Quote:
Originally Posted by victorbravo  Quote:
Originally Posted by BobVigneault Vic, how would you define 'faith' as you are using it as a requirement of acceptance for Cain and Abel? | Looking to God for justification rather than self. Obedience follows.
But outward obedience with the thought that I'm just as good as brother Abel would not be faith.
I'm thinking along the lines of broken spirit and contrite heart of Psalm 51 and elsewhere.
But really, I should pull back from too much speculation. We're told that Cain offered fruit of the land and Abel offered a firstborn animal and the choicest parts, not my "what-if". |
I think that Bruce has the correct idea, in that it is a both that flows from one. Namely, Cain brought the wrong sacrifice because his heart was wrong - so both were wrong.
I believe that Cain's lack of faith was directly related to the kind of sacrifice he brought. Why? Because faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God (Romans 10:17). So we can conclude, I think, that God did not leave Abel and Cain to guess at what was the proper sacrifice. He told that what He wanted (which is what He always does with worship). So Cain disobeyed the Word of God, and wanted to do what he thought was right, instead of what God thought was right. The definition of a lack of faith.