When Cain murdered Abel, God conducted the first trial and declared a lifetime punishment on the unrepentant wickedness of Cain. God’s righteousness always requires righteous justice. When we exercise our free will to follow Cain in committing unrepentant sins, we fall under the righteous judgment of God.
And Cain talked with Abel his brother: and it came to pass, when they were in the field, that Cain rose up against Abel his brother, and slew him. (Genesis 4:8)
And the LORD said unto Cain, Where is Abel thy brother? And he said, I know not: Am I my brother’s keeper? And he said, What hast thou done? the voice of thy brother’s blood crieth unto me from the ground. And now art thou cursed from the earth, which hath opened her mouth to receive thy brother’s blood from thy hand; When thou tillest the ground, it shall not henceforth yield unto thee her strength; a fugitive and a vagabond shalt thou be in the earth. And Cain said unto the LORD, My punishment is greater than I can bear. Behold, thou hast driven me out this day from the face of the earth; and from thy face shall I be hid; and I shall be a fugitive and a vagabond in the earth; and it shall come to pass, that every one that findeth me shall slay me. And the LORD said unto him, Therefore whosoever slayeth Cain, vengeance shall be taken on him sevenfold. And the LORD set a mark upon Cain, lest any finding him should kill him. (Genesis 4:9-15)
And Cain went out from the presence of the LORD, and dwelt in the land of Nod, on the east of Eden. (Genesis 4:16)
At one time, God judged rampant systemic unrepentant wickedness on the earth.
And GOD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. And it repented the LORD that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him at his heart. And the LORD said, I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth; both man, and beast, and the creeping thing, and the fowls of the air; for it repenteth me that I have made them. (Genesis 6:5-7 KJV)
When Noah disembarked from the Ark, God gave this responsibility for punishing unrepentant sin to humans. Then he gave the rainbow as a sign between God and humankind that he would never again bring a flood to destroy all flesh.
God blessed Noah and his sons, and said to them, “Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth. The fear of you and the dread of you will be on every animal of the earth, and on every bird of the sky. Everything that the ground teems with, and all the fish of the sea are delivered into your hand. Every moving thing that lives will be food for you. As the green herb, I have given everything to you. But flesh with its life, its blood, you shall not eat. I will surely require your blood of your lives. At the hand of every animal I will require it. At the hand of man, even at the hand of every man’s brother, I will require the life of man.
Whoever sheds man’s blood, his blood will be shed by man, for God made man in his own image. (Genesis 9:1-6 WEB)
The farther we fall away from the righteousness of God, the less we will be able to judge righteous judgment on unrepentant sin. God has prophesied that we will eventually return to the horrible condition just prior to the Noahic flood. Every thought was evil only continually. Unrepentant! Wickedness! Even as bad as it is now, it is going to get a lot worse.
As it was in the days of Noah, so will it be at the coming of the Son of Man. (Matthew 24:37)
And GOD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. (Genesis 6:5)
Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil; who put darkness for light, and light for darkness; who put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter! (Isaiah 5:20 WEB)
When a crime is not punished quickly, people feel it is safe to do wrong. (Ecclesiastes 8:11 NLT)
In the meantime, all of creation is waiting for God to return and make things right. He is not a God who winks at unrepentant sin. But he is reserving his wrath for the appointed time (Jeremiah 6:10-21; Jeremiah 25:15-33; Jonah 1:4-10; Acts 27:13-26; Genesis 4:1-7; Jude 1:3-16)
For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, because that which is known of God is revealed in them, for God revealed it to them. For the invisible things of him since the creation of the world are clearly seen, being perceived through the things that are made, even his everlasting power and divinity; that they may be without excuse. Because, knowing God, they didn’t glorify him as God, neither gave thanks, but became vain in their reasoning, and their senseless heart was darkened. Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools, and traded the glory of the incorruptible God for the likeness of an image of corruptible man, and of birds, and four-footed animals, and creeping things. (Romans 1:18-23 WEB)
Therefore you are without excuse, O man, whoever you are who judge. For in that which you judge another, you condemn yourself. For you who judge practice the same things. We know that the judgment of God is according to truth against those who practice such things. Do you think this, O man who judges those who practice such things, and do the same, that you will escape the judgment of God? Or do you despise the riches of his goodness, forbearance, and patience, not knowing that the goodness of God leads you to repentance? But according to your hardness and unrepentant heart you are treasuring up for yourself wrath in the day of wrath, revelation, and of the righteous judgment of God; who “will pay back to everyone according to their works:” to those who by patience in well-doing seek for glory, honor, and incorruptibility, eternal life; but to those who are self-seeking, and don’t obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, will be wrath and indignation, oppression and anguish, on every soul of man who works evil, to the Jew first, and also to the Greek. But glory, honor, and peace go to every man who works good, to the Jew first, and also to the Greek. For there is no partiality with God. (Romans 2:1-11 WEB)
For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which will be revealed toward us. For the creation waits with eager expectation for the children of God to be revealed. For the creation was subjected to vanity, not of its own will, but because of him who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself also will be delivered from the bondage of decay into the liberty of the glory of the children of God. For we know that the whole creation groans and travails in pain together until now. Not only so, but ourselves also, who have the first fruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for adoption, the redemption of our body. For we were saved in hope, but hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for that which he sees? But if we hope for that which we don’t see, we wait for it with patience. (Romans 8:18-25 WEB)
knowing this first, that in the last days mockers will come, walking after their own lusts, 4nd saying, “Where is the promise of his coming? For, from the day that the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation.” For this they willfully forget, that there were heavens from of old, and an earth formed out of water and amid water, by the word of God; by which means the world that then was, being overflowed with water, perished. But the heavens that now are, and the earth, by the same word have been stored up for fire, being reserved against the day of judgment and destruction of ungodly men. (2 Peter 3:3-7 WEB)
But don’t forget this one thing, beloved, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. The Lord is not slow concerning his promise, as some count slowness; but is patient with us, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. (2 Peter 3:8-9 WEB)
Eventually, God will return at the right time to carry out righteous judgment against all unrepentant wickedness (Genesis 3:1-7; Genesis 7:1-5; Romans 5:12-21; Zephaniah 1:7-18; 1 Thessalonians 5:1-11)
See that you don’t refuse him who speaks. For if they didn’t escape when they refused him who warned on the Earth, how much more will we not escape who turn away from him who warns from heaven, whose voice shook the earth then, but now he has promised, saying, “Yet once more I will shake not only the earth, but also the heavens.” This phrase, “Yet once more,” signifies the removing of those things that are shaken, as of things that have been made, that those things which are not shaken may remain. Therefore, receiving a Kingdom that can’t be shaken, let us have grace, through which we serve God acceptably, with reverence and awe, for our God is a consuming fire. (Hebrews 12:25-29 WEB)
But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in which the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the elements will be dissolved with fervent heat, and the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up. (2 Peter 3:10 WEB)
Therefore since all these things will be destroyed like this, what kind of people ought you to be in holy living and godliness, looking for and earnestly desiring the coming of the day of God, which will cause the burning heavens to be dissolved, and the elements will melt with fervent heat? But, according to his promise, we look for new heavens and a new earth, in which righteousness dwells. (2 Peter 3:11-13 WEB)
If you have been living in unrepentant sin, it is time to return to God and confess your sins to him. If we confess our sins, he has promised to give us faithful justice. Not righteous judgment! That’s the miracle of salvation. God took our punishment in the person of Jesus Christ. Therefore, he can forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. (1 John 1:9) Won’t you take a moment to get right with God right now?
For deeper study:
- Yahweh is a merciful and gracious God – God was gracious to Moses and showed him his glory when he needed encouragement from the cares and failures of this life. He will do the same for you.
- God is a consuming fire – The days of God’s grace and leniency are coming to an end. There will be a judgment of consuming fire. Where will you be?
- 7 Christlike behaviors we need to follow Jesus’s example – Christlike people follow Jesus’s example: love, live, die, intercede, forgive, restore, and encourage. Submit to Jesus Christ and let him transform you.
- 6 Satanic attributes Christians must avoid – These satanic attributes: pride, deceiver, accuser, thief, destroyer, and murder won’t end well for him so don’t follow them
- Matthew 7:3 the mote in your friend’s eye – Before Christians try to judge the tiny mote of sin and failure in their friend’s eye, they must judge their own sins first