The LORD's Respect
Genesis 4: 4-8
The LORD accepted Abel in the Beloved: fully pardoned, fully justified, fully righteous, fully holy and accepted of God. Abel's offering through faith in Christ came up to God, as every believer's work of faith does, with the fat thereof as a sweet smelling savor. Cain was rejected. His heart was enmity against God all along but now he could no longer hide it with a disguise of religion. There is no joy, no heart cheerfulness, anywhere but through faith in Christ. Abel had peace through faith--he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts--that is, God purged his conscious, the Spirit bearing witness with his spirit that he was a child of God. Faith is the evidence of things not seen (Hebrews 11: 1, 4.)