Here is another verse that has great potential for personal encouragement. The Lord is speaking to Cain and describing two conditions to him: 1) what happens if he does well (acceptance), and 2) what happens if he does not do well (a chance to make amends).
The usual interpretation of this verse is that sin is like a ravenous animal at the door ready to pounce on and devour the one who sins. But that is not what God is really saying here.
Without getting too technical with the language, we can interpret the Hebrew word translated sin chatta'th (khat-tawth') as a "sin offering" Thus this verse is really extending God's mercies to cover the failure areas of human life.
What the Lord was saying is: "Cain, if you do well, you will be accepted. If you do not do well, there is still a sin offering available for your reconciliation to Me. You don't have to go through life hounded by failure feelings, carrying a load of guilt and condemnation, defeated by your sins. There is a sin offering. Forgiveness can be yours. Reconciliation is to be preferred to alienation."
We do not have to go through life carrying the sin load. Jesus is our sin offering. He is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world (John 1:29). Mercy triumphs over judgment (James 2:13 NKJ).
This is good news for all of us. Doing good is great. Not doing good is tragic. But even then a way out has been provided. A sin offering is available. (Jesus bore our sins to free us from bondage to sin.) Call on the Lord and He will deliver you once and for all from guilt and condemnation (Rom. 10:13).
Excerpt permission granted by Harrison House Publishers