The prophet Daniel saw the end of sin and its sisters when in chapter nine verse twenty-four he prophesied at the time of Jesus’ arrival on earth Christ would make a finish to “the transgression, and to make an end of sins, and to make reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness, and to seal up the vision and prophecy, and to anoint the most Holy.”

It can be very helpful for one’s understanding of the ugliness of these last days to gain clear and precise knowledge of what the Bible means when it talks of iniquity, transgression and sin. God wishes to personally address each one of these in us so that His perfect plan for us to be free from the folly of sin can be realized. God yearns that each person will fully enter into his prescribed cure.

It should blow our minds to think that the Creator of the universe and everything contained in it wants to befriend us and even have us become part of the Bride of his Son, Jesus. It is His planned operation to cure us from the sickness of iniquity, transgression and sin. This operation has been brought to man in order to set man free from the three wretched conditions of heart so the individual may begin living in God’s loving presence. Albeit do not be surprised at the presentation of this straight and narrow gate to freedom, it is neither new nor unique. Heard many times over and over, it is the same message men have either refused or accepted for two thousand years.

Early in the Bible God broaches the topics of iniquity, transgression and sin in the Law that he gave to Israel through His servant Moses:

“And the LORD passed by before him, and proclaimed the LORD, The LORD God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abundant in goodness and truth,
   Keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, and that He will by no means clear the guilty; visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children, and upon the children’s children, unto the third and to the fourth generation.” Ex 34:6-7

This clearly showed His people that iniquity, transgression and sin are primary problems that plague mankind and have real effects on life and death. When any of these three killers are found in a person they will surely exact the price on happiness and even life itself. Guilt, the scourge of the heart and soul of Man will cause the unfortunate creature to live in the fear of darkness, a castaway from loved ones and potential friends. Finding forgiveness becomes nigh-on impossible when our grievous things we must hide. It is the stuff that keeps modern psychiatrists in business. Without open and true remorse for the transgressions against love we become dangerous liars and shady reprobates not only in our social and private relations but to ourselves.

This is a scourge in today’s world. It is so massive that God decided to clearly write it into His Law; unabated it shall riddle the souls of generations with sin, even to the fourth generation. Notice that it doesn’t state transgression and sin will be brought down to subsequent generations but iniquity will. How can this be?

Let’s begin with iniquity. According to Strong’s Concordance of the Bible it appears in the Bible (KJV) 334 times and derives from words that express disease in the heart and mind of man: to crook, make crooked, pervert, turn, moral evil, to exert oneself in vain, to come to naught, wickedness, trouble, unjust, morally wrongfulness of character, vanity and perversity. These are all expressions of the Hebrew and Greek words that were originally written and have been translated into the English word iniquity.

Iniquity is a condition that greatly exists in the heart and mind of a person or people. It exists when one owns, possesses or holds to themselves, what amounts to in God’s eyes, a crookedness, perverseness and form of vanity of a pure truth that has now become diseased, infected and perverted. Anything that God says, any way that God has proclaimed as right or wrong, any truth that God has pointed out, if in the heart of man it is changed in any way it amounts to what God calls iniquity. God warns against iniquity by saying “Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter! Woe unto them that are wise in their own eyes, and prudent in their own sight!” (Isa 5:20-21) An example of iniquity is seen in the parable taught by Jesus where the unprofitable servant revealed “…Lord, I knew thee that thou art an hard man.” This twisted idea of his Lord’s character cost him dearly in the end.

This following example illustrates what iniquity is and though it may be lengthy, take a look carefully at the disease God is seeing when he looked at His people and the ugliness of their iniquity.

“Ah sinful nation, a people laden with iniquity, a seed of evildoers, children that are corrupters: they have forsaken the LORD, they have provoked the Holy One of Israel unto anger, they are gone away backward.
   Why should ye be stricken any more? ye will revolt more and more: the whole head is sick, and the whole heart faint.
   From the sole of the foot even unto the head there is no soundness in it; but wounds, and bruises, and putrefying sores: they have not been closed, neither bound up, neither mollified with ointment.” (Isa 1:4-6)

They are sickly, infected with disease. Read on and see that it has perverted their ideas of how to please God. “To what purpose is the multitude of your sacrifices unto me? saith the LORD: I am full of the burnt offerings of rams, and the fat of fed beasts; and I delight not in the blood of bullocks, or of lambs, or of he goats. When ye come to appear before me, who hath required this at your hand, to tread my courts? Bring no more vain oblations; incense is an abomination unto me; the new moons and sabbaths, the calling of assemblies, I cannot away with; it is iniquity, even the solemn meeting. Your new moons and your appointed feasts my soul hateth: they are a trouble unto me; I am weary to bear them.” (Isa 1:11-14)

Iniquity is just not right nor will it be tolerated by God if we are to have an intimate relationship with him. While iniquity may lie secretly in our hearts, quiet and unspoken, even to our own realization, it is seen by the eyes of God who knows us to the very depths of our being and he desires that we be freed of that infectious disease that will eventually breed rebellion and acts of disobedience. Jesus spoke what he perceived saying “Even so ye also outwardly appear righteous unto men, but within ye are full of hypocrisy and iniquity.” (Matt 23:28) and “And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold.” (Matt 24:12)  Iniquity is a key ingredient to the recipe of sin and this leads us on to the next topic of transgression.

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Transgression appears in one form or another 179 time in the Bible. In the Old Testament it is often found to come from the Hebrew root word “pasha” meaning – to break away from just authority. Other Old and New Testament words and their meanings, that led scholars to translate to us the word transgress,  suggest – a revolt (national, moral or religious), rebellion, trespass, to crossover, a transition literally or figuratively, alienate, remove from, do away with, escape, fall, to go contrary to, violate a command, violation, and breaking.

Transgression describes a move, whether that shift takes place inward in our heart or is displayed outward in action be it through speech or a waving of hand, shaking of fist or running away, the move is against God and is pure rebellion. Transgressing can also be expressed in the same spirit of rebellion if we stubbornly refuse to be moved. It may be that God wants to bring about a change in us or for us but the transgressor will defiantly act against God’s prompting with a refusal to budge. Most commonly in the Bible transgression points at a violation to God’s law. Understand that God’s commands whether written on stone, paper or upon our hearts amounts to the same and therefore the following applies to all who hear God “…for where no law is, there is no transgression.” In this sense God’s word first needs to be established in order for transgression against him to occur. Adam and Eve transgressed his word when they disobeyed and ate fruit of the tree he told them not to eat from.

A Born-Again Christian ought to have an ongoing communication with God by the Holy Spirit with a knowledge that they are free from upholding all of the Mosaic Law. Yet embodied in the two great commandments given to us (Matt 22:35-40) “hang all the law and the prophets” are what God expects us to not alienate, remove from, do away with, go contrary to, rebel against, etc.. There should be the still soft voice of the Holy Spirit that will guide us along the path of God’s will. God hopes we will not lapse in obedience to the commands he writes upon our hearts, sometimes personal only to us in our circumstances. Disobedience to these carefully delivered instructions will result in transgressing God’s word (law). God sees hearts and we cannot hide our motives, insincerity or hypocrisy from him. Jesus called the Pharisees “whited sepulchers” because of the hypocrisy in their hearts. In truth they devoured widow’s houses and had moved away from keeping weightier matters of God’s law like judgment, mercy and faith, thereby proving they were also transgressors through purposeful omission. The infection of fears or doubting can motivate us in our transgression against God. Holding onto wrong ideals, allegiances or traditions, regardless of how they’ve been ingrained in us by our society or families should be a matter for each of us to consider with God, for we may be in danger of transgression against him. Jesus saw the actions of some Jews in his day and refuted their accusation of transgression with this “But he answered and said unto them, Why do ye also transgress the commandment of God by your tradition?”

God has suffered many transgressions but certainly he would like us to have a right sense that he wants to forgive them and end them. The Psalmist wrote “Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered.” (Ps 32:1) Surely the iniquity of our heart and mind is not to be trusted. It will often lead us to transgressions and transgressions amount to acts contrary to the will of God, which is sin.

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The appearance of the word sin in the Bible (448 times) demonstrates the enormity of our need for understanding. One point God makes for us is that we are all too familiar with sin “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;” (Rom 3:23)  James goes into detail about the production of sin and ends by saying when sin is produced it brings forth death. Ultimately, this death is complete and eternal separation from God, and he would rather we did not suffer sin’s terrible reward but would rather save us to himself forever. The prophet John the Baptist proclaimed loud and clear by what way our God, who has identified himself as “merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abundant in goodness and truth, Keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin“, will save us from the reward of sin. We see the way when we read “The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.”  (Jn 1:29)

Strong’s Bible Concordance identifies a number of Hebrew and Greek words whose definitions enlighten us to the meaning of the word sin when it appears. Words and phrases like – wrongdoing, usually any act contrary to the will and law of God, an offence, a crime, to miss, to forfeit, lack, harm he hath done. Sin describes an act against God. Again like transgressing, this acting out against God can be unseen but still exist in the heart. The Bible also teaches that acting upon one another or being remiss in our action can amount to sin against God. Jesus taught in this parable “And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.” (Matt 25:40) When Jesus instructed with the following words God was setting the mark to which he expects us to live. “…Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.” (Matt 22:35-40) and “A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another.” (Jn.13:34) Twelve times in the New Testament are we explicitly schooled to “love one another.” Limited space and time does not allow a lengthy expose’ of how I believe we are educated and equipped to meet the high standard set by God for us to Love. When we have failed to meet the standard to which God has carefully instructed and fully equipped us to meet due to our slackness, lack of concern, love of self, purposeful negligence (rebellion), haughtiness (iniquity)  or any such thing we will offend God and this offence is sin.

I’m pointing out these things about sin because I know to settle for just a text book definition like “an act against God” should not be enough for our satisfaction of understanding. When we see the word sin used in the Bible we want to have an understanding about the nature of the offence against God and what are some of the ingredients of sin.

“…for whatsoever is not of faith is sin.” (Rom 14:23) Is this statement suppose to paralyze us with a fear that we might be in sin if we didn’t check with God to see if he has given us needed faith to go to the grocery store or that every day that we go to work should we check with him to see if we still have faith for this. No, not necessarily. God doesn’t expect us to be like that. What he has established for each of us as faith he expects us to walk in, always with a listening heart for any changes. He desires for us to check with him on all matters and if we hear from him then apply the above statement and if he hasn’t spoken to us on the matter then proceed with an attentive ear to his Spirit. Sin is a powerful force.

An analogy of sin as a force can be likened to a forest fire. The forceful effects of sin whether with intent or not can be much like the destruction of fire. Our own sin, the sin of others around us, the sin of the world or the sin of unseen spiritual creatures become a ruining force that will devour everything in its path until there is nothing left to feed upon or until the Lord intervenes to save. This is why James could write “And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity: so is the tongue among our members, that it defileth the whole body, and setteth on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire of hell.” (James 3:6) This world of iniquity can plant fiery embers in hearts that will spread and grow into a wild fire of sin. A wake of destruction is left in the path of sin. With its forceful heat it can also influence those near its path to catch fire and enhance the initial destructive power. Just as a forest fire can create its own currents of wind to aid in feeding frenzied flames the force of sin can be fed and directed by its own created power. Sparks fly from sin’s destructive power when embers of hate, greed, lust, jealousy, lies, fears and unbelief in God soar into the air. Embers land wherever the wind currents direct and more burning destruction is ignited. Only when there is nothing left to be consumed will the flames of Sin’s fury subside. God will often intervene and sometimes chooses to douse the fire with his hand by directing a counter wind (Holy Spirit) to drive back the supernatural direction of sin’s fires or choose to smother the flames under the waters of his word (in any form he judges fit) which is able to end all the force of sin in every situation. God may sometimes choose to do this by having his earthen vessels of clay that have been formed and prepared by him to carry such waters under his direction. In the midst of this forest fire God may choose to do a miracle through pure mercy and grace and pluck out by the roots any growth in the forest that would otherwise suffer the death of sin’s fire and transplant it where it can safely grow under his watchful care. Remember what God did for Daniel’s three friends in the fiery furnace that was prepared for their deaths “He answered and said, Lo, I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire, and they have no hurt; and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God.” (Dan 3:25) This is an example of how God can intervene to save in the midst of the force of sin. He can declare fire has no heat. He can declare sin has no power.

Sin is a force but God can do whatever he wants about it because his love is stronger. Haman’s sin set about a force against God’s chosen people that might have utterly destroyed them yet God intervened and brought in a counter wind and a vessel to carry the water of his word. This reversed the fiery process of sin against God’s elect and left Haman and his house swinging from the gallows he intended for the Jews. Saul was a persecutor who set out with a zealous vengeance to jail and even murder anyone that opposed the gospel he believed. God intervened against this sinful force and uprooted the vessel that would have even destroyed itself and transplanted Saul away from the forces that were to continue where he was taught to believe the New Gospel. In God’s own irony Saul would become an opponent to the very forces of sin he once condoned and promoted. Sound familiar? Iniquity can be likened to disease, transgression to rebellion and sin to offense and while this generalization can be helpful we don’t want to pigeonhole any one of them. We can see one leads to another, one is a part of another and one is much like another but we know that God has declared early on that they all need to be forgiven. Iniquity, transgression and sin have caused everyone to fall out of God’s intended Garden of Eden type relationship he wants to have with us. It was in this garden that Adam and Eve chose to disobey God’s word and offended him, yet he chose at that time to prophecy in the midst of judgment that One would come to crush the head of sin’s originator and promoter. He sent Jesus to fulfill this word.

God has taken control over the ultimate force of sin – the force that would kill our intended and preferred relationship with him – and proven once and for all to know that his love is a greater force. He has nullified sin’s effects and his love is able to be the force that will return us to him and keep us in him. This love is exemplified in everything Jesus is and did and can now be found in the bath of his blood that was poured out of his body as God’s own sacrifice. This happened for us when he took upon himself all the force and shame and guilt of every sin of man that was and ever will be and then delivered it all to the very pits of Hell where it all belongs. Through faith in God’s power to do this he was resurrected from death into eternal life with his Father where he waits for the arrival of those who have been forgiven all iniquity, transgression and sin.

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We are told in the Scriptures… “that all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.”
This is told only to confirm what you already know by life’s experience, that sin’s effects have infected each one of us who have lived on this earth, this earth which we humans have filled to the brim with iniquity and transgression. Job wrote “How much more abominable and filthy is man, which drinketh iniquity like water?” Job 15:16

The infections of sin allow more disease of iniquity to twist the hearts and minds of us human beings into believing more lies of bent and distorted truths. Sin’s effects cause transgressions to form in man and are expressed when a human begins to shift away from God. All of this iniquity and transgression only leads to more sin and that leads to more iniquity and transgression. They are all of the same and create all of the same and God has proclaimed that we need to be forgiven of all. Praise the Lord forever, God has made that one and only way for us, Jesus.