Overcoming Bitterness: Avoiding the Way of Cain
I. DILIGENTLY REFUSING TO ALLOW A “ROOT SYSTEM” OF BITTERNESS TO BE IN US
15 Looking diligently lest anyone fall short of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up (subtly and progressively)
cause trouble, and by this many become defiled… (Heb. 12:15)
A. Jude warns us to refuse the lifestyle of three types of false teachers in the Church as portrayed by Cain, Balaam
and Korah. A false teacher may teach right doctrine but they live a false life.
4 For certain men have crept in unnoticed…ungodly men, who turn the grace of our God into lewdness…11 Woe to them!
For they have gone in the way of Cain, have run greedily in the error of Balaam for profit, and perished in the rebellion of
Korah. 12 These are spots in your love feasts, while they feast with you without fear…They are clouds without water,
carried about by the winds; late autumn trees without fruit… (Jude 4, 11-12)
B. When God confronted Cain about his unacceptable sacrifice, instead of repenting with humility, he grew angry
until he eventually killed Abel. The root system of bitterness was working in him.
2 Abel was a keeper of sheep, but Cain was a tiller of the ground…3 It came to pass that Cain brought an offering of the
fruit of the ground to the LORD. 4 Abel brought of the firstborn of his flock…and the LORD respected Abel and his
offering, 5 but He did not respect Cain and his offering. Cain was very angry, and his countenance fell. 6 So the LORD
said to Cain, "Why are you angry? And why has your countenance fallen? 7 If you do well, will you not be accepted?
And if you do not do well, sin lies at the door. And its desire is for you, but you should rule over it." 8 Now Cain talked
with Abel his brother; and it came to pass, when they were in the field, that Cain rose up against Abel his brother and
killed him. (Gen. 4:2-8)
C. The way of Cain is to live in the spirit of murder which is first manifest as anger and jealousy then bitterness. If yielded
to it grows like cancer spreading in our emotions keeping us in prison.
21 You have heard that it was…, “You shall not murder”…22 I say to you that whoever is angry with his brother…shall
be in danger of the judgment…25 Agree with your adversary quickly…lest your adversary deliver you to the judge…and
you are thrown into prison…26 You will by no means get out of there till you have paid the last penny. (Mt. 5:21-26)
D. We are in danger of the judgment because anger has a domino effect in our emotions as it grows leading us to
greater acts of sin. To live in uncontested anger is to live in the prison of a toxic heart (dulled spirit). Satan wants our
weaknesses to escalate to wickedness as it did in Cain’s life. Satan adds a demonic energy to our weakness so that we
act-it-out giving him more access.
E. It is the height of injustice to receive God’s free mercy for our sin without extending it to others. We live in
significant injustice by refusing to bless our enemies as Jesus blesses us after we have done adversarial things to our
relationship with Him. We must never allow anger and envy to remain in our heart uncontested because it will injure our
hearts far worse than the person that opposes us. Jesus did not appeal to the nobility of integrity but to our “sanctified
selfishness” by avoiding the prison of toxic emotions.
F. We must not allow the poison of bitterness and anger to grow in us. The spirit of murder operates in many stages
as it grows and spreads like cancer to other areas of our emotional life. We must come to terms quickly with our anger
and “settle out of court.” In other words, we must “pay the debt of forgiving” our brother before going to court (allowing
emotional pressures to escalate).
G. These false teachers did not physically kill people but rather they lived in anger and envy.
12 Cain…murdered his brother. Why did he murder him? Because his works were evil and his brother's righteous…
15 Whoever hates his brother is a murderer… (1 Jn. 3:12-15)
H. Cain lived as if there were not serious consequences for his actions. He lived as if there were no judgment for his sin
nor a reward for his obedience in God’s sight.
13 Your words have been harsh against Me…You say, “What have we spoken against You?” 14 You have said, 'It is
useless to serve (sacrificially obey) God; what profit is it that we have kept His ordinance, and that we have walked as
mourners before the Lord…? (Mal. 3:13-14)
12 I will search Jerusalem with lamps, and punish the men who are settled in complacency, who say in their heart, “The
LORD will not do good, nor will He do evil.” (Zeph. 1:12)
11 Because the sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily, therefore the heart of the sons of men is fully
set in them to do evil. (Ecc. 8:11)
II. THE WAY TO REFUSE THE WAY OF CAIN: OPERATE IN THE OPPOSITE SPIRIT
A. The way to avoid the way of Cain is to operate in the opposite spirit of murder (anger and/or jealously) by
blessing, doing good and praying for our adversaries.
44 Love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully
use you and persecute you… (Mt. 5:44)
B. Our heart is not safe if we only avoid speaking about the sin of our adversaries. We must act in the opposite spirit by
blessing them in person (instead of venting), conversation (instead of exposing their sin) and prayer (instead of ignoring
them). If we neglect to do this, then we will live with a “residue of bitterness.” Praying for our adversaries is not an option
but a necessity for our life. It is an issue of life and death as it brings surprising new attitudes to the surface.
C. When I have prayed for those I have an adversarial relationship with, I discover a resistance in my heart that
forces me to go “above the storm” to see big the picture of truth.
1). Speaking kindly: we can only do this as we realize that Jesus speaks kindly to us in our sin.
2). Eternal friends: our greatest adversaries in the Body of Christ will be our cherished friends forever in the
age-to-come. It softens our heart to see the temporary nature of the conflict.
3). Entrusting ourselves to the Lord: seeing that no one has the authority to stop our God-ordained destiny. Saul
could not stop David from his destiny. Only David could stop David.
D. Cain did not understand the consequence of his actions for his heart or circumstances.
9 The Lord said to Cain, "Where is Abel your brother?" He said, "I do not know. Am I my brother's keeper?" 10 He said,
"What have you done? The voice of your brother's blood cries out to Me from the ground. 11 So now you are cursed
from the earth, which has opened its mouth to receive your brother's blood from your hand. 12 When you till the ground,
it shall no longer yield its strength to you. A fugitive and a vagabond you shall be…." (Gen. 4:9-12)