Pride In Sin

Introduction

Pride is such a sneaky sin. Pride brings self-reliance. Pride breeds distrust of God. Pride elevates trust in humanity. Pride also comes before a fall Scripture warns.

Pride was Cain’s downfall after his sin. Instead of repenting from his sin, instead of surrendering to the Lord he balks, at the Lord’s drawing of him.

Pride continues in him and his line to follow him. Pride is the way of Cain. Pride is the way of sin. Pride is the way of rejecting God. Pride is the way of elevating man. Pride leads to love of self over that of God.

Spurgeon said this of pride,

Pride, to begin with, I am afraid, may be set down as the sin of human nature. If there is a sin that is universal, it is this. Where is it not to be found? Hunt among the highest and loftiest in the world, and you shall find it there; and then go and search amongst the poorest and the most miserable, and you shall find it there. There may be as much pride inside a beggar’s rags as in a prince’s robe; and a harlot may be as proud as a model of chastity. Pride is a strange creature; it never objects to its lodgings. It will live comfortably enough in a palace, and it will live equally at its ease in a hovel. Is there any man in whose heart pride does not lurk?

The text today will reveal pride in sin. It is ugly and takes a part of society with it. Do not think this is only for those who are not in Christ. As Spurgeon said, all are susceptible to pride.

(Read Gen. 4:17-25)

Contextual Breakdown

V.17-18

The author presents to us a rapid pace of growth for this line of Cain and for the society built around him. We are not told who Cain’s wife is, how they got married, or anything of their life until this moment.

Most believe he married a sister, something that was not prohibited until the establishment of God’s law. Regardless, they have a child named Enoch. Enoch means “dedication” or initiation. The city Cain builds is named after his son. Why?

Cain’s building of a city defies the curse God laid on him as a wanderer. Even more to name this city after his son that means dedication or initiation seems to imply, by authorial intent, Cain is dedicating human achievement away from God.

In essence, Cain’s is living a life in defiance to God, in pride that say- “we don’t need You.”

V.19-22

Cain’s line leads to the introduction of perversion in marriage. Lamech, we are told, takes 2 wives for himself. Polygamy was never allowed by the Lord. In fact it flies in the face of His created order- “This is why a man leaves his father and mother and bonds with his wife, and they become one flesh.” (Gen.2:24)

Jesus will one day elaborate- “So they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let no one separate.” (Mark 10:9)

In pride of sin, man now sets a standard for themselves. A standard they determine is right. A standard devoid of God.

We further see the development of society. A good thing to be sure, a thing that represents the image of God present in sinful man still.

But, I want you to note that in all of the achievements laid out, there is no mention of God at all. When we compare that with the line of Seth and the description given in v. 26; it is safe to say- the way of Cain, of sinful pride, doesn’t mention God, because God is not needed for them…though they are wrong.

Humanity can succeed in their sin apart from God. A scary thought when we see the darkness of sin in the human heart. You can have success in your sin apart from God. However, a life apart from God is not what you were designed to live. To do so is to live the way of Cain, the way of pride, the way of sinful rebellion.

V.23-24

Lamech becomes boastful in his pride in sin. We are given a form of poetry or song that displays the sinful heart of man.

Lamech boasts in murder. There is debate on whether he actually killed someone or that he simply says he will kill anyone who stands in his way. By the way, the term young man means boy. Lamech celebrates that either he has killed a boy for striking him or that he would kill one.

If Lamech has a verse of a song that he celebrated as his life it would be Johnny Cash’s Folsom Prison Blues- “But I shot a man in Reno just to watch him die.”

The heart of man becomes so dark apart from the Light of Christ.

He doesn’t stop there. He addresses Cain’s protection from God. Lamech is doing 1 of 2 things:

He is taking what God has extended to Cain and in acting like God seeks to extend it to himself.

He is pronouncing his own curse/blessing over himself as if to replace God.

This is the pride of sin- to replace self with God. All sin- sexual, the harm of another human being, lying, cheating, stealing, anger, unforgiveness, or living devoid of God- is the byproduct of replacing self/humanity on the throne of God.

V.25-26

In contrast to the way or line of Cain we are given a glimpse into the line of Seth. Here is our first mention of God as Eve praises the Lord for granting another offspring. This offspring being the hope of the Messiah.

While Seth is not the Messiah it is through his line the Messiah will come.

The key contrast between Cain and Seth is the final verse. “At that time people began to call on the name of the Lord.”

The line of Seth, though imperfect, will carry on their relationship to the Lord.

Themes of the Text

When God is no longer the basis of life, self becomes the basis.

God in a general grace can allow for humanity to thrive and grow. To live out the image of God they were created in. It is possible to flourish or have success apart from God.

However, as the Scripture teaches and reveals in verses 17-22, when we no longer make God the basis of life, self becomes the basis. In fact we pride in it. This happens as a society and in our personal lives.

The culture that is being created through Cain is good and right in that mankind is fulfilling their God-given call to “have dominion” over the earth. Domestication of animals, creation of the arts in music, and the creation of tools for work are good.

As I said earlier, there is no mention of God in any accomplishments of Cain- no recognition of glory to Him, no recognition of His sovereign hand at work, no recognition of His redemptive cause.

However, building a culture or a life devoid of God also brings what the NT often calls “the world”. Music can honor or dishonor God. We can caretake of creation or abuse it. Bronze and iron tools can assist, but can become weapons of war. These become worldly when they are removed from the purpose and glory of God.

In Society

How do we see this play out in our society? It is pretty clear when it is human beings who now decided what gender is. It is pretty clear when humans set the standard for sexuality and relationships. These are easy for us to see.

The reliance upon government institutions as little saviors who can and will bring reform to society. Instead of reform of the heart through regeneration of the Spirit in salvation through Jesus Christ; we trust human institutions and the philosophy behind it to bring “real change.” Listen to some of the presidential campaign slogans over the years:

“Make American Great Again”-Trump (Also Ronald Regan)

“Humanity First”-Andrew Yang

“Restore the Soul of the Nation”- Biden

“It’s in our hands”- Jill Stein

“Yes We Can”- Obama

“Putting People First” -Bill Clinton

“To Assure Continued Prosperity”- Teddy Roosevelt

Peace and Prosperity- Dwight Eisenhower

“A safer world and a more hopeful America” -George W. Bush

While I understand in context what some of these slogans are trying to communicate, there is still a placing of man made institutions and ideologies first.

Our advancements in technology and medicine elevate humanity over God in many ways. Many of these things are good, but can be used to lead us from living in reliance upon our Creator.

The internet is the information highway that grants us an ability to learn and communicate globally like never before. Yet, it is also that place some of the darkest forms of sin take place.

Personal Lives

Before we easily point the finger at the world or lost people, we must keep in mind that we ourselves can find this truth to be true.

In the Church

Many churches are successful in their endeavors, yet are far from anything resembling what God truly desires.

Over the years I’ve even heard things directly or through other pastors: “I built this church” “My money is what makes this thing grow.” “My family has been here for generations, we are this church.”

Man made success based off metrics like- People, Pennies, and Programs- have led many to believe they are successful, yet lack true depth in the Lord.

In Our Home

We can go through life believing we have achieved all we have through our own hard work and ingenuity.

“I put food on this table.” “I gave us a roof over our heads.” “I worked my fingers to the bone to have a successful business.”

This is so insidious because there is truth that we have worked and accomplished, but the issue is glory. To Whom is the glory ascribed? Us or the Lord? I said this several weeks ago a truth that Gen. 1 teaches us. You exist, you breathe, you have all you have because the Creator and Sustainer of this world grants it so.

When be begin to build lives apart from the Lord- for His glory, for His purpose, in no relationship or lackluster relationship with Him- we build a life not intended as the Lord desires.

In all that we are capable of doing, nothing compares to the glorious work that God does in and through us.

Psalm 127:1 “1 Unless the Lord builds a house, its builders labor over it in vain; unless the Lord watches over a city, the watchman stays alert in vain.”

Application

What does this mean for us?

I appreciate what Andrew Murray states,

May God grant that the Word may enter into the very depths of our being to search us, and if we discover we have not come out from the world entirely, if God reveals to us that the self-life, self-will, self-exaltation are there, let us humble ourselves before Him.

Living a life without God takes pride in sin.

Lamech celebrates his sin. The reality is Cain never repented. Cain, it seems, continued to defy God. He passes this down through the generational line.

It gets to a point where redefining marriage and murder are acceptable to their society and life. He even makes a mockery of God’s judgment on Cain.

When we remain in unrepentant sin, when we remain unregenerate in our hearts it will twist us into taking pride in sin.

I am reminded of Romans 1:18-32. (Read)

What do we note that takes place here that is reflected in Cain’s lineage?

In unrighteousness we suppress the truth. (v.18-19)

God is revealing Himself, but people reject. (v.20-21)

We elevate ourselves or the created world over God. (v.22-23)

God allows us to walk in our pride of sin and the result of that sin. (v.24-32)

We take pride in sin (v.32)

Hear me out, this is a scary place to be in. Have ever been driving and sort of zoned out and not realized you got to your destination or on a longer trip not realized you had been driving less aware?

That is quite scary. Imagine living life, even as a believer, that is so defunct of relationship with God that we become unaware of our sin!

Parents and grandparents, let’s return to the issue of Cain passing this down his generational line. We have to model a dependence upon the Lord. We have to model a sensitivity to sin. We have to model a quickness to repentance.

If not, it is quite possible that we will pass on something in the faith, that is not true faith. A faith that resembles something of God, but is actually devoid of Him even if sprinkled with God activities.

Application

Galatians 3:3 “3 Are you so foolish? After beginning by the Spirit, are you now finishing by the flesh?”

It is entirely possible to begin things in the Lord and over time as we drift from God we end up in the flesh and world. When God is no longer a priority, we become the priority. As with Cain’s line, we are in jeopardy of passing that on to our next generations.

Develop a life that calls upon the name of the Lord

This phrasing in v. 26 along with Eve’s exclamation that God has granted her another son reveal the stark difference from Cain’s family line.

There is deep recognition of God and who He is. There is a dependency described in that verse of this line of humanity.

Deep faith and godly living only flow from a life that is developed to “call upon the name of the Lord.”

To call means to cry out, or proclaim, to invite.

This is not like a simple, let me just call to see how it’s going. This is an invitation to have complete and utter sovereignty in our lives. It is a call to give glory to God for all things because Romans 11:36 “36 For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be the glory forever. Amen.”

This means we parent, we work, we play a sport, we teach, we coach, we are fans, we serve, we love, we forgive, we eat, we exercise, we sleep, we sing, we study, we learn, we participate in church, we fellowship, we sacrifice, etc all for the glory of God.

The issue is our hearts our bent like the way of Cain. To trust self above all. It is a daily, hourly, fight of our heart.

Christ Connection

In this passage it might be hard to see an immediate Christ connection. There are two I want to address.

The Line of Seth

We will skip diving into chapter 5, but note that God continues His thread of redemption. First, the fact He grants Adam and Eve another child is grace and redemption.

Further, we see the line of Seth points to a messiah and eventually will bring the Messiah. From Seth, Noah will emerge. He will be representative of Christ, the redeemer of men from the world and sin.

The genealogy also reveals to us the consequence of sin- for the wages of sin is death. Adam will eventually die as will others. The one consequence of sin that humanity cannot beat is death. What they can beat through Jesus, the Messiah, is the second death. Spiritual death and separation from God for all eternity.

Thus, in the line of Seth comes the redeemer to grant unto us eternal life.

Jesus Conquered the World

I mentioned earlier that the way of Cain is the way of the world. It is to live devoid of God and all that comes with living devoid of God.

John testified to this:

John 16:33 “33 I have told you these things so that in me you may have peace. You will have suffering in this world. Be courageous! I have conquered the world.””

John 17:1–5 CSB

1 Jesus spoke these things, looked up to heaven, and said, “Father, the hour has come. Glorify your Son so that the Son may glorify you, 2 since you gave him authority over all people, so that he may give eternal life to everyone you have given him. 3 This is eternal life: that they may know you, the only true God, and the one you have sent—Jesus Christ. 4 I have glorified you on the earth by completing the work you gave me to do. 5 Now, Father, glorify me in your presence with that glory I had with you before the world existed.

Often we read this and give praise because we equate it to Jesus has overcome the hardships of this world that I face. Or Jesus has overcome the sinfulness of the world by His life, death, and resurrection. All true…but…

Has Jesus conquered the world in your heart? Has Jesus conquered the world in your priorities? Has Jesus conquered the sin in your life?

The call is simple- Repent, confess, and prioritize Him.

Conclusion

Are you in awe of Triune God? Pastor and author Paul David Tripp explains that we can have an “awe wrongedness.” He says further,

Awe wrongedness is all about attributing to something in physical creation- yes, even the work of your hands- what only God can do. It’s failing to give praise where praise is actually due and giving praise to something that could not have produced the thing that has caused you to give praise. You will live in awe of what you credit with the blessing in your life. You will worship whatever it is you think has produced what you celebrate.

Pride is born in awe wrongedness. To what or whom are you in awe of?

To what or whom have you surrendered your life unto?

If it is not Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord, now is the time to do so. Come, lay down your pride, and surrender by calling upon His name.