Few in the religious world will accept the “Church-Cain Connection.” Cain having being sent out of the Garden of Eden for defying God, the church refuses to acknowledge any relationship with him. However, the attitudes and actions of each make it clear that they are spiritually identical. In Genesis 4:1-8 we find Cain and Abel bringing their respective offerings to the Lord. In that Abel knew what He viewed as acceptable and unacceptable relative to offerings, Cain also had to know. Upon presenting his unacceptable offering Cain expected the same level of praise that Abel had received. When such was not forthcoming he became angry at God.

Cain’s attitude was that any offering was acceptable as long as the Lord was the recipient of it. Later on He would identify unacceptable animal offerings as those that were sick or lame (Mal. 1:8). See God’s Royal Law. Like their ancestor Cain, the people of Malachi’s day ignored God’s commands relative to obedience to Him and substituted their own brand of religion–Satan’s “… things of man” (Mat. 16:23). Nothing has changed. Like their ancient counterparts, modern churchites have been deceived into believing that the Lord accepts anything they do in terms of religion, that their “lame” and “sick” offerings (religiosity) are acceptable to Him even when He tells them in His Word that they are abominations to Him.

The Lord’s Words to Cain were also for those who would come after him having the same “If we approve of it, He approves of it” attitude. Note God’s Words to him in Genesis 4:7: “If you do well, you will be accepted.” Translation: “If you reject Satan, repent of your sin, turn to Me and obey Me, (then) I will accept you.” He continued: “… and (but) if you do not well, sin lies at the door. His desire is for you, and (but) you shall rule over him.” Translation: “Satan lies in wait for you. If you reject him and obey Me you will rule over him. If not, he will rule over you.”

Note that Cain was given the opportunity to repent, turn to God, obey Him and be accepted by Him. Or, he could continue to disobey God and be rejected by Him. God’s singular “My-Way-Or-The-Highway” option infuriated Cain; how dare God reject his religion. In this case it was God Himself telling Cain that there is only one way–His orally-stated way. Today God uses His written Word and His ministers to present His singular way. Like Cain, the church grows angry when someone points out what God says about her religious practices that openly defy Him and hold Him up to public shame before the world. The Counterfeit Church openly rejects the Lord by proclaiming to the world that His Word cannot be taken at face value, that only those passages that confirm her doctrines and customs are acceptable, and then only when convenient.

Like Cain, the church will be rejected by God: “For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened (know God/His Word) … if they shall fall away (reject Him/His Word) to renew them again unto repentance, seeing that they crucify the Son of God afresh and put Him to an open shame” (Heb. 6:4-6). Which is exactly what the Institutional Church does every Satan’s Sabbath, Christmas, Easter, in her witnessing, her outreach programs, food and medicine programs, etc. God’s reaction to church heresy is summed up in Hebrews 10:26-31: “For if we sin willfully after receiving the Truth, … there is no more sacrifice for (our) sin, but a fearful looking for judgment and fiery indignation which shall devour the (God’s) adversaries … who have trodden under foot the Son of God, counted the blood of the covenant an unholy thing and done despite unto the Spirit of grace …. It is a fearful thing (for God/Word rejecters) to fall into the hands of the living God.” Notice that God calls those who reject His Words His “adversaries.”

The Lord Jesus spoke to this issue in John 15:1-5 where he said that He is the vine, His Father is the husbandman and His saints are the branches that must produce good fruit. Just as water gives life to a plant, God’s Word is the water of life for the saint. One must “… live by every Word that proceeds from the mouth of God” (Mat. 4:4). God’s Word flows from Him through Jesus to the saints who produce the “fruit of the Spirit” (Gal. 5:22) which, if continued, continually cleanses and feeds the saint, resulting in eternal life. In John 15:4 we are told that in order for the Word to cleanse us and produce fruit through us we must abide in the Lord by obeying Him. Verses 2 and 6 tell us what will happen if the branch fails to abide in Him–he/she will be cast forth (from Him) and burned. In other words, sin=death (Rom. 6:23). The “gift of eternal life” is available only to those who “abide in Him” through obedience to His cleansing, life-producing Word.

According to the Counterfeit Church both the Father and the Son, being sinners, must die. Jesus said that the Father’s Word is Truth (Jn. 17:17). By rejecting much of the Bible, the church openly denies this, claiming that Jesus lied about the way and will of God. If the church is right, then God told Jesus a lie, making them Both liars. Knowing that His Father had lied to Him, Jesus deliberately perpetuated the sin by spreading His lies all over the world, thereby turning those who believe and obey them into sinners. The vicious cycle continues unabated.

By rejecting the Words of the Father, the Son and those who have continued to speak them, the Counterfeit Church places herself in the same spiritual league as the Pharisees who, when they rejected Jesus’ Words were told by Him: “You are of your father the devil” (Jn. 8:44).