Last month we looked at God’s question to Adam; “Where art thou?” God became a seeking God as soon as sin entered the world, but what a contrast to this we see in Cain’s question which we will consider today.
We all know the sad story of how Cain was angry because God had accepted Abel’s sacrifice, and rejected his. Abel had put the death of a little animal between himself and a holy God, and God had accepted him. Cain had attempted to approach God with the fruit of a cursed earth and God rejected him, and this made Cain so angry that he murdered his brother. Surely this is a striking picture of how the Lord Jesus was hated without a cause and then put to death, but how thankful we can he that the blood of Christ “speaketh better things than that of Abel.” Heb. 12:2424And to Jesus the mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling, that speaketh better things than that of Abel. (Hebrews 12:24). Abel’s blood called for vengeance on Cain, but the precious blood of Christ, shed by sinners like ourselves, is now the ground of blessing for sinners. Yes, dear reader, it calls for blessing, forgiveness, and salvation for all those who accept Him as their Saviour.
We know that many of our readers have already accepted Him and rejoice in the knowledge of His love. Our talk today is especially for such, for we feel there is a lesson for us also in Cain’s question. Before we were saved we were all living for ourselves, and even when we did some act of kindness we did not do it to please the Lord but for a certain good feeling or self-satisfaction we received in it. Perhaps we vainly hoped that such things would help to make us fit for God’s holy presence, but now we have learned that salvation is all of grace, and how we praise God for it. But God did not save us to live “unto ourselves,” but “unto Him who died for us and rose again.” Our lives belong to Him, and the more we realize His love, the more we will feel that His interests are now to be our interests.
Our first responsibility is to God, unquestionably, but let us not forget our responsibility to our brethren in Christ. All that we do or say has an effect upon them for good or bad. We are either a help or a hindrance. If my brother is in need I should try to help him. If he is discouraged I should seek grace from the Lord to encourage him in the path. If he needs rebuke I should know how to speak it in love. I should not say “Let someone else do it,” for that is the same as saying, “Am I my brother’s keeper?” It is to shirk a responsibility—a debt of love which we owe to one another. (Romans 13:88Owe no man any thing, but to love one another: for he that loveth another hath fulfilled the law. (Romans 13:8).) “Let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth.” 1 John 3:1818My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth. (1 John 3:18). May the Lord teach us how to be keepers of our brothers in a practical way!
There is also another point here. We have a responsibility to the world. What are we doing to bring the gospel message to the lost? Do we realize that we are debtors, each in our measure, to bring the story of redeeming love to them? Let us not leave it to others, and push our own responsibility aside. Think of the persecuted saints of old who went everywhere preaching the Word (Acts 8:44Therefore they that were scattered abroad went every where preaching the word. (Acts 8:4)), and let us imitate their faith! It may be a gospel tract, a visit to a hospital, a Sunday school class, or perhaps a word spoken at the door to a tradesman. In the case of a brother it may be some more public service, hut let us never say, “Am I my brother’s keeper?” Love counts it a privilege to be engaged in God’s interests in this poor world.
ML 08/27/1950