In Genesis 4:3, Cain brought forth of the fruit of the ground an offering unto the LORD. In Genesis 4:4, Abel brought forth of the first of his flock and of the fat thereof.

The Lord had respect unto Abel and his offering, but unto Cain and his offering He did not have respect. The Bible does not say why God rejected Cain’s sacrifice. Perhaps Cain’s attitude was improper or perhaps his offering was not up to God’s standards.

God evaluates both our motives and the quality of what we offer Him. When we give to God and others, we should have a joyful heart because of what we are able to give. We should not worry about how much we are giving up, for all things are God’s in the first place. We should joyfully give to God our best in time, money, possessions and talents.

The fact that God accepted Abel’s sacrifice and rejected Cain’s was not based on the fact that Cain’s sacrifice was bloodless. Many of the required Old Testament sacrifices and offerings were bloodless. The difference was in the heart of the two men.

What’s in your heart? Why do you give of your time to your local congregation? Why do you give your money to your local congregation? Why do you give your possessions? Why do you give of your talents to your local congregations?

Abel offered his offering in faith, while Cain did not. This basic difference is indicated by the wording of the passage: God “had respect unto Abel and to his and to his offering; but unto Cain and to his offering he had not respect.” Only when your offerings are offered in faith do your sacrifices and services please God.

The word sacrifice primarily denotes the act of offering something. Under the law animals were offered. Jesus Christ was the greatest sacrifice of all. In a few days we are going to celebrate His birth. We no longer need to offer lambs. He became the lamb that takes away the sins of the world.

As for us as believers, we present our bodies a living sacrifice. When sacrificing an animal according to God’s law, a priest killed the animal, cut it in pieces, and placed it in pieces, and placed it on the altar.

Sacrifice was important, but even in the Old Testament God made it clear that obedience from the heart was much more important. God wants us to offer ourselves, not animals, as living sacrifices — daily laying aside our own desires to follow Him, putting all our energy and resources at His disposal and trusting Him to guide us. We make these sacrifices out of gratitude that our sins have been forgiven.

Why do you give your offer your tithes and make other financial offerings? Why do you offer your talents to sing in the choir? Is it out your gratitude that your sins have been forgiven?

God has good, pleasing and perfect plans for us. He wants us to be new people with renewed minds, living to honor and obey Him. When we lay aside our own desires daily and allow His word to renew our minds, society will improve. Until then our communities will continue to have high murder rates.

It makes no sense to have as many local congregations in Port Arthur, Beaumont and Orange and to continue have crime increasing annually. With as many local congregations of different denominations crime and other immoral behavior should be decreasing. The reason why immoral behavior is increasing and criminal behavior is increasing is that living sacrifices are not being made and children can see their parents attending church once a week and live differently for the other six days. We have to make daily sacrifices, not weekly performances.

Christians are called to “be not conformed to this world.” The world’s behavior is usually selfish and corrupt.

Christians make wise decisions that worldly behavior is off limits for them. Our refusal to conform to this world’s values must go deeper than our level of behavior. It must be firmly founded in our minds: “Be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind.” We must make daily sacrifices.

The Rev. Harry Abrams writes about faith for The Port Arthur News.