Sin waits; it sits crouching at the door ready to pounce whenever the door is opened. The devil is quite patient. He can wait for just the right moment to tempt us when we are at our weakest.
"And if you do not do well, sin is crouching at the door." Genesis 4:7(b)
Cain And Abel
The Bible tells of Cain and his brother Abel in Genesis 4: 1-15. Abel's gift of the first fruits of his sheep was accepted by God, while Cain's gift of fruits of the field was not. The Bible does not tell us specifically why Cain's gift wasn't accepted, but quite obviously Cain's heart was not in the right place. He was angered by God, by what he deemed to be God's favoritism, so much so that it could be seen in his face.
God speaks to Cain and lets him know that if he does what is right his gift will be accepted, but if he does not, that sin "lies at the door". Indeed, sin lies in wait for us like a wild animal preparing to pounce.
"Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour." I Peter 5:8
Sadly, Cain ignores God's warning and harbors his anger so that he eventually, in his envy, kills his brother. He then lies to God. He tells Him he doesn't know where his brother is.
Pride
Cain's sin is pride - his feelings were hurt when Abel's gift was accepted and his was not. Cain's sin was envy - he was jealous that Abel had offered an acceptable sacrifice and found favor with God while he did not. Cain's sin was lying - when God confronts him, he has the effrontery to lie to God's face about where his brother is and what has happened to him.
How many of us have experienced similar things or know of others who have? For example, someone else might have a nicer spouse than you, maybe you feel that your spouse should be nicer to you and treat you more like someone else's spouse does. Then you question. "Why did you let me marry this person in the first place, God?" Your pride is hurt. Aren't you a good person? Don't you deserve better?
Then you feel jealous. Why can't you have a better spouse? Maybe you have a bad day at home, maybe you are alone with a colleague, maybe "sin is crouching at the door", maybe something happens.
Then when God accuses you, through your guilty conscious or his Word, you blame God. "Oh God, I would not have sinned if I had had a better spouse. I would not have sinned if I had had the spouse I deserved," you tell God. "It's your fault God." "You caused this," you think to yourself.
Jealousy
Adultery and murder, those are big sins. What about other sin? Are we jealous because others have a more important position in the community or the church than ourselves. Jealousy comes from pride. Pride says "I" deserve recognition. Do we go further? Do we tell tales on those people who we are jealous of? Do we tear them down to build up ourselves?
Cain Is Given A Chance
God gives Cain a chance, "If you do well, will you not be accepted." But Cain ignores God. Like us, that "still, small voice" that tells us how we should act and how we should be, was drowned out by what he wanted. To make it even sadder, when God tells Cain his punishment, Cain complains. Even at this point he refuses to accept responsibility. He shows no remorse over his brother's murder. He only worries about himself. Cain has given himself over fully to sin.
Cain's sin destroyed his family. He broke the hearts of his parents. His brother would never have a family or children of his own. How has our sin ruined us? Do we remain separated from God because we have not repented? Because we have not, "done well"?
Two people came before God that day, Cain and Abel, one was accepted and one was not. Like the Pharisee and the tax collector, both came before God in the temple but one was accepted and one was not. (Luke 18:9-14) One recognized his sinfulness, one did not. Both were before God, but one was just a vain shadow of real repentance and one was the real thing.
Sin Is Crouching At The Door
The Devil is prowling to destroy us. But as I Corinthians 10:13 tells us:
"No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it."
Cain was offered a way of escape, "do well", but he chose not to listen. Sin waits to devour us just as it waited for Cain. Sin is crouching at the door. God may warn us through his Word, a sermon, a friend, even someone who is not a Christian, because He loves us so much. Ultimately though we have to choose whose servant we want to be, a servant of sin or a servant of God. Will we let ourselves be devoured? Will we fail God and all those around us, or will we look for that promised "way of escape"?
God's Mercy
God offers compassion and forgiveness. God offers boundless mercy. Call on Him. He will save you! He loves you so much his Son died for you "while you were yet sinners". (Romans 5:8) When we serve God, we may still sin, we may still make poor choices, we may still fall to temptation, but God offers us forgiveness when we repent and turn from our sin.
"For I will be merciful toward their iniquities, and I will remember their sins no more.” Hebrews 8: 12
Thanks be to God!
Enjoy this beautiful old hymn, "Love Lifted Me"