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 even though 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 those who are perfect 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 wrong 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.
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 iniquity was found in you. Because of the multitude of your contracts, you were filled with iniquity, and you sinned; therefore I cast you from the mountain of God, and I cast you from among the stones of the fire, O covering 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 to be able to realize 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 “the crooked” and the sin “err”
Etymologically, the term “iniquity” means “the crooked” and its objective is to divert the pure, straight, and total course of God in the life of the person.
For its part, the word “sin” means “to err” and is the voluntary and conscious transgression of divine law. As for moral theology, sin is considered to be a bad act or the lack of a good act. So sin refers to everything that moves away from what is just and correct.
2. Iniquity is transferred from the conception of the embryo and sin is what is visible before God and the world
Iniquity is carried over from the conception of the embryo in the way the baby is linked to its mother through the umbilical cord. So the iniquity is transferred through a spiritual cord, and it captures or absorbs all acquired sins.
In this way that 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 appreciate this in the book of Jeremiah 17.1 where it says that “Judah’s sin is written with an iron chisel and with a diamond point, carved on the tablet of his heart…”
In this sense, it should be highlighted that not only can Satan intervene in the life of man due to his iniquity, but it is also where the judgments of God will take place. Iniquity is contrary to divine righteousness, and being deviated from it, will often cause opposition to the righteousness of the Lord.
3. Iniquity is the impulse and sin is the infraction after repentance
Iniquity refers to every temptation a person possesses to go against God’s commandments. Therefore, the person feels an inclination to do bad things 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 lying constantly, sin can be deadly
Within iniquity, we find that the most frequent actions are lying, being envious, coveting, or stealing from other people. This takes us away from the presence of the Holy Spirit.
As for sin, there are different types depending on the severity of it. We find the original sin that Adam and Eve committed that can be forgiven through genuine repentance.
The 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 a venial sin, in which the person performs an act less serious than mortal sin, interfering with the relationship he has with God but does not completely remove it because he feels remorse and God knows the heart.
As for the capital sins, we find lust, gluttony, greed, sloth, envy, anger, and pride. We can see this in the word:
“But each one is tempted when in his own lust he is enticed and seduced. Then lust, after he has conceived, gives birth to sin, and sin being finished 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 infraction 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 is not seen as a bad thing.
So iniquity is the sum of all the bad thoughts of man and they 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 directs us to commit sins where infractions are committed. But in iniquity, there is no repentance and bad acts are committed voluntarily, frequently, as something natural and normal. On the contrary, the sin can be committed for the first time and in an involuntary way.
7. Iniquity corrupts the heart and sin is the fruit of that iniquity
Iniquity directly affects a person’s heart to such an extent that they have evil evil thoughts that impel them to commit violent acts that absolutely break 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 as the leaves and branches.
Iniquity and sin can become serious infractions towards God depending on 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 commands and teachings, our communion with God completely disappears, since when there is iniquity, there is no repentance, no compassion, or remorse. 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 to Satan, he will be able to 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 must not underestimate. We can appreciate this in the word:
“For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, 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 rejoice over me; When my foot slips, do not magnify yourself on me. But I am about to fall, And my pain is always before me. Therefore, I will confess my wickedness, And I will be sorry for my sin. For my enemies are alive and strong, and those who hate me without cause have increased. Those who pay badly for good are contrary to Me because I follow what is good”
2. Nehemiah 9:2
“And the descendants of Israel separated themselves from all foreigners, and stood up, confessing their sins and the iniquities of their fathers”
3. Psalms 25:11
“All the paths of the Lord are mercy and truth, To those who keep his covenant and his testimonies. For your name’s sake, O LORD, you will also forgive my sin, which is great. Who is the man that fears Jehovah? He will teach him the path that he has to choose. He shall enjoy well-being, And his offspring shall inherit the land. The intimacy of the Lord is with those who fear him, and he will make known his covenant to them. My eyes are always towards the Lord because he will take my feet out of the net”
4. Psalms 32:5
“I have revealed 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 righteous, lest the righteous stretch out their hands to do evil”
7. Isaiah 59:2
“But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hidden his face from you so that he will not listen to you”
8. Psalms 119:133-135
“Order my steps with your word, and let no iniquity rule over me. Deliver me from the violence of men, and I will keep your commandments. Make your face shine on your servant, and teach me your statutes.”
9. Psalms 66:16-20
“Come, hear 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 surely God heard me; He heeded the voice of my plea. Blessed be God, that he did not cast away my prayer, nor his mercy from me.”
10. Leviticus 16:21
“And Aaron shall lay his two hands on the head of the living goat, and shall confess over it all the iniquities of the children of Israel, all their transgressions and all their sins, thus placing them on the head of the he-goat, and shall send it into the wilderness. by the hand of a man appointed for this”
In this sense, iniquity leads to sin, and sin can lead us to spiritual death, where evil reigns, thus attacking the principles of God and the relationship with the Father, the Son, and affecting your descendants.
According to the Bible, iniquity is the organism of sin, it constitutes part of the spiritual body within the person, and it influences their behavior, thoughts, and even the health condition of their natural body.
