Conviction! Cain was considering his inadequate offering to the Lord; the Lord was displeased and spoke to Cain the words recorded in Genesis 4:7: "If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must master it." Cain made a choice – the wrong choice – and suffered the consequences!

How many times have we ignored that small, still voice and continued in our sin? How many times have we turned and blamed God for the consequences of our own sin?

James 4:7-10 says, "Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. . . . Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up."

Be careful to listen to the voice of conviction! Don't heed the enemy's call to sin but rather heed the Spirit's call to righteousness and holiness, to purity and freedom! We have the ability to control these evil desires planted in our mind by the enemy's malicious schemes – we are NOT slaves to sin unless we choose to be.

We can no longer say, "the devil made me do it" because as Paul said in Romans 6:18, "You have been set free from sin and have become slaves to righteousness."

If we claim Jesus Christ as our Master, our Savior, our King, and our Lord, then we have been made free from sin. The blood of Calvary made a way for us to live in freedom if we will just heed the voice of conviction. Become slaves to righteousness and thus fulfill the Word of the Lord for us all.

Do what is right and avoid the sin that is crouching at your door for surely it desires to have you. You have the key through Jesus Christ; use the key and shut the door. Lock it securely and refuse to let sin enter the door of your heart.

Lord, I read about Cain and how he offended You and yet You came and gave him a chance to do what was right and I see how so often You deal with me in the very same way. Forgive me, Lord, for not mastering the sin that is crouching at my door. Lord, help me to heed Your voice, to use the key You gave me to shut the door in the tempter's face and lock it by choosing what is right. Help me always to walk in Your ways and to choose You over sin. Help me heed the voice of conviction. In Jesus' name, amen and amen.

© Jan Ross
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