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(Extra)ordinary | Abel & Cain

July 10, 2016 / Dustin Boreland

Our new series Extraordinary begins with a look at true faith. Using the (in)famous Old Testament story of Cain and Abel, the author of Hebrews shows us that faith has far more to do with having the right affections for God, than it does with performing the right activities before God. Rather than see the story of Cain and Abel as a moralistic teaching about how we should try to act like Abel and avoid acting like Cain, or as a simplistic story about God preferring steak over salad (Abel and Cain’s offerings), a fresh look at Genesis 4 presents us with several insights about the nature of sin, faith, repentance, and restoration. This week’s passage encourages us to live by faith just as Abel did. Unlike Cain, Abel’s faith gave him a posture of humility, gratefulness, and submission before God. True faith is more than believing something, it is also about living for something. Rather than trust in religion (working for God’s acceptance on our terms), or irreligion (working for satisfaction on our terms), Jesus invites us to trust Him to give us what only God can.

Hebrews 11.4; Genesis 4