His Glory Blog

Many read or hear stories from the Bible and make judgement upon the actions of God without understanding what took place. Not that judging God has any place in creation, but wisdom is found in the source of all wisdom, God the Father. The ability to grow in wisdom is a gift of the Spirit found in seeking God. Being taught the Word of God increases knowledge and leads to the establishment of wisdom. The argument that a good God would not allow the world to experience evil has become the scapegoat argument of the unlearned. This word study will clarify this concept for those who seek to understand.

The difference between sin and iniquity causes confusion. The definition of sin is: any action, thought, or attitude that falls short of the standard of God. It is found 415 times in the Bible. If we look to the original language of the Bible we find:

Hebrew (chata) [Strong’s 2398] miss the mark, go wrong

Greek (hamartia) [Strong’s 266] – offence, disobedience

               God’s perfect standard is impossible to meet. That standard was rejected in the Garden of Eden, and the resulting curse became our burden to bear. The penalty of death was handed down to us to suffer. That is unless we allow Jesus to take it away. He offers to remove our curse and penalty with His perfect life, perfect love, and sacrificial blood. We are allowed to be reconciled to the perfect God when we turn away from sin and ask the Spirit of God to dwell within us and lead us through conviction. There are many times throughout the Bible where sinful people turn back to God and He forgives their sin and transgression. A heart that belongs to Him will be sustained by His power.

               Iniquity on the other hand is sin that has no end. The definition of iniquity is: deliberate twisting or distortion of what is right, persistent and premeditated wrongdoing, using God-given power wrongly, unrepentance as opposed to sin or transgression, moral corruption. It is found 316 times in the Bible. If we look to the original language we find:

Hebrew (avon) [Strong’s 5771] punishment, moral perversity, lawless

Greek (anomia) [Strong’s 458] wickedness, unrighteous, disregard for God, reduced status before God, without morality (lawless)

               God forgave sin and punished iniquity. Repentance was reconciliation, there is no remorse in iniquity. Iniquity indicates wicked and twisted nature, not simply a momentary lapse. The times in the Bible where we see God destroy cities and people are misconstrued as an evil or angry God. The truth is that He is a just God. If the people or cities were full of iniquity as opposed to sin, there was no reconciliation. Iniquity has led to them becoming an opposition to God’s people, His will, and His Kingdom. Let’s look at examples to show the consequences to willful disobedience with no remorse.

Cities:

The iniquity of Sodom and Gomorrah led to their destruction. Genesis 18-19 They were completely destroyed because God knew they would never turn beck to Him. At that point their service became an example to believers. Ezekial 16:49 Behold, this was the iniquity of thy sister Sodom, pride, fulness of bread, and abundance of idleness was in her and in her daughters, neither did she strengthen the hand of the poor and needy.

The iniquity of Jerusalem led to its destruction. Micah 3:10-12 They build up Zion with blood, and Jerusalem with iniquity. The heads thereof judge for reward, and the priests thereof teach for hire, and the prophets thereof divine for money: yet will they lean upon the Lord, and say, Is not the Lord among us? none evil can come upon us. Therefore, shall Zion for your sake be plowed as a field, and Jerusalem shall become heaps, and the mountain of the house as the high places of the forest.

The iniquity of Babylon will be the reason for its demise in the end times. Revelation 18:5 For her sins have reached unto heaven, and God hath remembered her iniquities.

People:

Cain’s iniquity destroyed Abel and resulted in him being cast out to wander. Genesis 4:1-16

Iniquity in the wilderness culminated in the golden calf and the destruction of the idolatrous people led by Moses. Exodus 32:1-35

David’s iniquity in his affair with Bathsheba resulted in the death of the conceived child. 2 Samuel 11

The iniquity of Ahab and Jezebel led to the end of his lineage and her death. 1 Kings 16:29-34, 21:1-16

The iniquity of Judas Iscariot led him to suicide. He ended his life instead of repenting in his remorse. Matthew 26:14-16, 47-50

Nebuchadnezzar’s iniquity cast him out and destroyed his sanity, repentance restored his sanity and shows that iniquity can be overcome in repentance. Daniel 4:28-37               

The simple difference between sin and iniquity is repentance. Sin is a lapse of obedience where iniquity is a condition. Through unrepentant sin the hardened heart creates a twisted nature that acts willingly in opposition to God. The rejection and defiance of God leads to separation. All sin and fall short of the glory of God. Continuing in that sin is willful disobedience and rejection of forgiveness. The same free will that leads to genuine love allows for the separation and evil blamed on God through ignorance of Scripture. The existence of evil, just like hell, is the absence of God.  In the same way iniquity is the absence of remorse and the good of God.