1 John 3:12 reads, "Do not be like Cain, who belonged to the evil one and murdered his brother. And why did he murder him? Because his own actions were evil and his brother’s were righteous."
In 1 John 3:11-12, the Apostle John has introduced another contrast. With this contrast we discover the two most powerful forces at work in the world today: love and hate. In v.12, John uses a story from Genesis 4 about two brothers. The story of Cain and Abel: when one suddenly took his ax
and struck his brother in the head and murdered him. If we understand the conflict between Cain and Abel, we will understand why fight today.
Beginning in 1 John 3:11, John traces
for us the intertwining of these two forces, love and hate. As we considered yesterday, love, comes from God. However, God's love, in the heart of unsaved man, is self-serving.This is not the way God intended it to be.
The Apostle John says Cain "belonged to the evil one," which is a reference to the Devil. It, therefore, bears to reason that the presence of hate in the human heart
reveals that the individual who expresses hate is a slave to the Devil. Hate is love twisted from its intended purpose. The scriptures are clear that the Devil has twisted what God has created. As a result, anyone who hates is, as Cain was, being manipulated by the Devil. When Cain began to burn with hatred for his brother, there was a
quiet takeover. The Devil had gotten a foothold and had his way with the myopic vision of Cain.
Now, notice the question that John asks in v.12: "And why did he murder him?" The answer is given: "Because his own actions were evil and his brother’s were righteous." In Genesis 4, we are told that both of them brought an
offering to the Lord. Abel of the first offspring lambs of his flock, while Cain brought the fruits of his field. He was a farmer
and so he brought a gift of grain or fruit to God. In
Hebrews 11:4 we are told that it was "by faith" that Abel offered his
offering to God. Abel offered his in obedience
to what God had asked; Cain did not offer his by faith, and therefore
he refused to offer what God had asked. And, when his offering was rejected, Cain was angry.
God's response to Cain is revealing: "Why does your countenance fall? Why are you angry? Do you not know that a sin offering is lying at the door?" (Genesis 4:6-7). Cain could have changed his course at this point, but, he didn't. At that moment he fell into the trap of the Devil. He felt that he was not treated fairly by God, and he turned against God. The result in Cain's case was
the deadly swing of the ax and the gush of his brother's blood.
It ultimately comes down to who defines us, doesn't it? I remember the first weekend after I was "born again". Some friends came over to my house on that Friday night in 1981. So many times before this night we did what we did that night. However, I noticed something different in me. I noticed that I no longer wanted to do the things with these friends that I had done so many times. It puzzled me, for I did not understand what had happened to me, that I was now influenced by the Holy Spirit who now lived in my spirit. It has been like that ever since. I would like to say that I have always turned away from the lurings of the enemy. I have not. However, that Friday night, I experienced, for the first time in my life, the difference between the influence of the enemy and the influence of my God. It all comes back to a quote that I heard many years ago: "the root of sin is the suspicion that God is not good." Getting us to believe that God is not good is the enemies way of getting a foothold in our lives.
