I consider the encouraging words from some of our readers priceless. My utmost desire is that these teachings will give us all a clearer understanding of the Word of Life, so that we may live by it daily.
Last week, we examined Luke 6:38 and discovered that Jesus directed that instruction more towards forgiveness and judgment rather than giving. We also saw that before the Law was given, God did not demand any offering from Adam. The very first recorded offering came from Abel and Cain after the fall.
It is important to note that God never commanded them to bring that offering. They offered from their own volition. While we will not dwell on the details of Abel’s murder, it is helpful to consider why Cain’s offering was rejected by God. Genesis 4:7 gives us God’s own explanation:
Then the Lord said to Cain, “Why are you angry? Why is your face downcast? If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must master it.”
This passage reveals two important truths. First, the giver of the offering is more important than the offering itself. Second, God does not accept the offering of a man whom He Himself has not accepted.
Notice also that God’s rejection of Cain’s offering was not final condemnation—it was an opportunity for repentance. Cain’s tendency to sin, which eventually led to murder, was already present in his heart before his offering was rejected. The rejection only exposed what was hidden within him.
This principle is echoed in the New Testament account of Ananias and Sapphira (Acts 5). When they brought their gift, the deceit already in their hearts was exposed in the spirit realm, and their offering became polluted by their hypocrisy. Just as with Cain, the problem was not primarily with the gift itself, but with the state of the giver.
Returning to Abel, Hebrews 11:4 explains why his offering was accepted:
By faith Abel offered God a better sacrifice than Cain did. By faith he was commended as a righteous man, when God spoke well of his offerings. And by faith he still speaks, even though he is dead.
Abel’s offering was accepted because he himself was accepted. His life was marked by righteousness and faith. This is why his sacrifice spoke loudly before God, even beyond his lifetime.
The lesson for us is clear: the offering of a righteous man is the only offering acceptable to God. This is why it is troubling when churches, in a bid to raise funds, appoint unbelievers or ungodly men as chairmen of harvests and building projects. Some even go further, seeking financial help from those who openly oppose the gospel. But as one wise person put it, “He who opposes the cause of the gospel should not be called to pay the cost of the gospel.”
True giving flows from a heart that is right before God. Anything less than that may look good outwardly, but in heaven’s sight, it carries no weight.
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