I fear that so much of what is nowadays called by the self-exalting and self-vaunting ‘deconstruction’ or ‘ex-vangelical’ is nothing other than the age-old ‘way of Cain’ (Jude, verses 8-11): willful rejection and rebellion against what they know in their own conscience to be right … but choosing rather to believe and do their own way.

Cain knew what was right, but he willfully chose to reject and rebel against the way of the LORD to do his own way, and mistakenly thought he would coerce and force the LORD to just have to accept it.

“In the course of time Cain brought to the LORD an offering of the fruit of the ground, and Abel also brought of the firstborn of his flock and of their fat portions.”

The LORD didn’t – He rejected Cain and his offering just as Cain had rejected Him:

“And the LORD had regard for Abel and his offering, but for Cain and his offering He had no regard. So Cain was very angry, and his face fell” (Genesis 4.3-5).

In his anger against the LORD and his brother, Cain murdered his brother Abel; “And why did he murder him? Because his own deeds were evil and his brother’s righteous” (1 John 3.12).

And yet Cain knew very well what was right and good. Not only had his fallen parents, Adam and Eve, instructed him in the right way, but the LORD Himself confronted him and told him he knew the difference between right and wrong:

“The LORD said to Cain, ‘Why are you angry, and why has your face fallen. If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin is crouching at the door. Its desire is contrary to you, but you must rule over it’” (Genesis 4.6-7).

The self-exalting, self-vaunting so-called ‘deconstruction’ is ‘the way of Cain.’ And I say ‘I fear’ that it is so because “There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way to death” (Proverbs 14.12) – as it was for Cain.