was offered by faith.
How Did Abel Know God's Way?
In Genesis 3:21, we see that God made coats of skin to clothe Adam and Eve after their sin. This required the shedding of blood from animals. This was God showing how sin was to be covered - through sacrifice and the shedding of blood.
Abel trusted this way that God had established. Whether he learned it directly from God or through his parents' teaching, Abel believed God's word about how sin should be addressed. His faith was so resolute that God placed him in the hall of faith as the first example of living by faith.
What Happens When We Reject God's Way?
When Cain's offering was rejected, God didn't immediately punish him. Instead, God confronted him with truth he already knew: "If thou doest well, shalt thou not be accepted? And if thou doest not well, sin lieth at the door" (Genesis 4:7).
This wasn't God giving new information; it was confronting Cain with information he had already received. God's Word is informational once, giving us faith through hearing. But when we're in sin, God's Word becomes confrontational.
God reminded Cain that if he would just do things God's way, he would be accepted and would have power over sin. Instead, Cain rejected this counsel and killed his brother.
How Does Faith Help Us Overcome Sin?
Sin is always lying at our door. Our flesh is at enmity with God. But God has given us His Word, His Spirit, and the example of Christ to help us overcome.
When we trust that God's way is right, regardless of our circumstances, He takes care of us. But when we reject His way, we often take out our frustration on others who are trying to live by faith.
The question becomes: Will we compound our lack of faith by sinning more, or will we be resolute in our faith and trust God and His Word?
Life Application
The story of Abel challenges us to examine our own faith. Are we truly trusting God's way, or are we trying to approach Him on our own terms? Here are some questions to consider this week:
- In what areas of my life am I trying to do things my way instead of God's way?
- When I see others living by faith, do I resent them or am I inspired by their example?
- When God's Word confronts me about sin in my life, how do I respond?
- Do I truly believe that following God's way will give me power over the sin that lies at my door?
This week, commit to identifying one area where you've been resisting God's way. Choose to trust Him by taking a step of faith in that area, believing that His way is not just right, but the only way that leads to righteousness and life.
Remember, like Abel, our faith is not about earning praise for ourselves, but about glorifying the object of our faith - God Himself. And even when our faith costs us greatly, as it did for Abel, it speaks powerfully long after we're gone.
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