Some time later, Cain presented an offering to the Lord from the land’s crops while Abel presented his flock’s oldest offspring with their fat.  The Lord looked favorably on Abel and his sacrifice but didn’t look favorably on Cain and his sacrifice.  Cain became very angry, and looked resentful.  The Lord said to Cain, “Why are you angry, and why do you look so resentful?  If you do the right thing, won’t you be accepted?  But if you don’t do the right thing, sin will be waiting at the door ready to strike!  It will entice you, but you must rule over it.”    Genesis 4:3 – 7

“If you do the right thing, won’t you be accepted?”  What exactly is the right thing?  How can I know?  Under the New Covenant, God’s Word that was once written on tablets of stone and papyrus and animal skin, has now been written upon our hearts.  The Holy Spirit dwells within the heart, soul, and mind of every believer, convincing and convicting in relationship to our thoughts, words, and deeds as they relate to God’s Law.  When I learn to discern His voice, that still small, inner witness of the Holy Spirit, I learn what is the right thing and the wrong thing.

When I choose, with God’s help, the right thing, I am accepted by God.  My worship is accepted by God.  But what if I deliberately choose or passively choose to ignore that voice inside?  What then?  Well, God told Cain: “If you don’t do what is right, sin is waiting at the door ready to strike.”  I’ve often wondered, “What door?” because I can tell you that I definitely would not open that door, if I knew which door it was.  I’d like to think I’m smart enough to avoid temptation!  There are places I don’t go and things I don’t do because I desire to stay away from that door.  I know what’s behind that door and the consequences of choosing that door are deadly.  But the problem is THERE IS NO EASILY IDENTIFIABLE DOOR; there are many doors and yet, there is one … the door to my heart.

When I, ignoring the still small voice of the Holy Spirit, to do what is wrong, I will not be accepted and my worship will not be accepted.  Sin strikes, drawing me away from my Creator, Redeemer, and Sustainer.  Sin strikes, pulling me away from my Brother and Sister.  Sin strikes, building walls of separation, walls of resentment, walls of suspicion, walls of anger, walls of mistrust, between me and God and me and others.  Sin strikes.

Sin entices!  Oh sin looks good sometimes.  It flirts with me and in my worse moments, I flirt back.  Like a great seductress. it looms just outside my door, just outside my safe place, just outside the boundaries that God has established.  It whistles to me!  It bats its eyes and dangles its carrots.  And it never goes away.  Tell it 99 times, “I belong to Jesus” and it will still call to me the 100th time, “Yes, but look at me.”  Therefore, I can’t play with it because it doesn’t play fairly.  I can’t accept its flirtation or return it.  I must “rule over it.”  I must call sin sin.  I must look beyond the attraction, hear beyond the sweet whisper.  I must understand “the wages of sin is death.”  I must have eyes only for Jesus!  I must have ears astutely tuned to His still, small voice.

And so, I begin 2016.  In 2016, I will enter the 52nd year of my life and my 33rd year of walking with Christ.  I do so by committing to daily Bible reading, daily prayer, daily study of other materials, daily submission to His will as revealed in His Word and in His still, small voice.  I make this commitment so that when the evil lady called sin comes calling, I will easily discern God’s voice from hers and “Do the right thing.”