The differences between iniquity and sin according to the Bible correspond to the disobedience of the principles and commandments of God. Which clouds the relationship with the Lord, since despite the fact that he loves us, he hates any act of evil that fails to comply with his established biblical precepts, where the fundamental basis is love. As his word reveals:
“The wicked in heart are an abomination to the Lord; But the perfect ones on the way are pleasing to him” (Proverbs 11:20)
Sin refers to the action in which a person is disobedient but when he performs a bad action he feels remorse and repents. But iniquity is not only acting in disobedience, but the person gets used to doing it and begins to see it as something normal that is already part of his life.
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In this regard, in the Bible we can appreciate what iniquity and sin are: “You were perfect in all your ways from the day you were created, until wickedness was found in you. Because of the multitude of your trades you were filled with iniquity, and you sinned; for which I drove you from the mountain of God, and threw you from among the stones of fire, O protective cherub. (Ezekiel 28:15-18)
7 differences between iniquity and sin according to the Bible
To study the differences between these two terms, it is important to know them and be able to notice and avoid such behaviors in our daily lives, since if we want to reach the kingdom of heaven we must repent from the heart so as not to have any stain on our clothes. Among the differences we find the following:
1.- Iniquity means “crooked” and sin means “to err”
Etymologically, the term “iniquity” means “crooked” and its objective is to divert the pure, straight and total course of God in the person’s life.
For its part, the word “sin” means “to err” and is the voluntary and conscious transgression of divine law. Regarding moral theology, a bad act, or the lack of a good act, is considered a sin. So sin refers to everything that moves away from what is fair and correct.
2.- Iniquity is transferred from the conception of the embryo and sin is visible before God and the world
The iniquity is transferred from the conception of the embryo in the way in which the baby is linked to its mother through the umbilical cord. So iniquity is transferred through a spiritual cord, and it captures or absorbs all acquired sins.
In this way, iniquity is the inheritance for the next generations, it embeds all the twisted and sinful legacy that a man will give to his children and these will also corrupt him even more with their own sin, and will deliver it as a legacy of curse to the succeeding generation.
We can see this in the book of Jeremiah 17.1 where it says that “The sin of Judah is written with an iron chisel and with a diamond point, it is carved on the tablet of his heart…”
In this sense, it should be highlighted the fact that not only can Satan intercept in the life of man due to his iniquity, but it is also where the judgments of God will take place. Iniquity is the opposite of divine righteousness, and because it is deviated from it, it will often cause opposition to the righteousness of the Lord.
3.- Iniquity is the impulse and sin is the offense after repentance
Iniquity refers to any temptation that a person has to go against God’s commandments. Therefore, the person feels an inclination to do the wrong thing and does it very frequently, becoming part of his life, of his routine. So there comes a time when he ends up seeing it as something normal.
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4.- Iniquity is constantly lying, sin can be deadly
Within iniquity we find that the most frequent actions are lying, envying, coveting or stealing from other people. This distances us from the presence of the Holy Spirit.
As for sin, there are different types depending on its severity. We find the original sin that Adam and Eve committed that can be forgiven through genuine repentance. Mortal sin, in which the person is aware that he is committing a serious act, such as murder for example.
On the other hand, there is venial sin, in which the person performs an act less serious than mortal sin, interfering with the relationship they have with God, but does not completely remove it because they feel remorse and God knows the heart.
As for the deadly sins we find lust, gluttony, greed, laziness, envy, anger and pride. We can see this in the word:
“But each one is tempted when in his own lust he is drawn away and enticed. Then lust after he has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin being consummated gives birth to death. (James 1:14-15)
5.- Iniquity corresponds to the consequences of sin, while sin is an infraction
Sin has to do with the offense as such and its consequences, while iniquity is a consequence of the sin of the ancestors, since it has a generational origin in the family environment. This is seen as common and in many cases it is not seen as a bad thing.
So iniquity is the sum of all the bad thoughts of man and that are transferred from birth. For its part, sin can lead to iniquities that cross family generations.
6.- Iniquity leads to committing a sin, however, not all sin is iniquity
Iniquity leads us to commit sin where offenses are committed. But in iniquity there is no repentance and bad acts are committed voluntarily, frequently, as something natural and normal. On the contrary, sin can be committed for the first time and involuntarily.
7.- Iniquity corrupts the heart and sin is the fruit of that iniquity
Iniquity directly affects the heart of the person to such an extent that it makes them have evil evil thoughts that drive them to commit violent acts that completely break with God’s purpose. In this way the Lord departs.
For its part, sin is the consequence of iniquity, it is what becomes visible. But iniquity is really the root of the problem, and sin would come to be like the leaves and branches.
Iniquity and sin can become serious offenses against God according to the seriousness of the act committed, for which it is essential to check personal behavior and compare it with the teachings of our Father through the Bible, which is the sacred book that reflects the way, the truth and the life.
And if we break with these mandates and teachings, our communion with God disappears completely, since when there is iniquity, there is no repentance, nor is compassion or remorse felt. So the soul has been totally corrupted by the devil, who is our main enemy, who intends to destroy the ‘people of Christ and condemn souls to hell.
If we leave doors open for Satan, he can enter and corrupt us, causing us to doubt God’s purpose in our lives. That is why our fight is not against man but against a spiritual world that is strong and that we should not underestimate. We can appreciate this in the word:
“For we do not fight against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this century, against spiritual wickedness in the heavenly realms” (Ephesians 6:12)
10 Verses about iniquity and sin
The differences between iniquity and sin allow us to better understand both terms, to avoid losing salvation, since when we commit evil and perverse acts, we are moving away from God and we are allowing Satan to enter our lives and corrupt our hearts.
Without repentance, there is no salvation, so it is a very interesting topic for us to analyze what we are doing wrong so that, through our communion with God, we ask him for direction so that our steps deviate from the right path. In the Bible we can find different verses that talk about iniquity and sin and the consequences for our spiritual life:
1.- Psalms 38:16-20
“I said: Do not be glad of me; When my foot slips, don’t magnify me. But I am about to fall, And my pain is before me continually. Therefore I will confess my wickedness, And I will grieve over my sin. Because my enemies are alive and strong, and those who hate me without cause have increased. Those who pay evil for good are contrary to Me, because I follow what is good.”
2.- Nehemiah 9:2
“And the descendants of Israel parted from all the foreigners, and stood up, confessing their sins and the iniquities of their fathers.”
3.- Psalms 25:11
“All the ways of the Lord are mercy and truth, For those who keep his pact and his testimonies. For the sake of your name, O Lord, You will also forgive my sin, which is great. Who is the man who fears Jehovah? He will teach him the way that he has to choose. He will enjoy well-being, And his offspring will inherit the earth. The intimate fellowship of Jehovah is with those who fear him, and to them he will make known his covenant. My eyes are ever toward the LORD, for he will pull my feet out of the net.”
4.- Psalms 32:5
“I have manifested my sin to you, and have not covered my iniquity. I said, I will confess my transgressions to the LORD; and you forgave the guilt of my sin. (Selah)”
5.- 2 Timothy 2:19
“Nevertheless, the solid foundation of God stands firm, having this seal: The Lord knows those who are his, and: Let everyone who mentions the name of the Lord depart from iniquity.”
6.- Psalms 125:3
“For the scepter of wickedness will not rest on the land of the just, lest the just stretch out their hands to do evil”
7.- Isaiah 59:2
“But your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God, and your sins have hidden his face from you so that he does not listen to you.”
8.- Psalms 119:133-135
“Order my steps with your word, and no iniquity have dominion over me. Deliver me from the violence of men, and I will keep your commandments. Make your face shine upon your servant, and teach me your statutes.”
9.- Psalms 66:16-20
“Come, listen, all you who fear God, and I will tell what he has done to my soul. I cried to him with my mouth, and he was exalted with my tongue. If I had looked at iniquity in my heart, the Lord would not have listened to me. But certainly God listened to me; He answered the voice of my supplication. Blessed be God, he did not reject my prayer from himself, nor his mercy from me.”
10.- Leviticus 16:21
“And Aaron shall place his two hands on the head of the live goat, and shall confess upon it all the iniquities of the children of Israel, all their transgressions, and all their sins, thus placing them on the head of the living goat, and shall send it into the wilderness. , by the hand of a man destined for this”
In this sense, iniquity leads to sin and sin can lead us to spiritual death, where evil reigns, thus violating the principles of God and the relationship with the Father, the Son and…