Proverbs 12:2 Grace Is Abel
A good person will obtain favor from the Lord, But He will condemn a person who devises evil.
The purpose of the book of Proverbs is to give godly wisdom to the children of God. If a person does not read the Bible, it is like refusing God’s wisdom. The word favor in Proverbs 12:2 has the same meaning as grace. Some Christians believe grace is only a New Testament teaching. Still, the Old Testament is full of grace and mercy for God’s people. If all things in a Biblical manner start in the book of Genesis, is grace and favor in the first book of God’s word? We are all saved by grace, right. In Genesis chapter 6, the Lord was not pleased with the state of mankind’s behavior. Humans can be wicked; no one really loved God or each other, at that time. So God wanted to condemn them to destruction. But out of every person on earth, God found favor and grace in one person. His name was Noah.
Genesis 6:8 But Noah found favor and grace in the eyes of the Lord.
In 2016, I was living with a young couple. The young girl told me her family mistreatment made her hate God and Christians. Her boyfriend told me that because he loved his girlfriend, it made him hate God since her grandfather abused her in God’s name. Sitting at the dinner table playing cards, he told me that his girlfriend’s grandfather would sexually molest her. Her grandfather would even tell her when he was done, he would repent. Because God’s grace was used to excuse abuses against a family member, the couple both hated God. Well, I told my roommate that is not real repentance; real repentance is telling God you or I regret sinning against God and that we do not want to displease our heavenly Father. Many people read about the sons of Adam and Eve and wonder how Cain could have killed his brother Abel. Did Cain not have brotherly love for Abel? God gave Cain a warning to master his actions and or sin would master over him. I told my roommate that is not genuine repentance; real repentance is telling God you or I regret sinning against God and that we don’t want to displease our heavenly Father.
As a family of God, we should love each other gracefully, but a family of blood, like parents and siblings, grace, should love each other more. The issue is sin does not see family members who it hurts. That is why “I” is the middle word in sin, the sinner only sees how it benefits themselves, even if it is wrongful action. It took hate for Cain to murder Abel; it took love and favor for Abel’s grace and love to trust his brother. Cain had already devised in his heart to kill Abel, and he did it in a cold-hearted way. Indeed, God will show grace and favor if a person repents if they murder, but Cain did not regret his sin, only that he was caught with blood on his hands. He told God, am I my brother’s keeper? That means he did not love Abel or God. Cain’s mouth had revealed to the Lord where Cain’s heart was. So God gave Cain what he deserved was condemnation, which was not grace. God condemns Cain away from his parents, Adam, and Eve, and never sees them again. Heaven is the everlasting presence of God. Those murderers who do not love God and others those murderers will not inherit heaven; haters and murderers inherit hell. Dear brothers and sisters, do you want God’s favor, grace, or condemnation? Ask your heart and tell your God which you want. May the Lord bless you, Jesus loves you, and so do I. His bondservant, Samuel H.
