In
Genesis 4:6-8, God asked why Cain was angry, warning and encouraging him of potential dangers that he must get under control so that things will go well with him.
The fact that God is acting persuasively shows the independence of Cain. He was his own person, though unfortunately acting contrary to the way in which God felt that he should. The fact that God reasoned with Cain, in that he must “master” the sin that was crouching at this door,
shows that God believed that Cain could exercise his autonomous, self-determination in a positive manner.
That is human speculation, we don't know what it shows other than what Scripture reveals about the nature of fallen man.
Was (fallen-man) Pharaoh able to obey God's command from Moses (
Ex 4:21)?
He should be able to control the murderous motives that he felt inside. The fact that God warned Cain what would happen if he failed
Jesus likewise warned us of what would happen if we failed to believe, and yet
we cannot believe if we are not born again (
Jn 3:3-5), and we have nothing to do with our spiritual re-birth just as we have nothing to do with our natural birth. It is all the decision and work of the Holy Spirit in the spiritual birth (
Jn 3:6-8) just as it is all the decision and work of our parents in the natural birth.
It worked the same in unregenerate Cain as it works in the unregenerate today (
Jn 3:3-5), we are spiritually powerless apart from the enablement of the Holy Spirit in the rebirth.
to control himself shows that God believed that Cain possessed the power of contrary choice, that is, Cain did not have to murder Able, even though that is exactly what he eventually did.
Cain possessed power to obey that command no more than we possess power to obey the command to believe, because belief depends on the new birth which we have no power to effect.
The commands are given to all but only the born again can obey them.
Although mankind does not seek God on his own, that is not proof that one cannot reply or respond positively to a God who seeks to save the lost.
We do respond positively when the Holy Spirit enables that response in us. Apart from the Holy Spirit, there is no such response (
Jn 3:3-5).
Moreover, pointing out that mankind are enemies of God, does not mean that we cannot confess our fallen state and reply to His message of reconciliation. There is nothing about being an enemy that implies or necessitates an inability to be reconciled to your enemy, just like there’s nothing about being a slave to sin which implies that you’re incapable of admitting that you’re enslaved when confronted. Just because you are a slave to sin, doesn’t mean that you cannot respond to God who offers to free you.
Believing is what translates us from death into life.
John 5:24 “Very truly I tell you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be judged but has crossed over from death to life.
Regeneration is irrelevant to an unbeliever since they do not qualify for it.
Regeneration is a spiritual blessing, and
Ephesians 1:3 makes it clear that all spiritual blessings are only just for Christians, and thus the spiritual blessing of “regeneration” is blocked—to all except Christians. The purpose of regeneration is so that believers can walk with Christ in a growing relationship.
There are
no believers
until regeneration occurs. Prior to that we are spiritually,
dead, deaf and blind and cannot act spiritually.
The order is: regeneration --> faith --> salvation --> justification (
forensic righteousness)--> sanctification (actual righteous) --> death
Seeing (3:3) or entering (3:5) the kingdom of God refers to entering Heaven itself.
Luke 13:28 states: “‘In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth when you see Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets
in the kingdom of God, but yourselves being thrown out.’” In this sense, the kingdom of God is a place. It’s Heaven.
Actually, Jesus said
the kingdom of God is here
now (
Lk 11:20,
Mt 12:28),
it is
not of this world (
Jn 18:36),
it is of the
spiritual world, invisible and
within (
Lk 17:20-21) the hearts where he reigns and rules.
It being
everlasting (
Lk 1:33) and never
ending (
Da 2:44), there is no other kingdom of God to come.
No one can get there unless they are born again. Keep in mind that Nicodemus was already a Jewish believer. So, rather than conveying the idea that one must be made born again in order to believe, a better interpretation is that it is necessary to become born again in order to be allowed entrance into Heaven.
Nicodemus was not a believer in Jesus Christ, which is what is necessary for the kingdom of God.
Moreover, if the meaning was that unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God—in terms of just understanding it—then why would Jesus criticize Nicodemus? In other words, “It’s not your fault. You haven’t been made born again yet. It may still happen for you, and if it does, it will all make sense to you.”
Jesus chided Nicodemus for being a teacher and not understanding cleansing and renewal, being "born of water and the Spirit" (
Jn 3:5), for not picking up on Jesus' reference to
Eze 36:25-27, 37:1-14, 18:31 in that regard.
