Bible Bad Boys: Cain--Selfishness Personified
And those who are Christ's have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.
Galatians 5:24
Recommended Reading
Genesis 4:1-16
Cain, the son of Adam and Eve and brother of Abel, is mentioned nineteen times in Scripture. Sixteen of them are in Genesis 4 where his story is told, and the other three occur in the New Testament where he is used as a negative example. Not a sterling legacy to leave behind!
What tarnished Cain's reputation? The Bible says only that God "did not respect Cain and his offering" (Genesis 4:5). Something in Cain's response to God--he became "very angry, and his countenance fell"--provides a clue. Anyone who gets angry when corrected legitimately by an authority reveals a selfish streak, caring ultimately only about self. Perhaps Cain was expected to bring an animal sacrifice like Abel did, but he brought fruits of the field instead, something that was handy for him. Leviticus 3:16 says it is the fat part of the animal sacrifice that becomes a "sweet aroma" to the Lord.
Submitting to God means exchanging selfishness for selflessness, living for Christ instead of living for self. Christians should be selflessness, not selfishness, personified.
Selfishness is never so exquisitely selfish as when it is on its knees.
A. W. Tozer
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