Cain’s Carnal Quest – A Sermon on How Sin Develops

1. Read: 1 John 3:11-15

2. About the Text:

1) John is contrasting Jesus and Satan in this context.

2) Jesus was a child of God.

3) Satan was a liar, deceiver, and lawbreaker.

3. To illustrate what being a child of the devil does to our life, John turns to the story of Cain and Abel.

1) Cain let the devil fill his heart with evil.

2) Cain became a murderer.

3) How do we prevent ourselves from becoming like Cain?

4. Ref. to S, T, P, O, and A.

1. He let his evil desires consume him.

1) He proudly elevated self.

2) He envied his brother.

3) He hated his brother.

2. We must put away sinful desires: envy, hatred, malice.

1) “Therefore put to death your members which are on the earth: fornication, uncleanness, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. Because of these things the wrath of God is coming upon the sons of disobedience, in which you yourselves once walked when you lived in them. But now you yourselves are to put off all these: anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy language out of your mouth” (Colossians 3:5-8).

2) “Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice” (Ephesians 4:31).

3. We’ve got to replace those desires with good desires.

1) “Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering; bearing with one another, and forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint against another; even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do. But above all these things put on love, which is the bond of perfection. And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body; and be thankful” (Colossians 3:12-15).

2) “And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you.” (Ephesians 4:32).

1. He murdered his brother.

2. When we have a sinful direction in our life, our decisions will be sinful.

3. How does sin develop in our life?

1) Read Psalm 1

2) “But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed. 15 Then, when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, brings forth death.” (James 1:14-15).

4. It is important that we stop sin before it begins by exercising humility and self-control.

1) “Better to be of a humble spirit with the lowly, Than to divide the spoil with the proud.” (Proverbs 16:19).

2) “A man’s pride will bring him low, But the humble in spirit will retain honor” (Proverbs 29:23).

3) “But also for this very reason, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue, to virtue knowledge, to knowledge self-control, to self-control perseverance, to perseverance godliness, to godliness brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness love” (2 Peter 1:5-7).

1. The ultimate destination of the sinner is eternal condemnation.

2. We do it to ourselves – Jonah 2:8 – ““Those who regard worthless idols forsake their own Mercy.”

3. We merit eternal death – Romans 6:23

4. It is due to unbelief – Mark 16:15-16

5. This is the second death – Revelation 20:14-15

1. Let’s resolve not to follow Cain’s Carnal Question with its sinful . . .

1) Direction

2) Decision

3) Destination

2. Invitation