Iniquity is the body of sin.
As we studied in the past chapter, iniquity is the evil seed conceived in the soul of man, which is responsible for the sinful activity committed during his lifetime. The Bible talks about two seeds in conflict with one another:
Genesis 3:15 – and I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.
These seeds represent two natures, one demonic from the fall, and the other divine, through Jesus.
This is the seed of God’s promise made to Abraham:
Galatians 3:16 – now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made. He said not, and 2 seeds, as of many; but as of one, and to thy seed, which is Christ.
This divine seed is conceived in our spirit when we submit to Christ and accept what he did for us on the cross. From that moment on, and internal conflict exists between our flesh or our unrenewed soul and the divine seed just planted in us. The flesh will be nourished with iniquity and will struggle to prevail. Whereas, the life of Christ will fight with the flesh, destroying it and empowering us to live by his spirit.
What is flesh? This is the building the devil constructed in our soul using iniquity to turn our hearts from God’s path. From birth, iniquity was implanted in our spirit and began to corrupt our heart, through reasoning, what we believe about ourselves, the way we develop ourselves, and even where we put our trust.
The flesh is, a complex structure. It is our internal upbringing as fallen beings, where our spiritual inheritance of iniquity was is poured into us by the devil in order to accomplish his designs and not God’s. The devil’s function is turning us from the divine righteousness of God, by leading us to take our own fallen ways as a banner of behavior `and self-justification.
Psalm 58:1 – do ye indeed speak righteousness, o congregation? Do ye judge uprightly, or ye sons a man? Yea, in heart you work wickedness; the way the violence of your hands in the earth.
King David recognized this internal conflict that drew him towards evil, resulting in is falling into adultery with Bathsheba. He had a clear understanding of what had happened to him and prayed regarding the root of the problem.
Let’s see how the light of the most high clearly shows him the difference between iniquity, rebellion and sin. He understood that the reason for his sinful behavior was deeper than a simple sin, so we wrote:
Psalm 51:1 – have mercy upon me, O God, according to thy lovingkindness: according unto the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out my transgressions. Wash me thoroughly from mine iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin. For I acknowledge my transgressions: in my sin is ever before me. Against the, the only, have I sinned, and done this evil and nice site: that thou might is be justified when thou speak is, and be clear when now judges. Behold, I was shaping in iniquity; and in sin did my mother conceive me. Behold, thou desire is truth in the inward parts: and in the hidden part thou shall make me to know wisdom.
Here we can see how iniquity is implanted at the very birth, and how it will constantly feed by the flesh, if it is not purged from our being, making us enemies of God, and invading us with death. These two seeds remain in conflict with one another into one of the two dies. If iniquity is not destroyed the consequences will be more than mere internal struggle, as we will see later on.
Iniquity springs from man soul and shapes the flesh with a certain structure, besides nursing it with power. Iniquity manifests itself in the soul creating dense veils that prevent us from developing an effective spiritual life. It is the force that pulls us to live in our mind and heart, and makes us dependent on our own ways of thinking rather than God’s.
The flesh, which, among other things, is the proof of iniquity being manifested in our life, is a concept so deep that we should consider more than its fruits.
Galatians 5:19 – now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, and beings, murders, drunkenness, reveling’s, and such light: I which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time pass, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.
They are just fruit, the external evidence of a structure of habits in paradigms that have controlled our life for years and can be destroyed with the power of the Spirit alone.
Eliminating the food is merely an external change. A perfect example of this is an alcoholic who comes to Christ and stops drinking. Nevertheless, if he never confronts the roots of pain, bitterness, and rebellion that controlled them, inevitably, the power of iniquity behind the sin will draw him to other sinful behavior.
This is so, because his heart has recorded you must escape. You can handle the pain. What he has decreed over himself, is nourished by iniquity and will relentlessly pressure the flesh. As a result, he will eventually spiral down into a life of lies, adultery or cyber pornography, in order to avoid his pain. This person will believe he has been free from alcohol, but what he actually did was cut out an external fruit, rather than going to the root of the problem.
Pruning the superficial part or the visible sin is just an attempt at our sanctification, but it is not enough. This is why there is so much frustration, condemnation and hypocrisy in church. God wants to illuminate our understanding of these lines of iniquity so that we may obtain our true inheritance of abundant life purchased by Jesus.
As I’ve been intensely praying so as to find a way to take the church into its genuine life of glory and freedom, God revealed to me that very few of his people understand what walking in the spirit means. This life does not consist of attending church every Sunday or even every day, either memorizing the Bible, or serving in a church. Walking in the spirit has to do with how we develop an area of our spiritual being. It is a supernatural walk, totally led by the Spirit of God. It is the visible manifestation of Christ in our lives in the total destruction of the body of sin that, as we know it, is called iniquity.
It is not man’s will which destroys the works the flesh; but the Spirit of God.
It is the seed of God destroying the demonic seed in the flesh. This is only accomplished by the understanding of the spiritual life and spending time in intimacy with God.
The flesh disguises itself in spirituality, ultimately attracting to itself horrible spirits of religiosity. Religion controls the flesh; it crushes it into a life of external habits and apparent devotion, but denies it the efficiencies of a life in Christ. Religion cannot deal with the internal part of our being, where iniquity lies, by means of rules and legalism. This is only achieved by the spirit, when we adapt our spirit to God Spirit.
Religious man enjoy doing visibly pious things. However, that which is of the spirit has nothing in common with doing, but with being. This is so relevant that if we do not understand it, we will be living according to the inheritance of iniquity in us, making efforts and sacrifices that accomplish nothing but making us tired of all that involves church. This is why we find many worn-out servants of God, without strength and unsure what else to do or in which direction to go.
The devil’s plan is to permeate the holy church of Jesus Christ with religiosity, so as to control it by iniquity, and thus, killed the life of the spirit.
We must understand that all that is not born day after day in heaven and brought to us by the Holy Spirit, is born of the flesh and ends in death. Prayers may be done in the flesh as mental petitions for weeping but lacking faith. The Bible may be read in the flesh with no revelation but only bounds to the letter. Fake worship may be offered to God as empty songs that come just from the mouth but without a genuine intention to reach him. All of these things can be done with only the intention of carrying out the service, whereas the hearts of people are in their own thoughts. These are bounds of iniquity that dull the efficient development of the spirit.
In the vast majority of churches, there is little or no emphasis on worshiping in the depth of the spirit, allowing the genuine flow of intimacy with God, so that believers may be empowered in their spiritual development.
There is a tendency to give priority to men’s programs, instead of being led by the Spirit of God. This has produced a carnal Christianity (humanly structured) which lacks spiritual effectiveness in most members of a congregation.
It is relatively easy to create a religious system of rules and formulas that everyone can follow, because deep down in their hearts, many are afraid to enter the unknown and intangible ways of the spirit, where they will not be able to control what is to happen, or explain it in a rational way. This is why it is easier to reject the things of the spirit, which are incomprehensible to the common man, would rather manage the familiar.
Unfortunately, this attitude has invaded the church, making it ineffective, powerless and dead.
But God is knocking on the doors of our heart once again, so that we may understand truths that will bring us to live in the fullness in him by means of his knowledge and a spirit sworn in his power and wisdom. Like one who has truly crucified the flesh.
Galatians 5:24 – and they that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with the affections and lust.
The flesh is intimately tied to iniquity and serves the law of sin and death which is opposed to the life of the spirit. In several cases, kills the spiritual life of the believer. In the letter to the Romans, we can see the struggle between the 2 seeds and how the outcome will determine our final destiny.
Romans 8:1 – there is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the spirit. For the law the spirit of life in Christ Jesus had made me free from the law of sin and death.
Note in this passage how God emphasizes that there is no condemnation for those walk according to the spirit. He does not say there is no condemnation for those who call him, Lord, Lord, because he is referring only to those who walk according to the spirit. Afterwards, the apostle mentions two laws which oppose one another: that of the spirit of life governed by Christ through a spiritual life, and the law of sin and death, operated by the devil through iniquity.
As long as iniquity is not eradicated from the believer’s life, he will continue to be imprisoned in the flesh. On one hand, he will attempt to live a spiritual life, because he loves Jesus; but he will be in inevitably drawn to make carnal speculations that will lead him to make decisions according to his mind and emotions.
His opinion in spiritual matters will, most of the time, be influenced by corrupted religious thoughts, which will result in a slow development. He will be negative; and his faith will fluctuate. As iniquity always brings feelings of guilt, it will pressure the believer and filling them with fear and thoughts of death.
The objective of iniquity is to keep us focused on this world. It is the enemy of the cross and it will try to avoid it by any means.
As a ministry to the nations I’ve received several invitations from different countries to preach, however, I have been specifically forbidden to talk about the cross, or anything else that might disturb the comfort of the church. Obviously, I have not accepted such invitations.
In many seminaries it is still taught that one should speak as little as possible about the cross and sin, in order to have a large church. Many ministers are trapped by iniquity having the appearance of spirituality, but seeking the fame of this world through large world ministries. They desire the recognition of great ministries and the favor of men. This is the reason why preaching the word of God and the freedom of the spirit are difficult because iniquity motivates the fear of man more than the fear of God.
Philippians 3:17 – brother and, before hours to get her of me, and mark them which walk so as you have us for an example. For many walk, of whom I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping, that there the enemies of the cross Christ: whose end is destruction, whose God is in her belly, and whose glory is in their shame who mind earthly things.
The spiritual man is pleased when God is pleased. If it is a large ministry, great, and if it is not, that is good, too. The most important thing is to do the will of God, although it implies that we must lose everything here on earth so as to win everything in heaven.
Romans 8:5 – for they that are after the flesh do mine the things of the flesh; but they that are after the spirit the things of the spirit. For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be.
One thing clearly illustrated in the Scriptures is that one cannot be from the Spirit and, at the same time, be from the flesh. You’re either one or the other. Being from the Spirit implies a way of living and behaving with, objectives totally different from those of the world.
For some reason, the theory you can live in the flesh and in the spirit, for the righteousness of God no matter the way you live, has infiltrated the church. This is a big mistake, which has created, as a consequence, a church filled with sin, sickness, religion and spiritual death. It is one which lacks implicit power in the victory of Jesus.
The church doesn’t have the slightest idea how to live by the Spirit. I believe God is calling us to stop and examine all the doctrines that we have accepted, in the light of the results that they have produced.