{"id":3511,"date":"2012-07-30T08:57:31","date_gmt":"2012-07-30T15:57:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/nehemiah.pivotdev.com\/?p=3511"},"modified":"2020-03-16T23:20:41","modified_gmt":"2020-03-17T06:20:41","slug":"the-sin-of-rebellion","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/nehemiahecommunity.com\/members\/devotionals\/the-sin-of-rebellion\/","title":{"rendered":"The Sin Of Rebellion","gt_translate_keys":[{"key":"rendered","format":"text"}]},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Then the Lord said to Cain, \u201cWhere is Abel your brother?\u201d He said, \u201cI do not know. Am I my brother\u2019s keeper?<\/em>\u201c<\/em>\u00a0Genesis 4:9<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Most of the time, when we hear of the story of Cain and Abel,<\/strong> the emphasis is always on God\u2019s rejection of Cain\u2019s offering and his acceptance of Abel\u2019s because Abel gave the first and his best to the Lord while Cain\u2019s offering was not his first and best gift. Key to this story is not just how to give, but it\u2019s how Cain reacted to God\u2019s action.<\/strong> You see, it is often not what you do that gets you into trouble, it is how you respond to the consequences of your actions. My wife and I have two children who we often have to chastise for one reason or another. And no matter how bad the behavior that caused the chastisement, the thing we detest most is when they do not submit to our authority or judgment. This is demonstrated by the back-talk or the moodiness that comes after a chastisement. You see, if they conclude in their own mind that we were unfair in our punishment of them, or if they do not understand why they received a certain level of punishment (especially in comparison to each other), the spirit of rebellion begins to rise up. Cain got angry when the Lord did not value his offering as He did Abel\u2019s, so he rebelled (Genesis 4:5).<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The question of why God did not value Cain\u2019s gift equally to Abel\u2019s is the wrong question.<\/strong> God is the sovereign ruler of the earth and the master of our lives, and He can choose at His discretion to place more value on one person\u2019s action over that of another\u2019s without justification or need for explanation. Even the very thought of the question is rude and obnoxious. He desires our obedience and not our sacrifice (I Samuel 15:22).<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

It is clear from the story that Abel gave his first and Cain did not. Yet, whether or not God was disappointed in Cain\u2019s gift, the sin that Cain committed was in how he handled God\u2019s response to his action.\u00a0\u00a0 After God\u2019s reaction to both of their gifts, Cain got angry, and his countenance fell. But he did not stop there. Driven by his anger, he took his brother\u2019s life (Genesis 4:3-8). The sin that Cain committed was the same sin that led to his parents downfall and the same sin that continues to bring mankind down throughout history: the sin of rebellion. Rebellion is man\u2019s attempt to override God\u2019s sovereign rule over us and His creation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As a Biblical Entrepreneur, all sin that you commit (except the unpardonable sin \u2013 Matthew 12:31) can be forgiven and even overcome. However, the one that is most difficult to overcome, and can take you down a path of no return, is the sin of rebellion.<\/strong> The sin of rebellion is man\u2019s rejection of God\u2019s will and rule over his life.<\/strong> This is caused whenever man does not understand why God allowed something to happen or why God did something. It is man\u2019s desire to understand prior to obeying rather than obeying and trusting God for the understanding. It is man\u2019s desire to control the outcome of the situation rather than allowing God to be in control.<\/strong> The greatest asset the entrepreneur has is his or her ability to be decisive, make choices and walk in self-control. This could also be his or her greatest weakness if these things are not done under the leading of the Holy Spirit or with the understanding that in everything you do you must first seek God\u2019s will and be prepared to obey and submit to His will without full understanding (James 3:13-17). Here are some examples of the sin of rebellion at work:<\/p>\n\n\n\n