Did Adam believe in God? God had made him, and talked with him, and provided his wife. Eve quoted God’s word correctly (Genesis 3:2-3). Adam had no doubt about the reality of God. 1 Timothy 2:14 assures us, “Adam was not deceived, but the woman was deceived and became a transgressor.” Eve’s sin came through trusting a lie, but Adam knew better! His sin came, not through believing the wrong thing—“Adam was not deceived”—but through disobeying what he well knew to be God’s word. The results continue to be devastating.
Did the first murderer, Cain, believe in God? According to Genesis 4, Cain worshipped the true God, Yahweh. God and Cain spoke with each other. Cain was very aware of God. Yet Cain’s faith did not receive the approval given to Abel’s faith.
By faith Abel offered to God a more acceptable sacrifice than Cain, through which he was commended as righteous, God commending him by accepting his gifts (Hebrews 11:4).
God had His will for Cain. But Cain had a will of his own. He rejected God’s way and chose the way of anger and murder. These did not arise from ignorance, but from a rebellious attitude that led to evil “deeds” (1 John 3:12 cf. Genesis 4:7).