Something New Under the Sun?
Introduction. As the influence of liberal thinking continues to grow among religious people, changes in convictions toward moral and spiritual truth have been profound. But these changes are only the tip of the iceberg of the symptoms of a growing disregard for the authority of Scripture.
Many calling themselves “Christians” scoff when shown passages that clearly condemn their practice or belief. Issues of salvation like “is baptism necessary for salvation” or debates on “is instrumental music right or wrong” have been replaced with “what difference does it make?” Even Jesus as Lord has been undermined. Many see Him as a tolerant teacher and philosopher. Passages teaching otherwise are ignored, reasoned away, or scoffed at. We all need to remember:
What has been is what will be, and what has been done is what will be done, and there is nothing new under the sun. 10 Is there a thing of which it is said, “See, this is new?” It has been already in the ages before us. (Ecc. 1:9-10)
We can read about today in Isaiah, Jeremiah, Hosea and Malachi. What we see “has been already in the ages before us.” Everything has been dealt with before. We are insulated when we look at “what is” in light of “what has been,” and compare what is being done today with what is recorded in Scripture. It is the age old battle between “Trust in the Lord with all your heart” and “lean not on your own understanding” (Pr 3:5).
We know “untaught and unstable people twist to their own destruction ... the Scriptures” (2Pet. 3:14-17). With “nothing new under the sun,” that is exactly what is being done today. Jesus was crucified because he refused to tolerate even the most minute change in Scripture (not even a jot or tittle). The same attitudes we see today were strongly rebuked, first by John and then by Jesus. So then as now: “wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leads to destruction, and many that enter thereby.” and “narrow is the gate, and difficult the way, that leads to life, and few who find it” (Mt. 7:13-14). Those following “sincerity salvation” are not the “few” walking the “difficult way that leads to life.”
Many have forgotten that as “there were also false prophets among the people,” “there will be false teachers among you.” (2 Pet. 2:1) They are still “secretly bringing in destructive heresies.” Nothing has changed, so “since you know this beforehand, beware lest you also fall from your own steadfastness, being led away with the error of the wicked” (3:17). We only need to identify the “trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting” (Eph. 4:14). Regardless of “logical sophistry,” if the premise is unsound so are the applications.
The “Books” Of Cain And Abel. Imagine Cain writing a book about worship, offering his own logic for why God should be pleased with any worship that makes us happy. Using God’s love and grace, and a tolerance for man’s sincerity, he makes it seem logical and right to follow his path.
Now imagine that Abel has also written a book to counter Cain’s reasoning. Abel’s book exhorts us to do exactly what God has said. He proclaims that only worship offered by faith that has come by carefully hearing and following the word of God will be accepted.
If this sounds familiar, it is because such books are being written today. Many feel as Cain that worship needs to entertain, excite, and move emotion. This is the basis of “contemporary worship” with its dramas, choirs, plays, and instrumental music. This wisdom of men is on parade at many different churches every week with amazing and innovative ways to please and excite the worshiper. “What has been is what will be and what has been done is what will be done.”
For Cain and Abel the day arrived when their theories were tested. Abel did exactly what he “wrote in his book” and Cain followed the reasoning written in his “book.” With intense anticipation both waited to see what God would do with their sacrifices. Cain was clearly very excited, confident his reasoning was sound, and that God would be not only be amazed at his ingenuity but very pleased with how happy it made Cain to do it. Soon the waiting is over. “The Lord had regard for Abel and his offering, but for Cain and his offering he had no regard.” Not only did god have regard for Abel’s offering but also for Abel! Not only did god disregard Cain’s offering, but he also had disregard for Cain!
This battle has already been fought. The victor has already been identified. Abel was right and Cain was wrong! All of Cain’s reasoning was rejected, “so Cain was very angry, and his face fell.” Not even God himself could convince Cain that he could not worship like this. Are we surprised that as we quote God’s word we too are disregarded? Cain did not believe he was the one in the wrong. He was angry with God because God was wrong to reject his sacrifice. It was sincerely given and should have been graciously accepted. God just did not understand him. Yet “the Lord said to Cain, ‘Why are you angry, and why has your face fallen? If you do well, will you not be accepted (Gen 4:4-7)? What Cain did was wrong. It was evil in God’s sight. Only by repentance and doing well as Abel had done could he be accepted. Could God make it clearer?
We all know Cain and Abel did not write “books” described above. Moses wrote the book about them. But such books are being written today! Both Cain and Abel live on in the hearts of people today. As noted above, the vast majority of religious people today are siding with Cain, following his wisdom and walking the same path he did. But they are not listening to God: “We should not be like Cain, who was of the evil one and murdered his brother. And why did he murder him? Because his own deeds were evil and his brother's righteous. (1Jn 3:12-13)
Walking with Abel or following Cain? A small minority still walk with Abel. Holding fast to Scripture and using a simple trusting faith as the basis for their worship. No bells or whistles, no pomp and circumstance, no entertainment or sensationalism. God validated it then and validates it now that Abel is the one to imitate: “By faith Abel offered to God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, through which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts; and through it he being dead still speaks” (Heb 11:4) So Abel though dead is still speaking today, urging and exhorting us to do it his way: By faith! His “book” has been written and the wise follow it.
Abel’s sacrifice was more excellent because it was righteous. The reasoning behind Cain’s deeds and the sacrifice itself were evil! Those who follow Abel’s strict observance of Scripture are righteous and their deeds are righteous. Those who follow Cain’s loose views are of the evil one and their deeds are evil.
Jude also wrote a book. His book warns us about those who write books extolling Cain’s ways. “For certain people have crept in unnoticed who long ago were designated for this condemnation, ungodly people, who pervert the grace of our God into sensuality and deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ. . . Woe to them! For they walked in the way of Cain” (Jude 1:4, 11).
Conclusion. Since there is nothing new under the sun, all books, articles, and sermons that follow Abel’s reasoning are right. All the books, articles, and sermons that extol Cain’s reasoning are wrong. Cain’s worship, offered without God’s guidance from his own sincere heart, was rejected. Since “there is nothing new under the sun,” “what has been done is what will be done.” All who worship as Cain “deny our only Master and Lord.” The Jesus seen as so “tolerant” today said, “in vain do they worship me teaching as doctrines the commandments of men” (Mt 15:9) and “true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him. God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth” (Jn 4:23-24).
Many calling themselves “Christians” scoff when shown passages that clearly condemn their practice or belief. Issues of salvation like “is baptism necessary for salvation” or debates on “is instrumental music right or wrong” have been replaced with “what difference does it make?” Even Jesus as Lord has been undermined. Many see Him as a tolerant teacher and philosopher. Passages teaching otherwise are ignored, reasoned away, or scoffed at. We all need to remember:
What has been is what will be, and what has been done is what will be done, and there is nothing new under the sun. 10 Is there a thing of which it is said, “See, this is new?” It has been already in the ages before us. (Ecc. 1:9-10)
We can read about today in Isaiah, Jeremiah, Hosea and Malachi. What we see “has been already in the ages before us.” Everything has been dealt with before. We are insulated when we look at “what is” in light of “what has been,” and compare what is being done today with what is recorded in Scripture. It is the age old battle between “Trust in the Lord with all your heart” and “lean not on your own understanding” (Pr 3:5).
We know “untaught and unstable people twist to their own destruction ... the Scriptures” (2Pet. 3:14-17). With “nothing new under the sun,” that is exactly what is being done today. Jesus was crucified because he refused to tolerate even the most minute change in Scripture (not even a jot or tittle). The same attitudes we see today were strongly rebuked, first by John and then by Jesus. So then as now: “wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leads to destruction, and many that enter thereby.” and “narrow is the gate, and difficult the way, that leads to life, and few who find it” (Mt. 7:13-14). Those following “sincerity salvation” are not the “few” walking the “difficult way that leads to life.”
Many have forgotten that as “there were also false prophets among the people,” “there will be false teachers among you.” (2 Pet. 2:1) They are still “secretly bringing in destructive heresies.” Nothing has changed, so “since you know this beforehand, beware lest you also fall from your own steadfastness, being led away with the error of the wicked” (3:17). We only need to identify the “trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting” (Eph. 4:14). Regardless of “logical sophistry,” if the premise is unsound so are the applications.
The “Books” Of Cain And Abel. Imagine Cain writing a book about worship, offering his own logic for why God should be pleased with any worship that makes us happy. Using God’s love and grace, and a tolerance for man’s sincerity, he makes it seem logical and right to follow his path.
Now imagine that Abel has also written a book to counter Cain’s reasoning. Abel’s book exhorts us to do exactly what God has said. He proclaims that only worship offered by faith that has come by carefully hearing and following the word of God will be accepted.
If this sounds familiar, it is because such books are being written today. Many feel as Cain that worship needs to entertain, excite, and move emotion. This is the basis of “contemporary worship” with its dramas, choirs, plays, and instrumental music. This wisdom of men is on parade at many different churches every week with amazing and innovative ways to please and excite the worshiper. “What has been is what will be and what has been done is what will be done.”
For Cain and Abel the day arrived when their theories were tested. Abel did exactly what he “wrote in his book” and Cain followed the reasoning written in his “book.” With intense anticipation both waited to see what God would do with their sacrifices. Cain was clearly very excited, confident his reasoning was sound, and that God would be not only be amazed at his ingenuity but very pleased with how happy it made Cain to do it. Soon the waiting is over. “The Lord had regard for Abel and his offering, but for Cain and his offering he had no regard.” Not only did god have regard for Abel’s offering but also for Abel! Not only did god disregard Cain’s offering, but he also had disregard for Cain!
This battle has already been fought. The victor has already been identified. Abel was right and Cain was wrong! All of Cain’s reasoning was rejected, “so Cain was very angry, and his face fell.” Not even God himself could convince Cain that he could not worship like this. Are we surprised that as we quote God’s word we too are disregarded? Cain did not believe he was the one in the wrong. He was angry with God because God was wrong to reject his sacrifice. It was sincerely given and should have been graciously accepted. God just did not understand him. Yet “the Lord said to Cain, ‘Why are you angry, and why has your face fallen? If you do well, will you not be accepted (Gen 4:4-7)? What Cain did was wrong. It was evil in God’s sight. Only by repentance and doing well as Abel had done could he be accepted. Could God make it clearer?
We all know Cain and Abel did not write “books” described above. Moses wrote the book about them. But such books are being written today! Both Cain and Abel live on in the hearts of people today. As noted above, the vast majority of religious people today are siding with Cain, following his wisdom and walking the same path he did. But they are not listening to God: “We should not be like Cain, who was of the evil one and murdered his brother. And why did he murder him? Because his own deeds were evil and his brother's righteous. (1Jn 3:12-13)
Walking with Abel or following Cain? A small minority still walk with Abel. Holding fast to Scripture and using a simple trusting faith as the basis for their worship. No bells or whistles, no pomp and circumstance, no entertainment or sensationalism. God validated it then and validates it now that Abel is the one to imitate: “By faith Abel offered to God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, through which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts; and through it he being dead still speaks” (Heb 11:4) So Abel though dead is still speaking today, urging and exhorting us to do it his way: By faith! His “book” has been written and the wise follow it.
Abel’s sacrifice was more excellent because it was righteous. The reasoning behind Cain’s deeds and the sacrifice itself were evil! Those who follow Abel’s strict observance of Scripture are righteous and their deeds are righteous. Those who follow Cain’s loose views are of the evil one and their deeds are evil.
Jude also wrote a book. His book warns us about those who write books extolling Cain’s ways. “For certain people have crept in unnoticed who long ago were designated for this condemnation, ungodly people, who pervert the grace of our God into sensuality and deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ. . . Woe to them! For they walked in the way of Cain” (Jude 1:4, 11).
Conclusion. Since there is nothing new under the sun, all books, articles, and sermons that follow Abel’s reasoning are right. All the books, articles, and sermons that extol Cain’s reasoning are wrong. Cain’s worship, offered without God’s guidance from his own sincere heart, was rejected. Since “there is nothing new under the sun,” “what has been done is what will be done.” All who worship as Cain “deny our only Master and Lord.” The Jesus seen as so “tolerant” today said, “in vain do they worship me teaching as doctrines the commandments of men” (Mt 15:9) and “true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him. God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth” (Jn 4:23-24).