GOSPEL NUGGET # 69

Gen. 4:4 ...Abel brought of the firstlings of his flock and of their fat portions. And the LORD had regard for Abel and his offering,

Genesis 4:5 but for Cain and his offering he had no regard. So Cain was very angry, and his countenance fell.

Here we see the two kinds of approach of sinful man towards God. We have the Cain type of approach and the Abel type of approach. The Cain type approach represents the religions we have in this world. It is the approach of good works and religious achievement.

"...Cain brought to the LORD an offering of the fruit of the ground,"

Many people today believe that they can satisfy the demands of God's justice against their sins by their own efforts, by their religious activities. But God must be approached by His own way. It has been indicated to sinful man that God must be approached with a blood sacrifice when God sacrificed an animal for Adam and Eve.

Adam and Eve tried to cover their nakedness with fig leaves. But God changed it with tunics of skin---an animal had to be slain (it was probably a lamb). Indicating that only through a blood sacrifice will God be satisfied, not the works of man's hands such as the fig leaves of Adam and Eve and the fruit of the ground of Cain's labor. All indications point that Cain knew all these but still he chose to approach God his own way. It was the way of unbelief.

But Abel's way was the opposite of Cain's. Abel knew from his parents that God must be approached by way of a blood sacrifice. And so " Abel brought of the firstlings of his flock and of their fat portions." The Lord accepted His offering because it was the approach of faith [see Heb. 11:4].

The story has never changed. Men and women today still approach God the same way as Abel and Cain. Many approach God on the basis of their works. They are confident that God will forgive their sins because they have done this and done that. Others, by the grace of God, approach God relying on the sacrifice of the Lord Jesus Christ for their sins at Calvary 2000 years ago.

The animal sacrifice that Abel made in faith was a picture of the sacrifice that the Lord Jesus made in the Cross of Calvary years later. Abel through his animal sacrifice looked forward to the coming sacrifice of the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.

How about you? What's your religion?