“Woe to them! For they walked in the way of Cain.” Jude 11
In Jude verse 11 we receive a direct warning about living our lives after the example of Cain. Jude warns believers about apostates and false teachers who have infiltrated the church for the purpose of leading people away from the truth of the Gospel. He warns of the way of Cain, the error of Balaam and the rebellion of Korah. Cain is mentioned first indicating his is the primary way that error comes into the church and our lives.
First some review. Cain is born into a family of believers. In fact his mother, Eve, may have believed, based on God’s promise in Genesis 3:15, that Cain was the Messiah who would defeat the serpent (Satan who had deceived her into sin). She would have raised him to know God. Cain was well taught and educated about God but knowledge is not faith. Two New Testament passages of scripture give us additional insight into the heart of Cain. First, we know Cain was not a true believer. I John 3:12 describes him as “Cain who was of the wicked one”. Therefore we know his heart never repented. For all his life he “did it his way”.
Second Hebrews 11:4 tells us “By faith Abel offered to God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, through which he obtained witness that he was righteous”. Do you see it? Cain knew all about God – he knew about the sacrifices, what they were and why and when they were to be offered. He was expert in the outward acts but his heart was filled with pride not humility. As a result, for a while Cain passed himself off as a believer. But then he grew tired of God’s way. He did not believe it or agree with it. It made no sense to him. He thought he knew a better, more innovative way. He felt his way was just as worthy to save him as what God required. As a result we see his heart is filled with pride just as his father, the devil’s, was. The Lord called people who look real for a while but they are not, “tares” in the parable of the wheat and the tares.
There are many people like Cain across the world today. They have heard and been taught the Gospel, they heard first hand testimonies of the greatness of God and they heard Bible truths of God. They know the rituals but do not have a saving faith in God. Likely everyone of us know someone who we thought was saved but who is really on the path (way) of Cain.
So what is the key characteristic to identify the way of Cain? It is not knowledge of the scriptures for tares know much about God’s word. It is not serving God for Cain was offering his sacrifice just like Abel. There are two key indicators. The first is does the person have a
humble acceptance of God’s word? God reveres His word above His name. The way of Cain rebels at certain portions of God’s word. They
call them old-fashioned or offer “more modern” ways to “honor God”. They reject the clear and undeniable truths of scripture and offer manmade alternatives instead. Second, the way of Cain produces anger when their “substitute religious practices” are not accepted. This anger comes from pride in the heart instead of humility to obey God’s word. Both of these actions stem from what we are told about apostates in Romans 1:21-22.
“For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened. Claiming to be wise, they became fools”. Remember a fool says in their heart “there is no God”.
Cain knew God but does not honor Him as God for he does not submit to, agree with or obey His commandments. He does not thank
God but expects God to thank him for what he does for God. His thinking becomes futile (the word means vain or – are you ready for this – aimless). In other words instead of aiming to please God as the focus in his life, he aims to please himself. Eventually he claims to have a better way (this is where false doctrines breed) which is rejected by God as false. When his way is not accepted as valid, Cain, the apostate departs from the faith. “They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would have continued with us; but they went out that they might be made manifest, that none of them were of us.”
What is the lesson? “Examine yourselves, to see whether you are in the faith.” We are to test yourselves against God’s word – the truth. If our salvation is true we will accept, believe and follow God’s word and his way. It’s not primarily what we do, instead it starts with the attitude of our hearts toward God’s authority in our lives.