“'Why are you so angry?' the Lord asked Cain. 'Why do you look so dejected? You will be accepted if you do what is right. But if you refuse to do what is right, then watch out! Sin is crouching at the door, eager to control you. But you must subdue it and be its master.'” Gen 4:6-7 NLT
How many times do we feel angry and dejected when we are living in sin? We know that what we are doing is wrong, but yet, to some extent we expect things to go well for us. We must deal with the consequences of our sin, which we know is coming, but yet, we get upset when those consequences come.
Hebrews 12:6 says, “For the Lord disciplines those He loves, and He punishes each one He accepts as His child.” If God didn't love us, He would just ignore our sin and move on. When we confess our sins He is faithful to forgive us of them (I John 1:9), but that doesn't relieve us of the consequences. If someone has sex out of wedlock and gets pregnant, when she confesses that sin, she is still pregnant.
“Sin is crouching at the door, eager to control you,” Gen 4:7 says. According to I Peter 5:8 we are to “stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like roaring lion, looking for someone to devour.” This paints a very vivid picture. I have watched enough shows on the Discovery Channel to know what a lion looks like when he is prowling around looking for prey, or what a cheetah looks like when it's crouching in the tall grass getting ready to pounce. Satan is the lion, sin is the cheetah, and we are the prey!
The end of Genesis 4:7 gives us a plan of action, which in turn gives us hope. “Subdue it and be its master.” I Peter 5:9 says, “Stand firm against him and be strong in your faith.” We can overcome Satan. We can win the fight over sin. And when we do, according to Genesis 4:6 we will be accepted. By whom? By God the Father.
God promises us that we will never be in a situation where we HAVE to sin. I Corinthians 10:13 says, “...He will not allow the temptation to be more than you can stand. When you are tempted, He will show you a way out so that you can endure.”
Deuteronomy 30:19-20, “Today I have given you the choice between life and death, between blessings and curses. Now I call on heaven and earth to witness the choice you make. Oh, that you would choose life so that you and your descendants might live! You can make this choice by loving the Lord your God, obeying Him and committing yourself firmly to Him. This is the key to your life...”
So, resist temptation! Choose God's acceptance! Choose life!
