Abel did not present his sacrifice according to his concept, thought, or way, but according to God's way of salvation. He worshipped God according to His revelation (Heb. 11:4). Unlike Cain, Abel presented the firstlings of his flock, which probably were lambs. The Bible says that he "brought of the firstlings of his flock and of the fat thereof" (Gen. 4:4). When he offered the fat, the sacrifice was killed and the blood was shed, for without killing it would have been impossible to have the fat to present to God. Abel realized that he needed an offering with the shedding of blood. He knew that he had been born of fallen parents and that he was evil, sinful, and polluted in the eyes of God. Thus, he offered some firstlings of his flock, shedding the blood for his redemption and burning the fat for God's satisfaction. Who told him to offer the firstlings of the sheep? He undoubtedly did this according to the instruction of his parents. What Abel did corresponded exactly to the requirements of the Mosaic law which was given later. This proves that his way of worshipping God was according to God's divine revelation, and not according to his concept.
As fallen persons, everything we think is sinful. Even if we think the best thoughts, our thinking is still sinful. Furthermore, whatever we see and say is sinful. St. Augustine said that even our tears of repentance need the cleansing of the blood. We are so sinful that we even need to repent of our repentance. We are the embodiment of sin. Therefore, whatever originates with us, with our thinking, speaking, hearing, and feeling, is sinful. We must put ourselves aside. To put ourselves aside actually means to put the Devil aside, because the Devil is in our self. If we cast ourselves aside, we simultaneously reject Satan in an absolute way. Do not say, "My way is good. My thoughts are excellent." Regardless of the excellence of your thoughts, Satan is in them, and you must reject them and take God's way according to His revelation.
Abel's offering was a type of Christ. According to Numbers 18:17, the firstling of a cow or sheep, a type Christ, could not be eaten by the Israelites; it had to offered to God. Hence, in typology, Abel offered Christ to God. The offering of the firstling of a cow or sheep had two factors: the blood, which was sprinkled on the altar for redemption, and the fat, which was burned on the altar as an offering, as a sweet savor unto the Lord, for His satisfaction. The Lord Jesus Christ had these two factors. He had the blood which was shed for us and the fat which satisfied God's desire. Abel, following the word of his parents regarding God's way of salvation, presented such an offering to God. Thus, Abel took Christ as his covering and was justified by God (Heb. 11:4; Matt. 23:35). We need the blood of Christ to cleanse us and we need Christ Himself to cover us that we may be accepted by God and that we may satisfy Him.
Let me share with you some of my own experience. When I was an active young man, I thought that I could and should do many things for God. I believed that I was quite intelligent, that I had considerable initiative, and that I was very capable. So, I dreamed of the many things I would do for God and for the church. Not long afterward, the heavenly light began to shine upon me. Although I did not see very much at first, the light continued to shine day and night, even while I slept. Eventually I was enlightened to such an extent that I bowed before the Lord and said, "Lord, I dare not see myself or think about myself. All that I am is a shame. Every part of my being is ugly." I truly saw myself in such a way. That was the time I began to realize the preciousness of the Lord's blood. I prayed, "Lord, I have nothing to say. Cleanse me. Cleanse me with Your blood. Cleanse my eyes, cleanse my thoughts, cleanse every part of my being. Lord, cleanse everything." One day I made a confession to the Lord that lasted for half a day. Although I confessed continuously without letup, I felt, at the end of that time, that my confession had not been thorough. Within me came the deep conviction that I did not dare to do anything. I could only say, "Lord, I should not initiate anything. My whole being needs Your cleansing, not my doing. Lord, I just apply Your blood. Lord, You take the initiative. If You do not do anything, neither will I." I had been caught by the heavenly vision. I had seen that my entire being was altogether sinful, that I should not invent anything or initiate anything, that everything that proceeded out of me was defiled in the eyes of God, that even my tears of repentance needed to be washed with the blood, and that in my repentance was an element of the self that made my repentance impure. Thus, I had to repent of that repentance. This is what it means to apply the blood of Jesus and to put on Christ as your righteousness, as your covering. I had come to know my need for the blood of Christ. I had come to realize that everything I do should simply be the living of Christ as my covering. "It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me." This is what it means to offer the firstlings and the fat to the Lord. I can testify that never have I been as joyful as at that time. I was filled with the sweetness of the Lord. I was in the heavens. This is the experience of Abel. I know that many of you reading this message have had this kind of experience.
What Abel did corresponds exactly to the gospel in the New Testament, which tells us to receive the cleansing of the blood, to deny ourselves, to put ourselves aside, and to take Christ as our covering. We need to confess our sins and deny ourself. We need to offer Christ as the firstling of God's sheep and to present His fat as the sweetness which satisfies God, forgetting ourselves, rejecting ourselves, renouncing ourselves, putting ourselves aside, and taking Him as our covering. If we do this, we shall not only live for Him, but by Him. Christ is not only the sacrifice to God, but also the way of God, the way of redemption and of life. Hebrews 11:4 says that by the sacrifice which he offered in faith as a type of Christ Abel obtained the witness that he was righteous. By this kind of faith he still speaks today.