Wickedness and Iniquity

9 Wickedness and Iniquity

The Bible clearly shows an inverse connection between a reverential fear of God, which produces as its fruit a “harvest of righteousness,” and wickedness. Both the Bible and history demonstrate that where there is little or no fear of God among a people (and a corresponding lack of righteousness), wickedness abounds. Note these verses:

• “The Lord saw how great the wickedness of the human race had become on the earth, and that every intention of the thoughts of the human heart was only evil all the time” (Genesis 6:5). • “It is on account of the wickedness of these nations that the Lord is going to drive them out before you” (Deuteronomy 9:4–5). • “The Lord is in his holy temple; the Lord is on his heavenly throne. He observes everyone on earth; his eyes examine them. The Lord examines the righteous, but the wicked, those who love violence, he hates with a passion” (Psalm 11:4–5). • “You love righteousness and hate wickedness” (Psalm 45:7). • (said of Satan) “You were blameless in your ways from the day you were created till wickedness was found in you” (Ezekiel 28:15).

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• (God to apostate Israel): “You have defiled the land with your prostitution and wickedness” (Jeremiah 3:2); “None of them repent of their wickedness, saying, ‘What have I done?’ Each pursues their own course” (Jeremiah 8:6). • (God to Jonah): “Go to the great city of Nineveh and preach against it, because its wickedness has come up before me” (Jonah 1:2). • (Jesus to the hypocritical Pharisees): “You Pharisees clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside you are full of greed and wickedness” (Luke 11:39).

According to the Bible, wickedness is not primarily committed by people who are ignorant of God’s laws. Wickedness is the growing heart attitude of people who have received God’s revelation, but have chosen to repress it and have rebelled against it. It is not so much ignorant rebellion, but rather willful, intentional rebellion. Let’s take a moment to understand further the spiritual distinction between the two.

Ignorance versus Iniquity

Ignorance is unknowingly breaking God’s revealed law. This is largely what the “heathen” commit. They are guilty of breaking God’s law as revealed through nature and conscience (Acts 17:30; Romans 2:12–16; Ephesians 4:18; 1 Peter 1:14, etc.).

Iniquity is knowingly and willfully breaking God’s revealed law. This is the sin of the Jews and Christians who are guilty of breaking God’s law as revealed through His written word,

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the Bible, and the Incarnate Word, the Lord Jesus (Romans 2:17–3:2).

Iniquity, then, is evil posing as righteousness, religious perversion of the truth, and a counterfeit morality. It is rebellion in religious clothing! So it is primarily sin committed by religious people who know better. King Saul in the Old Testament is a good example of this kind of presumptuous sin that still masqueraded in the robes of religious righteousness.

Pagan sinners, on the other hand, do not commit iniquity. They still break God’s law either from ignorance or rebellion, but with no pretense of religion or righteousness.

There are a number of prominent examples in the Bible of the sin of iniquity:

• Satan (Ezekiel 28) • Saul (1 Samuel 15) • Israel (Ezekiel 18) • Pharisees (Matthew 23:28) • Judas (Acts 1:18) • Simon the Sorcerer (Acts 8:23) • Babylon the Prostitute (Revelation 17:1–5; 18:1–5)

The prophet Isaiah spoke to this heart condition when he said, “But your iniquities have separated you from your God; your sins have hidden his face from you, so that he will not hear” (Isaiah 59:2).

Again, King David acknowledged this presumptuous sin in his own life and cried out to God for forgiveness: “For the sake of your name, Lord, forgive my iniquity, though it is great” (Psalm 25:11).

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However, the apostate apostle, Judas, is history’s greatest example of the sin of iniquity. Since he walked with the Lord for three years and was even the treasurer of the group, his was not the sin of ignorance. He was privileged to hear all of the teaching of the Lord Jesus and see all of His miracles, and yet he sinned and betrayed the Lord for money. And he did so to other religious leaders who were also guilty of iniquity. As Luke recorded, “With the payment he received for his wickedness, Judas bought a field” (Acts 1:18–19).

The Apostle Paul also made it abundantly clear that man’s problem was not ignorance of the truth, but rather suppression of the truth. Listen to his words of warning: “The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all godlessness and wickedness of people, who suppress the truth by their wickedness” (Romans 1:18).

The Apostle Peter emphasized this same thing when he wrote to warn about pseudo-religious people. As you read and reflect on this passage, you will clearly see that their problem was not ignorance, but rather iniquity. Peter pointed out that these false religious leaders

follow the corrupt desire of the flesh and despise authority. Bold and arrogant, they are not afraid to heap abuse on celestial beings . . . These people blaspheme in matters they do not understand. . . . They are blots and blemishes, reveling in their pleasures while they feast with you. With eyes full of adultery, they never stop sinning; they seduce the unstable; they are experts in greed—an accursed brood! . . .

These people are springs without water and mists driven by a storm. Blackest darkness is reserved for them. For they mouth empty,

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boastful words and, by appealing to the lustful desires of the flesh, they entice people who are just escaping from those who live in error. They promise them freedom, while they themselves are slaves of depravity . . . If they have escaped the corruption of the world by knowing our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and are again entangled in it and are overcome, they are worse off at the end than they were at the beginning (2 Peter 2:10–22).

It is for this reason that we Christians are clearly warned by Paul “not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common?” (2 Corinthians 6:14).

In His Olivet discourse about the signs of the last days, the Lord Jesus warned that iniquity and wickedness would increasingly become a worldwide spiritual condition: “Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold” (Matthew 24:12).

It is because of this growing wickedness that our spiritual warfare is so intense as Christians. We are not just struggling and fighting against some vague abstract evil, but against the devil and his demonic realm, which are the animating forces for evil in our world. “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms” (Ephesians 6:12).

But the “Good News” for the believer is that Jesus Christ “gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good” (Titus 2:14). Likewise, the writer of Hebrews reminds us of this precious promise: “For I will forgive

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their wickedness and will remember their sins no more” (Hebrews 8:12). That’s why there is now no condemnation for the Christian (Romans 8:1)!

With this deeper understanding of iniquity, read anew these very familiar words from the prophet Isaiah:

Surely he took up our pain and bore our suffering, yet we considered him punished by God, stricken by him, and afflicted. But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed. We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to our own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all (Isaiah 53:4–6).

Rejoice also over these great words of assurance spoken by the prophet Micah; words that he used by divine revelation to close his prophecy:

Who is a God like you, who pardons sin and forgives the transgression of the remnant of his inheritance? You do not stay angry forever but delight to show mercy. You will again have compassion on us; you will tread our sins underfoot and hurl all our iniquities into the depths of the sea (Micah 7:18–19).

Therefore, it is only the fear of God that will drive us to Jesus, who alone can forgive us all our wickedness and iniquity. Then, after receiving His unconditional forgiveness, it is only His Word and His Spirit that will keep us living in reverential fear, godly fear, holy fear, and loving fear for His honor and glory. Amen!

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