THE WAY OF CAIN: REJECTING GOD’S TESTIMONY AND HATING THE JUSTIFIED
The way of Cain represents far more than a simple failure to recognize a brother in Christ. It embodies a deep-seated hatred for those who are justified by faith in the blood of Christ, stemming from a fundamental rejection of God’s method of justification. This hatred is not born out of mere disagreement or misunderstanding, but from a satanic opposition to the very heart of the gospel message while maintaining an outward appearance of fellowship with God.
At its core, the way of Cain is characterized by a refusal to acknowledge God’s way of dealing with sin and the qualification of sinners for blessing (to stand before God) through the blood of Christ. When Cain brought his offering of the fruit of the ground, he was presenting the works of his own hands, the product of his toil in the cursed earth (
Genesis 4:3
). This offering represented Cain’s attempt to approach God on his own terms, through his own efforts and righteousness. In contrast, Abel brought the firstlings of his flock and the fat portion. This is not Abel “doing his best” or “giving his all”. He is providing blood sacrifice, a burnt offering that pointed to faith in God’s promise of redemption through the seed of the woman (
Genesis 4:4
). Abel’s offering was accepted because it represented faith in God’s way of justification, while Cain’s was rejected.
The rejection of Cain’s offering revealed his heart. His anger and fallen countenance (
Genesis 4:5-6
) exposed a deep-seated resentment towards God’s method of justification. This resentment quickly turned to hatred towards his brother Abel, whose righteous deeds testified to the validity of God’s way.
1 John 3:12
The apostle John draws a direct connection between this hatred and the spirit of antichrist, writing, “Not as Cain, who was of that wicked one, and slew his brother. And wherefore slew he him? Because his own works were evil, and his brother’s righteous”.
Those who walk in the way of Cain today may outwardly profess faith in God and claim to have fellowship with Him, but their hearts are far from Him. They maintain a form of godliness while denying its power (
2 Timothy 3:5
). Their religion is based on self-righteousness and works, and they become infuriated when confronted with the truth that God justifies the ungodly who believe in Jesus (
Romans 4:5
). This fury leads them to persecute and attempt to exclude those who truly rest in Christ’s finished work. This is what exposes their beliefs and their nature.
The way of Cain is a “double fall” – one who is fallen because he is in Adam, and a further fall represented by the “falling of his countenance.” His entire disposition drops into a rage at the testimony of Christ especially as pronounced by the justified. This rejection is not merely the rejection of men’s testimony, but God’s testimony concerning His Son, as first John 5 says, ” If we receive the witness of men, the witness of God is greater: for this is the witness of God which he hath testified of his Son.
1 John 5:10
He that believeth on the Son of God hath the witness in himself: he that believeth not God hath made him a liar; because he believeth not the record that God gave of his Son.
The way of Cain manifests in a refusal to recognize the children of God by their testimony of faith in Christ not because of mere personal irritation, but because of a rejection of the Gospel with full knowledge. Those who take the way of Cain, spoken of in Jude and 1 John, are those who are in the church masquerading as believers, “crept in privately, unaware,” pretending to love God (and boasting in it), pretending to walk in the light (but abiding in death and in darkness), pretending to have fellowship with God (but rejected because they seek it through works). They are antichrists. Instead of acknowledging the sufficiency of Christ’s blood for justification, they demand additional works or evidence of righteousness and continually accuse believers of being unsaved or not justified or unclean. Their refusal to recognize brothers by the testimony of faith exposes their own lack of genuine faith in God’s method of justification. The zeal with which they persecute believers while claiming to love God reflects their double fall, their fall into Adam, and their fallen countenance, and shows them to be like “Cain, who was of the wicked one.”
Verses Referenced:
- Genesis 4:3 – “And in process of time it came to pass, that Cain brought of the fruit of the ground an offering unto the LORD.”
- Genesis 4:4 – “And Abel, he also brought of the firstlings of his flock and of the fat thereof. And the LORD had respect unto Abel and to his offering.”
- Genesis 4:5-6 – “But unto Cain and to his offering he had not respect. And Cain was very wroth, and his countenance fell.”
- 1 John 3:12 – “Not as Cain, who was of that wicked one, and slew his brother. And wherefore slew he him? Because his own works were evil, and his brother’s righteous.”
- 2 Timothy 3:5 – “Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.”
- Romans 4:5 – “But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness.”
- 1 John 5:10 – “He that believeth on the Son of God hath the witness in himself: he that believeth not God hath made him a liar; because he believeth not the record that God gave of his Son.”