The Real Successful Life – Hebrews 11:4

By faith Abel offered to God a better sacrifice than Cain, through which he obtained the testimony that he was righteous, God testifying about his gifts, and through faith, though he is dead, he still speaks.  Heb 11:4

Everyone hopes to be successful in life. To most, that means possessing great wealth, while to others, success may mean having joy, being altruistic, or leaving behind a lasting legacy. But when all is said and done, success will be determined by God on the day of Judgment, and it will not be based on money, good repute, or any other worldly gain. The truly successful man will be able to enter heaven and hear from Jesus, “Well done, good and faithful servant.” In this portion of Hebrews, we see a comparison between Abel and Cain- both were sinners offering sacrifices to God, but one was commended over the other for offering the better sacrifice. In other words, Abel was successful before God, and Cain was not. What are the marks of those who are considered successful by God? By this example of Abel’s faith through which he still speaks today, we will study the marks of a truly successful life.

You must be a true worshipper. For true success, you must give true worship like Abel. Every man is a worshipper whether he admits it or not. Even atheists, who claim there is no God, worship at the feet of science. We worship Jesus, the true, loving, and living God. Cain and Abel offered worship to God through their sacrifices, but only Abel’s worship was acceptable to God because he offered it by faith. Faith comes from the hearing of God’s Word. Cain and Abel most likely would have received God’s Word from Adam and Eve, which must have included clear instructions on what God required of them to offer as a sacrifice. Abel heard the Word, believed, and acted upon it, by bringing the firstborn of his flock. But Cain did something different, offering what he thought might be better by bringing the produce he worked from the ground. Abel’s sacrifice was acceptable to God because Abel had faith and obeyed God’s Word.

Worship is meaningless without obedience, because sin causes God to turn away from the sinner. When Jesus called out to the Father while bearing our sins on the cross, God had to turn His face away from His eternally beloved Son. (Mk 15:34) God had no regard for Cain’s sacrifice because of his disobedience. (Gen 4:5) Cain made up his own way, while Abel worshipped according to God’s Word. Our obedience to God’s Word is the evidence of our faith, and God accepts only those who worship by faith.  To fail to obey is to offer dead worship- it is a devastating sin. In 1 Samuel 15, God commanded Saul to utterly destroy all the Amalekites and all they possessed. But Saul disobeyed God by sparing the king and their choice flocks, thinking he would sacrifice them to God. Saul’s disobedience stripped away his kingdom and God’s favor. Samuel the prophet told him, “Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to listen than the fat of rams.” (1Sam 15:22) God does not value the sacrifice itself- for all things created are His- but God looks into your heart. Your worship comes from your relationship with God, and the only way to draw near to God is through His way written in His Word.

If your spiritual life seems shallow and lacking joy as you come to worship God this Sunday, think about the kind of sacrifice of obedience you bring to God every day. Worship is the start of everything you do, and if you fail to worship, you will fail at everything in life. Where there is faith, obedience will follow. And just as faith without obedience is dead, obedience without faith is sin. We must first trust in the Lord and believe in His promises, then, out of the love and gratitude in our hearts for Jesus, we will obey. (Jn 14:15) As we come together as a church to worship our great God, the true worshippers who offer the sacrifice of obedience like Abel are those who are truly successful.