More Than Medicine
More Than Medicine
DWDP - Gen 4; 8 The First Murder
The battle between good and evil takes center stage in this powerful devotional as Dr. Papa examines the first murder recorded in human history. Exploring Genesis 4:8, he unveils how Cain's slaying of Abel reveals profound truths about our own struggles with sin and redemption.
From the Garden of Eden to the field where brother slew brother, we witness how quickly human rebellion against God degenerates into violence against those who speak truth. Abel stands as a prophetic foreshadowing of Christ himself - the ultimate truth-teller rejected by those he came to save. Dr. Papa skillfully connects this ancient narrative to Jesus' teachings in the Sermon on the Mount, where anger and contempt are elevated to spiritual murder in the heart.
Through rich biblical insight, we discover why transformation is impossible through willpower alone. Only when we're "transferred from the domain of darkness into the kingdom of God's beloved Son" do we gain spiritual power to choose righteousness. Dr. Papa vulnerably shares the universal Christian struggle - what Paul called "the war between our mind that wants to obey God and the flesh that wants to obey sin." Even a third-grade Sunday school student recognized our fundamental problem: "we are full of sin."
Yet hope permeates this message as Dr. Papa proclaims the liberating truth of Romans 8: "There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus." For believers wrestling with temptation and failure, these words offer assurance that while the battle continues daily, victory is secured through Christ's finished work. Join us for this transformative teaching that addresses the heart of human struggle and points to the freedom found only in Jesus.
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Welcome to More Than Medicine, where Jesus is more than enough for the ills that plague our culture and our country. Hosted by author and physician, Dr Robert Jackson.
Dr. Jackson:Papa, can you tell me a story?
Dr. Jackson:Do you really want me to tell you a story? Well, you go, get your brother and your sisters and I will tell you a story. Well, you go, get your brother and your sisters and I will tell you a story. Welcome to Devotions with Dr Papa. Gather around, grab your Bibles and let us look into the written Word, which reveals to us the living Word, who is our Lord, jesus Christ.
Dr. Jackson:Today we're in Genesis, chapter 4 and verse 8. Cain told Abel his brother and it came about when they were in the field that Cain rose up against Abel, his brother, and killed him. In verse 8, we see the bitter fruit that resulted from Adam and Eve eating of the forbidden fruit in the garden. We don't really know how long of a time transpired between the time when Adam and Eve ate of the forbidden fruit and the time when Cain rose up against his brother. Adam and Eve's rebellion against God very quickly devolved into fratricide, the killing of a brother. Very likely it was a premeditated murder of a righteous, truth-telling prophet, brother. In this verse we see the seed of the serpent, cain, the one who chose to rebel against God's way despite his brother's repeated encouragement to obey God and to do right, striking at the seed of the woman, abel, the one who chose to obey God and walk in righteousness and speak truth. Abel was a precursor of all the prophets that God would send to His chosen people, who would call them to repent and return to God, but would be ultimately rejected and even killed. Abel is a type or a picture of the Lord Jesus Christ, who himself is a prophet of God, who is the embodiment of ultimate truth, who was rejected and killed.
Dr. Jackson:John, chapter 1 and verse 11, tells us he came unto his own, but his own received him. Not Not only Abel, but God Himself warned Cain saying If you do well, in other words if you obey my word, will not your countenance be lifted up? Remember from a previous lesson lesson A healthy and a happy countenance reflects a heart that is in a right relationship with God. Cain even rejected a personal warning from God himself himself. James, the half-brother of Jesus, tells us in James, chapter 1, verse 14 and 15,. But each one is tempted when he is carried away and enticed by his own lust, by his own inordinate desires. Then, when lust has conceived, it gives birth to sin, and when sin is accomplished, it brings forth death. Lust equals evil desire. Lust equals inordinate, uncontrolled desire. Cain's anger led to an evil desire that gave birth to sin, which produced death.
Dr. Jackson:Jesus himself warned in the Sermon on the Mount that these carnal passions which arise in our hearts must be bridled. Do you remember when Jesus preached in the Sermon on the Mount? He warned the people, and let me give you His exact words in Matthew 5, 21 and 22. He said you have heard that the ancients were told you shall not commit murder and whoever commits murder shall be liable to the court. But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother shall be guilty before the court. And whoever says to his brother you good for nothing, shall be guilty before the supreme court. And whoever says you fool, shall be guilty enough to go into the fiery hell.
Dr. Jackson:You understand that Jesus took it up a notch. He took it to a higher level. And how does he say that? Why does he say that? Because we understand that murder, whether it's you or me or Cain, always starts in our heart, always starts in our heart.
Dr. Jackson:The credit card company commercial asks us on TV what's in your heart, I'm sorry. What's in your wallet, implying that all of your traveling, buying or spending woes will be over if you just have the right credit card in your wallet. And that's why they ask over and over, what's in your wallet? Well, god is always asking what's in your heart. Recall from a previous lesson the heart of the human problem is the problem of the human heart, which is sin. And from a previous verse, god told Cain you must master it.
Dr. Jackson:Unfortunately, cain did not master the sin of jealousy, the sin of bitterness, nor the sin of anger in his heart, which then manifested as murder. He yielded the members of his body as instruments of unrighteousness to sin, which Paul admonished us not to do in Romans 6, verse 11, when he said but rather, present yourselves to God as those alive from the dead and your members as instruments of righteousness to God. Now, please understand me Presenting yourself to God as those alive from the dead is only possible if you have been born again, transformed from the domain of darkness I'm sorry, transferred from the domain of darkness into the kingdom of God's beloved Son, made a citizen of heaven, washed in the blood and indwelt by Holy Spirit. Only then do you and I have the spiritual power to obey God and walk in righteousness. Power to obey God and walk in righteousness. Before that critical junction in our lives, you will be a slave to sin and continually submitting yourself to sin, no matter how hard you try to resist, and you know that's true. Just try to go a single day without sinful thoughts or sinful words or sinful actions, without Holy Spirit in your life. It's simply impossible. Even Christians struggle. Why? Because sin is still part of us even after we are saved. It just doesn't have the same power over us. We now have the supernatural Holy Spirit power to say no to sin and yes to righteousness.
Dr. Jackson:Paul said sin shall not be master over you. Yesterday, when I was teaching my third grade Sunday school class, I asked them why is it so hard to obey God? And one of my third grade girls replied because we are full of sin. I laughed out loud and I said do you mean if I pop the top off of your head I could just pour the sin out? Well, another girl who is a real concrete, concrete thinker said no, you can't do that, it would kill me. Well, are we full of sin Even as Christians? I don't think we're chock full of sin, but Paul teaches us in Romans 7, verse 16 to 20. Let me flip back over to Romans here, real quick. Romans, chapter 6. Now let me read me flip back over to Romans here. Real quick. Romans, chapter 6. Now let me let me read it to you, verses 16 to 20.
Dr. Jackson:He said do you not know that when you present yourselves to someone as slaves for obedience, you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin resulting in death, or of obedience resulting in righteousness. But thanks be to God that, though you were slaves of sin, you became obedient from the heart to that form of teaching to which you were committed and, having been freed from sin, you became slaves of righteousness. I am speaking in human terms, because of the weakness of your flesh. For just as you present your members as slaves to impurity and to lawlessness your members as slaves to impurity and to lawlessness, resulting in further lawlessness so now present your members as slaves to righteousness resulting in sanctification. For when you were slaves of sin, you were free in regard to righteousness. So do you understand that you and I have a choice and we can choose. As Christian people who are full of Holy Ghost, who now have spiritual power, we can choose to walk in righteousness, we can choose to obey God. But before we became believers, we were slaves to sin.
Dr. Jackson:Now here's the bugaboo Even though we're believers, sin is still present within us. We still have to deal with sin and we have to put the old man to death every day. That's why Jesus said if we are going to be his disciples, we have to take up our cross daily and follow him. I have to put that old man to death every single day. We must choose every day to follow Jesus. I have to choose every day to die to self, the flesh, the old man, that part of me that loves to rebel against God and that loves to rebel against the law of God, that loves to rebel against the law of God. Now, if that leaves you a bit frustrated, don't feel bad about, because Paul was frustrated as well. Listen to him talking in Romans, chapter 7, verse 23 to 25.
Dr. Jackson:Paul said I see a different law in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin which is in my members. You see, he had that same law of sin within himself and he had to deal with it every day, same as you and I do. He said Wretched man that I am who will set me free from the body of this death. Thanks be to God, through Jesus Christ, our Lord. So then, on the one hand, I myself, with my mind, am serving the law of God, but on the other, with my flesh, the law of sin. You see, paul had that same internal conflict that you and I have. He had his mind was serving the law of God, but his flesh was serving the law of sin. He had that same conflict. Paul experienced the same conflict that you and I face a war between our mind that wants to obey God and the flesh that wants to obey sin God and the flesh that wants to obey sin. Triumphantly, though, paul exclaims that God, through Jesus Christ, had set him free from the body of this death, free from a body of conflict, from being a prisoner of the law of sin. Remember, it was for freedom that Christ has set us free, which is what he told the Galatians.
Dr. Jackson:All of Romans. Chapter 8, the very next chapter, makes it plain that the spiritual battle is for the mind, your mind, my mind, paul's mind. Romans 8, 6 says the mind set on the flesh is death, but the mind set on the Spirit is life and peace. Cain did not understand spirit control. 60% of the prisoners that I meet and minister to in the prison ministry did not understand spirit control, which is why they ended up in the prison system. Many of my patients are in bondage to carnal passions because they do not understand spirit control and are slaves to carnal passions or drugs or alcohol.
Dr. Jackson:But, dear listener, be of good control. There is therefore now, in this present throbbing moment, no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, for the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and death. That's Romans, chapter 8 and verse 1. Let me read it again Be of good courage. There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, for the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and death. May God be praised, blessed. Blessed be the name of the Lord. You're listening to Devotions with Dr Papa. If you like what you hear, I trust that you'll share it with your friends and your neighbors. We'll be back again next week. Until then, may the Lord bless you real good.
Dr. Jackson:Thank you for listening to this edition of More Than Medicine. For more information about the Jackson Family Ministry or to schedule a speaking engagement information about the Jackson Family Ministry or to schedule a speaking engagement, go to their Facebook page, instagram or webpage at jacksonfamilyministrycom. Also, don't forget to check out Dr Jackson's books that are available on Amazon. The Family Doctor Speaks the Truth About Life in his first book, and the Family Doctor Speaks the Truth About Seed Planting Equipping Believers for evangelism is his second. This podcast is produced by Bob Sloan Audio Productions.
