Heirs of Heaven

November 26

Cain and Abel were polar opposites. Cain was a man of the world. A man who believed in himself and what he could accomplish. When he laid the fruit of his labor before God, he expected God to be impressed –and satisfied. God was not (Genesis, Chapter 4).

Many of us are sufficiently like him that our thoughts rarely turn to God. We are quite content with our own abilities to navigate through life and we fully expect that God, if He exists, will be pleased enough with us at our life’s end to allow us whatever reward eternity holds.

When Cain’s brother Abel brought a blood offering before God and God accepted it, Cain was overwhelmed with anger and slew his brother. Cain did not understand that it is only by the shedding of blood that there can be remission of sin (Hebrews 9:22).

Again, the parallel between our first siblings and ourselves is remarkable. When our confidence in ourselves is compromised by our brothers’ successes, we are indignant, we are upset, we are infuriated that another’s efforts have been rewarded while ours go unrecognized and unrewarded.

Man thinks himself sophisticated today, beyond the need of superstition or religion. He sees himself beyond the time when these concepts played a significant role in how people lived their lives. Man is sure that his time on earth is significant because he thinks himself to be significant. He needs no reliance upon a Holy God who requires him to receive the salvation of Christ.

In one way, modern man is correct. Though the blood of lambs was required to cover man’s sin through the centuries prior to the coming of Christ, when Jesus bore the stripes on His back and the crown of thorns on His sinless head; when He endured the nails in His hands and feet; when the Roman soldier’s spear pierced His side, He cried out, “It is finished!” (John 19:30). And it was indeed finished. Never again will a spotless lamb need to be sacrificed in order to lift the burden of man’s sin.

Paul stated in Hebrews 12:24, “Jesus (is) Mediator of a new covenant and (His) sprinkled blood says better things than the blood of Abel.” Abel sacrificed the spotless lamb to cover his sin and his own blood was spilled out of one man’s sin. Jesus’ blood was shed to cover the sins of all mankind—and when we receive Him as Savior, we are cleansed, we are covered, we are heirs of heaven.