Not long ago I had the opportunity to chat with a person who was finding it hard to accept God’s seemingly harsh dealings with Cain (see the account in Genesis 4). As I tried to explain what was happening from a biblical perspective, I could tell from her response she wasn’t buying it, which is totally understandable. For who of us can understand anything about God’s ways without the help of the Holy Spirit?
Looking at the incident from a strictly human point of view, she couldn’t understand why God found Cain’s seemingly sincere offering to Him unacceptable. She wondered, What’s the big deal? Why is God being so hard and unyielding on an issue that seems inconsequential to me?
As always happens in cases like this, I did my “feeble best” to explain why God didn’t consider this act unimportant. I pointed out that, with regard to sin, God gets to set the terms for what will make atonement for our sin and rebellion. We don’t get to choose how we can be reconciled back to Him because He is the offended party, not us. So we should be grateful for the fact that He even wants to forgive us and bring us back to himself. Whatever He asks of us to make that happen — even if it’s a blood sacrifice of an innocent animal on an altar – shouldn’t be refused just because we don’t totally understand why it’s necessary.
I didn’t have a lot of time, so I cut to the chase and mentioned one of the “why’s” of this plan that I could see. The kind of sacrifice brought was important because Abel’s sacrifice points ahead to the sacrifice of Jesus, which would atone for the sin of all mankind. If people got the idea that a sacrifice of fruit or grain, provided by their own effort, could pay for their sin, they would miss out on the incredible sacrifice God had planned in sending Jesus to earth.
Far from being a trifling issue, Cain and Abel’s sacrifices would lay down the biblical principle that would eventually lead to freedom from sin for everyone who put their trust in God’s gracious provision. Here’s the principle in a nutshell, taken from Leviticus 17:11: “For the life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it for you on the altar to make atonement for your souls.” And, lest we think this is just an Old Testament idea, the same principle is laid out in Hebrews 9:22: “Without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins.”
But there’s another “why” of God’s plan that I didn’t get to address with my friend that is equally important. The cross not only supplied the power for redemption, it also supplied the sufficiency. It paid in full for all sin of all time for everyone. It eliminates the guesswork and gives us certainty.
If God’s redemption plan had looked like all other religions … dos and don’ts that we had to conform to, a list of good works and/or sacrifices to gain God’s favor … we’d NEVER KNOW when the goal was reached. We’d never know when we had satisfied God’s requirements. But He made it easy for us by making it something He completed once and for all. Our efforts (apart from faith) were not factored into its success. It’s a radical and permanent solution for our sin problem.
Here’s how Paul so brilliantly summed it up: “But now a righteousness from God, apart from law, has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. This righteousness … comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and [yet] are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Jesus Christ. God presented him as a sacrifice of atonement, through faith in his blood” (Romans 3:21-25).
The Old Testament animal sacrifices that Israel performed were merely foreshadows of what was to come. As the writer to the Hebrews points out, they were not designed to be a permanent remedy for sin. They had to come back, again and again, because the forgiveness for their sin was only temporary. But when Jesus hung on the cross He cried out “It is finished” and it was! The payment for our sin was done. By putting our confidence in His work, we could truly be set free, forever. Good news? For sure!
God didn’t want anyone to miss out on His remedy, so He laid the groundwork for His redemption plan down early … all the way back in Genesis. Throughout the history of Israel He inspired His prophets to proclaim the Savior who would be coming to free us once and for all from our sins. Through them He gave us clues about how to recognize Him when he came. Then He sent Jesus, immediately perceived by John the Baptist as “the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!” (John 1:29)
If you’re a Christian, you might wonder why I’m taking so much time going over the scriptural truths you already know. Perhaps, like me, you need a reminder. Over time we can lose the sense of just how important Jesus is to the world and how crucial it is for everyone to hear about His sacrifice for sin. He said He was the only way to obtain reconciliation with God. How can we be certain of that? That’s easy. God put His “stamp of approval” on Jesus by raising Him from the dead. No other religious faith can say that about their leader!
In recent years the church, particularly in the West, has stopped sharing these Gospel truths, to the poverty of those who are lost and need Him. There are many reasons for this. We don’t want to be offensive, for one. We also don’t like the charges that are leveled against us by the world. They label us stupid, intolerant, judgmental or insensitive to others. Sure, we’ve made some blunders in trying to win the world to Christ in the past. We haven’t always been as loving and sensitive as we could have been. But I fear the pendulum has swung too far trying to compensate for this. Now we remain silent around those who need to know the Good News.
We think, Why risk alienation and misunderstanding when it’s so much easier just to invite them to Christian events like church services and concerts, where they might hear the truth in a more non-confrontational way? Or why can’t we just pray for them in the privacy of our own homes, far away from their probing questions and charges against God? What if we don’t have answers to their questions?
Here we need to stop and ask ourselves: What would the apostle Paul think about such reasoning? Exactly! He would find it ludicrous, a cop-out of the worst kind. When he stood on Mars Hill in Athens and proclaimed Jesus to the elite philosophers of his day (Acts 17) he faced plenty of mocking, skepticism, and ridicule. Many sneered at his claims, but amazingly, some believed them! And that kept Paul going.
As God’s ambassador, he understood the message of the cross would be seen as offensive and foolish to those who are perishing (1 Corinthians 1:18). But Paul’s concern for the salvation of others compelled him to preach anyway, and in time Christian churches were established in every place he visited. “For Christ’s love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all” (2 Corinthians 5:14). Paul was convinced Jesus’ blood sacrifice obtained redemption for all – people of every age or language group, living in every culture and time of human history. And he wanted to make sure everyone had the opportunity to put their faith in Him.
I’m concerned that, by contrast, I’m letting my comfort, my reluctance to “rock the boat” and my lack of real concern for the spiritual welfare of others to keep me from sharing this important message. The people I come in contact with on a regular basis don’t need anything else as much as they need to know about Jesus Christ and His radical remedy. Yet, all too often I remain silent.
We might think Paul was naturally bold and confrontational, but he wasn’t. He wrote to the Corinthians: “I came to you in weakness and fear, and with much trembling” (2:3). He had to trust in God’s strength to share with them, just as we must do. We have the same resources that Paul had. In fact, we are unlikely to face the level of hostility and opposition he faced. I doubt that any of us in the West will be stoned three times or left for dead. We are unlikely to be the target of rioters, let down the wall in a basket to keep from being killed, or put in prison, as Paul was.
I’m convinced that what keeps us back isn’t so much the threat of persecution as just a lack of conviction about our message. We’ve let the world’s distractions occupy us so completely that we no longer see how vital we are as God’s ambassadors in the lives of our lost friends, relatives, and neighbors. If we don’t share the Good News of Jesus with them, who will? And who will do it more lovingly and with more sensitivity than us — the Christians who care the most about them?
When aid workers go into Third World countries and try to educate local people about the importance of hygiene and clean drinking water, the uphill battle is enormous. Often they are misunderstood, ignored, and hated for the disruption they bring to the villagers’ routines. The local people just don’t see the dangers of germs and how they are spread, so they resist making the suggested changes. But the workers persist in spite of all that, knowing that what they bring to the community will be helpful and life-saving in the long run.
As Christians we have to be willing to adopt the same attitude when we share the Gospel. Those who listen may resist us, and many won’t see the value of what we bring. But for those who do embrace it, it will make a difference not only to that individual but to whole generations that follow. We should never be ashamed to proclaim the only real answer for what ails mankind – the radical remedy of the cross!
I’ll conclude with a song by Carol Owens (1972) based on Matthew 10:8. It’s a good motivator for us to share God’s wonderful redemption plan with all who will listen.

“FREELY, FREELY”

God forgave my sin in Jesus’ name; I’ve been born again in Jesus’ name;

and in Jesus’ name I come to you to share His love as He told me to. He said…

“Freely, freely, you have received; freely, freely give.

Go in my name and because you believe, others will know that I live.”

All power is giv’n in Jesus’ name, in earth and heaven in Jesus’ name;

and in Jesus’ name I come to you to share His power as He told me to. He said…

“Freely, freely, you have received; freely, freely give.

God in my name and because you believe, others will know that I live.”