When we consider our sins, do we realize why they are wrong and how God is “just” in condemning us in those sins?

Most people think, “I’m a good person, and though not perfect, I don’t feel I deserve to go to hell.” Well, let us look at what scripture says about sin and what it means to a Just and Holy God.

Let us look at a verse from the book of Psalm: “I acknowledged my sin to you and did not cover up my iniquity. I said, ‘I will confess my transgressions to the LORD” (Psalm 32:5). In this one verse the words, “sin,” “iniquity,” and “transgression” are all mentioned. They communicate the same idea, but what are the differences?

The word sin means “to miss the mark.” Miss the mark of what? Perfection, God’s Holy perfection; to do the opposite of what is right, to be unrighteous. Sin is the general term for anything that “falls short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). The sinful nature is present in every human being born since the Fall of Adam (Genesis 3:6–7; Romans 5). Adam was the representative of all mankind (our federal headship), and through Adam, we have inherited a sinful nature. Our sinful nature causes us to gravitate naturally toward selfishness, envy, and pride, even when we are trying to do good. Who teaches a toddler to lie when they do wrong? No good parent does, but it is part of our nature. The toddler does not need to be taught to do wrong, just by instinct (nature) they do.

Then we have transgression, which means to trespass, to intentionally disobey, to willfully trespass. When we knowingly break the speed limit, tell a lie, show disregard for the laws of the land, and, most importantly, show disregard for the laws of God, then we transgress against God. This is sin as well. Therefore, knowing this, we can look at just the Ten Commandments and, from there, determine if we have obeyed or transgressed the law of God. But we must also consider Jesus’ teaching on the law seen in Matthew 5 where Jesus defines the law and takes it deeper into a condition of the heart. We see in his sermon on the mount where He says, for example, “… if a man even looks at a woman with lust in his eyes, he has committed adultery.” Thus,  he is guilty of violating the seventh commandment, which says, “Thou shall not commit adultery” (Exodus 20). But most importantly, He sums up all of the law in Mark 12:30-31, where He says, “And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.” Let’s be honest; no one is one hundred percent capable of doing this. At some point, you have disobeyed your parents, hated someone, committed adultery/lusted, stolen, lied, or coveted against your neighbor, and violated at least one of the last six commandments, not to mention the first four commandments of loving God by having no other gods before Him, making any idols/graven images, using His name in vain, or keeping the sabbath, with ALL of your very being (heart, soul, and strength).

So, this brings us to Iniquity. Iniquity is a more deeply rooted term that describes a sinful way of living without repentance, constantly and knowingly transgressing without turning away from your sins. It is also used to describe premeditated sin. David is an excellent example of this in 2 Samuel 11 when his sin of adultery with Bathsheba led to the murder of her husband, Uriah. In David’s psalm of repentance, he cries out to God, saying in Psalm 51:2, “Wash away all my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin.”

Continued iniquity leads to a reprobate mind that God has turned you over to (Romans 1:28-32). So, what we see here is our sin and transgression, having not lived up to God’s standards, left unrepentant, leads to iniquity. Iniquity, left unrepentant, leads to destruction/death/hell, the deserving justice that awaits us (Romans 2:6-8, Romans 6:23, Revelation 2:5). 

So even the best among us, even the most sainted of people on this earth, are in violation of not meeting God’s standard of righteousness. And God, being the Holy, Just, and Sovereign God, cannot allow such transgressions to go unpunished. If He did, He would not be God; He would not be just. Thus, mankind is guilty of what we see throughout scripture and is headed down the broad and wide way that leads to destruction (Matthew 7:13-14).

The scriptures use different words to describe sin in its many forms. But to put it simply, we are as good as dead in our sins, SPIRITUALLY DEAD.  But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved) Ephesians 2:4-5. Jesus Christ being the second Adam, our representative (our Federal Headship) (Romans 5) takes on the sins for His Church and becomes the propitiation, sacrifice, and atonement for those who have faith in Him. Therefore, it gives us the imputed righteousness of Christ (meaning when God looks at his church, he does not see their sins but the righteousness of His Son Jesus Christ). Regardless of how depraved and wretched we are, Jesus’ death on the cross was sufficient to cover all of our sins, with only the exception of the unpardonable sin, which is the rejection of the Holy Spirit’s drawing to repentance, the ultimate fruit of a reprobated mind (Matthew 12:32, Luke 12:10).

Let us rejoice in such great news of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. That though our sins are many and though we do not deserve His great mercy, He loves us and gave Himself for our sins. Have faith in God today. Fully trust in Christ Alone as the payment for your sins. Believe in Him, and you will not perish in your sins (John 3:16).

Have you put your faith in Christ Jesus today? For he is the way, the truth, and the life. And no one comes to the Father except through him (John 14:6). He is the narrow gate (Matthew 7:13-14).

For further study, read:

Genesis chapters 2-3

Romans chapters 3-5

Hebrews chapter 2

And the 1689 BCF Chapter 4 on the fall of man, of sin, and of its punishment.