Sin, Transgression, Iniquity

Scripture: Psalm 51

Words: Sin, Transgression, Iniquity

Some people think that these three words are interchangeable and have the same definition when they are actually quite different. They are pretty much the three levels of sin against God. I've known this for some time, but have never taken the time to do a word study on the three until tonight. 

SIN חָטָא (chata'): 

to miss the mark, goal, or path of right; to forfeit; to incur guilt or penalty; to lose oneself; wander from the way; stumble. [Example: An archer missing the mark]

TRANSGRESSION פָּשַׁע (pasha'): 

to rebel, revolt; fall away, break away; break a covenant; turn away from God. 

INIQUITY עָוָה ('avah):

 to bend, twist, distort; to writhe; to be perverted, distorted; to make crooked; to be bowed, to be depressed. 

In my Pastoral Counseling class, we learned the four "building blocks of falleness": 

1. Adamic Sin: or 'original sin'

2. Rebellion: when we know something is wrong, but we choose to do it anyways

3. Bondage: when we begin to desire things of the flesh rather than what pleases God; start losing our control over our life; there is still some level of remorse

4. Stronghold: when someone chooses to live a life completely consumed in darkness; there no longer any remorse

I see a great resemblance in Dr. Effler's model and the three Hebrew words for sin. There are levels of sin. If we do not control our sin, we will get to a place where we are completely consumed by it. It is a stronghold that has bound us to the point of not caring anymore. This represents iniquity. Something so perverted and twisted that comes from the enemy. The scariest thing is that, if we let even the first stage of original sin grow, it can eventually turn into a stronghold or iniquity. We must all be careful. I think sometimes we think, "oh, I can handle it. I will never give into sin like so-and-so." I've definitely thought this. I am completely confident that I will never give into certain sinful things. Even though this is true, it does not negate the reality that sin can lead us to "a place we never want to be" (Effler.) We have to always be watchful of where our sin (even the smallest sin) takes us. Proverbs 16:18 says, "Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall" (ESV.) We can't let pride get in our way. We must constantly humble ourselves and remember that we have a fallen nature and are always subject to falling. 

Expecting.

Psalm 130:5-6 "I wait for the LORD, my soul waits, and in His word I hope; my soul waits for the Lord more than watchmen for the morning, more than watchmen for the morning." 

WAIT קָוָה (qavah)

to look eagerly for, hope, expect, linger; to collect, bind, gather together

Ok, so to wait implies some amount of expectancy. This word makes me think of a woman who is pregnant or "expecting" her child to come. She eagerly awaits the arrival of her baby. Yesterday I was getting my teeth cleaned and Laura, my hygienist, started talking about being pregnant with her two sons. She said, "you come to a time where you get tired of being pregnant and you are just ready for the baby to come." I've never experienced this myself, but people tell me that being pregnant is a wonderful experience that is like nothing else. Expecting mothers are given a responsibility to provide for the needs of this developing baby. If they do not eat or take care of themselves, the baby will not grow properly and will be put in danger. Also, they need the help of doctors, family, and friends who give advice and help when needed.  The mother cannot literally see the baby, but she knows it is there. She feels and sees the changes in her body. 

This analogy is fully loaded with insight into the idea of waiting on the Lord and trusting in His word. While waiting on God is often difficult and seems to take forever, there is growth that takes place inside of us. I have oftentimes found myself feeling the same way that Laura did about her pregnancy. In seasons of waiting, I get to the point where I just want it to happen! I'm ready for the promise to come. This is a natural thing for us to desire, but the truth is that we can't rush the timing of the Lord. The promise will come only when HE sees fit. If we push to receive the promise in our own time, it will be underdeveloped and there will be many complications. 

Just as an expectant mother has responsibilities to care for her unborn child, we also have to nurture the promise that God has given to us. If I am waiting for questions, promises, or dreams to be answered and fulfilled, I must give myself spiritual nourishment and care. We cannot neglect to feed ourselves with the Word of God- to drink from the Living Water by spending time with the Lord- and to seek out others who can help us in our walk. These are essential if we want our promise to grow and develop. 

One more thing....

Even if though we cannot always see the effects at the time, we know the promise is there. We may not always feel it, but when we do, there can be no mistaking it. We cannot see it all at the beginning, but as the promise grows, we begin to see the effects. We have to take advantage of the time God has given us in this season of waiting. It could take 9 months...or it could take 9 years for the fulfillment to come. No matter how long, we must expect it as if we are watchmen waiting for morning to come. Don't give up on the promise. Expect it!