"But your iniquities have separated you from your God; And your sins have hidden His face from you, so that He will not hear." Romans 6:23
Sin and iniquity are two different things according to the scripture referenced above. Let's examine the distinctions.
SIN
Sin is rebellion against God. To disobey God and His laws. There are actually two types of sin:
1.) Original Sin
Original sin is the inherited sin we received from Adam when he and Eve made he decision to be independent from God. They wanted to have their own source of wisdom and understanding instead of asking God what they wanted. As a result, all men are born into sin.
"When Adam sinned, sin entered the entire human race. Adam's sin brought death..."
Romans 5:12 NLT
"Surely I was sinful at birth, sinful from the time my mother conceived me."
Psalms 51:5 NIV
2.) Actual Sin
It is a deliberate, intentional, desire , act to commit sin. You commit a sin because you want to. The shows the intentional desire to rebel against God---to make God your enemy.
"Therefore, to him who knows to do good and does not do it, to him it is sin."
James 4:17
INIQUITY
The Greek word for iniquity is "anomia" which means lawlessness. It is the weaknesses in our nature--the breeding ground for sin, it is not actual sin yet.
For example, have you ever wondered when you looked at a family everyone of them were alcoholics , or drug addicts, or prostitutes, or liars, or thieves, etc.? These all are better known as generational curses. Sometime we have feelings to do things and we do not even know why. The reason why we experience these things because iniquities (i.e. generational curses) are passed down through generations until the chain is broken through God.
"..for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children to the third and fourth generations of them who hate me."
Exodus 20:5
GOD'S GRACE FOR PARDONING SIN & INIQUITY
"The Lord is longsuffering and abundant in mercy, forgiving iniquity and transgression."
Number 14:18
"Who is a God like You, pardoning iniquity and passing over transgression of the remnant of His heritage? He does not retain His anger forever, because He delights in mercy. He ail again have compassion on us, and will subdue our iniquities. You will cast all our sins into the depths of the sea."
Micah 7:18-19
I pray that this has gave further spiritual insight into God's word. Please contact me if you have any questions or concerns.
