Two Sons Show Us the Truth
by Terry Wane Benton
When we hear those who read the scriptures through Calvinistic lenses tell us that Adam and Eve handed down “Total Depravity” and “Inability”, we turn our attention to two sons, each of whom should have inherited this depraved gene. Cain and Abel show us the opposite. Both brought an offering to God, and thus were not so dead to God that they had no ability to offer thought and service to God. Both brought an offering to God, but Cain's was not accepted, while Abel's was (Genesis 4:3-4). The Lord respected Abel’s offering and did not respect Cain’s. Cain got angry! The Lord did not blame Cain’s inherent depravity. He told Cain, “If you do well, will you not be accepted?” (Genesis 4:7). God told Cain that in regard to sin, “you should rule over it,” which means that God did not view Cain as so depraved that he had no ability to rule over sin. God was not disappointed in Cain because he was so depraved that he could not rule over sin. God was disappointed in Cain because he could rule over sin, but did not. Cain let sin boil to the point that it boiled over in the act of murder. He killed his brother, not because he couldn’t control his anger, but because he let sin control him. “You should rule over it (sin)” seemed to have been suppressed. Cain “should” rule over it because he had that choice and ability.
Resisting temptation is still the same as it was with Adam and Eve. They were not inherently depraved. They had the same ability to choose, but let it rule over them. That ability did not change after they let sin and death come into the world. They didn’t genetically hand Cain and Abel an inherent “inability” to do well. Notice that Abel was “righteous” and made good choices and ruled over sin, and God told Cain that he “should” (because he can) rule over sin. This fact destroys the doctrine of inherent total depravity and the inability to choose God and right.
Further, Adam and Eve had another son named Seth. Down the line, a descendant named Enoch “walked with God,” and God took him (Genesis 5:24). The descendants had the same connection back to Adam and Eve, and yet none are inherently, totally depraved. All have the ability to “rule over it,” and all “should” rule over it because none are totally depraved. All can make choices. All do make their own choices. Free will is demonstrated in all people. Enoch did not “walk with God” because God programmed him differently. He walked with God because he chose to.
Abel was righteous because he did right, and he did right because he chose to do right. He offered a more excellent sacrifice than Cain (Hebrews 11:4) because he chose to do things “by faith.” God told Cain that “if you do well,” he would be accepted. “If” shows that options were open, not closed. Calvinism asserts that options are not open, that there is no ability open for Cain to “do well,” and he has only one thing he can do, and that is to do evil. God said he could do well. Doing well is an option. John said that these two sons show that one chose evil and the other chose right (I John 3:12). The narrative does not show that both started out totally depraved and unable to do good, and then God zapped Abel with some new ability that He refused to give Cain. God told Cain that the option to do well was still his, and that ruling over sin instead of letting sin rule over him was still on the table.
Thus, God denied the Calvinistic doctrine of inherent, total inability from the very start. It was wrong then, and it is still wrong. You have a choice, and you can make the right choice. You can listen to the voice of evil or the voice of righteousness. If you do well, it can still be well for you. God says so, and only Satan is saying otherwise!
