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.