Learning from Abel’s Faith

By faith Abel offered to God a more acceptable sacrifice than Cain, through which he was

commended as righteous, God commending him by accepting his gifts. And through his faith,

though he died, he still speaks.

Hebrews 11:4 ESV

What makes a gift or service to God acceptable in His sight? Hebrews 11 shows us in a multitude of ways

that it is faith which God is looking for. I highlight today’s verse and would like to break it down with you.

1. By faith. This is the means, the channel, the motivation underlying Abel’s gift.

2. By faith Abel offered. Faith took action. Faith is not simply lip-service, a stating of trust; no,

faith is both believing and manifesting that belief in some tangible way.

3. By faith Abel offered to God. The Object and Recipient of Abel’s faith was God. There are

many out there in this world who profess a blind faith, a mysticism without an articulate object,

and that doesn’t cut it. Faith must be in God and God alone.

4. By faith Abel offered to God a more acceptable sacrifice than Cain. There is a

comparative nature in this verse that highlights this: if Abel’s gift was given out of faith, then it

is implied that Cain’s gift was not. Did Cain give a gift? Yes he did. His gift, though, was not

out of faith. Now, I’ve heard over the years, “God didn’t accept it because it wasn’t a blood

sacrifice.” Just so we’re clear, there’s nothing stated in Genesis 4 that tells us what God did

demand. It may be true, but that’s being projected upon the text. What we do know is this: the

motivation behind the gifts given were either faith or doubt. Sacrifice or convenience. The truly

highlighted factor is the motivation behind their actions. When we do noble, pious Christian

things today, if not down out of faith, God is not pleased. Think about that.

5. Through which he was commended as righteous. The act of faith on Abel’s part not only

showed that he trusted God, but also served to bear witness to his righteousness. Was he

inherently righteous? I don’t know that that’s what it’s saying. Faith was acceptable to God and

was the foundation by which God declared Abel righteous. Faith in Christ, we know, makes us

righteous in the sight of God. Isn’t that wonderful to ponder once again this morning? I know

we’re sinners, but in the sight of God through faith in Jesus, in this moment, we are righteous

in His sight, the perfect record of Christ applied to us who believe.

6. God commending him by accepting his gifts. It goes a bit further in the text by highlighting

that Abel wasn’t simply commended as righteous but commended as righteous by God. God

did this by accepting his gifts. Now, why did he give a sacrifice? He did so because he was a

sinner. The righteousness necessary can only come from God’s commendation by God’s

acceptance of our faith. That’s what He wants: genuine faith by which we trust Him and

entrust ourselves to Him.

7. And through his faith, though he died, he still speaks. The lasting legacy of faith

expressed in God, more specifically for us in Jesus Christ, is not only that we pleased God

and found righteousness and life in Him, but also that we have served to give a message that

echoes into the future for others. God’s calling us to trust Him and evidencing that trust have

many purposed beyond our own sphere, because our stories can serve to help others trust

Him, too. You don’t just need to trust God today; the people around you need you to trust Him,

too.

Be brave and blessed today!

Sam Stringer