What is Iniquity?

Matthew 7:21-23
“21 Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.
22 Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?
23 And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.”

From these verses we see:
• Not everyone that calls on Adonai will enter into the Kingdom of Heaven;
• We must do the will of our Father, Abba, in order to enter into the Kingdom of Heaven;
• It doesn’t matter how many prophesies you made, how many devils you cast out, or how many wonderful works you have done, you will not enter the Kingdom of Heaven unless you do the will of Adonai (Abba);
• Those who work iniquity will be told to depart from Adonai.

We need to find out what iniquity is so that we don’t do it, otherwise we will be told to depart from Adonai and we will definitely not enter into the Kingdom of Heaven.

Here are some verses referring to “iniquity”:
• Psalm 6:1-10
“1 O Lord, rebuke me not in thine anger, neither chasten me in thy hot displeasure.
2 Have mercy upon me, O Lord; for I am weak: O Lord, heal me; for my bones are vexed.
3 My soul is also sore vexed: but thou, O Lord, how long?
4 Return, O Lord, deliver my soul: oh save me for thy mercies' sake.
5 For in death there is no remembrance of thee: in the grave who shall give thee thanks?
6 I am weary with my groaning; all the night make I my bed to swim; I water my couch with my tears.
7 Mine eye is consumed because of grief; it waxeth old because of all mine enemies.
8 Depart from me, all ye workers of iniquity; for the Lord hath heard the voice of my weeping.
9 The Lord hath heard my supplication; the Lord will receive my prayer.
10 Let all mine enemies be ashamed and sore vexed: let them return and be ashamed suddenly.”

David was feeling overwhelmed with all the evil wickedness and disobedience going on around him. He knew the evil that surrounded him was the enemy, the adversary, and he was sore vexed in his soul down to his bones. David wanted Abba to deliver him from this evil wickedness. He was weary, groaning, and his eyes were consumed with grieving tears because of the pain he felt because of this wickedness and evil. He wanted all those who were disobedient to Abba to get away from him “Depart from me, all ye workers of iniquity” (vs.8). But David was confident that Abba heard his pleas and supplications for relief, he knew his prayer was received by Abba (vs.9). David even prayed for them to be sore vexed, ashamed suddenly, because of their wickedness in disobedience. He wanted them to see.

• Psalm 14:2-4
“2 The Lord looked down from heaven upon the children of men, to see if there were any that did understand, and seek God.
3 They are all gone aside, they are all together become filthy: there is none that doeth good, no, not one.
4 Have all the workers of iniquity no knowledge? who eat up my people as they eat bread, and call not upon the Lord.”

• 2 Thessalonians 2:7
“For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way.”

Paul tells us “the mystery of iniquity” is already working, even then, to deceive every one of the Truth.

• Matthew 13:37-43
“37 He answered and said unto them, He that soweth the good seed is the Son of man;
38 The field is the world; the good seed are the children of the kingdom; but the tares are the children of the wicked one;
39 The enemy that sowed them is the devil; the harvest is the end of the world; and the reapers are the angels.
40 As therefore the tares are gathered and burned in the fire; so shall it be in the end of this world.
41 The Son of man shall send forth his angels, and they shall gather out of his kingdom all things that offend, and them which do iniquity;
42 And shall cast them into a furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth.
43 Then shall the righteous shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Who hath ears to hear, let him hear.”

Everyone who does iniquity will be gathered up and taken out of the Kingdom, with all things that offend, and they will be “cast into a furnace of fire”.

• Matthew 23:28
“28 Even so ye also outwardly appear righteous unto men, but within ye are full of hypocrisy and iniquity.”

Beware, there are those who appear to be righteous on the outside, but inside they are full of iniquity and hypocrisy.

• Matthew 24:12
“And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold.”

What is iniquity?

According to Strong’s Concordance, “Iniquity” in Greek is the word “anomia”…
“anomia”:
• lawlessness, iniquity, disobedience, sin;
• without law; lawlessness;
• the utter disregard for God's law (His written and living Word);
• transgression, unrighteousness.
From anomos:
illegality, i.e. Violation of law or wickedness -- iniquity, transgress(-ion of) the law, unrighteousness.

Iniquity is lawlessness, those without law, those who disregard Adonai’s law (Torah) both written and Living (Yeshua). Those who violate, transgress, the law of Adonai are doing wickedness and are considered to be doing unrighteousness. They are disobedient to the Torah - transgression of the Torah is sin.

Titus 2:7-15
“7 In all things shewing thyself a pattern of good works: in doctrine shewing uncorruptness, gravity, sincerity,
8 Sound speech, that cannot be condemned; that he that is of the contrary part may be ashamed, having no evil thing to say of you.
9 Exhort servants to be obedient unto their own masters, and to please them well in all things; not answering again;
10 Not purloining, but shewing all good fidelity; that they may adorn the doctrine of God our Saviour in all things.
11 For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men,
12 Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world;
13 Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ;
14 Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.
15 These things speak, and exhort, and rebuke with all authority. Let no man despise thee.”

Matthew 5:17-20
“17 Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil.
18 For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.
19 Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.
20 For I say unto you, That except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven.”

1 John 2:1-7
“1 My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous:
2 And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.
3 And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments.
4 He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him.
5 But whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby know we that we are in him.
6 He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked.
7 Brethren, I write no new commandment unto you, but an old commandment which ye had from the beginning. The old commandment is the word which ye have heard from the beginning.”

John 17:17
“Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.”