The Sin Effect Day 2

One sin is always a disaster. Any one of the Ten Commandments (Exodus 20:1-17) on it's own leads to destruction. Murder, adultery, stealing, lying or coveting will damage relationships, destroy security, and bring isolation and fear as a result. If you put any god before the LORD you are essentially putting your faith in something that has no authority and it leads to disillusion and disappointment. If your faith and security are in your job or ability to make money (or your spouse's ability) it will lead to obsession, and insecurity. Neglecting rest, fellowship, and time with the LORD on the Sabbath leads to exhaustion and self-importance. Death is not just the cost of sin, it's also the fruit of sin.
Of course sin rarely happens in isolation. One lie leads to another, coveting turns to stealing, adultery is compounded by lying. Sin is a path and each step down it leads to more sin and more destruction.
"Do not set foot on the path of the wicked or walk in the way of the evil. Avoid it, do not travel on it; turn from it and go on your way." Proverbs 4:14 & 15
Cain knew what God required in an offering, but he chose to go before the LORD with something else. Cain wanted acceptance on his own terms. He wanted God to affirm that he was good enough on his own, and his arrogance caused his offering to be rejected. Rather than acknowledging his wrong attitude and repenting, he took the rejection of his offering personally. He felt he had been rejected and Abel had been accepted. His hurt pride grew into anger and jealousy, which grew into hatred and murder. Cain walked straight down the path of sin. God himself, had reached out to him to encourage Cain to do what was right, and warn him of the path that he was on, yet Cain boldly continued down the path of destruction. But our God is compassionate, and gracious, slow to anger abounding in love and faithfulness.*
We tend to think of murder as the ultimate sin. To take another person's life seems far worse than lying or hatred, it seems unforgivable. Many of us would bristle at the idea of running into a murderer in Heaven, yet to God sin is sin.
When God went to Cain the second time, after he had killed his brother, God did not approach him in condemnation. God gave Cain the opportunity to confess his sins. When Cain again chose the path of sin and hardened his heart toward God, God chose to teach him a lesson instead of smiting him (like we would probably want to do).
Cain had been a farmer, his ability to grow fruits and vegetables had been a source of pride for him. God striped Cain of his gift, to show him that faith in anything but Him was futile. God alone should be his provision.
Faced with reality of his sin, and its painful consequences, Cain chose fear over faith. Sin had hardened his heart so much that he could not recognize God's love and mercy. He was consumed with self-pity.
"So I tell you this, and insist on it in the Lord, that you must no longer live as the [unbelievers] do, in the futility of their thinking. They are darkened in their understanding and separated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them due to the hardening of their hearts. Having lost all sensitivity, they have given themselves over to sensuality so as to indulge in every kind of impurity, with a continual lust for more." Ephesians4:17-19
Cain's mind had become polluted with sin, he could not see that God was offering him another chance to repent and be forgiven. Still God persisted in His love for Cain and addressed his fear, giving him yet another opportunity to have faith.
"But the LORD said to him, "Not so; if anyone kills Cain, he will suffer vengeance seven times over." Then the LORD put a mark on Cain so that no one who found him would kill him." Genesis 4:15 & 16.
God is so overwhelmingly patient. He does not desire to punish us, He wants us to repent. He wants us to place our trust in Him alone.
There are many ridiculous theories about the mark of Cain. That God gave him a tail or made his skin dark are two of the most dangerous and damaging (not to mention un-biblical). The Bible does not tell us what it was, but it was clearly another symbol of God's mercy and love. God alone should be his security. If Cain chose faith, and trusted that God would keep him safe then he could live out his days in peace. If he chose fear, no matter how long he lived or how many times God protected him from vengeance, Cain would never be at rest.** How totally God is that!
We don't know what choice Cain made in the end, but what we do know is that God, over and over again extended him grace and the opportunity to repent. Cain is often marginalized in sermons, and studies. He's famous for having murdered his brother, and continuing the spread of sin. Yet his story shows the passion and persistence of our God. A God who would not spare His own Son so that we could be with Him. God pursues those that He loves. Over and over again the Israelites, like Cain, turned their back on Him, yet He loved them and continued to give them opportunities to repent. He does the same for us today.
"No temptation has seized you accept what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it." 1 Corinthians 10:13
Sin is the path that leads to destruction, but our God gives second chances, and third chances and fourths if we need it. His path is righteousness and it leads to our forgiveness not our destruction. Until the moment of our death, or when we see Jesus coming again, there is time to turn to God, and walk in His path.
"I have kept my feet from every evil path so that I might obey our word. I have not departed from your laws, for you yourself have taught me. How sweet are your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth! I gain understanding from your precepts; therefore I hate every wrong path." Psalm 119:101-104.

* Psalm 86:15
** Missler, Chuck. audio commentary on Genesis 4 (1990). http://www.blueletterbible.org/ (accessed 9-23-10)