Thank you JLB777 for this excellent choice of scripture:
If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin lies at the door. And its desire is for you, but you should rule over it.” Genesis 4:7
And its desire is for you, but you should rule over it.
Perhaps I should begin by telling you that the only free will I believe in is one that is free from sin, I see sin/Satan as a deceiver. Please understand that I mean no disrespect toward you whatsoever when I say that it concerns me that the free will you are teaching sounds to me like the same bondage as the Old Testament will (trying to establish one's own righteousness).
So I do not see God saying that Cain or anybody else has a moral/immoral free will to choose sin or not according to one's own preferance. In the scripture above I actually believe God is saying that
sin is a deceitful power working to sway Caine
to will to do what is self destructive. It's not so cut and dry as "you are free to choose".
Hence I read this scripture as God addressing
Caine's fallen countenance (hurt pride) when He says, "if you do well, will you not be
lifted up? But if not, then sin is stalking you in your thoughts trying to get you to do what is wrong. Don't let him rule you". I teach this to my children and Grand children, particularly when I see Satan talking to them in their thoughts. You can see it in their face and demeanor as a fallen countenance contemplating their hurt feelings and seeing things as unfair. Some teenagers suffer dearly.
Unfortunately, at one time or another, my own children have been deceived down that route only to find out what I am talking about is true. But of course I understand, because I once believed in free will just like you describe it, as my choice. I was raised believing in free will and it never dawned on me that
sin was in me and in my parents and brother appealing to
vanity and
pushing our buttons. I thought our thoughts were our own because it was absurd to think someone else could be controlling me and others through our thoughts as if we were puppets. And so I know what it's like to be a slave to sin while thinking that I am free, since I have yielded my members to sin through the exact same deception as all of mankind in Adam has done.
And again we read that this was ordained, when God said to Satan
the Father of sin, and God said
" I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel". In other words I believe that sin/Satan was destined to be warring in the temporal flesh battleground of mankind against man's own spirit, because God declared it.
Here are some scriptures to back up my claim that the devil causes people to sin through deception and that Satan's seed is working in all flesh of mankind. Please do not gloss over them, but consider why I find each one of them applicable and important:
Romans 7:11 For
sin, taking occasion by the commandment,
deceived me, and by it slew me.
John 8:32 And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free. They answered him, We be Abraham's seed, and were never in bondage to any man: how sayest thou, Ye shall be made free? Jesus answered them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin.
Galatians 4:23-26 But he who was of the bondwoman was born after the flesh; but
he of the freewoman was by promise. Which things are an allegory:
for these are the two covenants; the one from the mount Sinai,
which gendereth to bondage, which is Agar. For this Agar is mount Sinai in Arabia, and answereth to Jerusalem which now is, and is in bondage with her children. But Jerusalem which is above is free, which is the mother of us all.
Romans 3:19 Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to
them who are
under the law: that every mouth may be stopped,
and all the world may become guilty before God.
Romans 7:1
Know ye not, brethren, (for I speak to them that know the law,) how that
the law hath dominion over a man as long as he liveth?
1 John 3:8, He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning.
For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that
he might destroy the works of the devil.
Colossians 2:14-15 Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross; And having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in it.
Romans 8:For sin shall not have dominion over you,
for you are not under law but under grace.
Ecclesiastes 7:20 For there is not a just man upon earth, that doeth good, and sinneth not.
Romans 3:23 For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;
Galatians 3:22 But the scripture hath concluded all under sin, that the promise by faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe.
Romans 8:7-8, Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God.
Romans 7:14-15 For we know that the law is spiritual: but I am carnal, sold under sin. For that which I do I allow not: for what I would, that do I not; but what I hate, that do I.
Romans 7:20
Now
if I do that I would not,
it is no more I that do it,
but sin that dwelleth in me.
Romans 8:20-21 For the creature was made subject to vanity,
not willingly, but by reason of him who hath subjected the same in hope, Because the creature itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God.
Jeremiah 17:9 The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?
1 Timothy 4:1
Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to
seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils
2 Corinthians 11:3
But I fear, lest by any means,
as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty,
so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ.
Timothy 2:26
And that they may recover themselves
out of the snare of the devil, who are taken captive by him at his will
Luke 4:18
The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach
deliverance to the captives, and
recovering of sight to the blind, to
set at liberty them that are bruised,
2 Corinthians 10:5
Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and
bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;
Ephesians 4:8
Wherefore he saith, When he ascended up on high,
he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men.
