Can a man choose his own way to come to God?
God gives us the answer to this question in the story of Cain and Abel in Genesis 4:1-5.
Cain and Abel were sinners, like all of us. They couldn’t give anything to God to pay for their sins. So God planned a way that they could come to Him. He made a way for them to come to Him because He loved them, just like He loves us.
This is the way God planned. When they came to God, they had to bring a sheep as an offering to Him. And the sheep had to be killed in a way so that the blood flowed out of it. Now you have to understand that the blood of the sheep couldn’t pay for their sin… but God wanted them to remember that the punishment for sin is death. He wanted them to remember that they would die and go to everlasting punishment unless He saved them.
If they agreed with God that they were sinners and that only He could save them from everlasting punishment, then they would bring a sheep and kill it in the way that God had told them.
Leviticus 17:11
God promised that if they came by faith, offering to Him the blood of animals, He would accept them and forgive their sins.
Genesis 4:2-5 …And Abel was a keeper of sheep, but Cain was a tiller of the ground. And in process of time it came to pass, that Cain brought of the fruit of the ground an offering unto the Lord. And Abel, he also brought of the firstlings of his flock and of the fat thereof. And the Lord had respect unto Abel and to his offering: But unto Cain and to his offering he had not respect. And Cain was very wroth, and his countenance fell.
Abel brought his sheep as an offering to God. He agreed with God that he was a sinner and that only God could save him from everlasting punishment
God was very pleased with Abel’s offering and He accepted him.
What about Cain? Cain was a tiller of the ground and he brought the fruit of the ground as an offering to God. God rejected Cain’s offering. Why? Because Cain didn’t come to God in the ONE Way that God had said was acceptable. Cain came to God in his own way, according to his own ideas, and not in the way that God had commanded. Cain didn’t trust the way that God had told them to come. He rebelled against God’s commands, and so God rejected him.
What about us? God has not changed. He is still the same today. He still says there is only one way that we can come to Him. And we have to come to God in this ONE WAY or He will reject us just like He rejected Cain.
What is the way that we can come to God? John 14:6 gives us the answer. Jesus says I am the way, the truth, and the life; No man comes to the Father but by Me. Jesus is saying I am the way, the only Way. No man comes to the Father except by me. I am the only way YOU can come to the Father. When Abel offered the sheep to God, it was a picture of what Jesus would do for us later. Jesus would die for us as that offering.
Jesus is the perfect Lamb of God. He offered Himself as the perfect sacrifice for our sins. His died in such a way that His blood flowed out of his body. His blood that was shed paid the death penalty for our sins.
All you have to do to come to God is agree with Him that you are a sinner, and trust that Jesus paid for your sins when He died on the cross. Three days later, Jesus rose from the grave, victorious over sin and death.
Some of you know may know Romans 6:23. The wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
The payment for our sin is death. Jesus paid that price. But the gift of God is eternal life. How do we accept that gift? Through Jesus Christ our Lord
Confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord. Believe that He died for your sins and rose from the dead and you will be saved - Romans 10:9.
You will be accepted by God. You will have come to God in the one way that He has said is acceptable.
