Return to flip book view

How You See Yourself

Praise for How You See Yourself“Iniquity” was something I saw in the Bible, something I committed, but not something I fully understood until I read How You See Yourself. This amazing book reveals the very thing that caused Satan to sin…and few know what it is. Every minister and every believer should discover “Satan’s best kept secret.” I read, repented, and rejoiced not only once, but several times. A challenging, enlightening, and encountering book.–Pastor Wendell ShawHow You See Yourself is nothing short of life–changing! The eye-opening scriptural truths that Pastor David Johnston reveals concerning the subject of iniquity carries a depth of spiritual revelation not readily found in Christians today. This book serves as a biblical roadmap for anyone who wants to be set free from the bondage of self-rule and narcissism. And who wouldn’t want that?!–Dr. Jerry Williamson President, Go To Nations In the world of “the written page” where many pieces are a woeful regurgitation of the hard-earned insight of others, Pastor David Johnston stands as an authentic vessel. He is not an echo. He is a VOICE! How You See Yourself is a detailed, impactful Christian message, the result of over two decades of teaching, for the seeking soul. –Dr. Jeana Tomlinson New Covenant Ministries

This is by far the best book on Christianity I have ever read. The word “iniquity” is ignored, glossed over, and treated like a dirty word in church. Learn the truth and receive the benets promised by God when we give up our selsh ways! –Amazon Purchaser SNPThe author does a masterful job teaching this unpleasant subject in a way that is enlightening, but without condemnation. A must read for any follower of Jesus Christ!–WendyAmazon Purchaser [How You See Yourself] is a great, well-researched, biblically-based book that shined light on a topic not well understood in the church today. Understanding the Bible makes a distinction between sin and iniquity was a huge insight for me. Thank you!–J JacksonAmazon Purchaser Extremely well written, a must read for pastors and church leadership–Robert SokAmazon Purchaser Do you know what iniquity is? I thought I did. If you yearn to be a better disciple of Christ, pick up a copy of How You See Yourself! From reading the rst chapter, I was all-in. David Johnston’s writing helped me understand the importance of how the sin of iniquity impacts my daily life. I now see more clearly how to conquer iniquity through God’s Word! –Michelle Buckley

This is the rst in-depth study of iniquity I have ever read. It is profound and has enabled me to understand with clarity certain behaviors, their origins, and how to deal with them from a biblical perspective. In some cases I now understand my own responses and know how to correct them in my own life.This is a great read. I hope others get as much out of it as I have already. Thanks, Pastor David, for your insights and for sharing them with us. –William S. EstiAmazon Purchaser As a physician for almost 50 years, I have seen patients troubled greatly by narcissism and its negative effects on their lives. As with many diseases, you must recognize the problem to nd the corrective action. This book contains the wisdom to recognize and correct problems with narcissism and how we see ourselves— thus the beginning of eliminating inequities and developing an awareness of how God sees us!–Dr. Paul Shirley MDSE Orthopedic Specialists

Nothing But The Truth, Jacksonville, FL, NothingButTheTruth.orgHow You See YourselfCopyright © 2015, 2020 David L. JohnsonAll rights reserved. This book may be reproduced without written permission from the publisher or copyright holder in any form or by any means electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or other, without prior written permission from the publisher or copyright holder as long as it is kept in its entirety and not sold for a prot.Unless otherwise noted, Scriptures taken from the HOLY BIBLE: King James Version.Scripture quotations marked AMPC are taken from The Classic Edition, Amplied Bible, Copyright © 1987 by the Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved.Scripture quotations marked ISV are from the Holy Bible: International Standard Version®. Copyright © 1996—forever by The ISV Foundation. All rights reserved internationally. Used by permission.Scripture quotations marked MSG are from The Message by Eugene H. Peterson, copyright © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002. Used by permission of NavPress Publishing Group. All rights reserved.Scripture quotations marked NASB are taken from the NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE®, Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. www.lockman.org.Scripture quotations marked NLT are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, Copyright ©1996, 2004, 2007, 2013, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.Scripture quotations marked PHILLIPS are from The New Testament in Modern English by J.B. Phillips copyright © 1960, 1972 J. B. Phillips. Administered by The Archbishops’ Council of the Church of England. Used by permission. Scripture quotations marked TLB are taken from The Living Bible, Copyright © 1971 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved. The Living Bible, TLB, and the The Living Bible logo are registered trademarks of Tyndale House Publishers.Scripture quotations marked ESV are taken from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®). ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. The ESV® text has been reproduced in cooperation with and by permission of Good News Publishers. Unauthorized reproduction of this publication is prohibited. All rights reserved.ISBN: 978-1-965799-00-0 (Paperback) ISBN: 978-1-965799-01-7 (Ebook)Also available in Audio format

Table of ContentsIntroduction: My Secret Flaw ............................................... xi1. Sin and Iniquity Are Not the Same ................................. 12. What Is Iniquity? ............................................................. 93. The Spiritual Implications of Iniquity ............................ 214. The Personal Effects of Iniquity ....................................335. The Effects of Iniquity on Family Life ..........................496. The Effects of Iniquity on Society .................................577. Iniquity: The Power Behind Sin. ....................................698. The Benets of Conquering Iniquity .............................819. How the Gospel Resolves Iniquity ...............................10110. How to Recover from Past Iniquity .............................10911. How to Terminate Present Iniquity .............................. 11512. How to Prevent Future Iniquity ....................................12713. How We Overcome the Iniquities of Our Fathers .......14314. Iniquity-Free Living ...................................................... 16115. Iniquity: The Condition of Christendom ......................16516. The National Implications of Iniquity ..........................18317. Fare Thee Well ..............................................................191Appendices .......................................................................... 195

IntroductionMy Secret Flaw“Then ew one of the seraphims unto me, having a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with the tongs from off the altar: And he laid it upon my mouth, and said, Lo, this hath touched thy lips; and thine iniquity is taken away, and thy sin purged.”(Isaiah 6:6-7)Narcissism, Satan’s best kept secret, is man’s biggest struggle, and it was my secret aw. I was raised in a pastor’s home and did not know the meaning of iniquity, or narcissism. I graduated from a Christian ministry preparatory college and still had learned nothing about narcissism.I entered the ministry not knowing I was full of narcissism, and it was soon to destroy my life.I appeared very successful. I spoke to the three thousand as graduation speaker. I was able to ll my itinerate preaching schedule well in advance. Little did I know that a time bomb was secretly imbedded in my soul. I had a secret aw.I didn’t sin much, even though I wanted to. Most of my sins happened in my mind, my imagination, and in disguise. I was taught that normal Christian life was dened by Paul in Romans seven: what I don’t want to do, I do; and what I want to do, I don’t do (Romans 7:19). What a miserable existence!To make my predicament worse, my graduation class theme

xiiHow You See Yourselfwas based on the Isaiah six passage where the Lord asked, “Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?” (Isaiah 6:8). Like Isaiah, we were all answering, “Here am I; send me.” But the difference between Isaiah’s preparation for the ministry and mine was as different as day and night.An angel took a live coal off the altar and laid it upon Isaiah’s mouth and declared, “Thine iniquity is taken away, and thy sin purged” (Isaiah 6:7). Not me; I still had my iniquity—all of it!I worked hard at the ministry. I tried to preach better, pray harder, lead further, sing sweeter, travel wider, say it funnier, play it cooler, insist more passionately, understand more completely, detail more fully, dene more clearly, illustrate more dramatically, shock more effectively, and reach more numerically.I read my Bible, memorized large portions of Scripture, and prayed earnestly. What others were doing in the ministry, I tried to do better.I was a driven man. Can you imagine my shock when years later I discovered that I wasn’t dedicated to the Lord at all, but to my iniquity? I wasn’t working hard at the ministry. I was working hard at my iniquity.It was secret. The Bible refers to iniquity as a mystery (2 Thessalonians 2:7). I had no idea of my aw until I took on a special project. At a pastors’ school I received a hand-out. On it, we were challenged to do a study on the difference between sin and iniquity. My iniquity made me believe that I was up for the challenge. Like everything else I did, I would do this with all of my heart. Actually, I did it with all the iniquity that was within me.The discoveries were shocking! I almost quit the ministry. I found myself worthy of separation from God. I found myself so repulsive that I could say with Isaiah, “Woe is me! for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips: for mine eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts” (Isaiah 6:5).Because of the pressure of my iniquity, I decided to write my ndings in a book and send it to all my preacher friends. Maybe such a book would make me famous. It was then that I realized that with all I knew about iniquity, I still had it. In spite of the

xiiiMy Secret Flawencouragement of congregants to publish these truths, I could not. To write such a book would have added to my iniquity.It’s now more than two decades later. Although you may not understand it until you nish the read, it would now be iniquity not to write it. So here it is. I offer it to you in the spirit of repentance and shame— repentance, because I needed to change the structural motive of my life; shame, because my iniquity was so great.This book is a journey of discovery: How You See Yourself — The Source of Your Struggle and How To Conquer It. It will help you in your discovery to uncover the truth about iniquity. You will learn that the anointed cherub set by God, who was upon the mountain of God, was perfect in his ways from the day that he was created, until iniquity was found in him (Ezekiel 28:14-15).You’ll also discover the solutions. It is the primary reason Jesus came. “Unto you rst God, having raised up his Son Jesus, sent him to bless you, in turning away every one of you from his iniquities” (Acts 3:26). The essential truth is that until we get rid of narcissism, we can never see ourselves. Iniquity blinds a person to the discovery of “How You See Yourself!” Let’s begin!

Chapter OneSin and Iniquity Are Not the Same“But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities.”(Isaiah 53:5)Our distinct benets of Calvary are described by Isaiah. In reference to the eternal work of Jesus on our behalf, it is noted:“He was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities. The chastisement of our peace was upon him. With his stripes we are healed.” (Isaiah 53:5)Most of us know what sin is: “for sin is the transgression of the law. And ye know that he was manifested to take away our sin…” (1 John 3:4-5). It is plain that 25 percent of what Christ did on the cross for us was to take away our sins. Isaiah 53:5 tells us: “He was wounded for our transgressions.” His work, however, did not end there: “He was bruised for our iniquities.” Wounds are one thing, but bruising is quite another. Bruising can be a much deeper wound which causes internal bleeding.The passage goes on to emphasize what Jesus did for our

2How You See Yourselfiniquities. The next verse repeats the issue: “the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all” (Isaiah 53:6). How important it was to Jesus that provision, no matter how painful, be made for our iniquities. To God, this is no trite issue. Only ve verses later He addresses it yet again: “He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satised: by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; for he shall bear their iniquities” (Isaiah 53:11).If Jesus dealt with both sin and iniquity, then both sin and iniquity must be dealt with; we can count on it. And, if His dealing with iniquity was so excruciating, we best not take this issue lightly. Virtually every Bible writer knew the differences between sin and iniquity. The following are some plain examples:Moses knew the difference between sin and iniquity.“And Moses made haste, and bowed his head toward the earth, and worshipped.And he said, If now I have found grace in thy sight, O Lord, let my Lord, I pray thee, go among us; for it is a stiffnecked people;and pardon our iniquity and our sin, and take us for thine inheritance.” (Exodus 34:8-9)The word and is a conjunction, used to connect grammatically coordinating words, phrases, or clauses; it means along or together with, as well as, in addition to (Dictionary.com). It does not create apposition, but it rather distinguishes one from the other.If Jesus dealt with both sin and iniquity, then both sin and iniquity must be dealt with.

3Sin and Iniquity Are Not the SameJob and his friends knew the difference between sin and iniquity.“That thou enquirest after mine iniquity, and searchest after my sin?” (Job 10:6)“If I sin, then thou markest me, and thou wilt not acquit me from mine iniquity.” (Job 10:14)David knew the difference.“And David ed from Naioth in Ramah, and came and said before Jonathan, What have I done? what is mine iniquity? and what is my sin before thy father, that he seeketh my life?” (1 Samuel 20:1)In Psalm 51, David’s psalm of repentance after his adulterous relationship with Bathsheba, his treacherous dealings with the military, and his killing of Uriah, he implores the Lord to help him recover from both his sin and his iniquity in those matters:“Wash me throughly from mine iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin.” (Psalm 51:2)Both David’s iniquity and his sin required an adequate solution before he could ever regain “the joy of his salvation.” He beseeched the Lord:“Hide thy face from my sins, and blot out all mine iniquities.” (Psalm 51:9)As we read this psalm, we cannot help but be struck with the sincerity, the desperation, and the urgency of getting iniquity resolved.

4How You See YourselfIsaiah knew the difference.The prophet not only had personal knowledge of having his own iniquities dealt with, but knew and warned the people of the consequences of iniquity:“Behold, the LORD’s hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; neither his ear heavy, that it cannot hear:But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear.” (Isaiah 59:1-2)Only a few verses later Isaiah charges, “their thoughts are thoughts of iniquity” (Isaiah 59:7). Are we beginning now to see the importance of dealing with iniquity?Jeremiah knew the difference.The enemies of the prophet Jeremiah plotted to murder him. Jeremiah knew that the problem was not just their intent to sin—to break the law by murdering—but that iniquity was involved as well. That is why he cried out to God:“Yet, LORD, thou knowest all their counsel against me to slay me: forgive not their iniquity, neither blot out their sin from thy sight, but let them be overthrown before thee; deal thus with them in the time of thine anger.” (Jeremiah 18:23)Notice the signicant word neither, which clearly differentiates between sin and iniquity. We shall soon see that you can commit iniquity without sin, but you cannot sin without committing iniquity.God hopes that His sending of judgment will position His people so that He can wisely deal with both their iniquity and their sins:

5Sin and Iniquity Are Not the Same“It may be that the house of Judah will hear all the evil which I purpose to do unto them; that they may return every man from his evil way; that I may forgive their iniquity and their sin.” (Jeremiah 36:3)The messengers of God knew quite well the differences, the effects, the consequences, and the causes of iniquity. Like other prophets, Jeremiah wept over the iniquity of the people:“Your iniquities have turned away these things, and your sins have withholden good things from you.” (Jeremiah 5:25)Jeremiah clearly predicted that the Messiah—the Holy One of Israel, the Lord God Almighty, the Lord of Hosts—would provide, not only the basis for forgiveness of iniquity and sin, but the power to overcome both iniquity and sin. Jeremiah said the procurement was coming! Notice the cause-and-effect relationship between iniquity and sin. And be sure to see the advance notice given in these Scriptures of the joy, the praise, the honor, the good, and the prosperity that comes from properly resolving iniquity:“And I will cleanse them from all their iniquity, whereby they have sinned against me;…and whereby they have transgressed against me.And it shall be to me a name of joy, a praise and an honour before all the nations of the earth,which shall hear all the good that I do unto them: and they shall fear and tremble for all the goodness and for all the prosperity that I procure unto it.” (Jeremiah 33:8-9)Ezekiel knew the difference.Ezekiel spoke of iniquity and the results thereof in forty-six different verses. He knew iniquity. He saw it in the people. He saw

6How You See Yourselfhow God judged it. He said even the heathen would understand:“And the heathen shall know that the house of Israel went into captivity for their iniquity.” (Ezekiel 39:23)In later chapters, we shall learn important details from Ezekiel. He surely knew the difference.Daniel knew the difference.He prophesied the precise moment when Jesus would come to deal with iniquity:“Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people and upon thy holy city, to nish the transgression, and to make an end of sins, and to make reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness, and to seal up the vision and prophecy, and to anoint the most Holy.” (Daniel 9:24)Nehemiah knew the difference.Nehemiah knew that the opposition was motivated by iniquity:“And cover not their iniquity, and let not their sin be blotted out from before thee: for they have provoked thee to anger before the builders.So built we the wall; and all the wall was joined together unto the half thereof: for the people had a mind to work.” (Nehemiah 4:5-6)Hosea knew the difference.So perceptive was he that he exposed the priesthood. The ministry was lled with iniquity. He described it this way:

7Sin and Iniquity Are Not the Same“They eat up the sin of my people, and they set their heart on their iniquity.And there shall be, like people, like priest: and I will punish them for their ways, and reward them their doings.” (Hosea 4:8-9)Peter knew the difference.Peter preached the necessity of the resurrection of Jesus as the adequate cure for iniquity:“Unto you rst God, having raised up his Son Jesus, sent him to bless you, in turning away every one of you from his iniquities.” (Acts 3:26)Paul knew the difference.The apostle Paul required deliverance from iniquity by every believer. There was to be no option. Every genuine follower was to deal with iniquity. It was to him a foundational issue—a seal, if you please—a conrmation of those that belonged to the Lord:“Nevertheless the foundation of God standeth sure, having this seal, The Lord knoweth them that are his. And, let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity.” (2 Timothy 2:19)Jesus knew the difference better than anyone.Iniquity was why He came, why He died, why He rose, and why He lives in us today. I repeat this verse because the text is so worthy and must not be forgotten:“Unto you rst God, having raised up his Son Jesus, sent him to bless you, in turning away every one of you from his iniquities.” (Acts 3:26)

8How You See YourselfRedemption from iniquity is a large part of what makes us peculiar. Paul concluded these remarks with the instruction that we are to speak this message, to exhort, and even to rebuke if necessary, to see that iniquity comes to an end. We are to deal with iniquity with all authority and not let anyone despise us for doing so:“Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ;Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.These things speak, and exhort, and rebuke with all authority. Let no man despise thee.” (Titus 2:13-15)Iniquity Is Worse Than Sin.All wrongs are not equal. In America, our laws are based upon British Common Law and specically from the eighteenth century works of William Blackstone. Punishments are meted out in accordance with the severity of the crime committed. The more serious the crime, the more serious the penalty. The consequences for petty theft and grand theft are quite different. So, if one penalty is greater than another penalty, then it stands to reason that the greater penalty was for the greater crime.In this passage, we discover that the penalty for iniquity is greater than the penalty for sin; not just for any sin, but for the sin of sodomy:“For the punishment of the iniquity of the daughter of my people is greater than the punishment of the sin of Sodom, that was overthrown as in a moment...” (Lamentations 4:6)The next question we must resolve is, “What exactly is iniquity, and how does it differ from sin?”

Chapter TwoWhat Is Iniquity?“Ye say, The way of the Lord is not equal. Hear now, O house of Israel; Is not my way equal? are not your ways unequal?When a righteous man turneth away from his righteousness,and committeth iniquity, and dieth in them;for his iniquity that he hath done shall he die.”(Ezekiel 18:25-26)It was plain to see that the writers of Scripture consistently differentiated between sin and iniquity. How iniquity differs from sin is the paramount question. We know what sin is: “Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law” (1 John 3:4).For example, the law says, “Thou shalt not steal” (Exodus 20:15). If I steal, I have broken the law, and by doing so, I have sinned. It is easy to know when you have sinned. In fact, sins can be counted. They are measurable, but not iniquity. Iniquities cannot be counted. They are too numerous.“Is not thy wickedness great and thine iniquities innite?” (Job 22:5)Iniquity is referred to as a mystery. Why? Because it is cloaked. Sin is a matter of black and white. When we sin, we know it. But iniquity often wears disguises:

10How You See Yourself“For the mystery of iniquity doth already work...” (2 Thessalonians 2:7)How do we know what iniquity is?Where can we get a clear denition or understanding? The answer lies in the following:1. By the denition of the word2. By the etymology3. By the characteristics listed in Scripture4. By the Biblical illustrations and examples5. By the implications of a text6. By the words in the original languagesThe DenitionThe Webster 1828 dictionary describes iniquity as “a particular deviation from rectitude.” The Oxford English Dictionary (OED) describes iniquity as “want or violation of equity” [uneven, unequal].Iniquity simply means lacking equity or lacking equivalence. It means not equal to what it should be equal to. The word is a legal term. If a punishment was not suited or equal to the crime, it was called an iniquity.In order to be sure of what the Bible means by the use of iniquity, we should let the Bible itself illustrate the meaning of the word. This will make it very clear.Iniquity turned an archangel into Satan, the Devil.Let us go to the origin of iniquity, when it rst showed up in the universe. Referring to Lucifer, who was once an archangel (a ruling class of angels) and an anointed cherub equal in status to Michael and Gabriel, this passage describes what happened. God When we sin, we know it. But iniquity often wears disguises.

11What Is Iniquity?never made the Devil. God made an archangel that became the Devil:“Thou art the anointed cherub that covereth;…thou hast walked up and down in the midst of the stones of re. Thou wast perfect in thy ways from the day that thou wast created, till iniquity was found in thee.” (Ezekiel 28:14-15) [See Appendix Six]God says that He made and anointed this cherub and set him in his status. He (Lucifer) was on the holy mountain of God. He walked up and down in the midst of the stars (the stones of re). Lucifer was not born; he was created by God. And Lucifer was perfect in his ways until iniquity was found in him.Lucifer did not go out and sin. He became iniquitous. Certainly, he sinned later, but what changed this archangel into the Devil was iniquity.In order to help us with an accurate denition of iniquity, however, we must go to the passage that describes this turning of Lucifer into an iniquitous being. That description will dene for us exactly what God means by iniquity. Remember, Lucifer was perfect until iniquity was found in him. Now here is the passage that describes how he became iniquitous:“How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations!For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north:I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High.” (Isaiah 14:12-14)How did Lucifer fall? He “said in his heart.” Here we learn that iniquity is rst of all a heart condition; a heart condition that

12How You See Yourselfcaused Lucifer to make ve statements which indicate the heart condition of iniquity.Lucifer’s Five Manifestations of Iniquity:1. I will ascend into heaven.2. I will exalt my throne above the stars of God.3. I will sit upon the mount of the congregation.4. I will ascend above the heights of the clouds.5. I will be like the most High.Here iniquity is plainly dened. It is the condition of the heart that desires to be unequal with the will of God, to what He made us to be, or to what He wants us to do. It is selshness. It is setting up the ego in the place—the rightful place—of God in our lives.Lucifer was not content to be under God and equal with Gabriel and Michael. He wanted to be equal with God. He put his ideas on a par with God’s ideas. He wanted to occupy God’s position. He wanted to sit in the seat of authority and be in charge of the congregation. He wanted to be in the same position as God! In fact, he wanted to be above God.This, my friend, was Lucifer’s treason, and it is our ultimate treason: attempting to take over the rulership position of God. It is the enthronement of self in the management place of God in our lives. This is iniquity. This is iniquity out of which ows iniquities and sins.The Old Testament Hebrew word `avon (Strong’s #5771) is translated 219 times out of 314 times in the King James Version as iniquity and literally means perverse. Perverse means off track, which means not equal to the path. This meaning is the same. It is only analogically different.Forty-seven times the Hebrew word ‘aven (Strong’s #0205) is used, almost always in the context of workers of iniquity—doing useless work other than what one should be doing (i.e., not equal to the right work or just work).It is selfishness.

13What Is Iniquity?The word `evel (Strong’s #5766) is used thirty-ve times and is translated evil. Again, the meaning is simply to do what one should not be doing (i.e., not equal to what one should be doing).The New Testament Greek word anomia (Strong’s #0458) is translated iniquity in the King James Version and literally means illegality or not equal to the law.However, the clearest picture we have comes from the Scriptural accounts. The Bible is the best interpreter of itself. For our working denition, we will use the following: Iniquity is the condition of the heart that desires to be unequal with our station in life, the will of God, what He made us to be, or what He wants us to do (as clearly expressed in His written Word). Iniquity: in-equity (in = not) (equity = equality) (in-equitable). Hence not equal, non-equivalent.Now let us seek a practical understanding of this, rst as it relates to Satan and then as it relates to us. Note that Lucifer wanted to change places with God. This intention of his heart constituted iniquity— not being equal to his station, to the will of God, to what he was designed to be, or to what he was made to do.Lucifer, not accepting his proper station in the created order of things, attempted to change his rank from that of archangel to equality or superiority to God. This was his iniquity, and it is represented by the ve statements Lucifer spoke in his heart—each beginning with “I will”—which we covered earlier.What was the consequence of Lucifer’s iniquity? The next verse tells us, “Yet thou shalt be brought down to hell, to the sides of the pit” (Isaiah 14:15).At the precise moment of iniquity, Lucifer became the Devil—Satan—and was cast down. It’s about the how. Remember how the passage began, “How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground.…” (Isaiah 14:12).The precise meaning of iniquity is not only illustrated in Scripture but is clearly stated in the following Ezekiel passage. This chapter is most often known for the verse, “the soul that sinneth, it shall die” (Ezekiel 18:4), however, this eighteenth chapter deals extensively

14How You See Yourselfwith iniquity. In it, the people are accusing God of iniquity, but He afrms it is they that have the problem of iniquity. Note the inter-changeability of the word iniquity with the equal/unequal issue.“Yet ye say, The way of the Lord is not equal.Hear now, O house of Israel; Is not my way equal? are not your ways unequal? When a righteous man turneth away from his righteousness, and committeth iniquity, and dieth in them; for his iniquity that he hath done shall he die.” (Ezekiel 18:25-26)You can tell from these verses that iniquity was not only the issue with Lucifer but is the problem of those who were purportedly the Lord’s people, the house of Israel. The issue of iniquity is not a secondary issue. We will discover it to be the primary issue, the essence of wrong, the fundamental damning characteristic, and the cause of all sin, death, and the ruin of mankind. Note carefully these additional verses:“Yet saith the house of Israel, The way of the Lord is not equal. O house of Israel, are not my ways equal? are not your ways unequal? Therefore I will judge you, O house of Israel, every one according to his ways, saith the Lord GOD. Repent, and turn yourselves from all your transgressions; so iniquity shall not be your ruin.” (Ezekiel 18:29-30)Beloved Reader, be careful not to skim over these thoughts of God. Notice God’s verdict: it is iniquity that causes the ruin of a man, a woman, a boy, a girl, a nation, a culture, the planet. It is mankind, and not God, that has iniquity.

15What Is Iniquity?Iniquity causes narcissism.Narcissism is the child of iniquity. Narcissism is the egotistical admiration of one’s self, a concept introduced by Sigmund Freud into psychoanalytic theory. The term originated in Greek mythology where a young hunter, Narcissus, was so xated with himself that he fell in love with the reection of his own image in a pool of water (where he died).The American Psychiatric Association (APA) has classied narcissism as a personality disorder in its Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. In my view, the APA has severely underestimated the percentage of the population that have this “disorder.” Identied traits of narcissism include, but are not limited to, the following:• Self-focus in any interpersonal relationship • Inability to sustain genuine relationships • Inability to empathize with others• Hypersensitivity to criticism or insults, real or imagined • Haughtiness• Disgust towards others who don’t afrm them • Exploitation and manipulation of others for personal prot • Pretending self-importance• Exaggerating their importance, their achievements, their intentions• Thinking themselves as the ultimate authority and expert in everything• Inability to see life from any perspective but their own• Jealous and envious of others• UngratefulnessNarcissism, in its varying degrees, has blatant disregard for the warning of Scripture:“For I say…to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think;

16How You See Yourselfbut to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith.” (Romans 12:3)Every one of us has been given a measured potential, a gifting if you please, of proper faith in ourselves. True joy in life comes from discovering our potential—our gift—and developing it and using it for the highest glory of God and others. Our measured potential is our identity. Iniquity causes us to be constantly comparing ourselves with others, competing and playing the one-upmanship game. And so, we lose ourselves, our real selves. We’re too busy trying to be something or somebody we’re not. The tragedy is that there is no one left to be the real us. We’ve stolen our own identities. Hence the warning of Scripture:“For we dare not make ourselves of the number, or compare ourselves with some that commend themselves: but they measuring themselves by themselves, and comparing themselves among themselves, are not wise.But we will not boast of things without our measure, but according to the measure of the rule which God hath distributed to us, a measure to reach even unto you. For we stretch not ourselves beyond our measure…” (2 Corinthians 10:12-14)What a tragedy, to have crossed the stage of time, be standing at the exit sign of life, and to look back and to have never discovered our true worth, our true selves, our purpose; iniquity coerced us into trying to be something we were never intended to be. Our real identities were never known. We were an imitation, our authenticity lost, never discovering the real, wonderful person—the person that God made—an original, not a copy, not a clone, but an indispensable, one of a kind rst edition.Conquering iniquity will free you to discover the real, wonderful you.

17What Is Iniquity?Iniquity is a two-edged sword.Iniquity cuts two ways: up and down. It can make us narcissistic with exaggerated opinions (unequal) of ourselves on one side. But it also cuts downward turning us into psychopaths or sociopaths, exhibiting iniquity by self-destructive behaviors. This is thinking less of ourselves than we should. Instead of thinking we are above everyone else or equal with others, we think we are below everyone else. It is simply another form of inequality, iniquity. It is self-annihilation versus narcissism. Oh, the pain of this. Oh, the pain!The abused child, criticized and accused; condemned, mocked and ridiculed; scorned and berated; wounded and fractured; humiliated and embarrassed; and sometimes deserted. The desertion rate of children by their fathers in America now stands at 42 percent. At least 42 percent of children are unfathered: they are unloved, unnourished, unnurtured, and uncherished! When a child is told that he is stupid, he might believe it. Told enough times and in enough ways, he will believe it, because belief comes from what he repeatedly hears. Now there is no dignity; no self-respect; no self-esteem; no self-regard; no self-condence; no self-worth; no self-importance; no self. This is iniquity.What shall these victims of iniquity do? Shall they wile away their time watching television? Shall they spend their days trying to build up some synthetic self-image based on winning video games? What do children in this condition do? Will they turn to violence and vent their frustrated emptiness on others? I say the answer is to defeat the iniquity in their lives, to return to their real father, the Heavenly Father whose child they are—made in His likeness, created in His image, a son or daughter of the Most High. Let them forsake this iniquity of being less than God made them to be, forsake their thoughts of despair “…and let him return unto the Lord, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon” (Isaiah 55:7). Let their languishing be turned to laughter. I hope you will say, “Amen!”Our culture is polarized by these two forms of iniquity: those who think they are better than everyone else and those who think everyone else is better than they. But it gets worse.

18How You See YourselfIniquity-Induced Schizophrenia and Bipolar DisorderSchizophrenia is classied as a mental disorder, an abnormal social behavior with the inability to recognize what is real. The symptoms can include unclear and confused thinking. It has a paralyzing effect on relationships. Schizophrenia comes from a Greek word, skhizein which means to split, and from phren which means mind. A split mind is confused. It vacillates from one form of thought to another, and often those thoughts are antithetical, juxtaposed, and contradictory. I am not a psychologist, so for clarication on terms it might be best to consult the professionals.However, many, many people are split. They uctuate between the two extremes: from high to low, from elation to depression, from self-glory to self-deprecation, from narcissism to self-destructive behaviors. Thus there is no anchor, no sense of establishment, no reality. Personally, I think that Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID), formerly known as Multiple Personality Disorder, is a wrong diagnosis. Bipolar disorder, previously known as Manic Depression, may be an accurate description of the condition. One goes from extreme happiness to extreme irritability, from high energy to low energy, from elation to helplessness and hopeless-ness, from up times to down times. The mood swings are from extreme to extreme, from one pole to another pole (thus the term bipolar). These mood swings can happen in mere minutes, or over several days, or even over several weeks.I am a Bible reader because I want to know the truth, and the Bible describes the above condition as being “double minded.” First, let’s look at the Scripture, then observe its application. In the context of asking for wisdom, it says:“…ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed.

19What Is Iniquity?For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord. A double minded man is unstable in all his ways.” (James 1:6-8)Let’s observe:1. No wavering.2. Wavering is being tossed about like a wave of the sea.3. Wavering is being driven.4. Being driven means you are out of control.5. Not being in control is caused by a “double mind.”6. Double-minded means double-thinking.7. A double-minded condition creates instability.8. The instability affects every area of one’s life.This is a Biblical diagnosis. The problem is double-mindedness! But brace yourself now. Get ready for an ultimate understanding of this condition. This Scripture is about your personal identity, value, and worth. It is about resolving iniquity:“Let the brother of low degree rejoice in that he is exalted:But the rich, in that he is made low: because as the ower of the grass he shall pass away.” (James 1:9-10)The brother who thinks he is lower because he lacks money is brought up to equal. The rich man who thinks he’s special and higher because of his money is brought down to equal. Mental health, emotional strength, and social stability are at stake here. The x is in conquering iniquity.How Iniquity Applies to UsIn order to understand iniquity as our human predicament, we must rst understand our place in the created order of things. The following is an important summary statement.

20How You See YourselfIn terms of our station in life, we are created to be: • Under God• Equal with Others • Over SatanEqual with Others Over SatanIt should also be noted that we are to be under rightful authorities who are operating within the jurisdiction of that authority. All rightful authority has denition, parameters, and limitations. Most errors about authority are derived from one of two sources: 1) ascribing more authority to someone than the position warrants, 2) ascribing less authority to someone than the position warrants. All human authority has limits and qualications assigned to it. Those limits are dened by Scripture. For example, a husband has a certain authority over his wife but only if he meets the qualication of loving her as Christ loved the church and gave himself for it (Ephesians 5:25). God is the ONLY absolute authority.Thus, our station in life can also be dened as: • Under God• Under Rightful Authorities • Equal with Others• Over Satan

Chapter Threee Spiritual Implications of Iniquity“How much more abominable and lthy is man,which drinketh iniquity like water?”(Job 15:16)1. Iniquity is hated by God.Oh Beloved, oh that we would love what God loves and hate what God hates. We now get an insight into God’s heart; yes, into His thoughts, and, if you can imagine it, we can feel His feelings. Like me, you have probably had profound and almost out-of-body experiences like the Apostle Paul, contemplating the great things of God. We stand in awe of Him. We behold the beauty of the Lord, the majesty and the grandeur of His great person. Who is likened unto Him? But knowing God intimately has another side to it. It was described by the Apostle Paul in his great proclamation, “That I might know Him…[in] the fellowship of His suffering” (Philippians 3:10). We know and experience the pains of God as well. May I draw the curtain back from the heart of God for a moment? Will you

22How You See Yourselfbe tender, sensitive, and respectful? I shudder sometimes to say what I am about to say; to tell what I’m about to tell. To put this in writing is, for me, quite traumatic. Go with me sacredly. Walk very softly with me. We tread on holy ground here.Three words, three obscure words spoken by God changed me forever. These three words are really God exposing His heart of hearts. These words are spoken in the midst of a righteous outpouring of wrath. They are a shocking revelation. They don’t last long, only three words. The curtain quickly closes again. It’s just a glimpse. Here they are: “I am broken” (Ezekiel 6:9).God broken? Please, please tell me this cannot be true! He uses twenty more words to tell us why: “…with their whorish heart, which hath departed from me, and with their eyes, which go a whoring after their idols…” (Ezekiel 6:9). We have eyes—adulterous eyes—whorishly rejecting Him to pursue those things which are no gods at all. But we have made them so. And our eyes betray the whorishness of our hearts. So, Dear Reader, this is what it is like to know Him in the fellowship of His sufferings (Philippians 3:10).Hurt is proportional to love. This is the rst instruction on love from the famous thirteenth chapter of 1 Corinthians: “Love suffers long.”Love suffers long and is kind (back to the one who is the cause of the suffering). When you love someone, their hurt becomes your hurt. The very idea of someone beating one of my daughters or one of my grandchildren is painful enough. I would rather have my poor body aficted than theirs. Loving God means hurting over the things that hurt Him. And what is that? The rejection, the treason, the trade-off of allegiance from God to that which is a phony, a non-God—me! King me! Oh, the depth of iniquity when men play god. Playing god requires the usurpation of the real God, getting rid of His authority over us so we can rule unchallenged.Samuel experienced this fellowship with God, when upon the mountain God said, “…they have not rejected thee, but they have rejected me, that I should not reign over them” (1 Samuel 8:7).The most blatant anti-God condition of any being in the

23The Spiritual Implications of Iniquityuniverse is that of being iniquitous. It deserves to be hated by God and man. We play God. We usurp. We deny Him His Lordship. We say, “We will not have Him rule over us.” We will decide what’s right and wrong. We exalt our puny ideas against the high and holy thoughts of God. Oh God, deliver us from our iniquity! We want fellowship with Thee:“The foolish shall not stand in thy sight: thou hatest all workers of iniquity.” (Psalm 5:5)“Shall the throne of iniquity have fellowship with thee, which frameth mischief by a law?” (Psalm 94:20)“For thus saith the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity, whose name is Holy; I dwell in the high and holy place, with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones. For the iniquity of his covetousness was I wroth…” (Isaiah 57:15, 17)Iniquity fails to see any difference in status between itself and God. Beloved, the gap between us, the created, and Him, the Creator, is immense. He is high and lifted up. He is holy. I love the quote by A.W. Tozer:God is above all things and beneath all things. God is outside all things and inside all things. God is above but not pushed up.God is beneath but not pressed down. God is outside but not excluded.God is inside but not conned. God is above all things presiding God is beneath all things sustaining.God is outside all things embracing

24How You See YourselfGod is inside all things lling.Iniquity is hated by Christ. We know many things by the straightforward statements of Scripture. They are sentences that require no guessing as to their meaning or interpretations, and they contain no ambiguities. The plain statement of Scripture regarding the disposition of Jesus on the matter of iniquity is such a declaration. Here it is:“Thou hast loved righteousness, and hated iniquity.” (Hebrews 1:9)2. God has no iniquity at all.I love ten thousand things about God. Someday I’d like to list them—all of them. I’d probably never get to the end of the list, because He is innite, and I will be forever discovering more of His greatness. But here is one of the ten thousand plus things I like and love about God: He has, and does, no iniquity—zero! How great is this? It is one (and only one) of His innite attributes of greatness. Take a look:“Give ear, O ye heavens, and I will speak; and hear, O earth, the words of my mouth.My doctrine shall drop as the rain, my speech shall distil as the dew, as the small rain upon the tender herb, and as the showers upon the grass:Because I will publish the name of the LORD: ascribe ye greatness unto our God.He is the Rock, his work is perfect: for all his ways are judgment: a God of truth and without iniquity, just and right is he.” (Deuteronomy 32:1-4)

25The Spiritual Implications of Iniquity3. Iniquity is the enemy of God.The universe is a moral universe, meaning that the universe is occupied by moral beings: beings who can choose right or wrong, peace or anarchy. Sustainability is dependent on some structure, some ascribed hierarchy, and specic roles with dened latitude or parameters. Peaceful and constructive co-existence cannot existentially endure if “everyone does what’s right in his own eyes,” if everyone plays God. Iniquity is playing God, being and doing what Satan attempted: not only to be equal with God but setting himself above God. “I will exalt my throne above the stars of God” (Isaiah 14:13).Now God is not insecure in this power struggle. He has all the power. Perhaps God is not so much concerned about power, as He is about love and wisdom. He is attempting to populate the universe with beings who love, who choose the highest good of the universe and others without personal benet as the driving force. Iniquity is the antithesis of His philosophy, His love-philosophy! And so, it is right, wise, and loving for Him to oppose such a damaging anarchistic-producing viewpoint summed up by the word iniquity. The Holy God understands the evil thereof. He opposes iniquity not because of some self-aggrandizing scheme to make Himself the top honcho, but because He is the only one wise and loving enough to hold the position of God:“Art thou not from everlasting, O LORD my God, mine Holy One?…Thou art of purer eyes than to behold evil, and canst not look on iniquity…” (Habakkuk 1:12-13)I love ten thousand things about God. Someday I’d like to list them—all of them.

26How You See Yourself4. Iniquity is hated by Christ.We know many things by the straight-forward statements of Scripture. They are sentences that require no guessing as to their meaning, no ambiguities, and no interpretations necessary. The plain statement of Scripture regarding the disposition of Jesus on the matter of iniquity is such a declaration. Here it is:“Thou hast loved righteousness, and hated iniquity.” (Hebrews 1:9)5. Iniquity is characteristic of being anti-Christ.Against Christ. What a horrible indictment. The Anti-Christ—a person who is against Christ— opposes God, puts himself above all the things of God, and establishes himself as the man in charge. The identity of this person is still a mystery, not yet revealed. But everything he is and does is categorized as iniquity.Do you know people who put their opinions above the opinions of God; who exalt their ideas above the written Words of God; who refuse God’s management of their lives; who pride themselves as self-made; who are willful and assertive, as opposed to yielded and zealous for the will of God? Iniquity is the spirit of antichrist, right now at work in the world (and in the church). The mystery of iniquity is already working:“Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away rst, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition; Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God.…For the mystery of iniquity doth already work…” (2 Thessalonians 2:3-4,7)

27The Spiritual Implications of Iniquity6. Iniquity is often religious.One would hope that Christianity and the church would be a place of refuge from all that is in the world: a sanctuary, a safe place free from contamination that surrounds us in the workplace. But, such is not the case.Ezekiel was told by the Lord to dig a tunnel, so he dug to a hole in the wall of the house of God. God said, “Go in, and behold the wicked abominations that they do here” (Ezekiel 8:7-9). What he saw was the great wickedness in the imaginations of the priests.Eventually, he got to the inner courts of the Lord’s house (v.16), and he saw that false worship was taking place. The passage goes on to conrm that the hidden iniquities and wickedness of the spiritual leaders had a profound effect on the land. As the church goes, so goes the world. When the salt has lost its savor, “…it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men” (Matthew 5:13). When the light of God is extinguished from the church, darkness will cover the land. The church is no longer functioning as God intended.“Ah sinful nation, a people laden with iniquity,a seed of evildoers, children that are corrupters: they have forsaken the LORD, they have provoked the Holy One of Israel unto anger, they are gone away backward.Why should ye be stricken any more? ye will revolt more and more: the whole head is sick, and the whole heart faint.From the sole of the foot even unto the head there is no soundness in it; but wounds, and bruises, and putrifying sores: they have not been closed, neither bound up, neither mollied with ointment.” (Isaiah 1:4-6)Israel was meant to be a nation different from all nations, separated unto God; but they backslid, and the backsliding showed

28How You See Yourselfup as iniquity, as well as sinfulness. This text shows what iniquity does to a once righteous people:1. Breeds evildoing2. Begets children who are corrupters3. Causes them to forsake the Lord4. Provokes God to anger5. Causes them to go backward6. Causes them to revolt7. Causes mental disorders8. Causes heartlessness9. Causes sicknessIsrael still carried on the forms of Godliness in their religious observances and customs, but iniquity took away the substance of Godliness; so much so that God called their religious practices an abomination. Iniquity reached into their prayer meetings, their holy days, their Sabbaths, their worship, and even their fasting:“Bring no more vain oblations; incense is an abomination unto me; the new moons and sabbaths, the calling of assemblies, I cannot away with; it is iniquity, even the solemn meeting.” (Isaiah 1:13)Jesus Himself made it very clear that people, including ministers, could be doing many activities which appeared to be very spiritual, but were in fact the fruit and offspring of iniquity. This included prophesying in His name, casting out devils in His name, and doing many wonderful works:“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?

29The Spiritual Implications of IniquityAnd then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.” (Matthew 7:22-23)Ministers can be motivated not by God, to do what they should be doing, but by iniquity. Competition and rivalry between ministries, the desire to be bigger and better than other ministries, is rooted in iniquity, albeit, these motives are usually kept secret. After all, we wouldn’t want others to see the real wickedness of our hearts. I didn’t.7. Iniquity is the cause of all sin.The rst sin in the Bible was preceded by the rst iniquity in the Bible. The act of disobedience was motivated by the iniquity of “ye shall be as gods” (Genesis 3:5).We can do iniquity without sin, but we cannot sin without iniquity. In the following text, we must pay close attention to the word whereby. Whereby means by which, through which, by means of which, because of which. You can discern the causative nature of the term. In this Scripture, we learn the cause and effect relationship of iniquity and transgression. Notice the term “whereby” is used three times:“And I will cleanse them from all their iniquity, whereby they have sinned against me; and I will pardon all their iniquities, whereby they have sinned, and whereby they have transgressed against me.And it shall be to me a name of joy, a praise and an honour before all the nations of the earth…” (Jeremiah 33:8-9)And just what do we need? Cleansing! Pardon! And that’s exactly where we are heading.

30How You See Yourself8. Iniquity caused seven effects in Sodom.There is a vast difference between the sins of Sodom and the iniquities of Sodom. The Scriptures record both. Notice that most of these are not sins at all, but they are iniquities and wicked, nonetheless. Here, we let the Scriptures speak for themselves:“Behold, this was the iniquity of thy sister Sodom, pride, fulness of bread, and abundance of idleness was in her and in her daughters, neither did she strengthen the hand of the poor and needy.And they were haughty, and committed abomination before me: therefore I took them away as I saw good.” (Ezekiel 16:49-50)Was Sodom destroyed for her sins? Most assuredly. But Sodom was also destroyed for her iniquities. This Scripture lists them:• Pride, self-exaltation • Over-consumption • Misuse of time • Slothfulness in children • Insensitivity to the poor • Arrogance • Abomination9. Iniquity prevents effective prayer.The basis of real prayer is contact with God. Prayer is not astral projection. Prayer is not oating ideas off into the ethereal. Prayer is not psychological manipulation. And prayer is not twisting God’s arm to get Him to do what He already says He will do. Prayer is contact with God. Prayer is a dialogue, not a monologue. This implies He can hear us and we can hear Him: contact! It’s real! Vital! Meaningful!

31The Spiritual Implications of IniquityMany have given up on prayer because they claim it doesn’t work. They are merely frustrated, because they cannot get God to do their will; that’s one reason many don’t pray. After all, prayer is not about getting my will done on earth through heaven, but more about getting His will done on earth through me.Iniquity poses two prayer problems: First, we cannot get God, with all His wisdom and resources, to become the servant of our iniquity. He is against iniquity altogether, so the agenda of iniquity, no matter how beautifully or artfully communicated, will not stir God’s interest at all—zero! Secondly, He doesn’t even hear, let alone answer.“If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me.” (Psalm 66:18)Does God still answer prayer? Most assuredly. He is as powerful as ever. And He is as motivated as ever to participate with you and me. But herein lies the problem: “Behold, the LORD’S hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; neither his ear heavy, that it cannot hear: But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear.” (Isaiah 59:1-2)Iniquity tries to get God, with all His power and with all His wisdom, to do what we want. Iniquity is an assertion of self-will. In prayer, iniquity attempts to induce God to participate. But He will not.10. Iniquity prevents us from kneeling or bowing down.Like the hypocrites referred to by Jesus, we don’t mind standing to pray. But kneeling is not all that popular, except in some traditional, symbolic, and liturgical ways. I’ve sung songs about kneeling without kneeling. I could sing lies so easily. Yet isn’t it true, that nothing could be more beautiful than for the created to bow

32How You See Yourselfbefore the Creator? Oh God, Thou Magnicent, I yield to you. Let my heart ever be soft.“O come, let us worship and bow down: let us kneel before the LORD our maker.For he is our God; and we are the people of his pasture, and the sheep of his hand. To day if ye will hear his voice, Harden not your heart…” (Psalm 95:6-8)11. Iniquity causes the loss of love for God and others.Iniquity destroys love, because it is a heart condition entirely opposed to genuine love. Iniquity has its own selsh agenda, so it will create the appearance of love (because it is good PR to seem so). Iniquity knows how to show love without actually loving:“And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many.And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold.” (Matthew 24:11-12)

Chapter Foure Personal Eects of Iniquity“Let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity.”(2 Timothy 2:19)1. Iniquity is personally destructive.You can’t run a good race on the wrong track. Iniquity is a wrong track. The selshness of iniquity can never be satised. The track is a mineeld. Pitfalls and disappointments abound. Consequences interfere with signicance and fulllment. The Biblical description is “aficted”:“Fools because of their transgression, and because of their iniquities, are aficted.” (Psalm 107:17)Iniquity cannot see straight. It is biased, yea perverted, in its outlook. For example, an iniquity is touching the breasts of a stranger (someone other than your wife). It seems attractive enough, in fact, compelling. But look at the destructive consequences: snared and bound, without instruction, full of folly, and off the track.

34How You See Yourself“And why wilt thou, my son, be ravished with a strange woman, and embrace the bosom of a stranger?His own iniquities shall take the wicked himself, and he shall be holden with the cords of his sins.He shall die without instruction; and in the greatness of his folly he shall go astray.” (Proverbs 5:20, 22-23)2. Iniquity drains strength.David the Psalmist dealt with iniquity most of his life. This is what he said: “my strength faileth because of mine iniquity” (Psalm 31:10). This is true because iniquity causes us to spend excessive energy going in the wrong direction. As a result, we waste time and miss the genuine purpose God has for our lives.3. Iniquity lifts up self, puts down others.Iniquity makes us atter ourselves. It gags me to realize how disgusting I’ve been in my day. Iniquity prevents us from seeing our real selves. Notice here (and we will see it again later) that iniquity shows in our speech. Wisdom disappears. We dream up big ideas for ourselves. We boast and fail to stand on principle against evil, being politically correct for our own self-advantage:“For he attereth himself in his own eyes, until his iniquity be found to be hateful.The words of his mouth are iniquity and deceit: he hath left off to be wise, and to do good.He deviseth mischief upon his bed;he setteth himself in a way that is not good; he abhorreth not evil.” (Psalm 36:2-4)Iniquity prevents us from seeing our real selves.

35The Personal Effects of Iniquity“How long shall they utter and speak hard things? and all the workers of iniquity boast themselves?They break in pieces thy people, O LORD, and afict thine heritage.” (Psalm 94:4-5)4. Narcissism makes a good person bad.In American politics, we are often faced with a dilemma, a political party that blatantly endorses wrong. They make no bones about it. They are in favor of sexual perversion, killing babies, open borders, non-enforcement of laws, etc. Then there’s a party that looks good on the outside, says the right things, and comments favorably on moral principles, but is just as inept at enforcing laws, willing to cater to special interest groups, and are just as subject to bribes. I’m not sure which is worse—one who looks like the enemy and is, or one that looks moral, but isn’t.Iniquity changes the motive and sometimes does the right things, but for the wrong reasons. The young man that shows good manners when he comes to take your daughter out for a few hours, may open and close the door for her, bring owers, and talk respectfully to you, her parents. But if you could see inside his heart, that his motive is to win your daughter’s affections and your condence—with the intent that he will eventually get to use her to please himself—you would change your mind. Those good manners become a cover-up for the real intentions of his heart. Now they become disgusting.The motive, the ultimate intention behind everything we do, is fundamentally important. “Man looketh on the outward appearance, but the LORD looketh on the heart” (1 Samuel 16:7).Iniquity is what makes righteousness lthy. This is the plain meaning of this oft misapplied Scripture:Narcissism makes a good person bad.

36How You See Yourself“But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as lthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away.” (Isaiah 64:6)Your righteousness is important to God. In fact, we learn that we are going to be clothed in righteousness when we, the Bride, meet Jesus, the Groom. That righteousness is the deeds of the saints:“Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready. And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in ne linen, clean and white: for the ne linen is the righteousness of saints.” (Revelation 19:7-8)Iniquity changes it. Remember what it did to Lucifer. Iniquity is doing right things for wrong reasons:“Thou wast perfect in thy ways from the day that thou wast created till iniquity was found in thee.” (Ezekiel 28:15)5. Iniquity increases unto more iniquity.Iniquity is hard to stop, hard to quit. That is, unless we know how, which is hopefully why you are reading this book. Be assured, God has adequate solutions, and we will get to them. In the meantime, it should be noted that iniquity is like the proverbial snowball rolling downhill. It gathers momentum, rolling freely. The longer we wait to deal with iniquity, the more difcult. Fathers ought to train children at young ages to be iniquity-free.“…for as ye have yielded your members servants to uncleanness and to iniquity unto iniquity;

37The Personal Effects of Iniquityeven so now yield your members servants to righteousness unto holiness.” (Romans 6:19)6. Iniquity is contagious.The tragedy of Sodom and Gomorrah is not really the tragedy of Sodom and Gomorrah. It is the tragedy of Lot, a man who had no inuence for God. The city would have been saved had the angel been able to nd a mere ten righteous persons. Most think Sodom was destroyed because of its sin, and in particular, the sin named after the city: sodomy. However, as we will learn, iniquity is behind the sin. Sodom was full of iniquity, and that it why it was judged:“And when the morning arose, then the angels hastened Lot, saying, Arise, take thy wife, and thy two daughters, which are here; lest thou be consumed in the iniquity of the city.” (Genesis 19:15)I’ve seen Sodom. From the top of Masada, you can see the remains; the ashes outline the streets to this day. Most people can name the sins of Sodom, but few can name its iniquities. The seven iniquities of Sodom are listed in Ezekiel 16:49. They’re coming up in a moment.7. Iniquity causes covetousness.I’ve known about shopping. I’ve wanted the best, and if you can imagine, stuff I didn’t even need. “I owe it to myself,” had been my mantra. And so, we grab and clutch and grasp endlessly, from one purchase to another to another to another; we are driven!“For the iniquity of his covetousness was I wroth…” (Isaiah 57:17)

38How You See Yourself8. Iniquity produces vanity.“He that soweth iniquity shall reap vanity: and the rod of his anger shall fail.” (Proverbs 22:8)This verse is essentially saying that if our talents, our time, and our treasure are motivated by iniquity, the results equal a big fat zero. Vanity means nothingness. What a tragedy to live life and when nal calculations are made of the prot, the balance sheet shows zero. Life was just an empty box.Vanity simply means lack of value, lack of signicance, lack of worth. It seems that our culture loves the meaningless passage of time. Thus, the Scriptures enquire, “O ye sons of men... how long will ye love vanity?” (Psalm 4:2).“Surely men of low degree are vanity, and men of high degree are a lie: to be laid in the balance, they are altogether lighter than vanity.” (Psalm 62:9)Solomon, deemed the wisest man in history and a trillionaire, made an evaluation of “everything under the sun.” His conclusion? “Vanity of vanities; all is vanity” (Ecclesiastes 1:2). His investigation was thorough.“I have seen all the works that are done under the sun; and, behold, all is vanity and vexation of spirit.” (Ecclesiastes 1:14)Solomon takes us through a litany of efforts to achieve happiness and meaning in life…to discover what really counts for time and eternity. Here is a short list of the things he evaluated:• pleasure • houses• laughter • farmlands• wine

39The Personal Effects of Iniquity• gardens• great buildings• orchardsHe concluded that all was, “vanity and vexation of spirit.” I’ve asked myself many times why this “testimony” is in the Bible. I’ve concluded that God wants us, you and I, to learn from Solomon’s experience so that we don’t have to waste years of our life before coming to the same conclusion. By then, we may be standing at the exit sign with nothing to show for it.What’s the cause of vanity? The answer is iniquity. “Woe unto them that draw iniquity with cords of vanity, and sin as it were with a cart rope:That say, Let him make speed, and hasten his work, that we may see it.” (Isaiah 5:18-19)9. Iniquity prevents fellowship.Iniquity carries with it a sense of superiority. It may be a concealed smugness, a self-satised, self-congratulatory, conceited belief in oneself. This inated view of oneself tends to interfere with relationships, unless the other parties have bought into the superiority or bow in obeisance.“The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican. I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess.” (Luke 18:11-12)“I am better than others,” is the mantra, the sacred utterance of iniquity, albeit, not often spoken out loud to others but certainly acted out in relationships. Iniquity knows no peers; it only pretends them or is selective, choosing associations with those deemed to be higher up. Let us remember that we are designed

40How You See Yourselfto be under God, equal with others, and over Satan. There should be no divisions, especially in the church.“That there should be no schism in the body; but that the members should have the same care one for another.” (1 Corinthians 12:25)Notice the “same care” phrase. We are back to the issue of equality. The question is, “How do we achieve fellowship?” The answer is by having right attitudes toward one another: “Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves” (Philippians 2:3).Fellowship with one another is horizontal. Only fellowship with God is vertical. Fellowship with one another requires mutual acceptance and esteem. This lateral relationship is broken by iniquity, when one thinks of himself or herself as better than another.10. Iniquity creates the illusion of prosperity.You are an intended set of specications, determined by God. This includes, but is not limited to, your time in history, your gender, your parentage, your mental potential, your giftings, and much more. If we don’t discover these—and accept, appreciate, celebrate, and develop them—we become synthetic, substituting our own pursuits in the place of our intended reality. This unequalness to our real essence sends us off on a wild goose chase, so to speak. We learn how to pull our own strings, get the upper hand, and outdo the competition. Genuine self-acceptance gets lost amid the torrents of striving and rivalry.But strive we do; and with discipline, determination, and consistency we can achieve what appears to be success. We have found shortcuts; we have cut corners; we have manipulated our way, and voila we have arrived (we think).There should be no divisions, especially in the church.

41The Personal Effects of IniquityAppearances become all-important. Deception is born of this. Tricks, techniques, and maneuvers become a way of thinking, acting, and being. Authenticity gets lost in all of this. Self-aggrandizement is done subtly, because we don’t want anyone to think we are really doing what we’re doing—enhancing and exaggerating our own importance. We ennoble everything we do. People buy into it. We are taught to “fake it ‘til you make it.” We run our own PR departments. “Most men will proclaim every one his own goodness: but a faithful man who can nd?” (Proverbs 20:6)However, God is not fooled. He says they only appear to ourish.Aesop, the ancient creator of Aesop’s Fables, knew that appearances are often deceiving. Hollywood has lied to us. They have taught us that appearances are everything. Now we have style without substance.Success can appear as nancial prosperity, vocational achievement, social acceptance, or public applause (at least in one’s own mind). The imaginary view of one’s self is so empty compared with the relaxed, condent, tranquil, poised, mental, and emotional posture of reality:“When the wicked spring as the grass, and when all the workers of iniquity do ourish; it is that they shall be destroyed for ever: But thou, LORD, art most high for evermore. For, lo, thine enemies, O LORD, for, lo, thine enemies shall perish; all the workers of iniquity shall be scattered.” (Psalm 92:7-9)

42How You See Yourself11. Iniquity is the cause of failures.Many individuals go to pastors and counselors in search of help. And well they should, for according to Psalm 20:2, help is to be in the sanctuary. Those who know God and His ways should have it all gured out. It’s not rocket science. The solution to every human ailment is in the Scriptures, and men and women of God know those solutions.The problem, however, is compounded because those seeking help will often enquire about solutions to every problem except their real underlying issue. They will talk about respectable problems, but beneath those problems there is usually at least one unrespectable problem.It is true that some people do not mind speaking of unrespectable problems. After all, doing so has been popularized by many of the afternoon quasi-help television programs, where they not only air their dirty laundry but forget the laundry and just air the dirt. Very gross. Very disgusting.This is why a Christian counselor must function at a deeper level. By the way, what is a Christian counselor? Is it a Christian who counsels on the basis of Freud, Mowrer, Watson, Maslow, Jung, or Skinner? Or is a Christian counselor one who is in fact a Bible-based counselor? You decide. The true Christian counselor must tap into another dimension, a spiritual dimension, because every person is a spirit, lives in a body, and possesses mind and emotion. God has provided us with help to do just that. Here’s how:“And the spirit of the LORD shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD;And shall make him of quick understanding in the fear of the LORD: and he shall not judge after the sight of his eyes, neither reprove after the hearing of his ears:

43The Personal Effects of IniquityBut with righteousness shall he judge the poor, and reprove with equity…” (Isaiah 11:2-4)This foretelling is about Jesus, of course. However, it is also true of every conscientious Bible counselor. According to this Scripture, here is what a Bible counselor needs:1. The spirit of the Lord2. The spirit of wisdom3. The spirit of understanding4. The spirit of counsel5. The spirit of might6. The spirit of knowledge7. The spirit of the fear of the LordThese are referred to as the “Seven Spirits of God,” in Revelation 3:1. It gets much better, because this counselor gets enormous benets as listed in this same Scripture:1. Quick understanding2. The ability to adjudicate from what cannot be seen with the eye3. The ability to correct, not based on what’s been told to the hearing of the ear4. The ability to judge matters rightly, correctly5. The ability to “reprove with equity,” to counteract the imbedded iniquity in matters.Now we come to the crux of counseling issues. Beyond trying to x symptoms, deeper than the cause-and-effect levels of behaviorism, we reach to the root of every matter. The Bible calls it, “the stumbling block of iniquity”:“And the word of the LORD came unto me, saying, Son of man, these men have set up their idols in their heart, and put the stumbling block of their iniquity before their face: should I be enquired of at all by them?” (Ezekiel 14:2-3)

44How You See YourselfThis is the root of all behavioral matters. Their iniquity is their stumbling block. Then God asks a rhetorical question, “should I be enquired of at all by them?” Why should they ask God for help when the root is iniquity-caused idolatries? They want help for their surface-problems, but that is not the root of their problem.A stumbling block is an impediment, a hindrance, a handicap, an obstacle, a bar, a fetter, a hurdle, a shackle, an encumbrance, or a snare. A stumbling block is something that trips you up, that causes a fall. The stumbling block of iniquity is the greatest cause of failure.The solutions for human predicaments are generally quite simple and knowable. The Bible counselor knows the solutions to bitterness, anger, alcoholism, drug addictions, sexual perversions, lust, marriage failure—you name it. We know the steps: the one, two, three. The academics are not only easy, they are simple. So, what is the problem? It’s a bondage at the core level that disempowers people from following the steps.In this passage, the “son of man” is the counselor. God is telling the son of man, the counselor, what to tell them:“Therefore speak unto them, and say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD…” (Ezekiel 14:4)God intends to tell the real truth, the real solution, and do so directly; some of the prophets, the counselors, are not going to give the right answers, because the answers are not politically correct, not in vogue, not sophisticated enough for the culture. They are too religious, too “off the beaten path” of mainstream psychology. Here’s God speaking:“Every man…that setteth up his idols in his heart, and putteth the stumbling block of his iniquity before his face, and cometh to the prophet; I the LORD will answer him that cometh according to the multitude of his idols.” (Ezekiel 14:4)

45The Personal Effects of IniquityGod calls the issue, “idols set up because of the stumbling block of iniquity.” Iniquity is the self-determination of pursuits based on the perception of what will gratify and satiate the ruling false god of ego; however, this god does not possess the intelligence, the wisdom, or the character to be God. Man is egocentric instead of theocentric; self-centered instead of God-centered. The problem is the person who is smack dab in the middle of the word sIn, the center of the word prIde, and occurs three times in the word InIquIty. This unconverted “I” decides on idols, sins, abominations, and then enquires help from God. But God says:“…they are all estranged from me through their idols.…Thus saith the Lord GOD; Repent, and turn yourselves from your idols; and turn away your faces from all your abominations.” (Ezekiel 14:5-6)All men without God are in desperate trouble. Men without God are estranged; they are turned away to other controlling powers; they are turned to their idols; they are turned to those persons, places, things, or behaviors that they themselves have set up. Man has purposely separated himself from God. The answer is to repent, to turn away from, and to destroy those idols and abominations.“…which separateth himself from me, and setteth up his idols in his heart, and putteth the stumbling block of his iniquity before his face, and cometh to a prophet to enquire of him concerning me; I the LORD will answer him by myself: And I will set my face against that man…” (Ezekiel 14:7-8)

46How You See YourselfThe prophet, the counselor, doesn’t have the option whether to draw the line or not to draw the line. No option is given by God to the counselor no matter how well-meaning he or she may be. God says it won’t work. Destruction is sure. The only answer to prevent failure is to 1) repent, 2) turn from the idols, 3) turn from abominations, 4) get rid of the stumbling block of iniquity.If the prophet or Christian counselor does not deal with the matter, the consequences are quite severe, because to the counselor, the failure to deal with this becomes his iniquity.“And they [the Prophet or the Counselor] shall bear the punishment of their iniquity: the punishment of the prophet shall be even as the punishment of him that seeketh unto him.” (Ezekiel 14:10)Beloved, this is a fearful thing. To stand before Almighty God and be accountable to Him for the directions we give to those within our sphere of inuence. James warned us, “My brethren, be not many masters, knowing that we shall receive the greater condemnation” (James 3:1). The word “masters” refers to instructors or teachers.In my ofce, the rst counseling session has only one subject: Whose will are you intending to follow? Yours or God’s? I simply don’t have time to describe the wonders of God’s ways to those who have no intention of following them. I press it pretty hard. Uncomfortably so, at times. And that is precisely when the “spirit of might” is so necessary. In my natural self, I would rather smile and hand out some nice spiritual platitudes and be thought of as a nice pastor, an accommodating counselor. But the fear of God demands otherwise.God’s ways are easy, but only to those who’ve given up the throne of their hearts—the control center and management position—to the only One wise enough and loving enough to lead, guide, and direct. To the transgressor, God’s ways are hard, because they cut across the grain of every false pursuit, every wickedness, every abomination, every way contrary to genuine

47The Personal Effects of Iniquitylove. Those who insist on keeping the stumbling block of iniquity before their face cannot, I repeat, cannot, be helped. Thereby, they have separated them-selves from God. Failure is the consequence. Weep over them! I say, weep over them! But compromise, never!12. Iniquity must be dealt with.Ignoring iniquity is not an option. It is as damning and damaging in its consequences as any evil or wickedness, for it is indeed the fountain of all such. Of all people, we, as Christians in particular, should be delivered. As we shall see, deliverance from iniquity is the motive, the reason, the cause, the power, and the ability of the Savior. But we must do our part as well. Never forget the adage: Without God, we cannot. Without us, He will not.“Let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity.” (2 Timothy 2:19)

Chapter Fivee Eects of Iniquity on Family Life“If thou return to the Almighty, thou shalt be built up, thou shalt put away iniquity far from thy tabernacles.” (Job 22:23)1. Iniquities can be inherited.Although we have alluded to this above, it ought to be noted that not only do the consequences of the iniquities of the fathers (not the mothers) affect subsequent generations of children, but some of the iniquities of the fathers are actually transferable to the children. Nowhere in Scripture are we taught that sin is transferable. Sin is a wrong moral act, a transgression of a law. The consequences of a sin may affect others, but the sin itself is not transferred—neither in the blood stream, nor by any other mechanism. Some sects forbid blood transfusions because of this false reasoning. They think sin is in the blood and, therefore, would be transferred. The Scripture says, “The fathers shall not die for the children, neither shall the children die for the fathers, but every man

50How You See Yourselfshall die for his own sin” (2 Chronicles 25:4). Again, we will deal more fully with this issue in a later chapter. In the meantime, note the following:“…for I the LORD thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me; And shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me, and keep my commandments.” (Exodus 20:5-6)2. Iniquity destroys homes.Our homes, like our churches, ought to be the safest places in the world: a sanctuary for all who gather there. But a home full of iniquity is a dangerous training ground. The home is the classroom of life. The lessons are learned by example and instruction. A boy learns how to treat women by observing how his father treats his wife, the boy’s mother. A girl learns how to respond to a husband by observing her mother’s response to her husband, the girl’s father. Equity is learned in the home when the husband and father loves his wife, the mother of his children, like Christ loves His church.Turning to God and His ways is the rst step to the establishment of the home. Putting away iniquity from our dwelling places is the second. Discipline is the third. Note this in these Scriptures:“If thou return to the Almighty, thou shalt be built up, thou shalt put away iniquity far from thy tabernacles.” (Job 22:23)Turning to God and His ways is the first step to the establishment of the home.

51The Effects ofIniquity on Family Life“He openeth also their ear to discipline, and commandeth that they return from iniquity.If they obey and serve him, they shall spend their days in prosperity, and their years in pleasures.” (Job 36:10-11)3. Iniquity causes divorce.I tell my wife, “If you ever leave me, I’m going with you.” One of the biggest tests of life is marriage. It’s really a test of love. Before marriage, most of us were looking for a “good deal.” Our basis of interest in the other person was what we could get out of it. This is the agenda of iniquity. The system of dating is so awed, which is one of the reasons I stopped teaching on the subject. We “try people out” and then usually leave a trail of discards behind us. Or we become one of the discards. The spiritual, mental, emotional, and social effects of being tried out and then trashed cannot be over-estimated. It can leave us with life-long wounds that never heal. The motive for dating is what can we get out of it, instead of what can we give. Genuine love is about giving to others without personal prot as a motive.As an alternative to the try-before-you-buy philosophy we attempt to turn relationships into a negotiation. If you do this, I’ll do that. One way or another, most of us end up at the marriage altar. Instead, marriage should be based on the will of God, on love, on vows, and the realization that together we can be more effective for God than if we were separate.At the marriage, the preacher begins, “Dearly Beloved, we are here gathered together in the sight of God, and you who are witnesses, to join together this man and this woman in the bonds of holy matrimony.” He proceeds, “Marriage is not to be entered into lightly nor thoughtlessly but soberly, reverently, and in the fear of the Lord.”In the fear of the Lord? How so? To answer that, we must understand that the vows are being made before El Shaddai, the Lord God Almighty. How fearful ought that to be? Here is how fearful:

52How You See Yourself“Be not rash with thy mouth, and let not thine heart be hasty to utter any thing before God: for God is in heaven, and thou upon earth: therefore let thy words be few.When thou vowest a vow unto God, defer not to pay it; for he hath no pleasure in fools: pay that which thou hast vowed.Better is it that thou shouldest not vow, than that thou shouldest vow and not pay.” (Ecclesiastes 5:2, 4-5)Iniquity is not living equal to our vows. And God gives no leniency to ignorance. Not keeping vows made before God is playing the fool, yea, establishing ourselves as fools. Ouch! Ouch! Ouch! But the warnings go on:“Suffer not thy mouth to cause thy esh to sin; neither say thou before the angel, that it was an error: wherefore should God be angry at thy voice, and destroy the work of thine hands?” (Ecclesiastes 5:6)Notice! We don’t get to say it was a mistake, an error. If we do, God will be angry and destroy the work of our hands. Our employment and our nances will be damaged. God watches marriages. God watches how husbands treat wives and how wives treat husbands. And He expects us to treat one another in keeping with the vows we made before heaven and earth.Now let’s get the details from Scripture and see in black and white that the mistreatment of a spouse is iniquity. First, we see the standard for God’s representatives:“My covenant was with him of life and peace; and I gave them to him for the fear wherewith he feared me, and was afraid before my name.

53The Effects ofIniquity on Family LifeThe law of truth was in his mouth, and iniquity was not found in his lips: he walked with me in peace and equity, and did turn many away from iniquity.For the priest’s lips should keep knowledge, and they should seek the law at his mouth: for he is the messenger of the LORD of hosts.” (Malachi 2:5-7)Notice: 1) the minister had a covenant with God; 2) The minister had the fear of God; 3) The minister told the truth; 4) The minister spoke no iniquity; 5) The minister walked in peace and equity, the opposite to iniquity; 6) The mission was to turn others away from iniquity; 7) The minister was to possess knowledge and know the laws of God; and 8) He was to accurately represent His Lord.However, in Malachi, the above standards were not followed. In fact, they had so departed from the ways of the Lord that they had become treacherous with one another, had profaned the holiness of the Lord, and ended up cut off from the Lord.They would cry and give offerings to the Lord, but God rejected their tears and their offerings. You are about to see why:“And this have ye done again, covering the altar of the LORD with tears, with weeping, and with crying out, insomuch that he regardeth not the offering any more, or receiveth it with good will at your hand.Yet ye say, Wherefore? Because the LORD hath been witness between thee and the wife of thy youth, against whom thou hast dealt treacherously: yet is she thy companion, and the wife of thy covenant.” (Malachi 2:13-14)Why did God not respond to their tears? Why did God reject their offerings? Why did God not receive their goodness? Because they had dealt treacherously with their wives. Yet God’s reasons go even beyond that. It was because dealing treacherously with wives damages the children. He made the man and wife to be one. Why? Because God wants Godly children and treachery between

54How You See Yourselfa husband and wife destroys that. Take a look:“And did not he make one? Yet had he the residue of the spirit. And wherefore one? That he might seek a godly seed. Therefore take heed to your spirit, and let none deal treacherously against the wife of his youth.” (Malachi 2:15)Treachery is secretly doing harmful things to someone who trusts you. It is a violation of loyalty and allegiance, a breaking of condence and faith. Let’s cut to the core, the nasty truth about iniquity: it causes treachery, the putting away of one’s spouse (divorce), and violence.For the LORD, the God of Israel, saith that he hateth putting away: for one covereth violence with his garment, saith the LORD of hosts: therefore take heed to your spirit, that ye deal not treacherously.” (Malachi 2:16)Divorce is a violent act. But we treacherous men (and perhaps women) try to cover up the violence of it like covering a dagger with a coat. We pretend it can be done in a friendly fashion. But the dagger still cuts and twists and wounds and damages. It might be better if it were only esh wounds, wounds that could heal, but they are soul wounds, yea they are, according to these Scriptures, spirit wounds. Thus, the warning, “take heed to your spirit.” The wounding of a person’s spirit is far worse than mental and emotional damage, worse than physical damage.“The spirit of a man will sustain his inrmity; but a wounded spirit who can bear?” (Proverbs 18:14)Notice the reasons God hates divorce. They are taken from the above passages:1. Treacherous dealing2. Fake crying at the altars

55The Effects ofIniquity on Family Life3. Gifts given to God as bribes4. No good will5. Deserting of a companion6. Breaking of covenant7. Damaging of children which He has made What’s at the root of divorce? Iniquity!“Thus saith the LORD, Where is the bill of your mother’s divorcement, whom I have put away?or which of my creditors is it to whom I have sold you? Behold, for your iniquities have ye sold yourselves, and for your transgressions is your mother put away.” (Isaiah 50:1)“Ye have wearied the LORD with your words. Yet ye say, Wherein have we wearied him? When ye say, Every one that doeth evil is good in the sight of the LORD, and he delighteth in them; or, Where is the God of judgment?” (Malachi 2:17)The ultimate iniquity is saying that evil is good in the sight of the Lord and, to add insult to injury, to say that the Lord takes delight in this iniquity—this evil—or that He doesn’t care. Ouch! Ouch! Ouch!Marriage is a spiritual union. Intercourse is a spiritual act. It affects covenant. And all of this is the fruit of iniquity.4. Iniquity causes a lack of restraint with children.Children are trained in iniquity by untrained parents. Duties! We have a lot of them, and none as great as that of being a father. Equity, the opposite of iniquity, means that a father must be equal to his task; he must do his fatherly duties. Not to do so is iniquity. Raising the children is not Mom’s job. It’s Dad’s. “Ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath: but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord” (Ephesians 6:4). “Bring them up” is the command to

56How You See Yourselffathers, not mothers. We don’t get to desert the ship or shirk this task. To do so is iniquity. The proof is found in 1 Samuel.Eli was a priest, and little Samuel was dedicated by his parents to the Lord and thus served Eli. Now watch this wonderful insight: “And the word of the Lord was precious in those days” (1 Samuel 3:1). However, Eli had sons, and like all sons, they needed discipline and correction. But he did not restrain them; that is a form of iniquity. Notice that this particular kind of iniquity has long-range, devastating consequences which are multi-generational:“For I have told him that I will judge his house for ever for the iniquity which he knoweth; because his sons made themselves vile, and he restrained them not.” (1 Samuel 3:13)His iniquity was that he did not restrain his sons.It gets worse. Remember, “…the iniquities of the fathers,” not the sins of the fathers, “shall be visited upon the children to the third and fourth generation…” (Exodus 20:5 & 34:7). We will spend a whole chapter on how to overcome the iniquities of our fathers, but in the case of Eli, such iniquity could not be reversed:“And therefore I have sworn unto the house of Eli, that the iniquity of Eli’s house shall not be purged with sacrice nor offering for ever.” (1 Samuel 3:14)

Chapter Sixe Eects of Iniquity on Society“…their thoughts are thoughts of iniquity: wasting and destruction are in their paths.” (Isaiah 59:7)1. Iniquity is the cause of all crime.Can you think of any crime that is not directly caused by iniquity? There are 240 “thou shalt nots” in the Bible. Each one of them intended to lovingly prevent some form of iniquity. Ten of them are the most famous. Our culture seems anxious to do away with them, because they interfere with the accelerated desire to have iniquity unrestrained. The western culture seems bent on decriminalizing items which have long been deemed as crimes and violations of civilized norms. “Thou shalt not commit adultery,” is taken out of the schools, and the courts and society in general. “Thou shalt not covet,” is certainly not in vogue. In fact, the advertising industry is based on creating desires, even articially, to sell products. People will not buy what they do not rst covet.We have become a society obsessed with selsh pursuits that surpass the guarantees of our founding documents, which enunciate “liberty and justice for all.” We’ve forgotten that our

58How You See Yourselffreedom ends where another person’s nose begins, and we feed upon one another like vultures. Liberty can only function where there is love, the opposite of iniquity.“…ye have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to the esh, but by love serve one another. For all the law is fullled in one word, even in this; Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. But if ye bite and devour one another, take heed that ye be not consumed one of another.” (Galatians 5:13-15)The misuse of liberty and the contest of wills must end, or it will continue to impel us toward anarchy, the state of disorder described in Scripture as, “every man did that which was right in his own eyes” (Judges 17:6). It seems to me that whatever is immoral ought also to be illegal.The Bible commands, “Thou shalt not kill.” Murder is an ultimate form of iniquity, the taking of another’s life without moral or legal cause. We kill babies with impunity. The value of human life is dropping in our culture. One hundred feet from my home you can be ned up to $10,000 or imprisoned for killing turtles before they are born, but there is no penalty for taking a human life through abortion.Murder is a severe iniquity, but the ultimate God-playing act is suicide, or self-murder. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) collects data about mortality in the United States, including deaths by suicide. The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP) reports this data: “In 2018, there were 48,344 suicides reported, making suicide the tenth leading cause of death for Americans. In that year, someone in this country died by suicide every 12.8 minutes” (afsp.org).

59The Effects of Iniquity on Society2. Iniquity corrupts the judicial system.God is superlatively interested in justice. Without justice, the whole universe would become as an unguarded and uncontrolled prison. It must be settled in our thinking that justice is not only an interest of God, but a responsibility, and He is up to the task: “Justice and judgment are the habitation of thy throne” (Psalm 89:14). Job said it clearly: “Touching the Almighty, we cannot nd him out: he is excellent in power, and in judgment, and in plenty of justice…” (Job 37:23).Justice is such a high priority with God that the Scriptures declare:“To do justice and judgment is more acceptable to the LORD than sacrice.” (Proverbs 21:3)“And moreover I saw under the sun the place of judgment, that wickedness was there; and the place of righteousness, that iniquity was there.” (Ecclesiastes 3:16)You can see the shocking accusation that in the place where there should be proper legal adjudications and the doing of right, both wickedness and iniquity are present.In an iniquitous culture, justice is wanting. In Isaiah’s day, it was this way: “None calleth for justice, nor any pleadeth for truth: they trust in vanity, and speak lies; they conceive mischief, and bring forth iniquity” (Isaiah 59:4). Be sure to notice the connection between the lack of justice and iniquity. The description goes further: “And judgment is turned away backward, and justice standeth afar off: for truth is fallen in the street, and equity cannot enter” (Isaiah 59:14). Note “equity cannot enter.” This is simply a restatement of iniquity: the lack of equity.Understanding the relationship between iniquity and the lack of justice is so vital; I want you to see it clearly and in more detail. As you read, take note of the numerous characteristics of iniquity:

60How You See Yourself“…their thoughts are thoughts of iniquity; wasting and destruction are in their paths. The way of peace they know not; and there is no judgment in their goings: they have made them crooked paths: whosoever goeth therein shall not know peace.Therefore is judgment far from us, neither doth justice overtake us: we wait for light, but behold obscurity for brightness, but we walk in darkness.We grope for the wall like the blind, and we grope as if we had no eyes: we stumble at noon day as in the night; we are in desolate places as dead men.We roar all like bears, and mourn sore like doves: we look for judgment, but there is none; for salvation, but it is far off from us. For our transgressions are multiplied before thee, and our sins testify against us: for our transgressions are with us; and as for our iniquities, we know them.” (Isaiah 59:7-12)If you were God and held justice in high esteem, what would you do about assuring justice on the planet; in each culture; in each country, state, or providence; in each county, city, town, or village? God’s answer was, and is, to decree the terms of each judicial system. God establishes a minimum requirement for those lling the judicial position of judge.Just adjudications are to be made by qualied men and/or women. We are going to look at the details of these qualications, but before we do, there is one more point of clarication needed.Throughout the Scriptures, frequent references are made to “gods” with a lowercase “g.” Sometimes this refers to idols or false gods, who are actually no gods at all. They are, “…the work of men’s hands. They have mouths, but they speak not; eyes have they, but they see not; They have ears, but they hear not; neither is there any breath in their mouths. They that make them are like unto them: so is every one that trusteth in them” (Psalm 135:15-18).

61The Effects of Iniquity on SocietyMost frequently, and more legitimately, the term “gods” refers to judges: the key players in the judicial system. The reason they are referred to as gods is because they are to be the earthly representatives of God Himself, exercising justice on behalf of the Almighty. Judges aren’t to act on behalf of men, but on behalf of God.“And said to the judges, Take heed what ye do: for ye judge not for man, but for the LORD, who is with you in the judgment.Wherefore now let the fear of the LORD be upon you; take heed and do it: for there is no iniquity with the LORD our God, nor respect of persons, nor taking of gifts.” (2 Chronicles 19:6-7)Notice the crucial elements, the critical qualications, and the vital requirements for judges:1. They must take heed (give extreme attention).2. They must judge on behalf of God, as His representative.3. They must count on God for help.4. They must have the fear of God.5. They must have the absence of iniquity.6. They must show “no respect of persons” (no favoritism).7. They must not take gifts (no self-benet).3. Iniquity is the cause of racism.Racism is the assertion that one race is superior to another. The cry for social justice can be heard in our land. It is the view that everyone deserves equal economic, political, and social rights. It does not mean that equal outcomes will be achieved in a given society.But equal opportunity can be thwarted by racial discrimination. It is iniquity that causes prejudice, discrimination, and antagonism directed toward those of a different race. The “one-blood” principle of the Scriptures are clear:

62How You See Yourself“And hath made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth…” (Acts 17:26)Xenophobia, an irrational fear, or hatred of foreigners, is a by-product of racism. How we are to treat the foreigner, the stranger in our land, is not optional to true followers of the Lord. And let us never forget that America was founded and perpetuated on Scriptural principles. The American attitude was birthed from the Scriptures:“And if a stranger sojourn with thee in your land, ye shall not vex him.But the stranger that dwelleth with you shall be unto you as one born among you, and thou shalt love him as thyself; for ye were strangers in the land of Egypt: I am the LORD your God.” (Leviticus 19:33-34)It is no wonder that “in New York Harbor there stands a lady with a torch raised to the sky.” She is aptly called, “The Mother of Exiles,” a gift of friendship from the people of France, dedicated on October 28, 1886. The Statute of Liberty is a colossal neoclassical sculpture on Ellis Island, the historic welcoming entrance to immigrants. The Lady bears an inscription, a sonnet. It reads:Not like the brazen giant of Greek fame, With conquering limbs astride from land to land; Here at our sea-washed, sunset gates shall stand A mighty woman with a torch, whose ame Is the imprisoned lightning, and her name Mother of Exiles. From her beacon-hand Glows world-wide welcome; her mild eyes command The air-bridged harbor that twin cities frame.How we are to treat the foreigner, the stranger in our land, is not optional…

63The Effects of Iniquity on Society“Keep, ancient lands, your storied pomp!” cries she With silent lips. “Give me your tired, your poor, Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free, The wretched refuse of your teeming shore. Send these, the homeless, tempest-tossed to me, I lift my lamp beside the golden door!This is the real America as she was designed to be. And we do well to give thanks to Martin Luther King, Jr., for leading us back to civility, back to the recovery of forgotten and transgressed principles.The iniquity of racism is one of the greatest problems of the world, whether it be Arab versus Jew, black versus white, or any ethnos against another ethnos. This iniquity is spelled w-a-r.4. Iniquity is the cause of gender inequality.A woman is a wombed man. For centuries, however, she was mistreated as a beast of burden, an object to be purchased as an asset, or to be disposed of as a liability. In respect to the value of women, misrepresentations of the Scriptures abound. Are women equal with men? That is the question. Certainly, it should be plain that men and women are equal in value, though different in function. For example, I don’t suspect that men will ever give birth to babies. Men are not equal to that task. Someone said that if it was ever the man’s job to give birth to a baby, there would only be one baby.A contest between genders has been going on forever and sometimes quite humorously. Someone sent me a story about a store in Miami that was selling husbands. A woman may go to choose a husband from among many men. The store is comprised of six oors, and the men increase in positive attributes as the shopper ascends the different levels of the oor. There is, however, a catch: as you open the door to any oor, you may choose any man from that oor; but if you go up a oor, you cannot go back down, except to exit the building. So, a woman goes to the shopping center to nd a husband, and the sign on the door reads Floor 1 These

64How You See Yourselfmen have jobs. So, she reads the sign and says, “Well that’s better than my last boyfriend, but I’m wondering what’s farther up.” So, she goes to the second oor, and the second-oor sign reads Floor 2 These men have jobs and love kids. So, the woman remarks to herself, “Boy, that’s great, but I wonder what’s farther up.” And up she goes again, and the third-oor sign reads Floor 3 These men have jobs, love kids, and are extremely good looking. She thinks that sounds good but wonders what is upstairs. The fourth sign reads Floor 4 These men have jobs, love kids, are good looking, and help with the housework. “Wow!” exclaims the woman. “It’s very tempting, but there must be more.” So again, she heads up another ight of stairs, to the fth oor, and the sign reads Floor 5 These men have jobs, love kids, are good looking, do housework, and have a strong romantic streak. And the woman says, “What could be waiting for me farther up?” So up to the sixth oor she goes, and the sign reads Floor 6 You are visitor 3,456,789 to this oor. There are no men on this oor. This oor exists solely to prove that women are impossible to please. Thank you for shopping at Husband Mart.Hey, guys, don’t get smug. The roles could easily have been reversed. It could have been a store that sells wives. Admit it, you probably would have done the same thing.Why this contest between men and women? Why has such an undignied, warped, and twisted disparity existed for centuries? The only answer I know is iniquity, the raising up of one and the putting down of another, not accepting the par. As Peter Marshall said it so accurately, and so eloquently, “The emancipation of womanhood began with Christianity, and it ends with Christianity. It had its beginning one night two thousand years ago when there came to a woman named Mary a vision and a message from heaven. She saw the rifted clouds of glory and the hidden battlements of heaven. She heard an angelic annunciation of the almost incredible news that she, of all the women on earth—of all the Marys in history—was to be the only one who should ever wear entwined the red rose of maternity and the white rose of virginity.”Mary did more for womanhood than any woman in history. She gave birth to the Son of God and God the Son. For centuries

65The Effects of Iniquity on Societysince, womanhood has been the subject of the poet’s pen and the artist’s brush. Mixing paint and pigment on canvas, they have tried to capture the character of her countenance, the essence of her beauty, and the dignity of her gender.When Napoleon Bonaparte was asked what he considered to be the great need of France, he replied, “Good mothers.” It was William Ross Wallace (1819-1881) who wrote the poem titled “The Hand That Rocks the Cradle Is the Hand That Rules the World,” some lines of which were mistakenly accredited to Napoleon. So valuable is it, that I include it in its entirety.BLESSINGS on the hand of women! Angels guard its strength and grace. In the palace, cottage, hovel, Oh, no matter where the place; Would that never storms assailed it, Rainbows ever gently curled, For the hand that rocks the cradle Is the hand that rules the world.Infancy’s the tender fountain, Power may with beauty ow, Mothers rst to guide the streamlets, From them souls unresting grow— Grow on for the good or evil, Sunshine streamed or evil hurled, For the hand that rocks the cradle Is the hand that rules the world.Woman, how divine your mission, Here upon our natal sod; Keep—oh, keep the young heart open Always to the breath of God! All true trophies of the ages Are from mother-love impearled, For the hand that rocks the cradle Is the hand that rules the world.

66How You See YourselfBlessings on the hand of women! Fathers, sons, and daughters cry, And the sacred song is mingled With the worship in the sky— Mingles where no tempest darkens, Rainbows evermore are hurled; For the hand that rocks the cradle Is the hand that rules the world.Perhaps it is not women that need to be brought up to the level of men but rather that men should be brought up to the level of true womanhood. Let’s all of us, both genders, strive to be what we should be. Let’s all get out of the gutters. Peter Marshall said, “We need women, and men, too, who would rather be morally right than socially correct.”5. Iniquity must ultimately be conned and/or destroyed.God cannot, will not, and must not give eternal life to iniquity. Can you imagine a universe where iniquity is eternalized, supernaturally endowed, and allowed to function unrestrained? That is what hell is. Hell is at the end of a self-serving life, where the character qualities that we have chosen and developed become permanent. In the meantime, sin and iniquity are allowed to be mixed in with normality.Jesus tells us that the wheat and the tares, the genuine and the hypocritical, must be allowed to grow together. The tares look just like the wheat. Hypocrites and Christians look a lot alike. It’s hard to detect a hypocrite. But they must be allowed to grow together, to attend the same churches, to act out the same religious rituals. Jesus said that to attempt pulling the tares and separating them, one would risk damage to the wheat, so let them be…for now. But:

67The Effects of Iniquity on Society“The harvest is the end of the world; and the reapers are the angels.As therefore the tares are gathered and burned in the re; so shall it be in the end of this world.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;And shall cast them into a furnace of re: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth.Then shall the righteous shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Who hath ears to hear, let him hear.” (Matthew 13:39-43) Who are the tares? Those that do iniquity!6. Iniquity has a cure, a solution, a resolution.It is found in Christ, and in Christ alone. It will be my endeavor to articulate God’s adequate redemption from the condition of iniquity. Pray along as you read. My dearest hope is that with God’s help you will experience a wonderful, life-freeing reality. No exaggerations here. You will be able to say with the Psalmist, “Our soul is escaped as a bird out of the snare of the fowlers: the snare is broken, and we are escaped” (Psalm 124:7).For the moment, however, it is sufced to cite a Scripture for your condence:“Unto you rst God, having raised up his Son Jesus, sent him to bless you, in turning away every one of you from his iniquities.” (Acts 3:26)This is the rst and nest intention of God. He will do it because His Son, Jesus, was resurrected for this purpose. You will be blessed by this turning away. You are included in the “every one of you.” Your iniquities will be gone.

Chapter SevenIniquity: e Power Behind Sin“By this therefore shallthe iniquity of Jacob be purged;and this is all the fruit to take away his sin…”(Isaiah 27:9)“And I will cleanse them from all their iniquity, whereby they havesinned against me; and I will pardon all their iniquities, whereby they have sinned, and whereby they have transgressed against me.And it shall be to me a name of joy, a praise and an honourbefore all the nations of the earth…”(Jeremiah 33:8-9)Why is the propensity to sin so strong, so fervent, and sometimes even violent? Why does it seem that we cannot stop sinning? Is it just the power of habit? Paul described it this way, “I nd then a law, that, when I would do good, evil is present with me” (Romans 7:21). He said he wanted to do good but went on to explain, “But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members” (Romans 7:23). What is this power behind sin? The answer is iniquity. Here’s the Biblical evidence:

70How You See Yourself“And I will cleanse them from all their iniquity, whereby they have sinned against me; and I will pardon all their iniquities, whereby they have sinned, and whereby they have transgressed against me.” (Jeremiah 33:8)Note the cause and effect assertions of the Scripture: “iniquity whereby they have sinned,” (cited twice for emphasis), and “whereby they have transgressed.” Iniquity is the energy, the motive, the active and forceful dynamic driving us to sins—sins of every diverse sort. Here are several examples:Sexual SinsIn Ephesians chapter six, we nd the Christian’s Armor listed. Twice we are admonished, “Put on the whole armour of God.” The rst time, it is so that we “may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.” The second time, it is so we “may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.”How unfortunate that accurate instruction of this passage is so scarce. For example, the rst piece of armor we are to put on is about one’s sexuality: “Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth.” The very rst piece of armor is designed to protect one’s loins, one’s reproductive parts: one’s sexuality.The allegory of wearing armor in a battle tells us how important, yea, how imperative it is to have protection. And this rst essential is protection for your private parts. So, what is this armor made of, and how do you put it on so that you will not be defeated by Satan in this area? How do you put on this vital piece of armor so that you can withstand the evils—the sensual and sexual evils—of our day?I’ve heard preachers recommend standing in front of your mirror in the morning and going through the motions of donning The very first piece of armor is designed to protect one’s loins, one’s reproductive parts: one’s sexuality.

71Iniquity: The Power Behind Sinyour equipment. How mystical and how superstitious is that? Now you’d be going out unprotected but thinking that you are protected. Very dangerous. The Scriptures say that the armor that is designed to protect your sacred parts is truth. But what truth? It surely doesn’t mean the whole Bible of truth. It must be specic truth because later on we are to take, “the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God.” The Word of God is the whole truth. The truths that are needed to protect your loins are the truths in the Bible about sexuality. They are found in Proverbs chapters 5, 6, 7, 9, and 23:26-28; 1 Thessalonians 4:1-8; 1 Corinthians 7:1-10; and 2 Timothy 2:22.How do you put the armor on? How do you know you’re wearing it, that you have it with you? The answer is by memorizing those truths about sexuality. Now they will speak to you, advise you, and empower you every time you need them. For example, let’s say you’ve memorized Proverbs 23:27, “For a whore is a deep ditch; and a strange woman is a narrow pit.” Or in The Message translation of the Bible, it reads, “A whore is a bottomless pit; a loose woman can get you in deep trouble fast. She’ll take you for all you’ve got; she is worse than a pack of thieves.” Now when you meet a sensual looking girl, that verse will click in and give you warning. Watch out! Instead of running to the slaughter like a fool, you will act with this Scripture in mind.You have on the armor to protect your loins when you have memorized the passages of Scriptural truths about sexuality as listed above.What does iniquity have to do with sexuality?We are asked this question: “And why wilt thou, my son, be ravished with a strange woman, and embrace the bosom of a stranger?” (Proverbs 5:20). Two verses later it explains that this is iniquity, and it explains that this iniquity causes sin, destruction, and folly:“His own iniquities shall take the wicked himself, and he shall be holden with the cords of his sins.He shall die without instruction; and in the greatness of his folly he shall go astray.” (Proverbs 5:22-23)

72How You See YourselfIniquity creates desires to take what is not ours. And when it comes to sexuality, iniquity is a monster. In the following passage about impurity, immorality, and unlawful sexuality we nd the description of the thirst of iniquity:“Stolen waters are sweet, and bread eaten in secret is pleasant.But he knoweth not that the dead are there; and that her guests are in the depths of hell.” (Proverbs 9:17-18)Iniquity desires stolen waters. By the way, in the Appendix you will nd several keys to understanding sexuality in the King James Version of Proverbs. Don’t be mistaken. God addresses very real life issues, but He does it in a dignied way. Our culture has become so crass about sexual things that we often don’t understand the meanings when they are presented modestly.In Leviticus chapter twenty, we learn that viewing the nakedness of others, even one’s own parent or sibling, is both a wicked thing and an iniquity. (See Leviticus 20:17, 19.)Eating DisordersIniquity, as you have learned, affects every aspect of life. It should not come as a surprise that iniquity seeks to drive our eating habits and manifests itself in several ways:1. Eating for recreation instead of for nutrition.2. Eating for pleasure instead of eating for health.3. Eating more than we should, leading to obesity and gluttony.4. Eating less than we should, leading to anorexia, the leading cause of death among young women age fteen to twenty-four.

73Iniquity: The Power Behind SinSelf-AcceptanceIniquity pushes us to want to be something or someone we are not. Iniquity causes rivalry. It causes one-upmanship, competition and the comparison of ourselves with others. Oh, the horrors of thinking we are less than others. And we do this even when it is not true. So, we compete, we attempt to outdo, we outperform, and we out-show everyone else. Then there are some who realize the vanity of it all and drop out, cop out, give up, and turn to self-destructive behaviors. Iniquity is at the root of non-self-acceptance. Life is not meant to be a rat race; a competition with everyone else.How can we be happy, truly happy, with ourselves? When we realize that God made us, and He makes no junk. He has a design and purpose for our lives and for our after-life. True joy bursts from us when we realize this. I am a somebody, a wonderful somebody. Once this truth grips a person’s thinking, they will be careful not to spoil what He has made them to be. An old adage, which originated with Hans Urs von Balthasar, the Swiss Jesuit Philosopher, says:“What you are is God’s gift to you. What you become is your gift to God.”MoneySomeone said, “The lottery is the punishment of those who failed math.” Do you know the history of lottery winners? I’ll let you look up the details. But you will nd in their path a consistent horrid wake of suicide, debt, bankruptcy, prison, abuse, divorce, hatred, murder, and brokenness. Everyone says, “If I won, I would be different. I would know how to use the money wisely.” They usually follow up the statement with “I’d give…” Then when the charitable “front” has seemingly convinced you how unselsh they are, they proceed with a tirade of “I would” statements. But why the almost unbroken pattern of destruction demonstrated by their I am a somebody, a wonderful somebody.

74How You See Yourselfhistory? Perhaps the Scriptures should once again be consulted:“A faithful man shall abound with blessings: but he that maketh haste to be rich shall not be innocent.” (Proverbs 28:20)“He that hasteth to be rich hath an evil eye, and considereth not that poverty shall come upon him.” (Proverbs 28:22)There are a thousand ways to poverty, but only two ways to riches. The two ways to riches are God’s way and man’s way. However, the end result is not the same. God’s way to riches makes you rich, but there are “no sorrows” with it. It’s a principle-based way. Man’s way can make you rich, but oh, the sorrows that come with it: debt, broken health, destroyed marriages and friendships, maybe even jail time. Ask Bernie Madoff. Man’s way is the way of iniquity.“The blessing of the LORD, it maketh rich, and he addeth no sorrow with it.” (Proverbs 10:22)When it comes to money and the use of assets, iniquity is negatively impacting because it prevents “principle-based” decision making.The Philosophic CoreIniquity has, at its core, a philosophy. It would be accurate to say that iniquity consists of a core philosophy. In fact, iniquity is a philosophy! But I don’t want to spoil you simply by telling it to you. Having read this far in the book (and for that you should receive congratulations – you’ve proven that you are a thinking, conscientious person), you should be able to detect iniquity quite easily. So I’m going to test you. Let’s see if you can pick out the philosophy of iniquity in the following passage. Here’s the setting: Jesus is calling for disciples, real followers. By the way, He is still

75Iniquity: The Power Behind Sindoing that today—calling disciples. He is looking for followers, not fans.Read the passage, and see if you can pick out the philosophy of iniquity, the singular fundamental commitment that creates fans of Jesus, but not followers:“And it came to pass, that, as they went in the way, a certain man said unto him, Lord, I will follow thee whithersoever thou goest.And Jesus said unto him, Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests; but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head.And he said unto another, Follow me. But he said, Lord, suffer me rst to go and bury my father.Jesus said unto him, Let the dead bury their dead: but go thou and preach the kingdom of God.And another also said, Lord, I will follow thee; but let me rst go bid them farewell, which are at home at my house.And Jesus said unto him, No man, having put his hand to the plough, and looking back, is t for the kingdom of God.” (Luke 9:57-62)Read it again if you have to. The philosophy of iniquity is stated two times by three different prospective disciples. I’m almost certain you identied it. The philosophy of iniquity stated in this passage is, “Let me rst.” That’s it! “Me rst!”Notice that these three prospects were real prospects. They were interested in Jesus. They were probably sincere, in that after their “me-rst” issue, they wouldn’t mind tting some discipleship into their busy lives. My friend, millions today are fans of Jesus. They don’t mind tting Jesus in somewhere, as long as it’s not too inconvenient. “I’ll see you in the church service on Sunday.” But if they are up too late the night before, or company comes, or there is a football game, or there are errands to run, or there is inclement weather, or I just needed some alone time, or I got a phone call,

76How You See Yourselfor there was a special television program, or a family member needed me, or I got a job opportunity, and the excuses go on and on and on, ad innitum.American Christendom became quite popular when it didn’t require us to give up much of anything. It was marketed to us. With the Santa Clause approach, we were assured that we could be “Christian” by receiving “Santa’s” gifts and still continue our me-rst philosophy. And we have. And now look where it has brought us. Our me-rst philosophy has us thinking that far beyond not being merely inconvenienced, we can be or do any vile thing and still be on our way to heaven.Christendom is in this condition because we have not understood the devastations of iniquity nor how to eliminate past iniquities, conquer present iniquity, and prevent future iniquity. We have been taught false gospels.Iniquity doesn’t merely cause the gross, socially unacceptable sins (a severe tragedy of our day is that almost all gross sins have now become socially acceptable in this culture). Iniquity causes a soft disposition towards all sin; it will even redene it into not sin. The politically correct (PC) liar now says he just “misspoke.” In the following verses, when referring to this condition, God uses the term woe, which means “Oh-oh! Big trouble.”“Woe unto them that draw iniquity with cords of vanity, and sin as it were with a cart rope.” (Isaiah 5:18)Two verses later, that iniquity is dened, and again the preface is, “Woe.”“Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!Woe unto them that are wise in their own eyes, and prudent in their own sight!

77Iniquity: The Power Behind SinWoe unto them that are mighty to drink wine, and men of strength to mingle strong drink:Which justify the wicked for reward, and take away the righteousness of the righteous from him!” (Isaiah 5:20-23)This is another Bible list of the consequences of iniquity. It causes the reinterpretation of evil. It says it’s really okay when it’s not. It says that evil is good. Our culture celebrates behaviors of which we should be ashamed. Iniquity causes the mocking and downplaying of good. And it causes its victims to be “right and prudent in their own eyes,” when, in fact, they are not. There’s not much “blushing” anymore:“Were they ashamed when they had committed abomination? nay, they were not at all ashamed, neither could they blush: therefore they shall fall among them that fall: at the time that I visit them they shall be cast down, saith the LORD.Thus saith the LORD, Stand ye in the ways, and see, and ask for the old paths, where is the good way, and walk therein, and ye shall nd rest for your souls. But they said, We will not walk therein.” (Jeremiah 6:15-16)“Abomination” means morally disgusting. But instead of disgust and outrage—no shame, no blushing! Then the Scriptures tell us to stand still, take a look around, and call for the “old paths.” But that’s old fashioned. Yep! But it’s the good way. And if we walk in it, we will have mental health, emotional strength, and social stability. Iniquity causes the redening of immorality as morality.But it gets worse. Iniquity is a fundamental motive, an ultimate intention for why we do things. Thus, it contaminates even good works.So now we are beginning to see clearly that (1) Iniquity is the energizer behind sin; (2) Iniquity causes persons to redene evil and call evil good and good evil; (3) Iniquity also contaminates

78How You See Yourselfgood things because of its wicked, selsh motive.Perhaps this understanding of the consequences of iniquity will help us give attention to our gross spiritual condition.The following is a partial list of what selshness and iniquity produces in our lives:1. Makes decisions only on the basis of perceived personal advantage.2. Denies divine access to our lives because of the contest of wills.3. Causes disregard for the well-being of others, except as we are able to benet from them in some way.4. Destroys wisdom, the ability to respond to life situations from God’s point of view.5. Creates the bondage of self-tyranny. We become our own slave-drivers.6. Opposes genuine love.7. Prevents proper self-love.8. Causes over-indulgences of food, accumulation of stuff, entertainments, etc.9. Perceives moral standards as blocks to happiness.10. Creates unsustainability and often debt, because selshness is insatiable.11. Usurps the proper place of God in our lives: the “God Position” is taken over by the exalted ego.12. Disregards the development of character qualities unless they are perceived to create self-advantage (e.g. “honesty is the best policy”).13. Creates a common bond with Satan, for at the core, he has the same philosophy.14. Makes us “users” of others.15. Eliminates the genuineness of love and friendship.16. Creates conicts with the selshness of others.17. Gives others no option but compliance to our demands or expectations.18. Leads to the judging of others.19. Shrinks our world of inuence.20. Causes disrespect for authorities.

79Iniquity: The Power Behind Sin21. Perverts genuine prayer, because prayer is now perceived as getting our will done on earth through heaven.22. Prevents the heart from authentically saying to God, “Thy will be done.”23. Creates the inability to suffer when it is proper to do so.24. Eliminates martyrdom.25. Produces counterfeit Christianity.26. Accommodates being religious but is in essence self-rulership instead of Christ-rulership.27. Causes misspending and/or over-spending and/or debt.28. Causes inated ideas of our own importance.29. Blinds us to recognizing our own sins.30. Causes us to think ourselves smarter than everyone else.31. Articially elevates our ideas above the ideas and thoughts of God and His Word.32. Makes us think we don’t need anyone else; independence from community.33. Denies realities and lives in a fantasy world of self-exalting daydreams.34. Causes projection, attributing to others what we nd unacceptable in ourselves.35. Provokes rationalization, making excuses for our behaviors36. Makes us lie to protect ourselves.37. Makes us hypocrites, presenting a false image to others.38. Results in living for happiness rather than usefulness.39. Causes us to judge others by their actions, while judging ourselves by our intentions.40. Makes us break speed limits and run red lights.41. Attempts to constantly control others, refusing to accept the “no” or the boundaries set by others.42. Creates an inability to admit when we are wrong.

80How You See Yourself43. Produces the need for constant approval of others.44. Makes our needs more important than the needs of others.45. Causes quarreling to get our own way.46. Produces jealousy at the success of others.47. Produces laziness.48. Causes an “I owe it to myself” attitude.49. Corrupts good manners, except where such manners help our image.50. Makes us manipulators of people and circumstances to achieve our own agenda.51. Causes us to live for nothing bigger than ourselves.52. Provokes us to do good works merely to make ourselves feel good.53. Causes ungratefulness, which is not expressing appreciation for benets (although the more rened iniquity is, the more it learns to express gratefulness; because perhaps in doing so, it will invoke more benets).

Chapter Eighte Benets of Conquering Iniquity“Unto you rst God, having raised up his Son Jesus,sent him to bless you, in turning away every one of you from his iniquities.” (Acts 3:26)The will of God for your life is exactly what you would choose if you knew all the facts. Every direction we get from God is an indication of His love for us. Every instruction is for our betterment. And what is a command, but an instruction with urgency: an urgency that requires the knowledge of consequences. A command is a guideline to our success and/or a deterrent to our failure. Love does such things. Love blesses. Being turned away from our iniquities is no exception.“Unto you rst God, having raised up his Son Jesus, sent him to bless you, in turning away every one of you from his iniquities.” (Acts 3:26)It is a severe understatement to say that getting rid of iniquity is a blessing. Iniquity is a damning condition that warrants eternal punishment and isolation from the kingdom of God. Being turned

82How You See Yourselffrom our iniquities is the fundamental issue in basic salvation. However, there are many temporal, as well as eternal, benets of conquering iniquity. Job and his friends were very aware of the benets of conquering iniquity and listed them for us.“If iniquity be in thine hand, put it far away, and let not wickedness dwell in thy tabernacles.For then shalt thou…” (Job 11:14-15)All of these listed benets are found directly in this Scripture passage. They follow the “for then” of verse fteen.1. You will be able to look the world right in the eye.“For then shalt thou lift up thy face without spot…” (Job 11:15)God does many remarkable things in our lives. One such work of God is the lifting up of our heads (see Psalm 3:3). Others can lift up our hands (see Hebrews 12:12) but only God can lift our heads. He delivers us from shame and, as in this passage, the shame of our past iniquities. So, keep your chin up (but not your nose).2. You will have stability.“…yea, thou shalt be stedfast…” (Job 11:15)Iniquity drives us in many directions, and often at the same time. James tells us that “A double minded man is unstable in all his ways” (James 1:8). It is iniquity that creates instability, because man was never intended to direct his own ways. It is not in man to do so:“O LORD, I know that the way of man is not in himself: it is not in man that walketh to direct his steps.” (Jeremiah 10:23)

83The Benets of Conquering Iniquity3. You will live without fear.“…yea, thou shalt be stedfast, and shalt not fear.” (Job 11:15)In this passage, we learn that fear comes from the uncertainty and ckleness of iniquity. Scripture tells us that “fear hath torment” (1 John 4:18). The important question, however, is from whence cometh this fear? We know that fear does not come from God: “For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind” (2 Timothy 1:7). When an unqualied driver is behind the wheel, every thinking person on board will experience fear because the wrong person is in control. Remember, sin is a matter of wrong conduct, but iniquity is a matter of wrong relationship. The wrong person is steering.4. You will recover from the past.“Because thou shalt forget thy misery, and remember it as waters that pass away.” (Job 11:16)The termination of iniquity qualies God, as we shall soon see, to remove all past iniquities, as well as sins. God does not pardon what He does not prevent. The dynamics of the full salvation process include such deliverance from the past that sin and iniquity are not only forgiven but cleansed; not only cleansed but remitted; and in the remission is the inability of the past to continue damaging the present or the future. It is now “water under the bridge,” or as the Scriptures say it, “as waters that pass away.”5. You will feel younger.“And thine age shall be clearer than the noonday…” (Job 11:17)Iniquity is a hard taskmaster. The ruling self is a cruel tyrant: “…the way of transgressors is hard” (Proverbs 13:15). The

84How You See Yourselfunsurrendered ego drives; it doesn’t lead. Once iniquity is purged, the tyrant is removed. Living is no longer like having sand in the gears. Energy, life, and youthfulness are renewed. God is not a hard taskmaster. This was the mistake made by the servant in the parable of the talents. He said, “Lord, I knew thee that thou art an hard man” (Matthew 25:24). He was wrong about that—dead wrong. A wrong concept about God leads to a wrong relationship with God. And a wrong relationship with God leads to wrong conduct, and wrong conduct is destructive. Conquering iniquity leads to a renewable youthfulness. David gives us clear supporting afrmation in this passage, that when our iniquities are forgiven, our youth is renewed like the eagle’s: “Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases; Who redeemeth thy life from destruction; who crowneth thee with lovingkindness and tender mercies; Who satiseth thy mouth with good things; so that thy youth is renewed like the eagle’s” (Psalm 103:3-5). An interesting study of Scripture would be to discover the other factors that renew our youthfulness.6. You will have inuence.“…thou shalt shine forth…” (Job 11:17)Whenever Scripture refers to our light shining or not shining, it is referring to our ability to inuence. This is the plain meaning of Jesus when He said, “Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid. Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven” (Matthew 5:14-16). This is having inuence.In contrast with this we have learned, “Whoso curseth his father or his mother, his lamp shall be put out in obscure darkness” (Proverbs 20:20). Such a person shall lose his ability to properly inuence others.Once iniquity is purged, the tyrant is removed.

85The Benets of Conquering Iniquity7. You will be refreshed.“…thou shalt be as the morning.” (Job 11:17)Morning is often used poetically in Scripture to represent the reality of newness or refreshing. For example, the mercies and compassions of the Lord toward us are new every morning: “It is of the LORD’S mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness” (Lamentations 3:22-23). There are a number of sources of refreshing in Scripture. Each of them should be discovered by us. The passage that we are considering here is quite plain: the removal of iniquity will create this refreshing—this renewing—just like a morning.8. You will be secure.“And thou shalt be secure…” (Job 11:18)You are now in the hands of God, an artist who makes no blunders and no mistakes—none whatsoever. From self-rule to Christ’s rule! The government of your life is now upon His shoulders: “For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace” (Isaiah 9:6). He is up to the task. He is strong enough. But His real right to rule is founded in His love and wisdom. You can trust Him. You will be secure forever. Keep your life in His hand. No one else can take you away from Him and your security in Him:“And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father’s hand.” (John 10:28-29)

86How You See Yourself9. You will be optimistic.“…because there is hope…” (Job 11:18)The transfer from a life of iniquity to a life under the rule of God— the created under The Creator—brings with it an unequaled optimism. The popular psychological systems of our day (e.g. Freud, Skinner, and Jung) try to get us to believe that our future is determined by our past. According to them, the reason you behave the way you do today is because of the things that happened in your childhood.Scripture, on the other hand, seemed to reject the limitations of cultural or environmental determinism. He indicated that we act the way we do today because of the future, not the past: “For we are saved by hope: but hope that is seen is not hope: for what a man seeth, why doth he yet hope for? But if we hope for that we see not, then do we with patience wait for it” (Romans 8:24-25). We are controlled, not by our past, but by our future: by what we hope. We study today because we hope to graduate later. We practice the piano today because we will give a recital in three months’ time.Deliverance from iniquity takes away bondages and frees us. We now have a hope, a fresh optimism, because the God that is now properly enthroned in the leadership and management position of our lives has great plans for the future: “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end” (Jeremiah 29:11).10. You will be safe.“…yea, thou shalt dig about thee, and thou shalt take thy rest in safety.” (Job 11:18)Did you know that, “…safety is of the Lord” (Proverbs 21:31)? God is interested in both your eternal and temporal safety. He is looking out for you! Every benet of becoming iniquity-free makes the steps to freedom from iniquity worthwhile. Safety and rest are no exception.

87The Benets of Conquering Iniquity11. You will sleep without fear.“Also thou shalt lie down, and none shall make thee afraid…” (Job 11:19)You will “not be afraid for the terror by night…” (Psalm 91:5). Being free of iniquity will give you what David had when he said, “I will both lay me down in peace, and sleep: for thou, LORD, only makest me dwell in safety” (Psalm 4:8). Peace is the opposite of fear.12. Many will come to you for counsel and help.“…yea, many shall make suit unto thee.” (Job 11:19)People do not seek guidance and help from iniquitous persons. Why? Because a person motivated by iniquity has a conict of interest—a wrong motive—be it nancial prot or some other personal advantage. The adequate solution to iniquity frees us from all ulterior motives. When others discern this pureness in us, they will seek counsel.Others will be able to testify, “Concerning the works of men, by the word of thy lips I have kept me from the paths of the destroyer” (Psalm 17:4).Then the passage in Job concludes with a warning to those who do not put away iniquity:“But the eyes of the wicked shall fail, and they shall not escape, and their hope shall be as the giving up of the ghost.” (Job 11:20)We now move to another passage of Job where additional benets are listed. Take special note that the benets are the direct result of putting away iniquity.

88How You See Yourself“If thou return to the Almighty, thou shalt be built up, thou shalt put away iniquity far from thy tabernacles. Then shalt thou…” (Job 22:23-24a)13. You will be able to save money.“Then shalt thou lay up gold as dust, and the gold of Ophir as the stones of the brooks.” (Job 22:24)Iniquity wastes money. It drives you to shop. It justies spending more than you earn. It is the cause of debt. Iniquity recognizes no nancial principle that, in its short-sighted way of seeing, does not contribute to its immediate self-gratication.On the other hand, when God is directing our affairs, we will have savings, and money to spare: “…It is He that giveth thee power to get wealth…” (Deuteronomy 8:18). While iniquity can cause riches, the riches come with a multitude of negative factors that actually leave you a poor person with money. Real blessing is riches without sorrows: “The blessing of the LORD, it maketh rich, and he addeth no sorrow with it” (Proverbs 10:22). 14. God Himself will watch out for you and provide for you.“Yea, the Almighty shall be thy defence, and thou shalt have plenty of silver.” (Job 22:25)Leaving iniquity behind brings you into a kingdom, a relationship where God Himself assumes responsibility for your well-being. His care includes refuge, fortress, defense, deliverance, protection, shielding, early warnings, foresight, clear vision, and a host of other benets. Perhaps these truths are what inspired Doctor Charles J. Rolls—who was named after the Honorable Charles Rolls, and joined with Frederick H. Royce

89The Benets of Conquering Iniquityin 1906, to found the Rolls-Royce Company—to write in his masterful way:The fountain of His fullness never fails. The reservoir of His resources never recedes.The wisdom of his Word never wains.The vigor of His virtue never varies.The burnish of His beauty never blemishes. The luster of His love never lessens.The power of His prowess never perishes.1How “unsearchable the riches of Christ” (Ephesians 3:8)! They are unsearchable not because they cannot be found, but because they are inexhaustible. Surely such was the concern and passion of Jeremiah when he proclaimed, “Your iniquities have turned away these things, and your sins have withholden good things from you” (Jeremiah 5:25). God will be your defense, and you will have plenty!15. Your delight will be in the Lord.“For then shalt thou have thy delight in the Almighty…” (Job 22:26)What delights you? Do you not nd it amazing that people take delight in trivialities? We chase after trinkets and tinsel and call it a delight. This is the query of Paul: “Howbeit then, when ye knew not God, ye did service unto them which by nature are no gods. But now, after that ye have known God, or rather are known of God, how turn ye again to the weak and beggarly elements, whereunto ye desire again to be in bondage?” (Galatians 4:8-9)I suggest to you that this is the work of iniquity: chasing after gods that are no gods. The Scriptures afrm this surely. Look at the contrast between our delights and those of the iniquitous. To us the thoughts of God are our delight, because we have real and 1 The World’s Greatest Name IV, C.J. Rolls ©1956, Zondervan Publishing House

90How You See Yourselfsweet fellowship with the Lord. But can those with iniquity on the throne have any fellowship with God or enjoy Him? Let the Scriptures answer:“In the multitude of my thoughts within me thy comforts delight my soul.Shall the throne of iniquity have fellowship with thee, which frameth mischief by a law?” (Psalm 94:19-20)Our delight is in the Lord! The poverty of the church’s condition is best demonstrated by the lengths to which modern church leadership goes to attract to church—and keep attracted to church—those who have no delight in the Lord. How this contrasts to what David said:“One thing have I desired of the LORD, that will I seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the LORD, and to enquire in his temple.” (Psalm 27:4)16. You will be looking to the Lord to meet your needs.“…and shalt lift up thy face unto God.” (Job 22:26)Which way we’re looking in times of need, discouragement, or loneliness indicates much about us. The source to whom we look demonstrates our true faith. Whoever or whatever we look to also receives our reverence, allegiance, affections, and devotion. The apostle Paul afrms that it is “My God” that “shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus” (Philippians We chase after trinkets and tinsel and call it a delight.

91The Benets of Conquering Iniquity4:19). The termination of iniquity also terminates looking unto any and every other replacement of God.17. Your prayers shall be heard by God.“Thou shalt make thy prayer unto him, and he shall hear thee…” (Job 22:27)What a delightful benet, yea, how necessary! Prayer is one of the aspects most negatively impacted by iniquity. It is not an issue of whether iniquity prevents answers to prayer, but rather that iniquity prevents prayers from even being heard to begin with:“If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me.” (Psalm 66:18)It should not surprise us today that a lot of prayers are not answered or not even heard. Prayer has been perverted into getting my will done on earth through heaven, instead of having to do with getting His will done on earth through me. Imagine what a crime we embark upon when we try to get God—the God of the whole universe, with all His wisdom and power—to become the servant of our wills, the servant of our iniquities, the slave of our selshness. That is what much praying has become: a twisting of God’s arm to get Him to do what we want done.It has been taught that if we could get enough people saying the same thing to God enough times, we would somehow be able to persuade Him to do what He appears reluctant to do. David gives us the key and then goes on to testify further. Let’s read this whole joyful context:“Come and hear, all ye that fear God, and I will declare what he hath done for my soul. I cried unto him with my mouth, and he was extolled with my tongue.

92How You See YourselfIf I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me:But verily God hath heard me; he hath attended to the voice of my prayer. Blessed be God, which hath not turned away my prayer, nor his mercy from me.” (Psalm 66:16-20)The end of iniquity is the beginning of genuine prayer! Listen to James: “…The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much” (James 5:16). A righteous man is a rightly-related-to-God man. It is the prayers of a rightly-related-to-God man that are effective. Iniquity is a wrong relationship, an out-of-right relationship, with God.Yet iniquity causes something far worse than our prayers not being heard by God:“Behold, the LORD’s hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; neither his ear heavy, that it cannot hear:But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear.” (Isaiah 59:1-2)It is terrible and tragic enough that iniquity prevents our prayers from being heard, but this verse indicates something much more devastating than that. What could be worse? It is iniquity that causes us to be separated from God! And so great is that separation that we are out of hearing distance.I once read a bumper sticker on a car which said, “If God seems far away, guess who moved.” We have! But wherein have we separated ourselves from God? By iniquity!So here we learn that one of the very great benets of terminating iniquity is that our prayers will get a hearing with God. Of greater importance, however, is that we will no longer be separated from the presence of God! Let us be careful not to conjure up articial feelings of the presence of God. There’s

93The Benets of Conquering Iniquitya big difference between mood music and the real presence of God.18. You will have the ability to keep your word.“…and thou shalt pay thy vows.” (Job 22:27)Iniquity is at the root of a man’s unwillingness or inability to keep his word. It is the cause of broken vows, broken promises, lying, deceit, and unfullled commitments. It is an iniquity to be unequal to the truth or unequal to our word given. Iniquities, as well as sins, are the natural overow from Iniquity, the condition of the heart.When the “I” is enthroned in the place reserved for God only, it rules by its whims and values. Consequently, keeping vows and keeping one’s word becomes more a matter of convenience or relevant only when keeping our word is perceived as serving our own interests.On the other hand, when God is enthroned in His rightful place in our lives, iniquity is terminated, and we live by His precepts. This causes all behaviors, including the keeping of our word, to be controlled by principle-based convictions. This change at the ownership-level (the heart) affects all executive decisions thereafter. This is reected in the ability to keep our words and promises, as well as our zeal to do so—regardless of cost or inconvenience.“That which is gone out of thy lips thou shalt keep and perform.” (Deuteronomy 23:23)“…He that sweareth to his own hurt, and changeth not” (Psalm 15:4) is one of the evidences listed for those who really are in relationship with God. The passage concludes with the staggering proclamation, “He that doeth these things shall never be moved” (Psalm 15:5).The Scriptures declare that the man who does not keep his vows is a fool, “When thou vowest a vow unto God, defer not

94How You See Yourselfto pay it; for he hath no pleasure in fools…” (Ecclesiastes 5:4). We could understand it easier if the Scriptures called the vow-breaker a liar, or better yet, a terrible liar, because he attached a vow to his word. But how are we to understand that God calls this person a fool? I suggest that it is because God does not rule in the fool’s heart; iniquity does! For, “The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God” (Psalm 53:1).The fool hath said in his heart, “there is no God in my heart except me.” To verify this is iniquity, we must read it in the context. Let’s see it all together: “The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God. Corrupt are they, and have done abominable iniquity…” (Psalm 53:1).When iniquity is terminated, the foolishness of the fool is terminated. When a man ceases to be a fool, he keeps his word all the time, every time. It is the termination of iniquity that enables, empowers, and inspires a person to keep his word.19. You will have the proper ability of self-determination.“Thou shalt also decree a thing, and it shall be established unto thee…” (Job 22:28)Iniquity is the perversion of the legitimate and proper ability of self-determination. Iniquity thrives on self-determination. In fact, absolute, unfettered self-determination would be a good denition of iniquity. Iniquity is intent on doing one’s own will, so much so that it is willing, able, and zealous to usurp the role of any and every authority, including God’s. It is the unfettered, uncontrolled, and unsubmitted-to-proper-authority will of man that makes him a god-player. He has taken over the rightful place of God.In His usual way of making everything plain, Jesus said, “If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me” (Matthew 16:24). Denying self, as we shall see more clearly in later chapters, is denying self of taking over God’s role. Christ’s terms are clear.

95The Benets of Conquering IniquityThe will of God is to be ultimate in the life of every true follower. Nothing we say, do, or intend can be contrary to the will of God. If we determine to say, do, or intend contrary to God, we evidence that we have taken over the God position. We are still in iniquity. We are playing god. Everything we will, as true followers, should be subject to His will. We are to pray, “…Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven” (Matthew 6:10). The “in earth” includes in me, in my life.This is a critical issue to all praying: “And this is the condence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us: And if we know that he hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of him” (1 John 5:14-15).All true Christians determine to do His will: rst, foremost, and always. There is no competition and no contest of wills anymore. We settled that at the ownership-level and every executive decision—a decision to execute or bring into reality—is now based on carrying out the original intent, the will of God. Our will is subservient to God’s all the time, every time.However, when the iniquity issue is resolved—God is enthroned, and God’s will is being done—He still leaves us a sphere of self-determination. It is a jurisdiction with parameters, scope, and dimension. It is not absolute. It is limited and contained and still subject to His approval and/or adjustment. Within this sphere, we are given a latitude of self-determination that is proper, legitimate, and afrmed in this text: “Thou shalt also decree a thing, and it shall be established unto thee…” (Job 22:28).20. You will be able to see where you are going in life.“…and the light shall shine upon thy ways.” (Job 22:28)Most people do not know where they are going. They are being rushed across the stage of time with little or no comprehension of where or why or what is at stake. When they get to the exit sign,

96How You See Yourselfthey suspect there must have been something they should have done or something they should have been. But they know not what! Very few know why the world began, why they are here, where they are going, or what the main issues of life are about. This blindness is caused by iniquity. Iniquity separates us from the only one who knows the answers to these questions—someone outside ourselves, someone with a larger perspective, the one in charge of the big picture—God! Jeremiah testied to it: “O LORD, I know that the way of man is not in himself: it is not in man that walketh to direct his steps” (Jeremiah 10:23).Solomon penned it this way, “Man’s goings are of the LORD; how can a man then understand his own way?” (Proverbs 20:24).This is the paramount question: how can a man understand his own way? Everyone becomes a philosopher to some degree or another. Unfortunately, we end up with a lot of foolosophy: minds that fail to nd the answers to these burning questions and are willing to settle for notions, absurdities, and the ridiculous and then to spend the rest of their lives banking on these gments of imagination and lying vanities.It is not in man to understand. He must nd the answers outside of himself. The only one beyond us that is qualied to answer is the Creator. What a novel idea for many. Perhaps the Creator knows why we’re here and where we should be going and what are the main issues!This is why we are warned so forcefully, “Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ” (Colossians 2:8). And again, “But avoid foolish questions, and genealogies, and contentions, and strivings about the law; for they are unprotable and vain” (Titus 3:9).Paul passionately wrote fatherly advice to young Timothy, his son in the faith and a pastor at a young but mature age: “O Timothy, keep that which is committed to thy trust, avoiding profane and vain babblings, and oppositions of science falsely so called: Which some professing have erred concerning the faith” (1 Timothy 6:20-21).Note the phrase “oppositions of science falsely so called.” These

97The Benets of Conquering Iniquitydays are dangerous. They are perilous: “This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come” (2 Timothy 3:1). Misguidance is proliferated and even celebrated. Distortion abounds. Science has become a joke. Imagine with me for a moment the mentality of someone who looks at a simple pen, a writing instrument, and says,“There is no pen maker!” To look at creation and say, “There is no Creator!” is the zenith of arrogance and iniquity.However gross these stupidities are, they are not the product of a mere lack of knowledge, logic, or dialectics. They are the deliberate choices of men who have committed the ultimate act of intellectual suicide and treason to deny the Creator: to deny God. A mind that is thus warped will stop at no lengths to establish his own ways, his own agenda, and his own kingdom where he sits as god. This is iniquity. As he continues to play god, he can pursue his immoral ways, unhindered by the being he denies, and yet who is very much there—watching, waiting, longing, and loving!I long ago decided I would rather have a knowledge of the Bible without an education than to have an education without a knowledge of the Bible. Fortunately, most of us these days no longer have to choose between the two. However, if faced with this option, be sure to choose the Bible. That is how you will know where you are going.It is not in man to know his way. It is in God, the Creator. Without iniquity, the light will shine on your ways, and you will be able to say with David, “Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path” (Psalm 119:105).Conquering narcissism is the key to how to see yourself! 21. You will have a ministry of encouragement to others.“When men are cast down, then thou shalt say, There is lifting up…” (Job 22:29)There are two kinds of “lifting up.” One is by self-promotion and the other by God. Both are set forth in this Scripture: “And

98How You See Yourselfwhosoever shall exalt himself shall be abased; and he that shall humble himself shall be exalted” (Matthew 23:12).Iniquity is the exalting of self: making myself unequal to what I was designed by God to be, or do, at a given time in life. The self-help books that line our stores most frequently appeal to our iniquity, to our self-promotion schemes: getting ahead, winning, pulling our own strings, getting what we want, out-performing the competition, out-smarting the resistance, climbing the ladder, striving for the top.So, we learn the techniques, the tricks, the politics, and the principles of selling and manipulation. With varying degrees of what we perceive to be success, we strive onward in our quest for whatever we think is ultimate for us. No success is really gratifying, because iniquity can never be satised. The insatiable appetite for the ultimate would require a person to exchange places with God. Sound familiar?First of all, such ascendancy is impossible. Neither you nor I will ever be God. If we ever were, we wouldn’t know what to do. And can you imagine the devastation we would bring to the entire universe if we had god-powers to carry out our selshness in unrestricted measure? Iniquity creates self-centeredness. When we conquer iniquity, we will be able to view others in a caring way. That will produce a ministry of encouragement.22. Those that are humble will be saved by your message.“…and he shall save the humble person.” (Job 22:29)Oh, the blessing of our being able to help others—to heal, to rescue, to save. It is true that not everyone will receive the help we There are two kinds of “lifting up.” One is by self-promotion and the other by God.

99The Benets of Conquering Iniquityoffer. There are two major factors which determine whether or not others can be helped. First, the prideful versus humble condition of those you would desire to help. It takes humility to be the student and not the teacher, the learner and not the instructor. Many cannot receive help because of their pride.The second factor which determines whether or not others can be helped (and the one we can control) is the character and qualications of ourselves, the helpers. This is determined by our character, whether or not we are helping for iniquitous reasons. Being without iniquity means we have no personal agenda, no hidden motives, no conict of interest, and no built-in self-benets. The iniquity-free person is the only one who can have genuine (and I mean genuine) love. For what is love, but the choosing of the highest good of another without personal prot as a motive? Iniquity always has an agenda of its own: its own exaltation or self-interest.If you conquer iniquity, you will be able to save others.23. Deliverance will come to those separated from evil.“He shall deliver the island of the innocent…” (Job 22:30)Often the main reason those we try to help will not receive godly or righteous instruction from us is that they don’t see us as being any better or any different than themselves. Iniquity is easy to detect. And while we may appear caring in reaching out our helping hands, most people are suspicious. Your ability to deliver others is postulated upon being iniquity-free. Remember how this text began: “If iniquity be in thine hand, put it far away, and let not wickedness dwell in thy tabernacles. For then shalt thou…” (Job 11:14-15). If they can be helped, if they can be saved, if they can be delivered, if they are innocent (meaning free of suspicion of us), they can and will be delivered. But there is one more aspect of being iniquity-free that affects others.

100How You See Yourself24. Their deliverance is related to the pureness of your iniquity-free condition.“…and it is delivered by the pureness of thine hands.” (Job 22:30)A little iniquity will poison the whole process. A cherry pie may only have a little poison in it. In the Scriptural illustration, a little leaven leavens the whole:“Your glorying is not good. Know ye not that a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump?Purge out therefore the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump, as ye are unleavened.” (1 Corinthians 5:6-7)In essence, pureness—the absence of any mixture—is essential. No hidden motives, no personal agenda, no conict of interest, no iniquity; just the cleanness of our hands and the pureness of our motives.

Chapter NineHow the Gospel Resolves Iniquity“He will turn again,He will have compassion upon us; He will subdue our iniquities…” (Micah 7:19)If we are wrong about the gospel, we are wrong about everything. The stakes are highest on this fundamental. It appears that the gospel in modern American Christianity has been reduced to a sloppy, slothful, slanderous aberration. Where is the supernatural? You know the one I mean. The gospel that is “the power of God unto salvation to everyone that believeth” (Romans 1:16). Where is the gospel that makes “old things pass away and all things become new” (2 Corinthians 5:17)? The industrialization of Christianity has brought entirely too many compromises; some of them have far-reaching devastations.The present gospel being preached or marketed is a gospel of forgiveness only, presuming justication without any sanctifying powers. Does this gospel, in fact, save from sin or does it “save” in sin? Does the gospel have the power to save from sinning or does it not? Which gospel do you believe? Are we really transformed and translated from the kingdom of darkness to the kingdom of light and from the kingdom of Satan to the kingdom of God?We know what kingdom we are in, by who our king is. We

102How You See Yourselfget into a kingdom by swearing allegiance to a king. I tell people somewhat humorously, but factually (and certainly joyfully), that I was a Canadian by birth and became American by the grace of God; and I’m a southerner by choice. In fact, I like the bumper sticker that says, “I wasn’t born in the south, but I got here as fast as I could.” To become a citizen of America, I had to pledge “allegiance to the ag of the United States of America and to the Republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with Liberty and Justice for all.” Citizenship also requires the renunciation of allegiances to foreign nations.Satan, once a good guy, once an archangel equal with Gabriel and Michael, became guilty of self-enthronement and lost the kingdom of God. His iniquity, his self-enthronement, cost him everything. True conversion requires the termination of self-rule, which in its essence, is iniquity. Death to self-rule is the clear meaning of this oft cited Scripture:“I am crucied with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me…” (Galatians 2:20)This is not the extermination of the self, but the termination of self-usurpation of God’s rightful place. It is the crucifying of the self out of the god-position: the rulership and management position in our lives that should be reserved for only God Himself. The dethronement of self is surely the meaning in the immersion of water baptism: “Therefore we are buried with Him by baptism into death…” (Romans 6:4).But as in baptism, this death, this burial that is symbolic of the termination of self-rule which must be true in our lives, is only half the story. It gets better. Baptism includes coming back up out of the water, back up out of the death-to-self-rule, to live the resurrected life. And what is that? It is the beginning of living life as it was designed for mankind by the Creator in the beginning: “…that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life” (Romans 6:4). We are now to live a new life, an abundant life, a resurrected life, where Jesus Christ now occupies His rightful God-position in our lives.

103How the Gospel Resolves IniquityIt is a life under His management, His lordship, His guidance.Jesus has many names in the Bible. Here are a few: Jesus, Savior, Master, King, Counsellor, Wonderful, Rose of Sharon, Lily of the Valley, Bright and Morning Star, Fairest of Ten Thousand, Ancient of Days, Teacher, The Anointed One, Alpha and Omega, The Bread of Life, The Chief Cornerstone, The Lamb of God, Emmanuel, The Messiah, The Great Shepherd, and many, many more.But He has a name that is above all names. Jesus is Lord: “…a name which is above every name:That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth;And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” (Philippians 2:9-11)In the Bible, the name Savior appears thirty-seven times. The name Lord is used 7,738 times. How could we have missed this?The “No Lordship Gospel” has ushered us into an era of fake Christianity in the church where Jesus is not Lord (except perhaps in theory). Yes, theologians admit that He is Lord of the universe, but they deny the necessity of His proper functioning position in each of our lives. The gospel has become a mere mental and academic assent to a short catechism of beliefs. Saving faith is not qualied, quantied, or evaluated. It is just assumed. Dietrich Bonnhoeffer had it straight when he said, “Only those who really believe, obey. And only those who obey, really believe.” Unfortunately, antinomianism is back in full strength and in vogue.The truth is that the proper reception of a supernatural gospel will bring about a supernatural experience. And I do mean proper reception. The gospel requires a change of government, from self-rule to Christ-rule, from self-management to God’s management. When Jesus Christ is received properly, that is to say, enthroned in our hearts unchallenged by ourselves, or anyone or anything,

104How You See YourselfHe—in that position of power—works miracles. As Lord and Master, He throws out the bad and the ugly and brings in the new and the beautiful. He cleanses past sins and iniquities (all of them) out of existence, out of existence, out of existence!Never doubt that the God who created something out of nothing can also create nothing out of something. And that, my friend, is what He does with your sins. It’s the new starting point of a new life with Jesus Christ properly enthroned in our hearts, in the management position, replacing the fake god (which was ourselves). You have heard it right, “no man can serve two masters.” Let’s look at the whole verse:“No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.” (Matthew 6:24)Caution! Caution! Make no mistake about the facts. There can be no competition; only one master can rule. It’s either Him or me. Responding properly to what Christ has provided for us on His cross requires full surrender of the god-position in our lives to God Himself, and to no other—not peers, not culture, not friends, not religion, not even myself. The ego must be dethroned for Christ to be enthroned.When that happens, the past is taken care of, including the past sins and the past iniquities. Look at the startling benets:“Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benets:Who forgiveth all thine iniquities.” (Psalm 103:2-3)Jesus intends to x everything—everything! There is nothing broken that He can’t x. There’s nothing lost that He can’t recover. That is why we call Him Savior. That’s why we call Him Redeemer. Rejoice with me! “[Let] all that is within me bless His Holy name” (Psalm 103:1).

105How the Gospel Resolves IniquityWith the past taken care of, Jesus now takes us forward from the present on into the future. We follow Him. Before, we wanted Him to follow us. But now He’s the Lord (instead of me). What blessed relief! Now I am His to command. And I do mean command. Once Jesus asked followers this question:“And why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say?” (Luke 6:46)In essence, He was saying, “Why waste your breath? It is following that counts, not your feigned words, but obedience.” Following is easy now that I have stopped playing god. Now He’s the Leader. He’s the Teacher, and I’m the student.Is it easy? You bet! When we are properly yoked with Him. He said, “…my yoke is easy, and my burden is light” (Matthew 11:30). It is so easy now. However, “…the way of transgressors is hard” (Proverbs 13:15). Let’s pause for a moment to see how easy it is:“Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall nd rest unto your souls.For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” (Matthew 11:28-30)1. Your labor ends.2. Your load will be lighter.3. You get refreshed.4. You learn a new approach to life.5. He is not a harsh leader but meek and lowly.Now He’s the Leader. He’s the Teacher, and I’m the student.

106How You See Yourself6. You will have mental health and emotional strength.7. Your portion is light and easy.What makes going forward easy? We just follow the leader. We discover the joy of living by commandment. Nothing He tells us, no instruction and no commandment, is irritating to us anymore. “We keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous” (1 John 5:3). His instructions and commands become happy guidelines to do that on which our hearts are now set. They used to irritate us. Why? Because they interfered with our iniquity, our previous agenda that was set by our nefarious god-playing.Now we can say, “I delight to do thy will, O my God: yea, thy law is within my heart” (Psalm 40:8). Happy days are here! And what makes them so happy? We enjoy God. Reality has overcome my phony god acts. Now He reigns in me! For real!What does it mean to have the joy of living by commandment? Here it is:“Before I decide, think, or act in any given situation, I rst enquire to see if God has a command that applies. If so, I obey that command immediately, joyfully, and without compromise.”That’s it! Done! It’s easy! And it’s all I have to do the rest of my life. It’s now settled. He rules. He is my God. There is no other. Any other authority that exists in my life must act within the parameters prescribed by the Lord God Himself, in His Word (this includes parents, teachers, employers, pastors, elders, and mentors). Only Jesus is Lord!How does this affect future iniquity? The instructions and commands are severe instructions which have consequences attached to them to underscore their importance. They will always cause us to be motivated by love instead of iniquity. And those attitudes and actions, directed by God, have iniquity-prevention factors built into them. Follow Him, and there will be zero iniquity.The Scriptures speak the truth about us:“All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD

107How the Gospel Resolves Iniquityhath laid on him the iniquity of us all.” (Isaiah 53:6)We went astray. We turned, every one of us, to our own way; that is the essence of iniquity. But Jesus has taken care of it: “…the LORD hath laid on him [Jesus] the iniquity of us all.”

Chapter TenHow to Recover From Past Iniquity“Bless the LORD, O my soul, And forget not all his benets:Who forgiveth all thine iniquities.”(Psalm 103:2-3)Recall that an adequate solution to iniquity requires that: 1) we recover from past iniquity, 2) we are able to terminate present iniquity, and 3) we prevent future iniquity. In this chapter, we will learn how to recover from past iniquity.Here’s good news for you. You won’t have much difculty grasping this, for past iniquity is dealt with in much the same way as past sin. Why the similarity? It’s because Jesus made provision for both on the cross. He bore both our sin and our iniquity. It should be of interest to us that the fty-third chapter of Isaiah, where we are informed of this fact, goes on to give more details about iniquity:“He was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities……We have turned every one to his own way And the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.

110How You See Yourself…By his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; for he shall bear their iniquities.” (Isaiah 53:5-6, 11)Past Iniquities Are Forgiven Out of Existence.Only God can do that. But it is not a trite act; it is an expensive one. Justice demands payment, and indeed, payment was made by our Dear Savior on the cross. It is true that our sins were laid upon Jesus. But it is equally true that our iniquities, yours and mine, were laid upon Him—separate and apart from our sins.It should be noted that the same Scripture that reports that the “Lord hath laid on Him the iniquity of us all,” also includes an accurate denition of the essence of iniquity: “we have turned every one to his own way.” Who can resist, at this point, declaring the great graciousness of our Savior? He took our sins and bore our iniquities— all of them, and for all of us. It is no wonder that Charles Wesley, one of the greatest hymn writers of all time, said he would have gladly given all of his hymns to have written the one authored by Isaac Watts in 1707. The music was written by Lowell Manson:When I survey the wondrous cross Upon which the Prince of Glory died, My richest gain I count but loss And pour contempt on all my pride.Forbid it, Lord, that I should boast, Save in the death of Christ my God! All the vain things that charm me most, I sacrice them to His blood.But it is equally true that our iniquities, yours and mine, were laid upon Him—separate and apart from our sins.

111How to Recover From Past IniquitySee from His head, His hands, His feet, Sorrow and love ow mingled down! Did e’er such love and sorrow meet, Or thorns compose so rich a crown?His dying crimson, like a robe, Spreads o’er His body on the tree; Then I am dead to all the globe, And all the globe is dead to me.Were the whole realm of nature mine, That were a present far too small; Love so amazing, so divine, Demands my soul, my life, my all.To Christ, who won for sinners grace By bitter grief and anguish sore,Be praise from all the ransomed race Forever and forevermore.We must never take forgiveness lightly. Its cost was immense, and its benets equally so. Let us be sure that forgiveness applies to iniquity as well as to sins:“Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benets: Who forgiveth all thine iniquities…” (Psalm 103:2-3)Forgiveness of iniquities makes us indeed blessed, as Romans 4:7 afrms: “Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven…” Forgiveness is certainly amazing, glorious, and wonderful. A whole list of superlatives could be entered here. However, more than forgiveness is needed.

112How You See YourselfPast Iniquities Are Cleansed.A bumper sticker says, “Christians Are Just Forgiven Sinners.” NOT true! Forgiveness is essential, but inadequate. We must not be forgiven and still stuck with our iniquitous condition. We need to have iniquity cleaned out of us. We need a clean start. And Jesus provides that (this is a good time to say, “Hallelujah!” out loud).“And I will cleanse them from all their iniquity, whereby they have sinned against me; and I will pardon all their iniquities, whereby they have sinned, and whereby they have transgressed against me.” (Jeremiah 33:8)Jesus has provided a cleansing stream, a washing, healing stream. It is the red of Calvary. It’s a stain remover that reaches where no other can. It reaches to the soul of a man or woman. It reaches where psychologists, psychiatrists, and counselors can never touch. Its results are manifested in a newness of life because the old is done away with, cleansed out of existence. You now get a clean slate, a new start. You can build anew:“In the day that I shall have cleansed you from all your iniquities I will also cause you to dwell in the cities, and the wastes shall be builded.And the desolate land shall be tilled, whereas it lay desolate in the sight of all that passed by.And they shall say, This land that was desolate is become like the garden of Eden.” (Ezekiel 36:33-35)Imagine your waste places being rebuilt. Imagine the desolate non-productive aspects of your life now blooming and blossoming, like the Garden of Eden. Forgiveness means your iniquities will be remembered no more. This non-remembrance of our iniquities is repeated several times: “…their iniquities will I remember no more” (Hebrews 8:12, 10:17; Revelation 18:5). It’s time for

113How to Recover From Past Iniquityanother out loud, “Hallelujah!”How wonderful, this forgiveness—and yet there is more!Iniquities Are Pardoned.Pardon is the cancellation of penalties and differs greatly from forgiveness. We get to forgive the trespasses of others, but we don’t get to pardon them. They will still have to answer to God (and in some cases the laws of the land), even though we have forgiven them.Pardon, the cancellation of penalties, can ONLY be granted by an ofcial: one who has the power as executor of the laws. Since our iniquities are against God, it is only God who is legally qualied to issue a pardon. But this He does, praise the Lord! Notice from the Scripture cited above:“I will cleanse them from all their iniquity, whereby they have sinned against me; and I will pardon all their iniquities…” (Jeremiah 33:8)In the New Testament, this is referred to as the Doctrine of Remission. We know what happens when a disease is in remission: there is the disappearance or diminution of the signs and symptoms. In medical terms, it can be partial or complete, temporary or permanent. Christ’s blood is so vicariously effective that it provides for remission: “For this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for the remission of sins” (Matthew 26:28). Again, the Scriptures say, “…without shedding of blood there is no remission” (Hebrews 9:22).Our iniquities can be 1) forgiven, 2) cleansed, and 3) pardoned. But these three are all contingent upon the fourth step, which is the condition for the rst three.Iniquity Must Be Turned From.The turning away from iniquity is one of the major reasons for the resurrection:

114How You See Yourself“Unto you rst God, having raised up his Son Jesus, sent him to bless you, in turning away every one of you from his iniquities.” (Acts 3:26)“…all this evil is come upon us: yet made we not our prayer before the LORD our God, that we might turn from our iniquities, and understand thy truth.” (Daniel 9:13)Dearly Beloved, this is a most important part in your reading. With all that you have now learned about iniquity, are you ready and willing to turn, or be turned, from iniquity? You may be thinking that you don’t have the power. If not, you will be given the power. That’s why “the turning” is tied to the resurrection of our Lord. It means He is alive. He is here, and now with you, and He will empower you to turn. This is what He does best. But you must be willing. The contest of wills must end. Surrender. Surrender fully and absolutely. You can pray like Jeremiah who said, “Turn thou me, and I shall be turned; for thou art the Lord my God” (Jeremiah 31:18).

Chapter ElevenHow to Terminate Present Iniquity“...mine iniquities have taken hold upon me,so that I am not able to look up; they are more than the hairs of mine head: therefore my heart faileth me.Be pleased, O LORD, to deliver me:O LORD, make haste to help me.”(Psalm 40:12-13)We will not actually do anything without a sufcient and compelling motivation. This is especially true when the task at hand seems formidable. You have reviewed manytruths in this book and have hopefully come to the realization that iniquity has become an ingrained habit: a bondage with an all-encompassing grip on each of us. It’s worse than being in prison. Instead of being behind the cold steel bars of a prison, it’s like we carry these prison bars with us, everywhere we go. How shall we conquer? First, we have to be adequately motivated. It’s going to take more than positive thinking.How to Motivate Yourself.1. Review the benets of conquering iniquity.

116How You See Yourself2. Review the temporal consequences of continuing in iniquity.3. Review the eternal consequences of continuing in iniquity. Remember: “…depart from me…There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth…and you yourselves thrust out” (Luke 13:27-28).4. Realize how your iniquity affects God personally and directly.How Iniquity Affects God.Iniquity is God’s number one enemy. It consists of our usurping God’s rightful place in our lives. It makes us play god. It’s what Satan did to become the enemy of God, and it got him eternally kicked out of heaven (see Luke 10:18). It was our iniquities that necessitated Jesus going to the cross. And it is the reason, while on the cross, Jesus felt the forsakenness of His Father: when our iniquities were being placed on Jesus, the Father turned His back. God stopped looking! Here’s why:“Thou art of purer eyes than to behold evil, and canst not look on iniquity.” (Habakkuk 1:13)Iniquity separates us from God. “…your iniquities have separated between you and your God” (Isaiah 59:2). I think it was A.W. Tozer who said we talk about God like we talk about jellybeans, with the same casualness. We think He is like us. When in fact, if we, like Isaiah in his iniquity-freeing moment, will see God properly, iniquity will be easy to break. Freedom begins when we see the vast distance between ourselves—the created—and the Creator. There is none like God!It was our iniquities that necessitated Jesus going to the cross.

117How to Terminate Present Iniquity“I saw also the LORD sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and his train lled the temple.Above it stood the seraphims: each one had six wings; with twain he covered his face, and with twain he covered his feet, and with twain he did y.And one cried unto another, and said, Holy, holy, holy, is the LORD of hosts: the whole earth is full of his glory.And the posts of the door moved at the voice of him that cried, and the house was lled with smoke.Then said I, Woe is me! for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips: for mine eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts.Then ew one of the seraphims unto me, having a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with the tongs from off the altar:And he laid it upon my mouth, and said, Lo, this hath touched thy lips; and thine iniquity is taken away, and thy sin purged.” (Isaiah 6:1-7)True worship is almost automatic. I speak not of the iniquitous worship of our day: the false re, the offering up of what is designed to please ourselves and not God. Much contemporary worship is designed and calculated for human amusement and enjoyment, rather than for divine acceptance. The fans, not the followers, arrive to enjoy the cheering, the camaraderie of the smoke and the dance, and the noise that resembles the “rock concert” Moses heard when coming down from the mountain of God. Joshua said, “There is a noise of war in the camp.” On further inspection, Joshua claried and said, it’s “…the noise of them that sing do I hear.” The tragic account of false worship continued: “…as soon as he came nigh unto the camp, that he saw the calf, and the dancing: and Moses’ anger waxed hot…” (Exodus 32:17-19).Beloved, when we see the superiority and the holiness of the everlasting God, we will worship Him in spirit and in truth. While

118How You See Yourselfthe world is lled with people being true to false gods, the church is lled with people being false to the true God. When we have to dress up worship to attract the fans, we are on the wrong track. Ichabod! Which means the glory is departed (1 Samuel 4:21).Worship is not for our benet. In true worship, God is the audience. And we, the congregation, are to be the performers giving honor and glory and thanks to “Him who sits on the throne.” Our praises are to be sung “with understanding” (Psalm 47:7). Both praise and worship are to be executed thoughtfully and intelligently, not intended to be tickling men’s ears, but rather, adoring the Lord. It is to be didactic, instructive, and sensible, conveying the facts of God rather than our liking the sound of the music. The matter is more important than the music. In many a contemporary church service, the worship is designed to please ourselves, the pseudo-gods. And so, we add the smoke and mirrors. Ichabod! All such self-pleasing in the name of “worship to God” is spurious, at best. God doesn’t consider it worship at all.But let’s talk about you and me and holy motivation. The greatest righteous motivations you and I will ever have in this life will come from the realization that what we do affects God. We can grieve Him. Imagine that. Who could measure the depths of grief in the great heart of God, experienced because of us? Do we really know Him “in the fellowship of his suffering?” (Philippians 3:10).Beloved, we can also bring pleasure to God. How I wish I could add ten extra pages to this book to write of this. You can bring happiness to God; so much so, that He will rejoice and sing about you!“The LORD thy God in the midst of thee is mighty; he will save, he will rejoice over thee You can bring happiness to God; so much so, that He will rejoice and sing about you!

119How to Terminate Present Iniquitywith joy; he will rest in his love, he will joy over thee with singing.” (Zephaniah 3:17)NOW we are motivated; motivated properly, purely, and righteously. We are motivated, because we can please God. And don’t you think He’s motivated to help you terminate iniquity? Now that we’re motivated, what’s next?Humble Yourself.Remember, there are three fundamental dispositions. Each of us lives in one or the other.1. Pride (thinking we are above others)2. Humility (thinking we are equal with others)3. Humiliation (thinking we are below others)Pride, the inordinate and inated sense of one’s own status, drives most of us. Pride is the consequential attitude or disposition of iniquity. It is a core issue. In the historical account of Sodom and Gomorrah, we see the direct association between iniquity and pride: “Behold, this was the iniquity of thy sister Sodom, pride…” (Ezekiel 16:49). Pride has compelling powers. It also has consequences. Here is a list of some of the consequences of pride.1. Pride enslaves to wrong behavioral patterns and attitudes:“Pride compasseth them about as a chain” (Psalm 73:6).2. Pride causes verbal abuse: “In the mouth of the foolish is a rod of pride: but the lips of the wise shall preserve them” (Proverbs 14:3). “For the sin of their mouth and the words of their lips let them even be taken in their pride: and for cursing and lying which they speak” (Psalm 59:12).3. Pride causes contention with others: “Only by pride cometh contention: but with the well advised is wisdom” (Proverbs 13:10).

120How You See Yourself4. Pride causes shame and a lack of wisdom: “When pride cometh, then cometh shame: but with the lowly is wisdom” (Proverbs 11:2).5. Pride precedes failure: “Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall” (Proverbs 16:18).6. Pride is repulsive to others: “A man’s pride shall bring him low: but honour shall uphold the humble in spirit” (Proverbs 29:23).7. Pride causes lying and misrepresentation: “…he is very proud: even of his haughtiness, and his pride, and his wrath: but his lies shall not be so” (Isaiah 16:6).8. Pride causes self-deception: “The pride of thine heart hath deceived thee…Though thou exalt thyself as the eagle, and though thou set thy nest among the stars, thence will I bring thee down, saith the LORD” (Obadiah 1:3-4). “For if a man think himself to be something, when he is nothing, he deceiveth himself” (Galatians 6:3).9. Pride causes self-destructive behaviors: “Woe to the crown of pride, to the drunkards of Ephraim, whose glorious beauty is a fading ower…” (Isaiah 28:1).10. Pride causes severe self-exaltation: “We have heard the pride of Moab, (he is exceeding proud) his loftiness, and his arrogancy, and his pride, and the haughtiness of his heart” (Jeremiah 48:29).11. Pride destroys family members: “The LORD will destroy the house of the proud” (Proverbs 15:25).12. Pride causes the abandonment of facts: “Most men will proclaim every one his own goodness: but a faithful man who can nd?” (Proverbs 20:6).13. Pride prevents seeking after God: “The wicked, through the pride of his countenance, will not seek after God: God is not in all his thoughts” (Psalm 10:4).14. Pride crowds out all thoughts about God: “The wicked, through the pride of his countenance, will not seek after God: God is not in all his thoughts” (Psalm 10:4).

121How to Terminate Present Iniquity15. Pride is not to be trusted: “Blessed is that man that maketh the LORD his trust, and respecteth not the proud, nor such as turn aside to lies” (Psalm 40:4).16. Pride causes the rejection of God’s commandments: “Thou hast rebuked the proud that are cursed, which do err from thy commandments” (Psalm 119:21).17. Pride causes vengeance: “Proud and haughty scorner is his name, who dealeth in proud wrath” (Proverbs 21:24).18. Pride creates distance from God: “Though the LORD be high, yet hath he respect unto the lowly: but the proud he knoweth afar off” (Psalm 138:6).19. Pride is an adequate cause for God’s hatred: “Every one that is proud in heart is an abomination to the LORD: though hand join in hand, he shall not be unpunished” (Proverbs 16:5).20. Pride causes troublemaking: “He that is of a proud heart stirreth up strife…” (Proverbs 28:25).21. Pride creates a false sense of success: “And now we call the proud happy…” (Malachi 3:15).22. Pride creates delusions of grandeur: “…he hath scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts” (Luke 1:51).23. Pride creates pseudo-intellectualism: “He is proud, knowing nothing, but doting about questions and strifes of words, whereof cometh envy, strife, railings, evil surmisings, Perverse disputings of men of corrupt minds, and destitute of the truth, supposing that gain is godliness: from such withdraw thyself” (1 Timothy 6:4-5).24. Pride prevents the fear of God: “The fear of the LORD is to hate evil: pride, and arrogancy, and the evil way, and the froward mouth” (Proverbs 8:13).25. Pride causes divine resistance: “God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble” (1 Peter 5:5).This list should help us see clearly that pride, the attitude of

122How You See Yourselfiniquity, is wicked, repulsive, and disgusting. The question for each of us now becomes what to do about this innate condition. Here is the Biblical answer:“Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up.” (James 4:10)“Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time:Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.” (1 Peter 5:6-7)How to Humble OurselvesWe must rst be utterly persuaded that humility, and not pride, is the worthy pursuit. And that humility does not mean humiliation.Secondly, we must realize that we are personally responsible for this achievement. Let us humble ourselves, so that neither God nor others will have to. It is our task.Thirdly, we must have the end in view; and it is quite delightful. God will lift us up to what we should be. He will exalt us at the right time. Then we will be secure. We will not have to get to the proper station in life through manipulation, politics, self-promotion, or articial means:“…be clothed with humility: for God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble.” (1 Peter 5:5)God will now give grace. When God places us, we will not be vulnerable to the attacks of others:“Promotion cometh neither from the east, nor the west, nor from the south. But God is the judge:He putteth down one, and setteth up another.” (Psalm 75:6-7)

123How to Terminate Present IniquityFourthly, when we humble ourselves, we get to “cast all our care upon Him” (1 Peter 5:7). What is that worth? Notice in the Scripture above, that when we humble ourselves under the hand of God, that He assumes responsibility for our well-being. This is strongly indicated by the phrase, “For He careth for you.”Fifthly, there are a number of Biblically authorized activities which can help us humble ourselves. They may seem mechanical, but believe me, they have many spiritual dynamics embedded in them. Here are ten of them:1. Confess your faults to caring others, and ask them to pray for you: “Confess your faults one to another, and pray for one another, that ye may be healed” (James 5:16).2. Stay submitted to the proper authorities. Pride forces us to think we are the nal authority.3. Ask for forgiveness. Go to those you have wronged (no letters or phone calls), work out the wording in advance, and ask for forgiveness. This is not an apology. It should go something like this: “I was so wrong when I (said or did thus and so), and I know I don’t deserve forgiveness, but would you be willing to forgive me?”4. Make restitution. We can make our wrongs right, but we can never make right all the consequences of our wrongs. Nevertheless, if I stole a car yesterday and I repent today, what should I do? Answer: take the car back. What if I stole the car seven years ago? What if it wasn’t a car but a piece of cheap jewelry? The Scriptures say, “He that covereth his sins shall not prosper: but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy” (Proverbs 28:13). When Zacchaeus told the Lord that he would restore four times as much to those he had taken from by false accusation, the Lord said, “This day is salvation come Restitution is the proof of repentance.

124How You See Yourselfto this house” (Luke 19:8-9). Restitution is the proof of repentance.5. Return good for evil. Pride wants us to give evil for evil and perhaps good for good. But we don’t respond according to an exalted ego anymore (see Matthew 5:44-45).6. Welcome criticism, even if it comes from hypocrites or from people whose intentions may be evil. “Bless them which persecute you: bless, and curse not” (Romans 12:14). Remarkably, Jesus told us to listen to hypocrites and to obey them. He told us not to follow their example, however: “All therefore whatsoever they bid you observe, that observe and do; but do not ye after their works: for they say, and do not” (Matthew 23:3). (When my wife read this part of the manuscript, she handwrote in, “Be sure to tell them to welcome criticisms from their wife as well.” There I did it…sort of.)7. Kneel before the Lord. Kneeling is a body position that shows reverence, submission, and obeisance. It is a bowing down, a prostration before the Lord. The word proskynein, occurs fty-nine times in the New Testament. Liturgical churches carry on the tradition. “Let us kneel before the LORD, our maker…” (Psalm 95:6). Let our knees bow before the One whose name is above all names.8. Give credit to others. Give honor to whom it is due.9. Express gratefulness, making known to God and others the many ways they have beneted our lives.10. Give sacricially as an expression of gratefulness to God for all the benets He has given to you.Obey Every Instruction of the Lord.The passage regarding the transmission of iniquities from fathers to children provides a dynamic insight to iniquity, termination, and prevention. That Scripture speaks of “…visiting

125How to Terminate Present Iniquitythe iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me, And showing mercy unto thousands of them that love me and keep my commandments” (Deuteronomy 5:9-10).Notice that the antidote, the counteracting measures against the passed-on effects of iniquity, are two-fold: love for God and the keeping of His commandments.I recall the nightmarish war, the combat I had in struggling to deal with my iniquity. I had great consternation over the potential effects of my iniquity on our two daughters. I needed to deal with iniquity, not just for my soul’s sake, but for their sakes. I needed to be loving God and keeping His commandments.I am pleased to report to you that our two daughters have become awesome before the Lord. I claim no credit. Each of them has been a seeker of the Lord and His ways. They married men of the same stripe. Over several decades now, they have disciplined themselves and proven true to the Lord and His Word. I’m also sure that they beneted from the virtues of their mother. They are spectacular; they are heroes of mine. And I see their children being raised in an iniquity-free environment.Commands are simply instructions. They are, however, instructions that are so important they have benets and consequences attached to them: benets if we follow them and consequences if we don’t. They are designed, and have forged into them, the dynamics of success. And don’t forget that by terminating iniquity you will be able to “See Yourself.”

Chapter TwelveHow to Prevent Future Iniquity“Let every onethat nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity.”(2 Timothy 2:19)1. Get back what iniquity has taken: “First Love.”Iniquity is the enemy of love. The opposite of love is not hate. For example, true love requires hatred: hatred of evil. Love is giving to God and others without personal prot as a motive. Iniquity is taking from God and others, regardless of the expense to them. Love is giving; iniquity and selshness are about taking.The greatest of commandments is to “Love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might” (Deuteronomy 6:5). The created greatly adoring the Creator is quite normal. But we, all of us, have gone our own ways, ignored Him, forsaken Him, deserted Him, and have settled for playing God ourselves. That never works out. Some of us have returned to the Lord, and He has graciously pardoned us. We returned by following the instructions in Isaiah fty-ve:“Seek ye the LORD while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near:

128How You See YourselfLet the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the LORD, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.” (Isaiah 55:6-7)1. We sought Him while He could be found.2. We called upon Him while He was near.3. We forsook our wicked ways.4. We left off our unrighteous way of thinking.5. We returned to the Lord.6. He had mercy on us.7. He abundantly pardoned us.Thus began the greatest romance of a lifetime (yea, an eternity), a love relationship with God. It was intense. It was passionate. It was as if the res of love burned within us. Passion for Him was normal. We sought Him. He responded. We cried. He dried our tears. Our sorrows were turned into laughter. We walked with Him. Consulted the great I Am. Enthusiasm abounded. Doing right became our ultimate intention. We lived to please Him. His smile inspired us. His voice was sweet. We met Him in secret places. Our fellowship with Him was unbroken. Beloved Reader, I hope you experienced this “rst love” with Him. More importantly, I hope you are still in love with Him now. If not, iniquity has taken away that zeal, that passion, that rst love:“And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold.” (Matthew 24:12)No one can go two different directions at the same time. Jesus gave us an example when He said, “No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or No one can go two different directions at the same time.

129How to Prevent Future Iniquityelse he will hold to the one, and despise the other…” (Matthew 6:24). You may not hate God, but notice the or else condition: “he will hold to the one, and despise the other.” We get complacent. His instructions become interfering. God’s commands always interfere with selshness and iniquity. The danger is that we “wax cold.”Don’t get me wrong. We still hate evil, speak out against hypocrisy, do good works (even with zeal), and attend the meetings. We keep going forward, it seems. But! But! But we have lost our “rst love.” This was the exact description of the Church in Ephesus in Revelation chapter two:“I know thy works, and thy labour, and thy patience, and how thou canst not bear them which are evil: and thou hast tried them which say they are apostles, and are not, and hast found them liars:And hast borne, and hast patience, and for my name’s sake hast laboured, and hast not fainted.Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy rst love.” (Revelation 2:2-4)How to Test for “First Love”1. I have more delight in the Lord than in anyone else: “Love the Lord with all your heart…” (See Deuteronomy 6:5, quoted above, for points 1-4).2. I long for time with Him in prayer and in His Word: “Love the Lord with all your soul…” (I recently read this: “Complaining about the silence of God with your Bible closed is like complaining about not getting texts when your phone is turned off.”)3. During leisure moments, I reect on the Lord: “Love the Lord with all your mind…”

130How You See Yourself4. I do not do the things that displease the Lord: “Love the Lord with all your strength…”5. I keep all His commandments: “If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love” (John 15:10).6. I treat Christian brothers and sisters as I do the Lord: “By this shall all men know ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another” (John 13:35).7. I view His commandments as His loving instructions, not as restrictions to my happiness: “For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous” (1 John 5:3).8. I care about the approval of God rather that the opinions of any others: “How can ye believe, which receive honour one of another, and seek not the honour that cometh from God only?” (John 5:44).9. I am careful not to do any activity that offends or weakens a fellow Christian; such would be a sin against Christ Himself: “But take heed lest by any means this liberty of yours become a stumblingblock to them that are weak…But when ye sin so against the brethren, and wound their weak conscience, ye sin against Christ” (1 Corinthians 8:9, 12).10. I weep over the sinful condition of mankind. Aching with disappointment, Jesus says, “…ye will not come to me, that ye might have life” (John 5:40). To me, this is one of the saddest verses in the Bible.11. I feel the feelings of God. Love causes our feelings to be synced with God’s. Whatever is on God’s heart will be on our hearts also, if indeed we love Him. For example, because of His love, this is how God feels toward us. He is, “touched with the feeling of our inrmities…” (Hebrews 4:15). On the other hand, there are those, “who being past feeling have given themselves over…” to other pursuits (Ephesians 4:19).

131How to Prevent Future Iniquity12. I enter into both His power and His sufferings. Genuine love suffers, and according to the famous love chapter of the Bible, it suffers long: “That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings…” (Philippians 3:10).How to Get Back Your “First Love”Following the Revelation chapter two passage above, where the Lord awakens us to our loss of “rst love,” He gives us three steps in the next verse—verse ve— to change the loss and enable us to recover our “rst love:”1. “Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen”: We must realize that it was we who moved, we who changed the relationship, we who lost. So, we need to remember how it was and how it still should be. We make the “rst love” condition the utmost pursuit of our lives.2. “And repent”: We must repent of the iniquity of allowing whoever or whatever to capture our affections away from Him.3. “…and do the rst works”: Spend time with Him. Delight yourself in Him. Refuse distractions. Watch out for amusements which cause the meaningless passage of time. Make Him your “rst love.”2. Develop Genuine, Joyful Self-Acceptance.Genuine self-acceptance keeps us right where we should be: living in humility, with no self-exaltation necessary or even desirable, and certainly no humiliation or self-rejection. How do we arrive at genuine and joyful self-acceptance?1. Realize that God, the Creator, made you! Did you get that? Think about it for a moment. This wonderful being of God created elephants that stand on their feet for forty years, eat two to four hundred pounds of vegetation a day, have molars that are twelve inches long

132How You See Yourselfand four inches wide, have hearts that weigh forty-ve pounds, and communicate at frequencies below what the human ear can hear. God also created termites that live up to thirty years (but hopefully not in your house); woodpeckers that peck twenty times per second without knocking their brains out; bees that ap their wings three hundred times a second, which is faster the an airplane propeller turns; amingos that can only eat when their heads are upside down; frogs that have to close their eyes to swallow; rabbits which talk to each other by thumping their feet; earthworms that have neither eyes nor ears; ants that never sleep and have ve noses; ducks that frequently swim while sleeping; polar bears that are all lefties; hummingbirds that weigh less than a penny and can y backwards or hover; pigeons whose feathers weigh more than their bones; cows that chew eighteen hours per day; horses that can look forward with one eye and backwards with their other eye at the same time; adult moths that never eat; owls that can’t move their eyes; insects whose blood is yellow; lions whose roar can be heard as far as ve miles away; whales and dolphins that fall only half asleep, because the two hemispheres of their brains take turns sleeping, so that the half of their brain that is awake can make sure they continue going to the surface to breathe.2. God created you as well, and He is a marvelous Creator with diversity that is innite: there are no two snowakes alike, no two ngerprints alike, and no two people alike. He made you absolutely unique, not a clone, not a copy but an original, a rst edition. Here’s the proof: “Know ye that the LORD he is God: it is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves; we are his people” (Psalm 100:3). A man and a woman got together, your father and your He made you absolutely unique, not a clone, not a copy but an original, a first edition.

133How to Prevent Future Iniquitymother, and in keeping with the laws that God designed, there was going to be a baby coming: you. But who put the you inside that baby’s body? The answer is God. People can make babies, but they cannot make people. You are a spirit. That’s why you have two fathers: a father after the esh and the Father who made you, the spirit. So, Jesus taught us to pray, “Our Father which art in heaven” (Matthew 6:9). The father of the real you is God: “…we have had fathers of our esh which corrected us, and we gave them reverence: shall we not much rather be in subjection unto the Father of spirits…?” (Hebrews 12:9).3. He made the real you, specically, and He doesn’t make mistakes. You are His workmanship. Iniquity causes us to try to be someone or something else. You will be in deep trouble if you don’t accept yourself. This trouble will last the rest of your life and keep you perpetually on the wrong track: “Woe unto him that striveth with his Maker!…Shall the clay say to him that fashioneth it, What makest thou?” (Isaiah 45:9). Give yourself a treat, and read, ponder, and meditate on the rst eighteen verses of Psalm 139. This is the story of the real you. Stop trying to be anyone or anything else.4. Stop comparing yourself with others. I know. I know. The culture has already promoted this from grade school to college, from advertising to beauty competitions. But it is devastating in its consequences. “We dare not…” Did you get that? “We dare not make ourselves of the number, or compare ourselves with some that commend themselves: but they measuring themselves by themselves, and comparing themselves among themselves, are not wise” (2 Corinthians 10:12). I know that’s a mouthful. But break it down: A) Don’t be a part of the group that compares themselves. Watch out. It’s the talk of the locker room and the talk shows; it’s everywhere. B) They commend themselves; they praise themselves. They are their own Public Relations

134How You See Yourselfrm. C) This is not a wise enterprise. It comes down to everyone aunting their iniquity. Don’t join in the competition. It’s not smart.5. Celebrate, but don’t boast about the real you. Iniquity causes boasting: “How long shall they utter and speak hard things? and all the workers of iniquity boast themselves?” (Psalm 94:4). The very next verse explains the consequences: “They break in pieces thy people…” If you want to boast, boast about God (Psalm 44:8). Be sure to celebrate you. You really are a somebody!6. Avoid competition. Competition pits you against others and others against you. Competition is a contest. The obsession with sports today needs to be questioned. When two ghters enter the ring, there is going to be a winner and a loser. What is happening in the audience or to the viewers? Don’t they end up rejoicing in iniquity? We get excited about one punching out the lights of the other. This same condition of strife carries over in most walks of life. Businesses compete. Schools compete. Churches compete. Nations compete. Why are we always trying to outdo one another? What can end the strife? Can’t we help one another? Perhaps we are marching to the wrong beat.3. Return to Submission to Your Rightful Authorities.Remember that iniquity manifests itself in the following ways: • Exaltation of self (Intoxication)• Exaltation of self above or equal to God • Exaltation of self above or equal to authorities • Exaltation of self above others• Refusal to accept one’s value or station in life • Refusal to be what God says one should be • Refusal to do what God says one should do

135How to Prevent Future IniquityIniquity often manifests itself in stirring up rebellion against authorities. The Biblical term is insurrection.“Hide me from the secret counsel of the wicked; from the insurrection of the workers of iniquity.” (Psalm 64:2)In order to return to the proper relationship to your authorities, you should consider the following:1. Determine who your rightful authorities are.2. Remember that each rightful authority has a specied jurisdiction, a dened scope, and measured parameters and must operate within the specied dimensions.3. Go to each of your authorities and ask forgiveness for not having honored their God-assigned leadership in your life, and pledge to respond properly, going forward.4. Consider the authority roles of parents, employers, civil authorities, church elders, and tutors.4. Develop a Servant Spirit.I told you earlier that there are a thousand things I love about God. I’ve never counted them or even listed them (yet). Some of them are so profound, staggeringly so. Certainly, you’ve read a few of them within these pages. However, consider this: God, in a very large measure, is a servant God, a servant-Father, a servant King. He cares about His subjects. We know what God is like, through Jesus. Jesus is the visible image of the invisible God. Whatever Jesus is like, God the Father is like; whatever Jesus is like, the Holy Spirit is like. Jesus has a servant-spirit. He Himself said, “…the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister…” (Matthew 20:28). He came not to be served, but to serve. Further, Jesus taught that a servant spirit was the essence of greatness:“But he that is greatest among you shall be your servant.

136How You See YourselfAnd whosoever shall exalt himself shall be abased; and he that shall humble himself shall be exalted.” (Matthew 23:11-12)This is stunning: Jesus, a servant. If I were God coming to earth, I think I’d have hired a PR rm to spread the word ahead of time. I would have at least had celestial loudspeakers, a back-up band, a parade, a white horse, and ten thousand-plus attendees. I’d have tried to make a big splash with colored brochures and massive banners and made sure to have crack reporters and Fox news on hand.But not Jesus. Some angels did show up, but there were no crowds for them. There were just a few smelly shepherds and some sheep in an out-of-the-way, remote location. And to show up as a babe?I guess when you are God, you can do such things. No need to impress anyone when you’re God Almighty.He wasn’t just a king. He was a Servant-King. Imagine! He washed the feet of His disciples. And He was always helping someone, always doing good deeds, always healing, always blessing children, always caring, always going out of His way—for others.Then it came to dying, not for Himself, but for others! And who were the others? You’d think they’d be the nice people, the important people, the nobility, or at least those who were friendly toward Him. But no. Not Jesus. Not God. He died for His enemies: “[For] while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8). Do you know what that means? If you were at war, in a foxhole, shooting across a eld at the enemy, and a grenade landed in the foxhole, a fellow soldier might jump on it, dying to save a comrade. But Jesus died for those on the other side of the eld shooting at Him. Yes, He died for His enemies.How to Develop a Servant Spirit1. Let the Lord Jesus Christ be your model and example. Become others-conscious: “Look not every man on his

137How to Prevent Future Iniquityown things, but every man also on the things of others” (Philippians 2:4).a. Learn to think as He thinks: “Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 2:5).b. Don’t concern yourself with your reputation: “But made himself of no reputation…” (Philippians 2:7).c. Look and act like a servant, instead of a boss: “…and took upon him the form of a servant…” (Philippians 2:7).d. Keep humble. You serve from beneath, not from above: “And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself…” (Philippians 2:8).e. Learn to obey the instructions of those you are serving: “…and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross” (Philippians 2:8).2. Recognize that greatness is based on how many and how well you serve others, not on how many serve you: “And whosoever of you will be the chiefest, shall be servant of all” (Mark 10:44). 3. Don’t get in the lordship position. The Gentiles wanted to rule and be bosses over the people. They thought greatness was based on how many you could dominate or rule over. But watch Jesus’s instructions:“But Jesus called them to him, and saith unto them, Ye know that they which are accounted to rule over the Gentiles exercise lordship over them; and their great ones exercise authority upon them.But so shall it not be among you: but whosoever will be great among you, shall be your minister:And whosoever of you will be the chiefest, shall be servant of all.

138How You See YourselfFor even the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.” (Mark 10:42-45) Jesus made it plain: “Don’t be bossy. Don’t try to be lord over others. Instead seek to serve.”4. Realize that the way to serve Christ is to serve others; it is Christ we serve, not men:“Ye are bought with a price; be not ye the servants of men.” (1 Corinthians 7:23)Here is a great parable that Jesus used to demonstrate that serving others can be serving Him.“Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world:For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in:Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me.Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink?When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee?Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee?And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done

139How to Prevent Future Iniquityit unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.” (Matthew 25:34-40)5. Do not look for honor from men:“How can ye believe, which receive honour of one another, and seek not the honour that cometh from God only?” (John 5:44) Seek only to please the Lord. To your own Master only, do you rise or fall. God’s approbation is all you need: “Who art thou that judgest another man’s servant? to his own master he standeth or falleth. Yea, he shall be holden up: for God is able to make him stand” (Romans 14:4).6. Learn to esteem others.“Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves.Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others.” (Philippians 2:3-4)5. Live LoveLove is the antithesis of iniquity. In the famous love chapter of the Bible, love stands out in bold contrast to iniquity:“(Love) rejoiceth not in inquity…” (1 Corinthians 13:6)We know that “God is love” (1 John 4:8). If love and iniquity are incompatible, then we know that God, since He IS love, does not have any iniquity. But let’s be sure, according to the Scriptures:

140How You See Yourself“Wherefore now let the fear of the LORD be upon you; take heed and do it: for there is no iniquity with the LORD our God, nor respect of persons, nor taking of gifts.” (2 Chronicles 19:7)God loves you. The very best theology that has ever been presented was in the little Sunday School chorus, “Jesus loves me, this I know, for the Bible tells me so.” God loves, and God is loving. His goal is to make us into ladies and gentlemen who love. In fact, it’s the proof of being a genuine Christian. “By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another” (John 13:35).Living love is the ultimate lifestyle of God. It’s what He’s looking for in His children. It is the main character quality produced in us by His grace. It’s a quality that He intends to eternalize, that is, to give eternal life to, so that heaven stays heaven. Iniquity was kicked out of heaven. Iniquity must be conned and restricted. Otherwise, it would contaminate the whole universe. So there really is a hell, a place of connement, the Alcatraz of Eternity. It is like an insane asylum with rubber walls, where selshness cannot damage others or the rest of God’s universe and where the res of unfulllment burn on forever, because selshness and iniquity are unsustainable and insatiable. It reaches out to grab, clutch, and grasp but comes up empty. But you and I, Beloved, are destined to live love, the opposite of selshness and iniquity. Here’s how.What it means to “live love” (1 Corinthians 13:4-8)1. Be willing to suffer: “Charity suffereth long…”2. Be kind to those who cause your suffering: “Charity suffereth long, and is kind…”3. Refuse to be envious: “Charity envieth not…”4. Refuse to compare or compete with others: “Charity vaunteth not itself…”5. Refuse to exalt yourself: “[Charity] is not puffed up…”

141How to Prevent Future Iniquity6. Insist on reverencing others, refusing to display bad manners: “Doth not behave itself unseemly…”7. Insist on choosing what is best for others, without regard for personal benet: “Seeketh not her own…”8. Refuse to be irritated in your agenda: “Is not easily provoked…”9. Be careful to maintain loving mental attitudes: “Thinketh no evil…”10. Mourn over inequalities: “Rejoiceth not in iniquity…”11. Insist on honesty, authenticity, transparency, openness, and spontaneity: “But rejoiceth in the truth…”12. Be willing to assume responsibilities: “Beareth all things…”13. Keep full trust in others until it is no longer factually possible to do so: “Believeth all things…”14. Maintain optimism, because you understand the superiority of love over iniquity: “Hopeth all things…”15. Stay fortied to the point of being undaunted: “Endureth all things.”The qualities of love will always defeat iniquity, because “Love never faileth.”6. Develop a merciful dispositionIniquity is so set on its own self-interest that showing mercy to others doesn’t occur in its thinking. Iniquity is not soft or gentle, compassionate or caring towards others.Clearly the Scriptures explain that developing the character quality of mercy helps to rid us of iniquity.“By mercy and truth iniquity is purged: and by the fear of the LORD men depart from evil.” (Proverbs 16:6)

Had Nebuchadnezzar heeded the wise counsel of Daniel, he would not have gone crazy, ending up eating grass like a beast in the eld. He slept in the damp and the dew of each night. His hair was tattered and mangled grown to the length of eagle’s feathers and his ngernails were like bird’s claws. Deranged and out of his mind simply because he harkened not to this instruction. He chose sin and iniquity over tranquility.“...O king, let my counsel be acceptable unto thee, and break off thy sins by righteousness,and thine iniquities by shewing mercy to the poor; if it may be a lengthening of thy tranquillity.” (Daniel 4:27)

Chapter ThirteenHow We Overcome the Iniquities of Our Fathers“Our fathers have sinned, and are not;and we have borne their iniquities.”(Lamentations 5:7)Iniquities are passed to us from our fathers.The Scriptures are very clear that we must deal with not only our own iniquities, but those passed to us by our fathers. At least four passages assert the fact that iniquities can be passed on and affect children three to four generations later. These passages are oft misquoted as “the sins of the fathers are passed on.” Let’s look carefully at these passages.“…for I the LORD thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me;

144How You See YourselfAnd shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me, and keep my commandments.” (Exodus 20:5-6 and Deuteronomy 5:9-10)Iniquities are passed on to those who hate God, not to those who love Him and keep His commandments.Iniquities of fathers are passed on to “them that hate me.” But mercy is shown unto “them that love me, and keep my commandments.” Love for God has many benets, as does the keeping of His commandments. One of the benets, according to the above text, appears to be the nullifying of the effects of our father’s iniquities. Love for God is always demonstrated in keeping His commandments and doing so joyfully:“For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous.” (1 John 5:3)Keeping the Lord’s commandments is proof that we really love Him. In fact, if a person does not keep His commandments, he evidences that he does not love God and that he is lying if he says he does:“And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments.He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him.But whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby know we that we are in him.” (1 John 2:3-5)

145How We Overcome the Iniquities of Our FathersGod is intent on forgiving iniquity when He can wisely do so.The predisposition of the Lord is to be merciful, gracious, longsuffering, and full of goodness and truth; and as you will see in the following text, these qualities lead to forgiving iniquity. However, He will not clear the guilty, visiting the iniquity of their fathers upon them. This is a reinforcement of the previous text. Who are the non-guilty? Those who love Him and keep His commandments. Let’s allow the Scriptures to speak for themselves:“And the LORD passed by before him, and proclaimed, The LORD, The LORD God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering and abundant in goodness and truth,Keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, and that will by no means clear the guilty; visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children, and upon the children’s children, unto the third and to the fourth generation.” (Exodus 34:6-7)Again, in the following passage, we have the same principles reiterated. I hope you are not disappointed in the frequent, if not constant, quoting and inclusion of full passages of Scripture in this book. The truth is that the Scriptures are the most important part of the book.“The LORD is longsuffering, and of great mercy, forgiving iniquity and transgression, and by no means clearing the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation.Pardon, I beseech thee, the iniquity of this people according unto the greatness of thy mercy and as

146How You See Yourselfthou hast forgiven this people, from Egypt even until now.” (Numbers 14:18-19)Iniquities are passed to us by our fathers, not our mothers.It should be noted that nowhere do we nd that the iniquities of our mothers are passed on to us. What could be the reason? Perhaps it is because the father is the legal (God-ordained) authority in the home. He is the leader. And as the leader goes, so go the followers.The Scriptures give no indication that the method of transmitting the iniquities of the fathers to their children is through the blood. In fact, quite the contrary. Every passage indicates that the iniquities are “visited upon.” They come from His leadership and example and from his motivations and patterns of behavior.What about the sins of our fathers?The responsibility for our sin is our own. This text is clear that each of us shall die for our own sins and not for those of another. Further, the text says that the children shall not pay the price for their fathers’ sins. You do not have to deal with your father’s sins, only his iniquities:“But he slew not their children, but did as it is written in the law in the book of Moses, where the LORD commanded, saying, The fathers shall not die for the children, neither shall the children die for the fathers, but every man shall die for his own sin.” (2 Chronicles 25:4)“The fathers shall not be put to death for the children, neither shall the children be put to death He is the leader. And as the leader goes, so go the followers.

147How We Overcome the Iniquities of Our Fathersfor the fathers: every man shall be put to death for his own sin.” (Deuteronomy 24:16)Iniquity in the heart produces iniquities in behavior.Iniquity is a heart condition, as we shall see more clearly in the next chapter. This condition of the heart produces both sins and iniquities. It is the heart that must be dealt with in order to affect a lasting termination of this iniquitous condition:“For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies:These are the things which dele a man…” (Matthew 15:19-20)The following is a list of the possible iniquities, passed on from your father, which you may have to deal with:1. How your father treated his wifeIf your father treated his wife, your mother, in any manner which was unequal to the love and dignity to which she should have been treated (as dened by the Scriptures), you will be visited with this same iniquity. You will have the tendency to treat your wife iniquitously, which is unequal to how she should be treated. You must now deal with this iniquity visited upon you from your father. How can you tell if you or your father are not treating your wives properly? Knowing the Seven Instructions for Husbands (see Appendix Four) will answer that question. If you are a daughter, the iniquity visited upon you will be to accept unloving, undignied treatment, which leads to the acceptance of abuse to one degree or another.

148How You See Yourself2. How your father treated youIf your father treated you in a manner unequal to how a father should treat his children (as dened by the Scriptures), you will be visited with this same iniquity. You will have the tendency to treat your children iniquitously, which is unequal to how they should be treated, and you must now deal with this iniquity visited upon you from your father. If he provoked you, you will probably provoke your children. If he dealt with you angrily or harshly, you will naturally do the same. Now you will need to learn the Biblical principles of parenting and implement them in order to overcome this iniquity that came from your father. And you will need to develop disciplines to counteract the tendency towards such iniquities.Can you see from the above two illustrations how loving God and keeping His commandments prevents the iniquity of your father from coming upon you? You may respond by saying you understand how keeping the commandments (on how to treat your wife and how to treat your children) help overcome iniquity, but what has love for God got to do with it? The answer is simple. Love for God should be the reason, the primary motive, for keeping His commandments.3. How your father treated his authoritiesIf your father disregarded speed limits when driving or displayed a lack of respect for the laws of the land in any way (which is being unequal to the rightful laws, i.e. iniquity), you too will have the propensity to do the same. Why? Because the iniquity of your father is visited upon you.The same is true of his attitude, disposition, and behavior toward employers. We know the right attitude to employers to which we should be equal and compliant. They are outlined in the Scriptures:

149How We Overcome the Iniquities of Our Fathers“Servants, be subject to your masters with all fear; not only to the good and gentle, but also to the froward.” (1 Peter 2:18)“Servants, be obedient to them that are your masters according to the esh, with fear and trembling, in singleness of your heart, as unto Christ;Not with eyeservice, as menpleasers; but as the servants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart;With good will doing service, as to the Lord, and not to men:Knowing that whatsoever good thing any man doeth, the same shall he receive of the Lord, whether he be bond or free.” (Ephesians 6:5-8)Employees, according to the above Scriptures, are required to be the following:1. Obedient to employers (masters according to the esh)2. Fearful (alertness)3. Single-minded (concentrating, no diversions)4. As if you are doing your work for Christ (as unto Christ)5. Without having to be watched (not with eyeservice)6. Not as pleasing mere men (as menpleasers)7. Mindful that you are really doing the will of God8. Working with your heart in it9. Kind in your work habits (with good will)10. Understand that your rewards and promotions come from God

150How You See YourselfAs employees, we are to do all that is listed, even if our employer is not good or gentle, but is instead warped or perverse.It is of special interest to note that the principle of doing our work as unto the Lord and not unto our employer alone, is mentioned three times. Perhaps it is because we answer to a higher authority from whom also we receive promotions:“For promotion cometh neither from the east, nor from the west, nor from the south.But God is the judge: he putteth down one, and setteth up another.” (Psalm 75:6-7)4. How your father responded to church eldersThis is a day when the proper balanced understanding of the authority relationships within the church are little known and practiced less. Yet proper authority is a good thing, in fact, ordained by the Lord:“Obey them that have the rule over you, and submit yourselves: for they watch for your souls, as they that must give account, that they may do it with joy, and not with grief: for that is unprotable for you.” (Hebrews 13:17)Elders are set in the church by the Lord to teach, pray for the sick, and rule or oversee (administrate ministries). They watch out for us, for our souls. They will give an account to God. They are to be obeyed when instructing us within their scope of jurisdiction. It must be remembered that all proper authority has a dened and limited jurisdiction, scope, or dimension. The only absolute authority is God Himself. All human authorities representing Him have a dened authority. This balanced view of authority is crucial to Biblical functions. Straying from this idea of

151How We Overcome the Iniquities of Our Fathershuman authority being dened, and thus conned, leads to conduct from the silly to the catastrophic; from anarchy to domination.Having established that authority must be balanced and dened, we nevertheless must be submissive to the proper authority of elders acting within their proper bounds. If your father did not respect or respond with obedience to church elders, this iniquity will be passed on to you.5. How your father responded to GodNothing could be of greater importance than how your father did or did not respond to God. If he believed in God but did not obey Him, this iniquity—a performance gap, not walking the talk—will be passed on to you. Without developing specic disciplines to overcome this handed-down propensity, you will tend to live the same hypocrisy as he. How dangerous is this iniquity!6. How your father treated othersThe Bible is a textbook on relationships. It covers the whole gamut: our relationship with God, with parents, with spouses, with children, with friends, with employers, with employees, with enemies, and with strangers. How we treat others is not optional. Wisdom instructs us, and love must compel us. If not, we will be out of proper social adjustment. We further learn from Scripture that we cannot treat others wrongfully and still be right with God. To sin against others, is in fact, to sin against God. A proper vertical relationship with God demands a proper horizontal relationship with all others in our lives.How we treat others is not optional. Wisdom instructs us, and love must compel us.

152How You See YourselfDid your father treat the others in his life according to Scripture principles? Go ahead and do your own analysis of each of the others in your father’s life, as listed above. You will then know what disciplines you need in your life to overcome passed-on iniquity.7. What character aws your father exhibitedChristlikeness is God’s goal for each of us and all of us. This is termed in Scripture as being, “conformed to the image of his Son” (Romans 8:29), as opposed to being “conformed to the world” (Romans 12:2). What does it mean to be Christ-like? How can we measure our progress? If we identify and list the character qualities of Christ, we will then have a basis of measurement.If our fathers displayed juxtaposed behaviors, we will probably have to overcome those same aws.How to Deal with Passed-On Iniquities1. Understand the power of acknowledgement.It is rare, if ever, that a problem is solved when it is not rst identied. Read carefully the following Scriptures, or you will miss important instructions:“Only acknowledge thine iniquity, that thou hast transgressed against the LORD thy God, and hast scattered thy ways to the strangers under every green tree, and ye have not obeyed my voice, saith the LORD.” (Jeremiah 3:13)“We acknowledge, O LORD, our wickedness, and the iniquity of our fathers: for we have sinned against thee.” (Jeremiah 14:20)

153How We Overcome the Iniquities of Our Fathers“I acknowledged my sin unto thee, and mine iniquity have I not hid. I said, I will confess my transgressions unto the LORD; and thou forgavest the iniquity of my sin. Selah.” (Psalm 32:5)The solution begins with our acknowledgement of iniquity, whether ours or that of our fathers. How many people do you know who know anything about iniquity, let alone what to do about it? But the more important question at the moment is whether you will acknowledge your iniquity, and in this case, the iniquities of your father, so that you can begin the resolution process.2. God makes recompense for the iniquities of fathers.God has a provision for iniquity. In His loving kindness He provides this to thousands. He gives it according to His counsel and observation of our ways. He does this without discrimination, that is, without respect of persons.“Thou shewest lovingkindness unto thousands, and recompensest the iniquity of the fathers into the bosom of their children after them: the Great, the Mighty God, the LORD of hosts, is his name,Great in counsel, and mighty in work: for thine eyes are open upon all the ways of the sons of men: to give ever one according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his doings.” (Jeremiah 32:18-19)To whom does God recompense the iniquity of their fathers? God observes and watches all of us. The question, is for what is He watching? The answer is for those who love Him and keep His commandments; it is to those He makes an indemnication, a compensation, indeed, a reparation.

154How You See Yourself3. Evaluate your father and grandfathers.The best way to learn is from instruction. If we don’t, we will have to learn from the next teacher, experience. But experience can be very harsh, even cruel. To benet from experience, we should learn from both what we do right and what we do wrong; from what we do right to keep doing those right things; from what we do wrong to not keep doing those wrong things.Further, we should learn from constructive evaluations of others. If you want to know what it’s like to jump off the Empire State Building, it is best to stand at the bottom and watch someone else do the jumping and not try to experience it yourself! Those around us, including our fathers, provide ample learning possibilities if we will develop our powers of observation.Learn from your father’s true, right, and honorable behaviors and also, from his wrong behaviors. Observe your father, but not judgmentally or condemningly; that would be iniquity. But do observe your father and grandfathers. And if they have done wrong, do not follow their example. Note that this is the instruction of Scripture in Ezekiel 18:14-24:“Now, lo, if he beget a son, that seeth all his father’s sins which he hath done, and considereth, and doeth not such like…”Notice the instruction: a) See your father’s sins, b) Consider, c) Don’t do the same thing.“That hath not eaten upon the mountains, neither hath lifted up his eyes to the idols of the house of Israel, hath not deled his neighbour’s wife…”

155How We Overcome the Iniquities of Our FathersInstead of being like your father: d) you have not served other gods or idols, and e) you have not committed adultery.“Neither hath oppressed any, hath not withholden the pledge, neither hath spoiled by violence, but hath given his bread to the hungry, and hath covered the naked with a garment…”f) You have not taken unfair advantage of others; g) You have paid your debts; h) You have not hurt others; i) You have helped the poor, the hungry, and those who needed clothes.“That hath taken off his hand from the poor, that hath not received usury nor increase, hath executed my judgments, hath walked in my statutes; he shall not die for the iniquity of his father, he shall surely live.”j) You have not been loan sharking; k) You have adjudicated fairly; l) You have followed the ways of the Lord. Then your father’s iniquity will NOT affect you.However, your father is in deep trouble if he did the things you refrained from and didn’t do the right things you did. Look what will happen to him:“As for his father, because he cruelly oppressed, spoiled his brother by violence, and How we respond to the iniquities of our fathers is vitally important.

156How You See Yourselfdid that which is not good among his people, lo, even he shall die in his iniquity. Yet say ye, Why? doth not the son bear the iniquity of the father? When the son hath done that which is lawful and right, and hath kept all my statutes, and hath done them, he shall surely live.”A story is told of two brothers, the sons of a raging alcoholic. One son, in turn, became a raging alcoholic. The other son never touched a drop of it. When asked why, each responded the same way, “What do you expect when you had a father like mine?” How we respond to the iniquities of our fathers is vitally important.When a son considers his father’s iniquity, but does not follow the example, he will not bear the consequences of his father’s iniquity.“The soul that sinneth, it shall die. The son shall not bear the iniquity of the father, neither shall the father bear the iniquity of the son: the righteousness of the righteous shall be upon him, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon him.But if the wicked will turn from all his sins that he hath committed, and keep all my statutes, and do that which is lawful and right, he shall surely live, he shall not die.All his transgressions that he hath committed, they shall not be mentioned unto him: in his righteousness that he hath done he shall live.Have I any pleasure at all that the wicked should die? saith the Lord GOD: and not that he should return from his ways, and live?But when the righteous turneth away from his righteousness, and committeth iniquity,

157How We Overcome the Iniquities of Our Fathersand doeth according to all the abominations that the wicked man doeth, shall he live? All his righteousness that he hath done shall not be mentioned: in his trespass that he hath trespassed, and in his sin that he hath sinned, in them shall he die.” (Ezekiel 18:14-24)It should not be unnoticed that the very next verses dene precisely the meaning of iniquity. Here is a small part of it, although you have seen more details in chapter three.“Yet ye say, The way of the LORD is not equal. Hear now, O house of Israel; Is not my way equal? are not your ways unequal?” (Ezekiel 18:25)“Yet saith the house of Israel, The way of the LORD is not equal. O house of Israel, are not my ways equal? are not your ways unequal?Therefore I will judge you, O house of Israel, every one according to his ways, saith the Lord GOD.Repent, and turn yourselves from all your transgressions; so iniquity shall not be your ruin.” (Ezekiel 18:29-30)4. Develop specic disciplines (keeping commandments).Many of us cringe at the mere mention of keeping commandments. However, after we have had a genuine change of heart, as explained in the next chapter, we can unequivocally and joyfully assert that the commandments are not grievous to us. The commandments are grievous to the one whose heart is set on pleasing himself, because the commandments keep interfering with the wrong intentions of the heart. They are roadblocks to selshness

158How You See Yourselfand narcissism. But when our hearts are set in the direction of pleasing God, the commandments become happy guidelines, to that upon which our hearts are already set.“For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous.” (1 John 5:3) We can say with David:“I delight to do thy will, O my God: yea, thy law is within my heart.” (Psalm 40:8)“But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night.” (Psalm 1:2)“I will delight myself in thy statutes: I will not forget thy word.” (Psalm 119:16)“Thy testimonies also are my delight and my counselors.” (Psalm 119:24)“Make me to go in the path of thy commandments; for therein do I delight.” (Psalm 119:35)“And I will delight myself in thy commandments, which I have loved.” (Psalm 119:47)Built into the commandments of the Lord are the antidotes to iniquities (not iniquity, which is the heart condition; but iniquities, which are the behavioral indications of the heart condition). For example, if one of your father’s iniquities was dishonesty, not being equal to the truth, you will have to deal with that passed-on iniquity. If you develop the

159How We Overcome the Iniquities of Our Fathersdiscipline of honesty, based on a commandment of the Lord, you will overcome that passed-on iniquity. There are a score of Scriptures which will help you develop honesty. Here are a couple:“…for we trust we have a good conscience, in all things willing to live honestly.” (Hebrews 13:18)“Providing for honest things, not only in the sight of the Lord, but also in the sight of men.” (2 Corinthians 8:21)“Provide things honest in the sight of all men.” (Romans 12:17)It is unreasonable to expect any of us to be excited about keeping the commandments of the Lord until we have had a change of heart. That is what will precipitate this enthusiasm.

Chapter FourteenIniquity-Free Living“That which I see not teach thou me:if I have done iniquity, I will do no more.” (Job 34:32)So what’s it like? What’s it like to be free of iniquity?Life is now the way God designed it to be: the freedom to love God and others without a selsh, driving dynamic, pushing for its own agenda. In searching for a Biblical description, which I always want to do, I nd the best summary in the eighth chapter of Romans and the second chapter of Galatians. Let me explain.It requires a before and after to explain it, similar to the before and after pictures of weight-loss. Romans chapter seven describes the before. Here’s a paraphrase: “I wanted to do what was right but couldn’t. There was a law ghting against my mind that kept bringing me into captivity to the law of sin” (See verses 18-22). It was the selsh law of iniquity that kept me from having control.The writer shouts out in desperation, “O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?” (Romans 7:24).I did the same thing. Haven’t you? The picture here requires an understanding of an ancient practice. If one was caught in the act of murder, the ofcials would take the dead body of the murdered victim and tie it on the back of the guilty murderer. The murderer had to carry the dead body on his back for days and nights until it decayed and became disease-infested; it then,

162How You See Yourselfbecause of the attachment, spread to the body of the murderer. He died a terrible, painful, and slow death, eaten away by the decay and vermin. It’s like us carrying this thing, this monkey on our backs, so to speak. And like the writer we call out, “who shall deliver me from the body of this death?”Then comes the answer of the writer. And it’s your answer and my answer: “I thank God through [the Lord] Jesus Christ” (Romans 7:25). And oh, sweet wonders, it continues. “There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus…for the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free…” (Romans 8:1-2).And that’s the after picture: freedom! It’s freedom to love; freedom to do what’s right. Freedom! No more a slave to selsh compulsions. This may sound strange to you, but it’s like being dead but fully alive. I think it’s the meaning of Galatians 2:20-21:“I am crucied with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the esh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me. I do not frustrate the grace of God…”The hindrances to grace have been taken out of the way. Grace is working. The power of the resurrected Christ leads and guides and empowers. There is nothing to prove anymore. We are free. And we must keep that freedom:“Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage.” (Galatians 5:1)We live dead to what was once like an open nerve. We have no buttons for anyone to push. We live anger-free, poised, controlled, This may sound strange to you, but it’s like being dead but fully alive.

163Iniquity-Free Livingcondent, tranquil, and without over-care. We have a peace “that passeth understanding” (Philippians 4:7).All decision-making has a new premise. We make principle-based decisions, in contrast with selsh benet. We are now able to love, to choose the highest good of God and all others without personal prot as a motive. Instead of reacting, we respond. All the benets outlined in chapter six automatically accrue to us. We “walk in newness of life” (Romans 6:4).The abundant life that Jesus promised bursts forth. We lost our life to nd it again. We were humbled that He would exalt us. We went down that we might rise up. We died that we might live. We are now the real deal, whole, healthy, authentic and established, no longer “living unto ourselves but unto Him which died for us and rose again” (2 Corinthians 5:15).He has now qualied us to inhabit the universe when we die or get raptured. Certainly, He will not give eternal life to selsh persons. If He were to do so, we would contaminate the whole universe just like we have done on planet earth. But love like God loves is all we have to do the rest of this life, and it is how we will function in all eternity. You are the work of His grace—what a gem and a jewel. You sparkle because you have now become a reector of His light, His life!Victory is easier now. The fundamental aw of living your own way has been exterminated. The cause of all other misguidance has been replaced by the Royal Law of Love. Your life is no longer a question mark but an exclamation point. Your iniquities have been subdued. Enjoy!“…God, having raised up his Son Jesus, sent him to bless you, in turning away every one of you from his iniquities.” (Acts 3:26)Iniquity-free means living under lordship. There are three “lordships”: The Lordship of Jesus, The Lordship of God’s Word, and the Lordship of Love. These three are synonymous. This is the new life, living under the management of God, His Word, and Love.God is the Chief Executive Ofcer (CEO) of our lives. I

164How You See Yourselfrecently attended a meeting where Ed Kobel asked, “How many have a quiet time with the Lord every day?” Most of us raised our hands. Then he asked, “How long does that time last?” Some signied ten minutes, others twenty. Then Ed dropped the punch line on us. He said, “When you meet with a CEO, the meeting isn’t over until the CEO says it’s over.”When God is really the CEO and we listen for His instructions in life, everything changes. We are functionally different. We now have orders from headquarters. Ed, who is the president and chief operations ofcer of DeBartolo Development in Tampa, Florida, went on to illustrate what Father God had told him to do in a business situation. Nobody in the company could understand why he would be selling their four billion dollars worth of real estate assets and simply sit on the cash. Eight months later, they understood. The 2008 recession hit, and those assets would have been depleted by up to sixty or seventy percent.Being iniquity-free gets our subjective agenda out of the way and enables us to listen to God, hear our Father’s voice, follow Him, and see the wonders He’ll do. Oh, the wonders! And guess what! You will be able to see yourself! And that will be wonderful and amazing. You’ll really like you!

Chapter FifteenIniquity: e Condition of Christendom“Who will rise up for me against the evildoers? or who will stand up for me against the workers of iniquity?” (Psalm 94:16)Christendom is a word that expresses the Christian-inuenced, comprehensive, worldwide, geopolitical power juxtaposed to heathenism, paganisms, and the whole gamut of religions other than Christianity. It has been assumed that Christendom is Christian. It is true that a segment of Christendom is truly Christian, but Christendom also includes a lot of “Christian-looking” inuences that may not be Christian at all.Based on his 1978 lecture at the University of Waterloo, Ontario, Malcolm Muggeridge wrote a book entitled, The End of Christendom. He explains that the founder of Christianity was Christ, but the founder of Christendom was the Emperor Constantine. He asserts that Christendom is based on Christianity but is constructed by men. Herein lie the contaminating elements that were mingled in with Christendom, making it much less than, and other than, Christian.

166How You See YourselfWe now live in a society where genuine Christianity lies buried, somewhere entombed in the highly visible, but contaminated, identity of Christendom. In Christendom, the enthroned ego is accepted and even preferred and celebrated, in contradistinction to the Cross, upon which the ego—the “old man”—is to be crucied, that the new man may appear. The Words of Jesus about followers having to deny themselves, take up their crosses, and follow Him (Matthew 16:24) are not in vogue or fashionable enough for the bulk of Christendom, because most of Christendom is not Christian.Let’s take a look at Scripture that places iniquity in a most obvious Christian-looking context; but the context turns out NOT to be Christian at all:“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?And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.” (Matthew 7:22-23)Here is the description of the “Christian look” in this passage:1. The confession of Jesus as Lord2. The apparent exercise of spiritual gifts (prophecy)3. The apparent exorcism of evil spirits4. The appearance of many good deedsHowever, Christ’s adjudication is that all of these works were not truly Christian at all, but rather the working of iniquity. As such, the doers deserve removal and judgment. Their works look Christian, but they do not, as it is said, pass the smell test.Is it possible to love the ministry without loving God? A minister can love the fact that he or she is listened to, gets to be the teacher and not the student, sways crowds, impresses with humor, or collects a following after some novel or even orthodox fashion. Here’s a paradox:

167Iniquity: The Condition of Christendom“For whosever shall save his life shall lose it: and whoever will lose his life for my sake shall nd it.” (Matthew 16:25)So what makes iniquity so damning? It sounds so Christian, even having the look and the feel of being Christian. The answer is that iniquity is a serious violation of the rst of the Ten Commandments:“Thou shalt have no other gods before me.” (Exodus 20:3)The greatest God-competitor is iniquity: man playing god, the enthronement of the ego in the place properly reserved only for God. The enthroned ego is the antichrist within us. Meanwhile, some of us copy things Christian, and well we should. It will be well for any person, group, or nation who imitates the life-principles taught by Jesus. Many a nation has been able to maintain civil order because of the practice of Christian principles. In those nations, the value of human life is esteemed, and the equality of womanhood is maintained. Some ego-driven persons, gure out that Jesus is right. However, they want to pick and choose from Christ’s instructions. But Jesus is right about everything. Anyone who follows His wise instructions will reap the benets in this life. For example, if a person forgives an offender as Jesus taught us to do, they will live without bitterness. How benecial is that?Genuine Christianity must be a wonderful thing, because so many try to imitate it. Entire religious groups seek to imitate various aspects of Jesus’ teachings. Individuals do it as well, but most are selective, because the enthroned ego wants to decide which parts to follow and which parts to ignore for their own personal advantage.“No gods before Me,” is the issue. How can we tell if we Genuine Christianity must be a wonderful thing, because so many try to imitate it.

168How You See Yourselfhave other gods before Him? It’s actually quite simple. Do we adjust God to t our preferences, or do we adjust our choices to align with Him? When we realize that some aspect of our life is not right according to Scripture, do we immediately and joyfully make changes? Total surrender is essential to being a true follower of the Lord. The rest may be fans of the Lord, but not followers. Followers follow.Imagine a young man saying to his ancé, “I love you so much, I’m going to give up seven of my ten girlfriends.” This is not going to work. Neither will it work when becoming a Christian. The enthroned ego wants to stay in charge. It has reservations. It allows all other kinds of lords, from bitterness to materialism to sensuality. True Christianity is repenting of all competing lordships, especially that of our exalted ego.We have learned to y through the air like birds. We have learned to swim through the seas like sh. But have not learned to walk on the earth like men and women. Instead, we walk around the planet playing little gods. And, we are told by Christendom preachers that God will help us do so! Thus, we have Santa Clause evangelism which says, “If you come to Jesus, you will get…” Misguided leaders offer a listing of gifts, of every sort and description. How pathetic; not the gifts, for there are certainly tremendous benets to being a true God-follower. But, pathetic, because these are offered to a self-centered narcissist who is set on gobbling up anything and everything that he perceives would be a contribution to his personal godhead. We are mad to believe that God would make Himself a slave of our selshness, and allow us to become the masters, telling Him what to do.Embedded in this massive, complex, Christian-looking conglomerate we call Christendom, is a group, a remnant (a small remaining quantity) of authentic followers of Christ. They have rejected the notion that they can simply “believe” in Jesus and be friends with the world. These understand the controversy; the contention that arises between self-rule and Christ’s rulership. In Biblical terms they, “have renounced the hidden things of dishonesty, not walking in craftiness, nor handling the word of God deceitfully; but by manifestation of the truth commending

169Iniquity: The Condition of Christendomourselves to every man’s conscience in the sight of God” (2 Corinthians 4:2).They are the real deal. They are the salt that has not lost its savor and the light that’s not put under a (religious) cover-up. They are not cosmetic Christians, but soldiers who’d rather die than betray their Lord or His ideals. They are conquerors over the world, the esh, and the devil. They are not for sale. They cannot be bought— neither by gold, nor by the cheap tinsel trappings of the world. They are counterculture, yea, counter the Christendom culture which has compromised in the name of relevancy, and seeks to resemble the secular culture of our day in order to gain acceptance. Never had the church so much power over the world, as when it had nothing to do with the world. Believe me, Dear Reader, the day is coming when the true church, the authentic, will be deemed subversive to the culture and subversive to Christendom itself. Thus, the justication for persecution of the non-compromising followers of Christ. And mark my words, that persecution will come from churchmen— those posing as Christians within Christendom, but are not really Christian at all.The Scriptures claim that “…friendship of the world is enmity with God” (James 4:4). Inclusionism, in its varying degrees, has become quite acceptable in Christendom. The industrialization of Christianity has also brought about the secularization of Christianity, which we more accurately dene, not as Christianity, but as Christendom.The remnant—the true followers of Christ—has no problem following instructions such as, “Come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you” (2 Corinthians 6:17). In contrast, can it not be said of the bulk of Christendom that they “were mingled among the heathen, and learned their works. And served their idols: which were a snare unto them” (Psalm 106:35-36)?The prophesied falling away that was predicted in 2 Thessalonians 2:3 is happening today. It is followed by an apt description of one “Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God…so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God,

170How You See Yourselfshewing himself that he is God” (2 Thessalonians 2:4). While this is a prophesy describing the coming Antichrist, there is an amazing clue embedded in the text which has application to us.First, let’s understand the similarities between the antichrist and the god-players of our day.1. The Antichrist is a god-player – they are also god-players.2. He exalts himself above God – god-players also exalt themselves above God.3. He opposes God’s instructions – god-players live by their own opinions.4. He is sitting in the temple of God – god-players are sitting in temples of God (their bodies, 1 Corinthians 6:19).5. He shows that he is god – they show that they are god, not subject to any rule but their own.Yikes! What a parallel! Both are anti-Christ. Now here is the Bible’s clue to understanding. Three verses later it says that this, “mystery of iniquity doth already work…” (2 Thessalonians 2:7). There you have it. What is the Antichrist’s condition? Iniquity! And what is the condition that makes us take over God’s rightful place in our lives? Iniquity.It is iniquity that is at work. So why doesn’t God do something about it? He is going to, but not right now. The rest of verse seven tells us that “…he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way.” Jesus is going to take the Antichrist out! The next Scripture says that, “…whom the Lord will consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming.”That destruction is to include those that “…received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved” (verse 10). Signicant now, is the reference to the people having “…strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: That they all might be damned who believe not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness” (verses 11-12).

171Iniquity: The Condition of ChristendomPersonally, I have extreme sensitivities about delusions. A delusion is an idiosyncratic belief that is rmly maintained in spite of being contradicted by truth, by reality, by facts. The great delusion of our day is a religious one that comes out of Christendom: that iniquity doesn’t matter, that we can have a form of godliness, and that Jesus does not have to be Lord over our lives—yet we will be okay. The Scriptures say, “Wrong!” I say, “Wrong!” What do you say?The stakes could not be higher. To know you are heading toward hell is one thing. But to be heading toward hell thinking, believing, and anticipating that you are heading toward heaven is quite another. Beloved, be not deceived.The Visible Church is not the true Church. Consequently, western culture is facing a progressive breakdown. That consequential moral and ethical breakdown leads to a breakdown of law and order, which leads to the wide acceptance of degeneracy and corrupt behaviors, which will lead to a new-styled dark age, the unsustainability of which will lead to what Scripture calls “the wrath to come.”In the meantime, we ask in the inimitable style of Francis Schaeffer, “What then should we now do?”1. Love the truth.It will keep you from being deceived. Two verses after referencing the inuence of iniquity, the Scriptures show the cause of deception: not loving the truth. “…with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved” (2 Thessalonians 2:10).The Visible Church is not the true Church.

172How You See Yourself2. Learn to loathe (not justify) your own iniquities and stay cleansed.“Then shall ye remember your own evil ways, and your doings that were not good, and shall loathe yourselves in your own sight for your iniquities and for your abominations.Not for your sakes do I this, saith the Lord GOD, be it known unto you: be ashamed and confounded for your own ways…Thus saith the Lord GOD; In the day that I shall have cleansed you from all your iniquities…” (Ezekiel 36:31-33)3. Raise the standards.Iniquity removes standards, because the right and wrong instructions and commandments of God interfere with its agenda. Iniquity wants to have its own way. Because iniquity has become the condition of Christendom, we must be careful not to allow their aberrant, self-centered standards to become ours. This can happen subtly through acculturation, conformity, and desensitization to truth.“When the enemy shall come in like a ood, the Spirit of the LORD shall lift up a standard against him.” (Isaiah 59:19)The answer is to do what the Holy Spirit does: raise back up and reinforce the fallen standards. It is the way of preventing the enemy from coming in. Truly, the enemy is seeking to come in “like a ood.” The re-establishment of Biblical standards will prevent the enemy.For example: “I will set no wicked thing before mine eyes” (Psalm 101:3). Just spend a moment thinking of the protection and

173Iniquity: The Condition of Christendomsafety of such a commitment to this standard for the eyes. Now watch the next phrases in the same verse: “I hate the work of them that turn aside; it shall not cleave to me.” Iniquity is what turns aside from this standard. We don’t hate the people, but surely we must hate their work of turning us away from the right standards of God. Keeping this standard has marvelous benets: what they are doing “shall not cleave unto me.”More wonderful standards follow: “I will not know a wicked person,” is a standard for friendships. Let us make sure we commit to a Biblical set of standards that cover every area of our lives.4. Be true to the true gospel.If we are wrong about the gospel, we are wrong about everything. Jude, in diligently writing about the “common salvation,” said it was needful to exhort us to contend for the faith. Here is the reason why: “For there are certain men crept in unawares, who were before of old ordained to this condemnation, ungodly men, turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness, and denying the only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ” (Jude 1:4). Notice that the warning is not from an enemy without, but from within. They turn the true grace of God into a false concept of grace that gives the right to do wrong and denies Jesus the right to rule our lives.5. Check attitudes.Here is a severe warning: next to not heeding the Biblical message on iniquity, the greatest danger is the misuse of this message by wielding it unlovingly. Remember that Jesus was sent to bless us “... in turning away every one of us from our iniquities” (Acts 3:26). This is about blessing. The misuse of this message with a censorious, fault-nding, condemning, critical, disparaging, or deprecating attitude or disposition would itself be Remember that Jesus was sent to bless us

174How You See Yourselfan iniquity of gross dimension. This message, like all messages from the God of love, must be loving in manner as well as in motive; thus, you and I must give attention to speaking the truth in love.“That we henceforth be no more children tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive;But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ.” (Ephesians 4:14-15)6. Love Jesus.At the most fundamental core, genuine Christianity is about relationship; it’s a most personal one—a love relationship. Many think they love Him. The fans of Jesus think they love Him. The bulk of Christendom may even admire Him somewhat. They admire the cross upon the steeple of the church but reject it as the instrument upon which they are to crucify their sins and their iniquities. But love, passionate and unrestrained toward Jesus, seems to be a rarity. I’m not speaking here of a slush, gush, and mush sentimentality; although our sentiment should be genuine and should go very deep.Peter thought he loved the Lord. Remember? Peter was the one who said, “Although all shall be offended, yet will not I” (Mark 14:29). But Peter denied the Lord, not once, not twice, but three times! And, Dear Reader, I wish I could tell you that I was better than Peter, but I can’t. I wish it were only three times, like Peter, but my sins and my iniquities have been many. How many times have I denied the Lord by usurping my own will over God’s!“Peter went out, and wept bitterly” (Luke 22:62). And we have done that, haven’t we? Our failures matter to us. There is a difference in us; and love is the reason. Love will always pick itself up again:

175Iniquity: The Condition of Christendom“Love knows no limit to its endurance, no end to its trust, no fading of its hope; it can outlast anything. It is, in fact, the one thing that still stands when all else has fallen.” (1 Corinthians 13:7-8a PHILLIPS)We must face the question asked of Peter in John 21:15: “…lovest thou me?” Three times Jesus asked the same question, and Peter was put off: “Peter was grieved because he said unto him the third time, Lovest thou me?” (John 21:17). It is really easy to say, “I love you,” especially in church or when we are with the fans of Jesus. The words are easy. But are we loving in truth and loving in deed? Let us not be false professors!Our love for Jesus is a reciprocal love: “We love him, because he rst loved us” (1 John 4:19). This love has evidences: “For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments: and His commandments are not grievous” (1 John 5:3).7. Live FOR Jesus.Everything we do now is born out of our love for the Lord. Even when we help others we are really doing it as unto Him: “…whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God” (1 Corinthians 10:31). Even if we give a cup of water to someone, we do it in His name (Mark 9:41).Jesus said, “For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in: Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me” (Matthew 25:35-36). The disciples went into confusion and asked, “When? We never gave you a coke or a sandwich or a blanket or paid for a hotel room. And you, Jesus—sick and in prison?”Jesus then proclaimed a most amazing truth: although you did it to others, you really are doing it for me. Here is how He said it: “Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me” (Matthew 25:40).This is why true Christians are indomitable. For example, a Christian lady bakes and takes a pie to the neighbor who has

176How You See Yourselfcompany. Or we do some good deed. Usually if we don’t get some expression of gratefulness back, we say, “Well if that’s all the thanks I get, see if I ever do that again.” Who did we do it for? Answer: ourselves. If we had done it for the Lord, then the thanks doesn’t even matter to us. We are to do everything for the Lord. The response of others is hardly relevant. We simply please the One we love.8. Live love.Love is the anecdote for iniquity. Love is the opposite philosophy of iniquity. Iniquity is self-centered. Love considers the good of God and others. The famous love chapter, 1 Corinthians 13, afrms, “Love rejoices not in iniquity.”It is very relaxing to know that the rest of my life I just get to live love. It is the unselsh choosing of another’s highest good, living without conicts of interest, and giving to others without personal prot as a motive. Giving is everything from advice to care to monies. No one has anything to fear from us, unless they are afraid of love. We are sent as “lambs among wolves” (Luke 10:3). This may sound dangerous, but it is not. Peter explained it this way: “And who is he that will harm you, if ye be followers of that which is good?” (1 Peter 3:13).Henry Drummond said that love was the greatest thing in the world. He was right. Love is the philosophy of God. God is love. Jesus is love. Love is what is produced in us by God’s grace, and it is the primary evidence of the true Christian versus any other versions of Christendom. It is how we know we are like Christ. Speaking of Henry Drummond, here is a great quote from him: “To become Christ-like is the only thing in the whole world worth caring for, the thing before which every ambition of man is folly and all lower achievement vain.” Let us live love!It is very relaxing to know that the rest of my life I just get to live love.

177Iniquity: The Condition of Christendom9. Stay vigilant.“Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves” (2 Corinthians 13:5). This is a wise activity. I nd myself in need of self-examination very frequently. Would you believe every day, and many times throughout the day, I must avert the tendency to revert back to my old ways, my old thinking, and my old motives? Old habits die hard. However, once the new life is practiced consistently, the developed new habits make it more difcult to revert back to the old habits. Let me illustrate.I was in Dominica for several weeks. The missionary loaned me his Jeep to drive, but because of British inuence, they were driving on the left-hand side of the road. It took concentration to stay left when I had been driving on the right side of the road all of my life. It wasn’t easy overcoming the habit, but it was necessary. I could recount incidences of near-tragedy, only averted by last split-second jerking of the steering wheel to the left. But I got the hang of it, and it became quite normal. At the end of the mission, I ew back to Toronto International Airport where my car was parked, started the engine, and (you probably guessed it) headed to the left side of the road instead of to the right. A few miles later, I was back in the old comfort zone of driving on the right side of the road.This is the struggle in Romans chapter seven between the “old man” and the “new man.” There are not two people living in you. Some people think there are three people living in us. They think there is my old man, my new man and me. The Scriptures are actually using a literary device known as personication. In actuality, it is referring to the old manner and the new manner, the old habits versus the new habits. Developing righteous habits makes living the new life easy, the way it should be. After all, didn’t Jesus tell us that His way was easy?Jesus set up a specic mechanism for the activity of self-examination. We are instructed to take some bread and a cup of grape juice, called “fruit of the vine” in Scripture (this is non-alcoholic wine, because no alcoholic drink can ever represent the blood of Jesus). You can read the details of this process in

178How You See Yourself1 Corinthians 11:23-34. Sufcient to mention here a few points:1. This was instituted by Jesus, not Paul.2. The bread is a symbol of the body of Jesus, given on the cross for us.3. The fruit of the vine is a symbol of Christ’s blood, which cleanses us.4. We are to examine ourselves in this context of the body and blood of our precious Savior, remembering His great love wherewith He has loved us. And it is in view of this solemn, frequent (perhaps daily) context that we “let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of that bread, and drink of that cup” (1 Corinthians 11:28).There is much more, of course, and each reader should perform due diligence. For our purposes here, we concentrate on the process of self-examination. This will help us avoid both sins and iniquity. Let us examine: 1) our motives, 2) our thoughts, 3) our attitudes, 4) our words, and 5) our actions. We examine to assure love and guard against iniquity.The deeper the searching, the better. So, we pray as David prayed, “Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting” (Psalm 139:23-24).Why is vigilance so important? “While men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat…” (Matthew 13:25). Jesus says the wheat and tares will grow together, but only until harvest. If we try to sort it out now, we’ll ruin the wheat as well: “Let both grow together until harvest…” (Matthew 13:30). The tares that look like the wheat are called by Jesus “the children of the wicked one”; the wheat, he called “the good children of the kingdom” (Matthew 13:38). The enemy that sowed the tares into Christendom is Satan.No surprise there. He was the originator of iniquity. But here is what I don’t want you to miss:At the end, on judgment day, “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; And shall cast them into a

179Iniquity: The Condition of Christendomfurnace of re…” (Matthew13:41-42).The end-time judgment of Christendom will be the separation of those that do iniquity from those who are true Christians.10. Don’t allow anyone to despise you because of this message.They will try. Understanding the issues of iniquity have been obscured for decades, if not centuries. I hope that you, like me, have been solemnly awakened and alerted to the magnitude of the issue. God will not give eternal life to god-players to spend the rest of eternity exercising their unaccountable, ego-driven agendas on others.In reading and understanding the contents of this book, you are uniquely placed and positioned, equipped, and readied to join the righteous revolution. You will be delighted to witness transformations in the lives of others. Rejoice! However, there is a cost, a down-side: you will become a high-value target.1. Satan will come against you. You will be ruining his kingdom. In his kingdom, people don’t have to live for him. They only have to live like him. Not many live for Satan (there indeed are some). But he thinks he wins, simply by getting as many as possible to live like him: the iniquitous, selsh, god-playing life. One third of the angels followed him, became like him, and fell: “The angels which kept not their rst estate…” (Jude 1:6). Iniquity is the issue we have to deal with: pursuing our own way. The accurate description of us is found in Isaiah 53:6: “…we have turned every one to his own way.”2. All the god-players around you will resist you. Why? Because you and this message will become a threat to their god-playing.They might have to quit and give up themselves to the Lord God Almighty: “Then said True grace has evidence. True grace teaches.

180How You See YourselfJesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me” (Matthew 16:24). This stands in stark contrast to the antinomian gospels of our day. By the way, whence the revival of antinomianism? The word literally means no rules or law (anti means no and nomianism means rules or law). The antinomian gospel is one that says you are saved by faith alone and no subsequent obedience to moral law is necessary. This false gospel enables people to believe they can be “saved” and still be god of their own lives, doing as they wish, whether it be right or wrong. Then they have the audacity to call it “grace.” True grace has evidence. True grace teaches. The Scriptures we are about to look at state this unequivocally. But this same passage, which is about iniquity, concludes with the main issue here. Don’t let anyone despise you regarding this message of grace and the resolving of iniquity:“For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world; Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ; Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.These things speak, and exhort, and rebuke with all authority. Let no man despise thee.” (Titus 2:11-15)

181Iniquity: The Condition of ChristendomBe sure to notice the context: redemption from ALL iniquity, followed by the promise that He is purifying us and making us peculiar. There are other references to our being “a peculiar people.” We sometimes tease my assistant that she is double peculiar.What’s most important is the ending “these things speak.” 1) You and I need to be speaking the things we have learned herein; 2) We are to “exhort” others regarding this message; 3) if necessary, we are to “rebuke with all authority”; and 4) “Let no man despise you” in these matters. Pay no heed to their ridicule, their mocking, or their contempt.Will you answer the following questions in the afrmative?“Who will rise up for me against the evildoers? or who will stand up for me against the workers of iniquity?” (Psalm 94:16)

Chapter Sixteene National Implications of Iniquity“Woe to him that buildeth a town... and stablisheth a city by iniquity!” (Habakkuk 2:12)Imagine a planet where all of its residents play god. This is a preposterous preoccupation, a madness, an insanity, an unsustainable craziness. The single greatest problem in the world is iniquity: everyone acting like a god, rejecting any authority unless forced upon them by a majority of other gods or by a few stronger, dominating gods; each acting above intuitively-known moral laws; selecting on their own individual basis any standards, or lack there-of, in his or her pursuit of god-ship.Such god-acting is rarely, if ever, a comedy. But it is nearly always a tragedy, an unfolding drama based on human suffering that invokes in the spectator an accompanying catharsis, or more perversely, a pleasure. But this is not being acted out on a make-believe stage. This is not a virtual reality. It is not imagined, delusional, fake, false, ctional, or articial; but in truth, it is real, on the real stage of time. And so, the description of tragedy

184How You See Yourselfis innitely understated. Shakespeare described it this way in act V, scene V of Macbeth. After the death of his wife, Macbeth contemplates his own death. To him, it was the last act of a very bad play. But death is not a play.To-morrow, and to-morrow, and to-morrow, Creeps in this petty pace from day to day, To the last syllable of recorded time; And all our yesterdays have lighted foolsThe way to dusty death. Out, out, brief candle! Life’s but a walking shadow, a poor player, That struts and frets his hour upon the stage, And then is heard no more. It is a taleTold by an idiot, full of sound and fury, Signifying nothing.The clichéd Shakespearian expression from As You Like It, “All the world’s a stage, and all the men and women merely players” only points out the despair and disappointment that comes at the end of an ungodly life. Perhaps it is not despair at all but rather a hope, a wishful thinking that it has all been just a play; that the play is over now and it’s time to go home—to nowhere. So, they wish.In the meantime, back in reality, is not this pretending, this god-playing, a massive multiplication of devilishness? To have one devil is enough, but the multiplication thereof has left us a planet reeling in the terrors of hellishness.Now add technological development to this god-playing, this ultimization of selsh man. Now we get a synergism of devils acting together and against one another, each getting to spread his or her personal god-acts through electronic airwaves to millions waiting for an opportunity to send back their god-act. But in the vast majority of transmissions the communications are not, in fact, God-like; they are not Jesus-like. The spread of evil is compounding and reduplicating, creating a ratio of change of astronomical proportions.

185The National Implications of IniquityNo wonder there must be death. Can you, in your wildest imagination, contemplate the eternalization of god-playing, by players who are anything and everything but that which resembles the true God? God is the living, loving, creative, merciful, benevolent, gracious, eternal being whose greatest ambition is to share His eternity with non-destructive lovers. True lovers are those who choose the highest good of all, without personal prot or self-aggrandizement dominating their every motive, and thus, their actions. To these He will give eternal life.Beyond this snapshot of an imagined world though, what does iniquity do to a nation? I speak here of America.The character of a nation is merely the aggregate of the characteristics of its citizens. This is particularly true in a nation whose form of government is democratic, that is to say, chosen, decided, and elected by the people. The Founding Fathers of America did not choose a democratic form of government, but rather that of a republic. How do these differ?Democracy is derived from a Greek word, demos kratos which means the rule of the people. There are two kinds of democracy: a direct democracy and a representative democracy, the latter being that the people choose or elect ofcials to rule the country on their behalf.The term republic comes from the Latin, res publica, which means a thing of the people. On the surface, these two seem to have very little difference. The two terms were used interchangeably, even at the time of the United States Constitutional Convention of 1787. James Madison, in Federalist Ten, one of eighty-ve essays written by Madison, Alexander Hamilton, and John Jay, asserted that the difference was that democracy meant direct democracy and republic meant representative government.Unsatised with this demarcation, James Wilson, two months later and prior to the Virginia Ratifying Convention, raised the issue which was nally answered by John Marshall, the future Chief Justice of the Supreme Court. Marshall declared that the “Constitution provided for a ‘well regulated democracy’ where no king, or president, could undermine representative government.”

186How You See YourselfA democracy, unregulated, is nothing short of mob rule. A democracy regulated by a constitution and its founding documents is designed to limit the peoples’ choices, and their representatives to function strictly within the scope of said constitution. The strength and durability of America has been based upon its constitution.But iniquity has no scruples; none whatsoever. It accepts no limits. It complies with no standards. Iniquity is lawless. Iniquity is Satan personied (remember, Lucifer started this whole rebellion against rightful authority). So, the American Republic, a democracy supposedly regulated by its constitution, is at crisis. This is not merely a political crisis. It is a moral crisis. It is a spiritual crisis. And the crisis only exists because of iniquity, an endeavor to have our own ways regardless of the constitution, regardless of legal and moral precedents based on the constitution, and regardless of the God upon whom we called for aid, from whom we claimed that we were “endowed with inalienable rights.”Iniquity denes freedom as the right to do wrong. For fty-plus years, iniquity has been storming the gates of the White House, ranting in the halls of Congress, inltrating the Supreme Court, and paying off Senators and Congressional Representatives. Iniquity rallies are hosted across the country. The chants are chilling: “We want choice! We want choice!” What they are really chanting is, “We want to kill our babies! We want to kill our babies!” Of course, iniquity masquerades the facts under the guise of human rights and the right to choose. They really mean the rights of iniquity demanding the right to do wrong. They argue for the sodomization of the nation. The voice of iniquity is yelling in every state capital, every county seat, every city council, and behind closed doors. With false sympathy, and under the guise of compassion, exaggerated appeals are made for the right to drug ourselves into ecstasy. And please keep God out of our schools; no praying, no moral instruction, no ten commandments; just tell our children how wonderful and how dignied sodomy and same sex marriage can be. And please pay for it, all of it, with your tax dollars, so we aren’t discriminated against.Then iniquity utters her nal threat. Did I say, “Utters?” Wrong! Iniquity screams! It boldly and belligerently yells at every

187The National Implications of Iniquitypolitician, “If you don’t give us what we want, we won’t vote for you!” And so, iniquity has eroded, undermined, and treasonously sold us out to nationwide bribery. Principle-based politics has ground to a near halt. Now the politician who promises the most to what iniquity demands, wins. Corruption triumphs. Money buys the best propaganda machinery, and the best propaganda wins, because everyone is for sale. We have no conscience. We have been bought for less than thirty pieces of silver. All of us! We have chosen moral strangling and death rather than life. Iniquity is not sustainable! We vote for self-interest and let the good of the nation and others be damned.Victims of propaganda never know that they are victims. In the destruction of nations, propaganda is more damaging than the sword or the gun. Propaganda is indeed a Weapon of Mass Destruction (WMD). By it, people are manipulated, products are sold, beliefs are controlled, and politicians win. In order for propaganda to work, it must reach the masses. Here is how Adolph Hitler said it: “All propaganda must be popular, and it has to accommodate itself to the comprehension of the least intelligent of those whom it seeks to reach” (from Mein Kampf).In America, we have propaganda machines that reach from the White House, from the Corridors of Congress, from the halls of Academia, and from what was once, the sacred chambers of the Supreme Court, all the way down to the innocents of kindergarten. Anyone who disagrees is not met with a rationale but merely dismissed as an extremist, as a religious “kook,” or worse. Christlikeness is out and compromised Christianity, atheism, and Islam are in.Want to see the nancial face of iniquity? Go to www.USDebtClock. org and stare. Stare! Stare at the trillions of dollars of debt we have. A trillion is the number of seconds in 33,000 years. Now multiply the number of seconds in 33,000 years times the near 20 trillion dollars of debt. In dollars, we owe the equivalent of the number of seconds in 660,000 years. Then add up the unfunded liability debt of the United States Government and multiply that by the number of seconds in 33,000 years. From

188How You See Yourselfwhence comes that debt? They spent designated trust fund monies collected from us on that for which it was never intended.Then add up the consumer debt, the corporate debt, the mortgage debt, and the household debt. And all of that is part of the nancial face of iniquity. And voici. Here we are. Add up the value of every business, every property, every home, every automobile, every everything in the United States. You could buy everything in the country for about 97 trillion dollars. We owe almost twice what we are worth as a nation. It’s very ugly.Where is there hope? For we who are truly the Lord’s, the redeemed, no problem. We are really citizens of another world. Our future is bright. For us, the light shines bright on the hills of tomorrow. But what about America? America must do what you and I have learned to do in the chapters on How You See Yourself.Alexis Charles Henri Clerel de Tocqueville, the French political thinker and historian made famous by his four volume work, Democracy In America said, “America is great because America is good. If America ceases to be good, America will cease to be great.”Certainly, there is a remnant. There is still some salt that has not lost its savor, some light that has not been extinguished. But generally speaking, you be the judge. You adjudicate the condition of America. Have her people ceased to be good? If so, how can America come back? The answer, my friend, is given to us in the Scriptures. The way back for America is the same way backslidden Israel had to come. We have to go down to get up. We can only humble ourselves that the Lord might exalt us in due time. America needs God. The way back begins when America begins to loathe herself, loathe her iniquity, and returns to God. Here’s the Scripture:“And there shall ye remember your ways, and all your doings, wherein ye have been deled; and ye We are really citizens of another world. Our future is bright.

189The National Implications of Iniquityshall lothe yourselves in your own sight for all your evils that ye have committed.And ye shall know that I am the LORD when I have wrought with you for my name’s sake, not according to your wicked ways, nor according to your corrupt doings…” (Ezekiel 20:43-44)“Then shall ye remember your own evil ways, and your doings that were not good, and shall lothe yourselves in your own sight for your iniquities and for your abominations.” (Ezekiel 36:31)What Makes A Nation GreatNot serried tanks with ags unfurled, Not armored ships that gird the world, Not hoarded wealth nor busy mills, Not cattle on a thousand hills,Nor sages wise, nor schools nor laws, Not boasted deeds in Freedom’s cause— All these may be, and yet the state In the eye of God be far from great.That Land is great which knows the Lord, Whose songs are guided by His Word;Where justice rules, ‘twixt man and man, Where love controls in art and plan; Where, breathing in His native air, Each soul nds joy in praise and prayer— Thus may our country, good and great, Be God’s delight –man’s best estate. — Alexander Blackburn

Chapter SeventeenFare ee Well“Who is a God like unto thee, that pardoneth iniquity,and passeth by the transgression of the remnant of his heritage?he retaineth not his anger for ever, because he delighteth in mercy.He will turn again, he will have compassion upon us; he will subdue our iniquities; and thou wilt cast all their sinsinto the depths of the sea.”(Micah 7:18-19)Dear Fellow Traveler on the Road to Eternal Life: I don’t like saying, “So long.” I don’t like farewells or goodbyes.The only glimmer of light in a farewell is the hope that we will meet again. I really like God’s idea of eternity: no ends, forever, together with Him and with each other. Won’t that be just ne?I sometimes chide an audience during a teaching by saying, “Finally, but not immediately.” After all, the Apostle Paul said, “Finally, my brethren,” and then went on and wrote forty-three more verses. But here is my nal word for now.I hope, my Dear Reader (and I do mean dear), that you have felt like a companion of mine. For in this book, we have walked a lot of less-traveled paths together. We have paused at times to view some new scenery. We have sat together to ponder the meanings of our lives, our values, their signicances, and our futures. We have glanced rearward to re-evaluate the past and braced ourselves at looming difculties. There have been moments of alarm when the

192How You See Yourselftrail has led to bold new inclines. We’ve had to hunker down at times to catch our breath. We’ve jumped over chasms of tradition. Shoulder-to-shoulder, we have gazed forward to the great possibilities that God has for us, if only we will let go; let go of ourselves. For it is in trying to save our lives, we lose them; but in losing our lives, we nd them. You have shared my story. It had a sordid beginning, and then came the shocking realization that I was trying to run the race on the wrong track. It still isn’t always easy. Old habits die hard. Vigilance, attentiveness to my motives, and alertness to the Spirit’s soft voice: these are the keys to overcoming the ongoing erce demands of iniquity.Many years ago, I committed to memory this poem by Lorrie Cline. It encapsulates the story of my life. And, I hope, yours. Fare Thee WellI had walked life’s way with an easy tread, Had followed where comforts and pleasures led, Until one day in a quiet place, I met the Master face to face.With station and rank and wealth for my goal, My thoughts were for body but none for my soul, I had entered to win in life’s mad race, When I met the Master face to face.I had built my castles and reared them high, Until their towers had pierced the blue of the sky, I had sworn to rule with an iron mace, When I met the Master face to face.I met Him and knew Him and blushed to see, That His eyes full of sorrow were xed on me; And I faltered and fell at His feet that day, And all my castles vanished away.

193Fare Thee WellMelted and vanished, and in their place, I saw naught else but the Jesus’ face. And I cried aloud, “Oh, make me meek, To follow the steps of Thy wounded feet.” My thought is now for the souls of men, I lost my life to nd it again,E’er since alone in that quiet place, I met the Master face to face. — Lorrie Cline2I hope we can meet again, perhaps, within the pages of several other books. I hope you’ll watch for them. They are as follows:1. For Every Soldier, There Is a Time to Kill and a Time to Heal (PTSD)2. Why You Were Born (includes Why The World Began)3. Jesus’ Inaugural Address (The Most Important Speech In The History of Mankind)4. High Value Target (The Reason Why You Have So Many Conicts)5. The Virtuous Woman2 https://wordinfo.info/unit/4493/ip:10/il:P

AppendicesAppendix One: Acknowledgments .....................................197Appendix Two: Further Information ..................................199Appendix Three: The Theological Truth About the “No Lordship Gospel” ...................................201Appendix Four: The Seven Bible Instructions for Husbands ................... 211Appendix Five: Sexuality in the Book of Proverbs ............221Appendix Six: The King of Tyre ...........................................223Appendix Seven: The King James Bible ............................225Appendix Eight: List of All Scriptures Regarding Iniquity .......................229

Appendix OneAcknowledgmentsI am so deeply grateful to the following:My Savior and Lord for His mercy and sweet deliverance.My wife Judith, a contemporary, real-life version of the “virtuous woman” of Proverbs 31.My father and mother, Lloyd and Janet Johnston, whose lives and ministries have been the godliest inuences I’ve had in life. I could not escape the example of my father’s life or the prayers of my mother.My Sister Ruth, a great girl who has never in our lifetime shown any iniquity toward me.Our daughters, Faith-Anne Reid and Charity Anne Kwapisz, about whom I have often said, “When I grow up, I’d like to be just like them.” They love the Lord and keep His commandments. Of both of them, I am so proud.Jason, whom I love dearly as my own son and continues to be the object of my prayers.Doctor Paul Shirley, my friend and constant reminder that I needed to overcome the iniquity of procrastination and get this book written. He also completed the rst read-through after the initial edit.My past ministerial colleagues, upon whom I wished I had been a narcissism-free inuence.To those who have known me through the years of my iniquity, I especially ask your forgiveness. I am embarrassed and humbled. I, who thought I knew so much, really know so little.

Appendix TwoFurther InformationVisit: www.NothingButTheTruth.org for several hundred hours of free Bible Teaching Videos by David Johnston.Follow us on social media

Appendix Threee eological Truth About the “No Lordship Gospel”Antinomianism, the widespread error of our day, is the idea that behavior is unrelated to faith, or that Christians are not bound by any moral law. Antinomianism radically separates justication and sanctication, making practical holiness elective. John MacArthur’s book, The Gospel According to Jesus, is a must-read for everyone.“No-lordship teachers often claim that they are the true heirs of the Reformation. It is extremely difcult to understand how anyone at all familiar with the literature of the Reformation could ever make such a claim. The writings of Luther and Calvin are lled with material that argues explicitly against many of the same errors no-lordship theology has embraced. Nowhere in their writings do we nd any support for the idea that someone who is justied can remain unsanctied. That is a topic about which the Reformers had much to say. Why not let them speak for themselves?” (John McArthur, The Gospel According To The Apostles).Martin Luther“Therefore, faith is something very powerful, active, restless, effective, which at once renews a person and again regenerates

202How You See Yourselfhim, and leads him altogether into a new manner and character of life, so that it is impossible not to do good without ceasing.“…not that man should become good by works, but that man should thereby prove and see the difference between false and true faith. For wherever faith is right it does good. If it does no good, it is then certainly a dream and a false idea of faith…as Christ says, ‘By their fruits ye shall know them.’ Thus we should also learn to know faith by its fruits.“From this you see, there is a great difference between being good, and to be known as good; or to become good and to prove and show that you are good. Faith makes good, but works prove the faith and goodness to be right.“Where works do not follow, a man cannot know whether his faith is right; yea, he may be certain that his faith is a dream, and not right as it should be. “Faith without works is dead” (James 2:20). That is, as the works do not follow, it is a sure sign that there is no faith there; but only empty thought and dream, which they falsely call faith.…Inasmuch as works naturally follow faith, as I said, it is not necessary to command them, for it is impossible for faith not to do them without being commanded, in order that we may learn to distinguish the false from the true faith” (Martin Luther, “Justication by Faith,” in Classic Sermons on Faith and Doubt, ed. Warren W. Wiersbe [Grand Rapids, Mich.: Kregel, 1985], 78-83).John Calvin“If you would duly understand how inseparable faith and works are, look to Christ.…Where zeal for integrity and holiness is not vigor, there neither is the Spirit of Christ nor Christ Himself; and wherever Christ is not, there is no righteousness, nay, there is no faith; for faith cannot apprehend Christ for righteousness without the Spirit of sanctication” (John C. Olin, ed., A Reformation Debate [Grand Rapids, Mich.: Baker, 1966], 68).“I must refute the nugatory distinction of the Schoolmen as to formed and unformed faith. For they imagine that persons who have no fear of God, and no sense of piety, may believe all that is necessary to be known for salvation; as if the Holy Spirit were not

203Fare Thee Wellthe witness of our adoption by enlightening our hearts unto faith. Still, however, though the whole Scripture is against them, they dogmatically give the name of faith to a persuasion devoid of the fear of God.“I say that nothing can be imagined more absurd than their ction. They insist that faith is an assent with which any despiser of God may receive what is delivered by Scripture.“One of the rst elements of faith is reconciliation implied in man’s drawing near to God. Did they duly ponder the saying of Paul, ‘With the heart man believeth unto righteousness’ (Romans 10:10), they would cease to dream of that frigid quality. We hold and maintain, in accordance with Scripture, that the pious only have faith.“Let those who glory in such semblances of faith know that, in this respect, they are not a whit superior to devils.…Meanwhile, believers are taught to examine themselves carefully and humbly, lest carnal security creep in and take the place of assurance of faith. We may add, that the reprobate never have any other than a confused sense of grace laying hold of the shadow rather than the substance” (Calvin, Institutes [Beveridge], 3:2:8-11, 1:475-79).Arthur W. Pink“Saving faith consists of the complete surrender of my whole being and life to the claims of God upon me: ‘But rst gave their own selves to the Lord’ (1 Corinthians 8:5).“It is the unreserved acceptance of Christ as my absolute Lord, bowing to His will and receiving His yoke. Possibly someone may object, ‘Then why are Christians exhorted as they are in Romans 12:1?’ We answer, ‘All such exhortations are simply a calling on them to continue as they began: “As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in Him” (Colossians 2:6).’ Yes, mark it well that Christ is ‘received’ as Lord. Oh, how far, far below the New Testament standard is this modern way of begging sinners to receive Christ as their own personal ‘Saviour.’ If the reader will consult his concordance, he will nd that in every passage where the two titles are found together it is always ‘Lord and Savior,’ and

204How You See Yourselfnever vice versa: see Luke 1:46, 47; 2 Peter 1:11; 2:20; 3:18, 27” (Practical Christianity, 20).“The terrible thing is that so many preachers today, under the pretense of magnifying the grace of God, have represented Christ as the Minister of sin; as One who has, through His atoning sacrice, procured an indulgence for men to continue gratifying their eshly and worldly lusts. Provided a man professes to believe in the virgin birth and vicarious death of Christ and claims to be resting upon Him alone for salvation, he may pass for a real Christian almost anywhere today, even though his daily life may be no different from that of the moral worldling who makes no profession at all. The Devil is chloroforming thousands into hell by this very delusion. The Lord Jesus asks, ‘Why call Me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say?’ (Luke 6:46); and insists, ‘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’ (Matthew 7:21)” (Ibid., 24-25).“It is the bounden duty of every Christian to have no dealings with the ‘evangelistic’ monstrosity of the day: to withhold all moral and nancial support of the same, to attend none of their meetings, to circulate none of their tracts. Those preachers who tell sinners they may be saved without forsaking their idols, without repenting, without surrendering to the Lordship of Christ are as erroneous and dangerous as others who insist that salvation is by works and that Heaven must be earned by our own efforts” (A.W. Pink, Studies on Saving Faith, 14).Charles Haddock Spurgeon“Verily I say unto you, you cannot have Christ for your Savior unless you also have him as Lord” (C.H. Spurgeon, The Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit, vol. 47 [reprint, Pasadena, Tex.: Pilgrim, 1986], 570).“Holiness is always present in those who are loyal guests of the great King, for ‘without holiness no man shall see the Lord.’ Too many professors pacify themselves with the idea that they possess imputed righteousness, while they are indifferent to the

205Fare Thee Wellsanctifying work of the Spirit. They refuse to put on the garment of obedience, they reject the white linen which is the righteousness of the saints. They thus reveal their self-will, their enmity to God, and their non-submission to his Son. Such men may talk what they will about justication by faith, and salvation by grace, but they are rebels at heart, they have not on the wedding dress any more than the self-righteous, whom they so eagerly condemn. The fact is, if we wish for the blessings of grace we must in our hearts submit to the rules of grace without picking and choosing” (C.H. Spurgeon, The Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit, vol. 17 [London: Passmore & Alabaster, 1984], 99).“Christ Jesus did not come in order that you might continue in sin and escape the penalty of it. Many people think that when we preach salvation, we mean salvation from going to hell. We do not mean [only] that, but we mean a great deal more; we preach salvation from sin; we say that Christ is able to save a man; and we mean by that that he is able to save him from sin and to make him holy; to make him a new man. No person has any right to say, ‘I am saved,’ while he continues in sin as he did before” (C.H. Spurgeon, The Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit, vol. 11 [reprint, Pasadena, Tex.: Pilgrim, 1979], 138).“There are some who seem willing to accept Christ as Savior who will not receive him as Lord. They will not often state the case quite as plainly as that; but, as actions speak more plainly than words, that is what their conduct practically says. How sad it is that some talk about their faith in Christ, yet their faith is not proved by their works! Some even speak as if they understood what we mean by the covenant of grace; yet, alas! There is no good evidence of grace in their lives, but very clear proof of sin (not grace) abounding. I cannot conceive it possible for anyone truly to receive Christ as Saviour and yet not to receive him as Lord. One of the rst instincts of a redeemed soul is to fall at the feet of the Saviour, and gratefully and adoringly to cry, ‘Blessed Master, bought with thy precious blood, I own that I am thine—thine only, thine wholly, thine forever. Lord, what wilt thou have me to do?’ A man who is really saved by grace does not need to be told that he is under solemn obligations to serve Christ; the new

206How You See Yourselflife within him tells him that. Instead of regarding it as a burden, he gladly surrenders himself—body, soul, and spirit, to the Lord who has redeemed him, reckoning this to be his reasonable service. Speaking for myself, I can truthfully say that the moment I knew that Christ was my Savior, I was ready to say to him:I am Thine, and Thine alone. This I gladly, fully own!And, in all my works and ways, Only now would seek Thy praise. Help me to confess Thy name,Bear with joy Thy cross and shame, Only seek to follow Thee,Though reproach my portion be.“It is not possible for us to accept Christ as our Savior unless He also becomes our King, for a very large part of salvation consists in our being saved from sin’s dominion over us, and the only way in which we can be delivered from the mastery of Satan is by becoming subject to the mastery of Christ.…If it were possible for sin to be forgiven, and yet for the sinner to live just as he lived before, he would not really be saved” (C.H. Spurgeon, The Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit, vol. 56 [reprint, Pasadena, Texas: Pilgrim, 1979], 617).Jonathan Edwards“As to that question, ‘Whether closing with Christ in his kingly ofce be of the essence of justifying faith?’ I would say: That accepting Christ in his kingly ofce, is doubtless the proper condition of having an interest in Christ’s kingly ofce, and so the condition of that salvation which he bestows in the execution of that ofce; as much as accepting the forgiveness of sins, is the proper condition of the forgiveness of sin. Christ, in his kingly ofce, bestows salvation; and therefore, accepting him in his kingly ofce, by a disposition to sell all and suffer all in duty to Christ, and giving proper respect and honor to him, is the proper condition of salvation. This is manifest by Hebrews 5:9, ‘And being made perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation to all them that obey him’…” (Cited in John Gerstner, The Rational Biblical Theology of Jonathan Edwards [Orlando: Ligonier, 1991], 301).

207Fare Thee WellD.L. Moody“We do not walk in the same way as before we were converted. A man or a woman who professes Christianity and yet goes on in the same old way has not been born again” (Dwight Lyman Moody and Ira David Sankey, “Signs of the New Birth,” in The Gospel Awakening [L.T. Palmer & Co., 1877], 658).A. TorreyTorrey, rst president of Moody Bible Institute, instructed students on leading people to Christ: “Show them Jesus as Lord. It is not enough to know Jesus as Saviour, we must know Him as Lord also. A good verse for this purpose is Acts 2:36: ‘Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly, that God hath made that same Jesus, whom ye have crucied, both Lord and Christ.’“When the inquirer has read the verse, ask him what God hath made Jesus, and hold him to it until he replies, ‘Both Lord and Christ.’ Then say to him, ‘Are you willing to accept Him as your Divine Lord, the one to whom you will surrender your heart, your every thought, and word, and act?’” (R.A. Torrey, How to Work for Christ [Old Tappan, N.J.: Revell, n.d.], 37-38).A.W. Tozer“Allowing the expression ‘Accept Christ’ to stand as an honest effort to say in short what could not be so well said any other way, let us see what we mean or should mean when we use it.“To accept Christ is to form an attachment to the Person of our Lord Jesus altogether unique in human experience. The attachment is intellectual, volitional, and emotional. The believer is intellectually convinced that Jesus is both Lord and Christ; he has set his will to follow Him at any cost and soon his heart is enjoying the exquisite sweetness of His fellowship.“This attachment is all-inclusive in that it joyfully accepts Christ for all that He is. There is no craven division of ofces whereby we may acknowledge His Saviourhood today and withhold decision

208How You See Yourselfon His Lordship till tomorrow. The true believer owns Christ as his All in All without reservation. He also includes all of himself, leaving no part of his being unaffected by the revolutionary transaction.“Further, his attachment to Christ is all-exclusive. The Lord becomes to him not one of several rival interests, but the one exclusive attraction forever. He orbits around Christ as the earth around the sun, held in thrall by the magnetism of His love, drawing all his life and light and warmth from Him. In this happy state he is given other interests, it is true, but these are all determined by his relation to his Lord.“That we accept Christ in this all-inclusive, all-exclusive way is a divine imperative. Here faith makes its leap into God through the Person and work of Christ, but it never divides the work from the Person. It never tries to believe on the blood apart from Christ Himself, or the cross or the ‘nished work.’ It believes on the Lord Jesus Christ, the whole Christ without modication or reservation, and thus it receives and enjoys all that He did in His work of redemption, all that He is now doing in heaven for His own, and all that He does in and through them.“To accept Christ is to know the meaning of the words ‘as he is, so are we in this world’ (1 John 4:17). We accept His friends as our friends, His enemies as our enemies, His ways as our ways, His rejection as our rejection, His cross as our cross, His life as our life, and His future as our future.“If this is what we mean when we advise the seeker to accept Christ, we had better explain it to him. He may get into deep spiritual trouble unless we do” (A.W. Tozer, That Incredible Christian [Harrisburg, Pa; Christian Publications, 1964], 18-19).Tozer called no-lordship teaching a “discredited doctrine” that divides Christ. He described the teaching he opposed:“It goes like this: Christ is both Saviour and Lord. A sinner may be saved by accepting Him as Saviour without yielding to Him as Lord. The practical outworking of this doctrine is that the evangelist presents and the seeker accepts a divided Christ.…“Now, it seems odd that none of these teachers ever noticed that the only true object of saving faith is none other than Christ

209Fare Thee WellHimself; not the “saviourhood” of Christ nor the “lordship” of Christ, but Christ Himself. God does not offer salvation to the one who will believe on one of the ofces of Christ, nor is an ofce of Christ ever presented as an object of faith. Neither are we exhorted to believe on the atonement, nor on the cross, nor on the priesthood of the Saviour. All of these are embodied in the person of Christ, but they are never separated nor is one ever isolated from the rest. Much less are we permitted to accept one of Christ’s ofces and reject another. The notion that we are so permitted is a modern day heresy, I repeat, and like every heresy it has had evil consequences among Christians. No heresy is ever entertained with impunity. We pay in practical failure for our theoretical errors.“It is altogether doubtful whether any man can be saved who comes to Christ for His help but with no intention to obey Him. Christ’s saviourhood is forever united to His lordship. Look at the Scriptures: ‘If thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.…for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him. For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved’ (Romans 10:9-13). There the Lord is the object of faith for salvation. And when the Philippian jailer asked the way to be saved, Paul replied, ‘Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved’ (Acts 16:31). He did not tell him to believe on the Saviour with the thought that he could later take up the matter of His lordship and settle it at his own convenience. To Paul there could be no division of ofces. Christ must be Lord or He will not be Saviour” (A.W. Tozer, The Root of the Righteous [Harrisburg, Pa.: Christian Publications, 1955], 84-86).

Appendix Foure Seven Bible Instructions for HusbandsThere are four primary passages in the New Testament on the subject of marriage: Ephesians 5:22-33, Colossians 3:18-19, 1 Peter 3:1-12, and 1 Corinthians 7:1-17.There are ve New Testament passages which address the subject of divorce: Matthew 5:31-32, Matthew 19:3-12, Mark 10:2-12, Luke 6:18, and Romans 7:1-2.In addition, the second chapter of Malachi addresses the treacherous motives of divorce, explains the violent act of divorce and how men try to cover up that violence, discusses the consequences of divorce on children, and nally tells how God deals with the man that initiates divorce (and it is not pretty).God has positioned the husband to be the loving, servant leader. The success of that leadership is dependent upon the husband following (actually doing) these seven instructions to husbands.1. Love Your Wife.“Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it.” (Ephesians 5:25)

212How You See YourselfThere are three types of love referred to in the Scriptures. They are differentiated by the use of different Greek words.Agape love, which is best dened as choosing the highest good of another person without personal prot or benet as a motive. This is what God is like. This is genuine love, which is to be the basis of the other two kinds of love. The thirteenth chapter of First Corinthians is entirely about this kind of love, and verses four through eight give fteen attributes (or modiers), of agape love. These fteen attributes serve as a checklist for anyone wishing to verify true love: whether or not they truly love and/or whether or not they are truly being loved.Of all the Bible content that we should know, agape love is the most important. Agape love is the essence of God, the evidence of a genuine Christian, and God’s ruling philosophy of the universe. It is the core and fundamental foundation of all relationships. Husbands must master agape love and make it their chief modus operandi.Phileo love is friendship-love or brotherly love. Comradeship is akin to phileo.Eros love is the third kind of love. This is marital, or sexual, love. One of the great errors of our culture is to mistake eros for agape love.Marriage is to contain all three loves; however, the foundation of marriage is agape love. And this is the rst and primary instruction for husbands: Husband agape love your wife. Always choose the highest good for her, regardless of what is or is not returned to you. In order to prevent any misunderstanding about this, Scripture tells us to follow a model: “even as Christ also loved the church.”The subsequent Scriptures are really modiers of this love, a continuation of how love is to function within a marriage. Here are the instructions:“Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it;

213The Seven Bible Instructions for HusbandsThat he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word…” (Ephesians 5:25-26)2. Give Yourself for Your Wife.“…as Christ also loved the church and gave himself for it…”A husband is to be a true lover of his wife and this love rst manifests itself in giving, as opposed to getting. And this giving is a giving of himself. Giving of one’s self includes time and energy, attention and care. Self-sacrice is to be the constant and ongoing disposition of the husband toward his wife.The focus of that ongoing giving of himself to his wife is manifested in his attitude and how he speaks to her.3. Sanctify and Cleanse Her with the Words You Speak to Her.To sanctify means to set apart, to put in a special category, to treat in a distinctly different manner from all others.“…that he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word…”The word husband literally means keeper of the garden. The wife and children are the garden over which the husband or husbandman is the keeper. Yet the following Scriptures indicate that he is a joint recipient of his endeavors:“That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.

214How You See YourselfSo ought men to love their wives as their own bodies. He that loveth his wife loveth himself.” (Ephesians 5:27-28)How is a husband to talk to his wife? My father used to say, “No raising of the voice unless the house is on re.” Hear the Scriptures:“There is that speaketh like the piercings of a sword: but the tongue of the wise is health.” (Proverbs 12:18)“The tongue of the wise useth knowledge aright: but the mouth of fools poureth out foolishness.” (Proverbs 15:2)“Death and life are in the power of the tongue: and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof. Whoso ndeth a wife ndeth a good thing, and obtaineth favour of the LORD.” (Proverbs 18:21-22)Every man should become familiar, not only with these Biblical instructions about the use of his tongue, but also the entire third chapter of James. Worthy of notice is James 3:1, which tells us that there is greater condemnation for a leader/husband/master in how he uses his tongue.A man’s tongue and the words he speaks to his wife should be different than how he speaks to everyone else. That is the meaning of sanctifying her: setting her apart with the use of cleansing, healing words.4. Be Bitter-Free toward Your Wife.“Husbands, love your wives, and be not bitter against them.” (Colossians 3:19)

215The Seven Bible Instructions for HusbandsGod usually gives specic instructions to certain people groups in the Bible to enable them to develop special disciplines that will help them overcome inherent weaknesses. In this case, the indication is that bitterness toward one’s wife is a high risk for husbands. Bitterness must be eliminated. Bitterness is, according to Scripture, a “root” issue, out of which grows many and diverse negative, life-destroying attitudes and behaviors. Note the Scriptures:“Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord:Looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby many be deled…” (Hebrews 12:14-15)If we fail to respond to God’s grace (which is the knowledge and power to joyfully do what is right), bitterness is one of the three results. We must note two observations from this passage:1. Bitterness will “trouble” you. This is not an understatement. You will personally be troubled and have trouble. Trouble will be in your future, always! The trouble is social, resulting in the inability to have authentic and transparent relationships. The trouble is mental, causing one to constantly review the faults, the failings, and the sins of others. The trouble is emotional, prohibiting the ability to have sustained peace. This is a wicked condition and is described in Scripture:“But the wicked are like the troubled sea, when it cannot rest, whose waters cast up mire and dirt.There is no peace, saith my God, to the wicked.” (Isaiah 57:20-21)The trouble is spiritual, damaging your ability to

216How You See Yourselfhave faith or to be positive about life. It leads to attitudes of anger, wrath, resentment, vengeance, and many other evils which in turn, produce ongoing negative symptoms that range in severity from anxiety to sleep issues, to drug and alcohol abuse, to the development of hatred and malice.2. Many will “be deled.” Bitterness is contagious. The ones most damaged will be those of your own household. A bitter person models irrational and damaging responses to life situations. And since we learn from what we observe more than from what we are told, the bitterness will spread. As if that were not bad enough, the “many” extends far out beyond family.5. Spend Maximum Time with Your Wife“Likewise, ye husbands, dwell with them…” (1 Peter 3:7)To dwell means more than just reside. It means to fasten one’s attention on and to speak at length with. Two people can be in the same house, and even in the same room, and yet be very far apart. Coming home from work and crashing in one’s own separated, segregated, fantasy world of escape is the enemy of dwelling. Being a husband is a man’s job.Dwelling has to do with being companions. Companionship is one of the Biblical terms to describe marriage. Let’s look at Malachi 2:12-16:“The LORD will cut off the man that doeth this…” Uh-oh! Big trouble here. Why would God “cut off” a man? We are about to nd out why. But note that it doesn’t matter if the man is an executive (master), or educated (a scholar), or a philanthropist (one who is charitable, giving to God and/or others), or whether the man cries at the altar. In fact, God does not regard his offerings. He considers this man to be a whiner.

217The Seven Bible Instructions for Husbands“The LORD will cut off the man that doeth this, the master and the scholar, out of the tabernacles of Jacob, and him that offereth an offering unto the LORD of hosts. And this have ye done again, covering the altar of the LORD with tears, with weeping, and with crying out, insomuch that he regardeth not the offering any more, or receiveth it with good will at your hand.”So, what’s the problem here? The man has been dealing treacherously with his wife, instead of keeping covenant and staying as her companion.“Yet ye say, Wherefore? Because the LORD hath been witness between thee and the wife of thy youth, against whom thou hast dealt treacherously: yet is she thy companion, and the wife of thy covenant.”So, what all is at stake here? First, we learn that a man’s relationship with God is damaged if he does not follow the Biblical guidelines for marriage. Secondly, we learn that the children will be damaged. The oneness of companionship between a man and his wife—a father and the mother of the children—is the necessary ingredient that will determine whether or not those children will be godly in the future.“And did not he make one? Yet had he the residue of the spirit. And wherefore one? That he might seek a godly seed. Therefore take heed to your spirit, and let none deal treacherously against the wife of his youth.”So now we should get it: God hates “putting away.” This is a term that means divorce. But the instruction here isn’t simply about a change in legal status by receiving a bill of divorcement.

218How You See YourselfThe “putting away” is the separation from the companionship of your wife and seeking it elsewhere from others or other activities. Make no mistake: according to God, the putting aside or the putting away of one’s wife is a violent act! Even though the man tries to cover up the violence of it, it is a violent act. There is no such thing as a friendly way of being unfriendly, or a nice way of being violent.“For the LORD, the God of Israel, saith that he hateth putting away: for one covereth violence with his garment, saith the LORD of hosts: therefore take heed to your spirit, that ye deal not treacherously.”6. Build a Knowledge Base About Her from Which You Can Decide and Act in an Informed Manner.“Likewise, ye husbands, dwell with them according to knowledge…” (1 Peter 3:7)Fools hate knowledge, preferring to act without it (Proverbs 1:22). However, knowledge enables discretion (Proverbs 1:4). Here are a few pertinent Scriptures:“Wise men lay up knowledge: but the mouth of the foolish is near destruction.” (Proverbs 10:14)“Every prudent man dealeth with knowledge: but a fool layeth open his folly.” (Proverbs 13:16)“The heart of the prudent getteth knowledge; and the ear of the wise seeketh knowledge.” (Proverbs 18:15)What knowledge should a man have about his wife so that he will be able to respond to her with understanding instead of

219The Seven Bible Instructions for Husbandsrecklessness? Here is a short list; your list should have many more categories of data. Be sure to build your own knowledge base:• Her parents • How she was raised• Any childhood traumas • Heart breaks, hurts, disappointments • What it’s like to be female • Having a monthly cycle • Motherhood • Expectations• Her spiritual gift • Insecurities and fears• Need for privacy • Goals and ambitions7. Honor Your Wife.“Likewise, ye husbands, dwell with them according to knowledge, giving honour unto the wife, as unto the weaker vessel, and as being heirs together of the grace of life; that your prayers be not hindered.” (1 Peter 3:7)To honor means to demonstrate value and esteem. This is how love sees. If you were in my ofce right now, I would pull out a very expensive bone china teacup and set it in front of you, along with a plastic cup. I would then ask you two questions: 1) Which of the two vessels is the weaker? You would probably give me the correct answer: the expensive bone china teacup. If you didn’t give me the right answer, I would throw the plastic cup across the room and then ask you if you really thought the bone china teacup was strong enough to withstand the same treatment. 2) Which of the two vessels is more valuable?Here’s the point: when God says that the wife is the weaker

220How You See Yourselfvessel, He does not mean the lesser vessel. She is fragile, just like the expensive bone china teacup; weaker but more valuable! That is how a husband must treat his wife. In fact, he must never get over the awe that comes from realizing that God has entrusted to him one of his daughters.Don’t miss this! When a man “dwells with his wife according to knowledge, giving honor unto the wife as the weaker [not the lesser] vessel,” his prayers will NOT be hindered! And just what do you think that’s worth? Have no doubt about it: if a man does not honor his wife (God’s daughter), God will not pay much attention to his prayers.“For no man ever yet hated his own esh; but nourisheth and cherisheth it, even as the Lord the church: For we are members of his body, of his esh, and of his bones.For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall be joined unto his wife,and they two shall be one esh.This is a great mystery: but I speak concerning Christ and the church.Nevertheless let every one of you in particular so love his wife even as himself; and the wife see that she reverence her husband.” (Ephesians 5:29-33)

Appendix FiveSexuality in the Book of ProverbsProverbs chapters, ve, six, seven and nine teach extensively on sexual matters, covering proper marital conduct as well as immoral conduct: chapters ve, six, seven, and nine. We appreciate the directness of God on these matters but also the discretion with which they are addressed. The key to understanding these passages is knowing that a husband is referred to as a “fountain” (for obvious analogical reasons), and a wife as a cistern or reservoir. The husband is to restrict his sexual conduct to “drink waters out of thine own cistern, and running waters out of thine own well.” The husband is instructed to “Let thy fountain be blessed: and rejoice with the wife of thy youth. Let her be as the loving hind and pleasant roe; let her breasts satisfy thee at all times; and be thou ravished always with her love. And why wilt thou, my son, be ravished with a strange woman, and embrace the bosom of a stranger?” (Proverbs 5:15, 18-20).

Appendix Sixe King of TyreAll that is said of the king of Tyre in Ezekiel chapter twenty-eight must be understood as having a double reference—to the earthly king of Tyre, a man (Ithobalus II, according to Josephus), and to the supernatural king, Satan or Lucifer, who ruled Tyre through the earthly monarch. It is Satan who is mostly referred to in this prophecy (Ezekiel 28:11-19), as there are many statements that could not possibly apply to an earthly man. Both the earthly and supernatural kings are referred to and addressed in this prophecy. Statements that could refer to the human being must be understood as concerning him; and those that could not be spoken of a man must be recognized as referring to the supernatural being. Then the passage will be clearly understood.

Appendix Sevene King James BibleThe following is a partial quote from an article, “The Bible of King James,” by Adam Nicolson in the December 2011 issue of the National Geographic Magazine:“Simple in vocabulary, cosmic in scale, stately in their rhythms, deeply emotional in their impact. Most of us might think we have forgotten its words, but the King James Bible has sewn itself into the fabric of the language. If a child is ever the apple of her parents’ eye or an idea seems as old as the hills, if we are at death’s door or at our wits’ end, if we have gone through a baptism of re or are about to bite the dust, if it seems at times that the blind are leading the blind or we are casting pearls before swine, if you are either buttering someone up or casting the rst stone, the King James Bible, whether we know it or not, is speaking through us. The haves and have-nots, heads on plates, thieves in the night, scum of the earth, best until last, sackcloth and ashes, streets paved in gold, and the skin of one’s teeth: All of them have been transmitted to us by the translators who did their magnicent work 400 years ago.… This was the divided inheritance King James wanted to mend, and a new Bible would do it. Ground rules were established by 1604: no contentious notes in the margins; no language inaccessible to common people; a true and

226How You See Yourselfaccurate text, driven by an unforgivingly exacting level of scholarship. To bring this about, the King gathered an enormous translation committee: some fty-four scholars, divided into all shades of opinion, from Puritan to the highest of High Churchmen. Six subcommittees were then each asked to translate a different section of the Bible.… This was a world in which there was no gap between politics and religion. A translation of the Bible that could be true to the original Scriptures, be accessible to the people, and embody the kingliness of God would be the most effective political tool anyone in 17th-century England could imagine. ‘We desire that the Scripture may speake like it selfe,’ the translators wrote in the preface to the 1611 Bible, ‘that it may be understood even of the very vulgar.’ The qualities that allow connection to [everyone]—a sense of truth, a penetrating intimacy, and an overarching greatness—were exactly what King James’s translators had in mind. They went about their work in a precise and orderly way. Each member of the six subcommittees, on his own, translated an entire section of the Bible. He then brought that translation to a meeting of his subcommittee, where the different versions produced by each translator were compared and one was settled on. That version was then submitted to a general revising committee for the whole Bible, which met in Stationers’ Hall in London. Here the revising scholars had the suggested versions read aloud—no text visible—while holding on their laps copies of previous translations in English and other languages. The ear and the mind were the only editorial tools. They wanted the Bible to sound right. If it didn’t at rst hearing, a spirited editorial discussion—extraordinarily, mostly in Latin and partly in Greek—followed. A revising committee presented a nal version to two bishops, then to the Archbishop of Canterbury, and then, notionally at least, to the King. The language is full of mystery and grace, but it is also a version of loving authority, and that is the great message of

227The King James Biblethis book” (Adam Nicolson, “The Bible of King James,” in National Geographic Magazine [December 2011], http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/2011/12/king-james-bible/nicolson-text).

Appendix EightList of All Scriptures Regarding IniquityIt should be noted that the word iniquity/iniquities occurs 334 times in the King James Bible, 330 times in the American Standard Bible, 300 times in Young’s Literal Translation of the Bible, 279 in the Amplied Bible, 25 times in the NIV Bible, 10 times in The Message Bible, and 3 times in the New Living Translation Bible. “But in the fourth generation they shall come hither again: for the iniquity of the Amorites is not yet full.” (Genesis 15:16)“And when the morning arose, then the angels hastened Lot, saying, Arise, take thy wife, and thy two daughters, which are here; lest thou be consumed in the iniquity of the city.” (Genesis 19:15)“And Judah said, What shall we say unto my lord? what shall we speak? or how shall we clear ourselves? God hath found out the iniquity of thy servants: behold, we are my lord’s servants, both we, and he also with whom the cup is found.” (Genesis 44:16)“Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the

230How You See Yourselffathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me.” (Exodus 20:5)“And it shall be upon Aaron’s forehead, that Aaron may bear the iniquity of the holy things, which the children of Israel shall hallow in all their holy gifts; and it shall be always upon his forehead, that they may be accepted before the LORD.” (Exodus 28:38)“And they shall be upon Aaron, and upon his sons, when they come in unto the tabernacle of the congregation, or when they come near unto the altar to minister in the holy place; that they bear not iniquity, and die: it shall be a statute for ever unto him and his seed after him.” (Exodus 28:43)“Keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, and that will by no means clear the guilty; visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children, and upon the children’s children, unto the third and to the fourth generation.” (Exodus 34:7)“And he said, If now I have found grace in thy sight, O LORD, let my Lord, I pray thee, go among us; for it is a stiffnecked people; and pardon our iniquity and our sin, and take us for thine inheritance.” (Exodus 34:9)“And if a soul sin, and hear the voice of swearing, and is a witness, whether he hath seen or known of it; if he do not utter it, then he shall bear his iniquity.” (Leviticus 5:1)“And if a soul sin, and commit any of these things which are forbidden to be done by the commandments of the LORD; though he wist it not, yet is he guilty, and shall bear his iniquity.” (Leviticus 5:17)“And if any of the esh of the sacrice of his peace offerings be eaten at all on the third day, it shall not be accepted, neither shall it

231List of All Scriptures Regarding Iniquitybe imputed unto him that offereth it: it shall be an abomination, and the soul that eateth of it shall bear his iniquity.” (Leviticus 7:18)“Wherefore have ye not eaten the sin offering in the holy place, seeing it is most holy, and God hath given it you to bear the iniquity of the congregation, to make atonement for them before the LORD?.” (Leviticus 10:17)“And Aaron shall lay both his hands upon the head of the live goat, and confess over him all the iniquities of the children of Israel, and all their transgressions in all their sins, putting them upon the head of the goat, and shall send him away by the hand of a t man into the wilderness.” (Leviticus 16:21)“And the goat shall bear upon him all their iniquities unto a land not inhabited: and he shall let go the goat in the wilderness.” (Leviticus 16:22)“But if he wash them not, nor bathe his esh; then he shall bear his iniquity.” (Leviticus 17:16)“And the land is deled: therefore I do visit the iniquity thereof upon it, and the land itself vomiteth out her inhabitants” (Leviticus 18:25)“Therefore every one that eateth it shall bear his iniquity, because he hath profaned the hallowed thing of the LORD: and that soul shall be cut off from among his people.” (Leviticus 19:8)“And if a man shall take his sister, his father’s daughter, or his mother’s daughter, and see her nakedness, and she see his nakedness; it is a wicked thing; and they shall be cut off in the sight of their people: he hath uncovered his sister’s nakedness; he shall bear his iniquity.” (Leviticus 20:17)

232How You See Yourself“And thou shalt not uncover the nakedness of thy mother’s sister, nor of thy father’s sister: for he uncovereth his near kin: they shall bear their iniquity.” (Leviticus 20:19)“Or suffer them to bear the iniquity of trespass, when they eat their holy things: for I the LORD do sanctify them.” (Leviticus 22:16)“And they that are left of you shall pine away in their iniquity in your enemies’ lands; and also in the iniquities of their fathers shall they pine away with them.” (Leviticus 26:39)“If they shall confess their iniquity, and the iniquity of their fathers, with their trespass which they trespassed against me, and that also they have walked contrary unto me.” (Leviticus 26:40)“And that I also have walked contrary unto them, and have brought them into the land of their enemies; if then their uncircumcised hearts be humbled, and they then accept of the punishment of their iniquity.” (Leviticus 26:41)“The land also shall be left of them, and shall enjoy her sabbaths, while she lieth desolate without them: and they shall accept of the punishment of their iniquity: because, even because they despised my judgments, and because their soul abhorred my statutes.” (Leviticus 26:43)“Then shall the man bring his wife unto the priest, and he shall bring her offering for her, the tenth part of an ephah of barley meal; he shall pour no oil upon it, nor put frankincense thereon; for it is an offering of jealousy, an offering of memorial, bringing iniquity to remembrance.” (Numbers 5:15)“Then shall the man be guiltless from iniquity, and this woman shall bear her iniquity.” (Numbers 5:31)“The LORD is longsuffering, and of great mercy, forgiving iniquity and transgression, and by no means clearing the guilty, visiting the

233List of All Scriptures Regarding Iniquityiniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation.” (Numbers 14:18)“Pardon, I beseech thee, the iniquity of this people according unto the greatness of thy mercy, and as thou hast forgiven this people, from Egypt even until now.” (Numbers 14:19)“After the number of the days in which ye searched the land, even forty days, each day for a year, shall ye bear your iniquities, even forty years, and ye shall know my breach of promise” (Numbers 14:34)“Because he hath despised the word of the LORD, and hath broken his commandment, that soul shall utterly be cut off; his iniquity shall be upon him.” (Numbers 15:31)“And the LORD said unto Aaron, Thou and thy sons and thy father’s house with thee shall bear the iniquity of the sanctuary: and thou and thy sons with thee shall bear the iniquity of your priesthood.” (Numbers 18:1)“But the Levites shall do the service of the tabernacle of the congregation, and they shall bear their iniquity: it shall be a statute for ever throughout your generations, that among the children of Israel they have no inheritance.” (Numbers 18:23)“He hath not beheld iniquity in Jacob, neither hath he seen perverseness in Israel: the LORD his God is with him, and the shout of a king is among them.” (Numbers 23:21)“But if he shall any ways make them void after that he hath heard them; then he shall bear her iniquity.” (Numbers 30:15)“Thou shalt not bow down thyself unto them, nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me.” (Deuteronomy 5:9)

234How You See Yourself“One witness shall not rise up against a man for any iniquity, or for any sin, in any sin that he sinneth: at the mouth of two witnesses, or at the mouth of three witnesses, shall the matter be established.” (Deuteronomy 19:15)“He is the Rock, his work is perfect: for all his ways are judgment: a God of truth and without iniquity, just and right is he.” (Deuteronomy 32:4)“Is the iniquity of Peor too little for us, from which we are not cleansed until this day, although there was a plague in the congregation of the LORD.” (Joshua 22:17)“Did not Achan the son of Zerah commit a trespass in the accursed thing, and wrath fell on all the congregation of Israel? and that man perished not alone in his iniquity.” (Joshua 22:20)“For I have told him that I will judge his house for ever for the iniquity which he knoweth; because his sons made themselves vile, and he restrained them not.” (1 Samuel 3:13)“And therefore I have sworn unto the house of Eli, that the iniquity of Eli’s house shall not be purged with sacrice nor offering for ever.” (1 Samuel 3:14)“For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. Because thou hast rejected the word of the LORD, he hath also rejected thee from being king” (1 Samuel 15:23)“And David ed from Naioth in Ramah, and came and said before Jonathan, What have I done? what is mine iniquity? and what is my sin before thy father, that he seeketh my life?” (1 Samuel 20:1)“Therefore thou shalt deal kindly with thy servant; for thou hast brought thy servant into a covenant of the LORD with thee:

235List of All Scriptures Regarding Iniquitynotwithstanding, if there be in me iniquity, slay me thyself; for why shouldest thou bring me to thy father?.” (1 Samuel 20:8)“And fell at his feet, and said, Upon me, my lord, upon me let this iniquity be: and let thine handmaid, I pray thee, speak in thine audience, and hear the words of thine handmaid” (1 Samuel 25:24)“I will be his father, and he shall be my son. If he commit iniquity, I will chasten him with the rod of men, and with the stripes of the children of men.” (2 Samuel 7:14)“And the woman of Tekoah said unto the king, My lord, O king, the iniquity be on me, and on my father’s house: and the king and his throne be guiltless.” (2 Samuel 14:9)“And Absalom answered Joab, Behold, I sent unto thee, saying, Come hither, that I may send thee to the king, to say, Wherefore am I come from Geshur? it had been good for me to have been there still: now therefore let me see the king’s face; and if there be any iniquity in me, let him kill me.” (2 Samuel 14:32)“And said unto the king, Let not my lord impute iniquity unto me, neither do thou remember that which thy servant did perversely the day that my lord the king went out of Jerusalem, that the king should take it to his heart.” (2 Samuel 19:19)“I was also upright before him, and have kept myself from mine iniquity.” (2 Samuel 22:24)“And David’s heart smote him after that he had numbered the people. And David said unto the LORD, I have sinned greatly in that I have done: and now, I beseech thee, O LORD, take away the iniquity of thy servant; for I have done very foolishly” (2 Samuel 24:10)

236How You See Yourself“And David said unto God, I have sinned greatly, because I have done this thing: but now, I beseech thee, do away the iniquity of thy servant; for I have done very foolishly.” (1 Chronicles 21:8)“Wherefore now let the fear of the LORD be upon you; take heed and do it: for there is no iniquity with the LORD our God, nor respect of persons, nor taking of gifts.” (2 Chronicles 19:7)“And said, O my God, I am ashamed and blush to lift up my face to thee, my God: for our iniquities are increased over our head, and our trespass is grown up unto the heavens.” (Ezra 9:6)“Since the days of our fathers have we been in a great trespass unto this day; and for our iniquities have we, our kings, and our priests, been delivered into the hand of the kings of the lands, to the sword, to captivity, and to a spoil, and to confusion of face, as it is this day.” (Ezra 9:7)“And after all that is come upon us for our evil deeds, and for our great trespass, seeing that thou our God hast punished us less than our iniquities deserve, and hast given us such deliverance as this.” (Ezra 9:13)“And cover not their iniquity, and let not their sin be blotted out from before thee: for they have provoked thee to anger before the builders.” (Nehemiah 4:5)“And the seed of Israel separated themselves from all strangers, and stood and confessed their sins, and the iniquities of their fathers.” (Nehemiah 9:2)“Even as I have seen, they that plow iniquity, and sow wickedness, reap the same.” (Job 4:8)“So the poor hath hope, and iniquity stoppeth her mouth” (Job 5:16)

237List of All Scriptures Regarding Iniquity“Return, I pray you, let it not be iniquity; yea, return again, my righteousness is in it.” (Job 6:29)“Is there iniquity in my tongue? cannot my taste discern perverse things?.” (Job 6:30)“And why dost thou not pardon my transgression, and take away my iniquity? for now shall I sleep in the dust; and thou shalt seek me in the morning, but I shall not be.” (Job 7:21)“That thou enquirest after mine iniquity, and searchest after my sin?.” (Job 10:6)“If I sin, then thou markest me, and thou wilt not acquit me from mine iniquity.” (Job 10:14)“And that he would shew thee the secrets of wisdom, that they are double to that which is! Know therefore that God exacteth of thee less than thine iniquity deserveth.” (Job 11:6)“If iniquity be in thine hand, put it far away, and let not wickedness dwell in thy tabernacles.” (Job 11:14)“How many are mine iniquities and sins? make me to know my transgression and my sin.” (Job 13:23)“For thou writest bitter things against me, and makest me to possess the iniquities of my youth.” (Job 13:26)“My transgression is sealed up in a bag, and thou sewest up mine iniquity.” (Job 14:17)“For thy mouth uttereth thine iniquity, and thou choosest the tongue of the crafty.” (Job 15:5)“How much more abominable and lthy is man, which drinketh iniquity like water?.” (Job 15:16)

238How You See Yourself“The heaven shall reveal his iniquity; and the earth shall rise up against him.” (Job 20:27)“God layeth up his iniquity for his children: he rewardeth him, and he shall know it.” (Job 21:19)“Is not thy wickedness great? and thine iniquities innite?” (Job 22:5)“If thou return to the Almighty, thou shalt be built up, thou shalt put away iniquity far from thy tabernacles.” (Job 22:23)“Is not destruction to the wicked? and a strange punishment to the workers of iniquity?.” (Job 31:3)“For this is an heinous crime; yea, it is an iniquity to be punished by the judges.” (Job 31:11)“This also were an iniquity to be punished by the judge: for I should have denied the God that is above.” (Job 31:28)“If I covered my transgressions as Adam, by hiding mine iniquity in my bosom.” (Job 31:33)“I am clean without transgression, I am innocent; neither is there iniquity in me.” (Job 33:9)“Which goeth in company with the workers of iniquity, and walketh with wicked men.” (Job 34:8)“Therefore hearken unto me ye men of understanding: far be it from God, that he should do wickedness; and from the Almighty, that he should commit iniquity.” (Job 34:10)“There is no darkness, nor shadow of death, where the workers of iniquity may hide themselves.” (Job 34:22)

239List of All Scriptures Regarding Iniquity“That which I see not teach thou me: if I have done iniquity, I will do no more.” (Job 34:32)“He openeth also their ear to discipline, and commandeth that they return from iniquity.” (Job 36:10)“Take heed, regard not iniquity: for this hast thou chosen rather than afiction.” (Job 36:21)“Who hath enjoined him his way? or who can say, Thou hast wrought iniquity?.” (Job 36:23)“The foolish shall not stand in thy sight: thou hatest all workers of iniquity.” (Psalm 5:5)“Depart from me, all ye workers of iniquity; for the LORD hath heard the voice of my weeping.” (Psalm 6:8)“O LORD my God, if I have done this; if there be iniquity in my hands.” (Psalm 7:3)“Behold, he travaileth with iniquity, and hath conceived mischief, and brought forth falsehood.” (Psalm 7:14)“Have all the workers of iniquity no knowledge? who eat up my people as they eat bread, and call not upon the LORD?” (Psalm 14:4)“I was also upright before him, and I kept myself from mine iniquity.” (Psalm 18:23)“For thy name’s sake, O LORD, pardon mine iniquity; for it is great.” (Psalm 25:11)“Draw me not away with the wicked, and with the workers of iniquity, which speak peace to their neighbours, but mischief is in their hearts.” (Psalm 28:3)

240How You See Yourself“For my life is spent with grief, and my years with sighing: my strength faileth because of mine iniquity, and my bones are consumed.” (Psalm 31:10)“Blessed is the man unto whom the LORD imputeth not iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no guile.” (Psalm 32:2)“I acknowledged my sin unto thee, and mine iniquity have I not hid. I said, I will confess my transgressions unto the LORD; and thou forgavest the iniquity of my sin. Selah.” (Psalm 32:5)“For he attereth himself in his own eyes, until his iniquity be found to be hateful.” (Psalm 36:2)“The words of his mouth are iniquity and deceit: he hath left off to be wise, and to do good.” (Psalm 36:3)“There are the workers of iniquity fallen: they are cast down, and shall not be able to rise.” (Psalm 36:12)“Fret not thyself because of evildoers, neither be thou envious against the workers of iniquity.” (Psalm 37:1)“For mine iniquities are gone over mine head: as an heavy burden they are too heavy for me.” (Psalm 38:4)“For I will declare mine iniquity; I will be sorry for my sin.” (Psalm 38:18)“When thou with rebukes dost correct man for iniquity, thou makest his beauty to consume away like a moth: surely every man is vanity. Selah.” (Psalm 39:11)“For innumerable evils have compassed me about: mine iniquities have taken hold upon me, so that I am not able to look up; they are more than the hairs of mine head: therefore my heart faileth me.” (Psalm 40:12)

241List of All Scriptures Regarding Iniquity“And if he come to see me, he speaketh vanity: his heart gathereth iniquity to itself; when he goeth abroad, he telleth it.” (Psalm 41:6)“Wherefore should I fear in the days of evil, when the iniquity of my heels shall compass me about?.” (Psalm 49:5)“Wash me throughly from mine iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin.” (Psalm 51:2)“Behold, I was shapen in iniquity; and in sin did my mother conceive me.” (Psalm 51:5)“Hide thy face from my sins, and blot out all mine iniquities.” (Psalm 51:9)“The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God. Corrupt are they, and have done abominable iniquity: there is none that doeth good.” (Psalm 53:1)“Have the workers of iniquity no knowledge? who eat up my people as they eat bread: they have not called upon God” (Psalm 53:4)“Because of the voice of the enemy, because of the oppression of the wicked: for they cast iniquity upon me, and in wrath they hate me.” (Psalm 55:3)“Shall they escape by iniquity? in thine anger cast down the people, O God.” (Psalm 56:7)“Deliver me from the workers of iniquity, and save me from bloody men.” (Psalm 59:2)“Hide me from the secret counsel of the wicked; from the insurrection of the workers of iniquity.” (Psalm 64:2)

242How You See Yourself“They search out iniquities; they accomplish a diligent search: both the inward thought of every one of them, and the heart, is deep.” (Psalm 64:6)“Iniquities prevail against me: as for our transgressions, thou shalt purge them away.” (Psalm 65:3)“If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me” (Psalm 66:18)“Add iniquity unto their iniquity: and let them not come into thy righteousness.” (Psalm 69:27)“But he, being full of compassion, forgave their iniquity, and destroyed them not: yea, many a time turned he his anger away, and did not stir up all his wrath.” (Psalm 78:38)“O remember not against us former iniquities: let thy tender mercies speedily prevent us: for we are brought very low” (Psalm 79:8)“Thou hast forgiven the iniquity of thy people, thou hast covered all their sin. Selah.” (Psalm 85:2)“Then will I visit their transgression with the rod, and their iniquity with stripes.” (Psalm 89:32)“Thou hast set our iniquities before thee, our secret sins in the light of thy countenance.” (Psalm 90:8)“When the wicked spring as the grass, and when all the workers of iniquity do ourish; it is that they shall be destroyed for ever.” (Psalm 92:7)“For, lo, thine enemies, O LORD, for, lo, thine enemies shall perish; all the workers of iniquity shall be scattered.” (Psalm 92:9)

243List of All Scriptures Regarding Iniquity“How long shall they utter and speak hard things? and all the workers of iniquity boast themselves?.” (Psalm 94:4)“Who will rise up for me against the evildoers? or who will stand up for me against the workers of iniquity?.” (Psalm 94:16)“Shall the throne of iniquity have fellowship with thee, which frameth mischief by a law?.” (Psalm 94:20)“And he shall bring upon them their own iniquity, and shall cut them off in their own wickedness; yea, the LORD our God shall cut them off.” (Psalm 94:23)“Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases” (Psalm 103:3)“He hath not dealt with us after our sins; nor rewarded us according to our iniquities.” (Psalm 103:10)“We have sinned with our fathers, we have committed iniquity, we have done wickedly.” (Psalm 106:6)“Many times did he deliver them; but they provoked him with their counsel, and were brought low for their iniquity.” (Psalm 106:43)“Fools because of their transgression, and because of their iniquities, are aficted.” (Psalm 107:17)“The righteous shall see it, and rejoice: and all iniquity shall stop her mouth.” (Psalm 107:42)“Let the iniquity of his fathers be remembered with the LORD; and let not the sin of his mother be blotted out.” (Psalm 109:14)“They also do no iniquity: they walk in his ways.” (Psalm 119:3)

244How You See Yourself“Order my steps in thy word: and let not any iniquity have dominion over me.” (Psalm 119:133)“For the rod of the wicked shall not rest upon the lot of the righteous; lest the righteous put forth their hands unto iniquity.” (Psalm 125:3)“As for such as turn aside unto their crooked ways, the LORD shall lead them forth with the workers of iniquity: but peace shall be upon Israel.” (Psalm 125:5)“If thou, LORD, shouldest mark iniquities, O Lord, who shall stand.” (Psalm 130:3)“And he shall redeem Israel from all his iniquities” (Psalm 130:8)“Incline not my heart to any evil thing, to practise wicked works with men that work iniquity: and let me not eat of their dainties.” (Psalm 141:4)“Keep me from the snares which they have laid for me, and the gins of the workers of iniquity.” (Psalm 141:9)“His own iniquities shall take the wicked himself, and he shall be holden with the cords of his sins.” (Proverbs 5:22)“The way of the LORD is strength to the upright: but destruction shall be to the workers of iniquity.” (Proverbs 10:29)“By mercy and truth iniquity is purged: and by the fear of the LORD men depart from evil.” (Proverbs 16:6)“An ungodly witness scorneth judgment: and the mouth of the wicked devoureth iniquity.” (Proverbs 19:28)“It is joy to the just to do judgment: but destruction shall be to the workers of iniquity.” (Proverbs 21:15)

245List of All Scriptures Regarding Iniquity“He that soweth iniquity shall reap vanity: and the rod of his anger shall fail.” (Proverbs 22:8)“And moreover I saw under the sun the place of judgment, that wickedness was there; and the place of righteousness, that iniquity was there.” (Ecclesiastes 3:16)“Ah sinful nation, a people laden with iniquity, a seed of evildoers, children that are corrupters: they have forsaken the LORD, they have provoked the Holy One of Israel unto anger, they are gone away backward.” (Isaiah 1:4)“Bring no more vain oblations; incense is an abomination unto me; the new moons and sabbaths, the calling of assemblies, I cannot away with; it is iniquity, even the solemn meeting.” (Isaiah 1:13)“Woe unto them that draw iniquity with cords of vanity, and sin as it were with a cart rope.” (Isaiah 5:18)“And he laid it upon my mouth, and said, Lo, this hath touched thy lips; and thine iniquity is taken away, and thy sin purged” (Isaiah 6:7)“And I will punish the world for their evil, and the wicked for their iniquity; and I will cause the arrogancy of the proud to cease, and will lay low the haughtiness of the terrible.” (Isaiah 13:11)“Prepare slaughter for his children for the iniquity of their fathers; that they do not rise, nor possess the land, nor ll the face of the world with cities.” (Isaiah 14:21)“And it was revealed in mine ears by the LORD of hosts, Surely this iniquity shall not be purged from you till ye die, saith the Lord GOD of hosts.” (Isaiah 22:14)

246How You See Yourself“For, behold, the LORD cometh out of his place to punish the inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity: the earth also shall disclose her blood, and shall no more cover her slain” (Isaiah 26:21)“By this therefore shall the iniquity of Jacob be purged; and this is all the fruit to take away his sin; when he maketh all the stones of the altar as chalkstones that are beaten in sunder, the groves and images shall not stand up.” (Isaiah 27:9)“For the terrible one is brought to nought, and the scorner is consumed, and all that watch for iniquity are cut off.” (Isaiah 29:20)“Therefore this iniquity shall be to you as a breach ready to fall, swelling out in a high wall, whose breaking cometh suddenly at an instant.” (Isaiah 30:13)“Yet he also is wise, and will bring evil, and will not call back his words: but will arise against the house of the evildoers, and against the help of them that work iniquity.” (Isaiah 31:2)“For the vile person will speak villany, and his heart will work iniquity, to practise hypocrisy, and to utter error against the LORD, to make empty the soul of the hungry, and he will cause the drink of the thirsty to fail.” (Isaiah 32:6)“And the inhabitant shall not say, I am sick: the people that dwell therein shall be forgiven their iniquity.” (Isaiah 33:24)“Speak ye comfortably to Jerusalem, and cry unto her, that her warfare is accomplished, that her iniquity is pardoned: for she hath received of the LORD’s hand double for all her sins” (Isaiah 40:2)“Thou hast bought me no sweet cane with money, neither hast thou lled me with the fat of thy sacrices: but thou hast made me to

247List of All Scriptures Regarding Iniquityserve with thy sins, thou hast wearied me with thine iniquities.” (Isaiah 43:24)“Thus saith the LORD, Where is the bill of your mother’s divorcement, whom I have put away? or which of my creditors is it to whom I have sold you? Behold, for your iniquities have ye sold yourselves, and for your transgressions is your mother put away.” (Isaiah 50:1)“But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.” (Isaiah 53:5)“All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.” (Isaiah 53:6)“He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satised: by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; for he shall bear their iniquities.” (Isaiah 53:11)“For the iniquity of his covetousness was I wroth, and smote him: I hid me, and was wroth, and he went on frowardly in the way of his heart.” (Isaiah 57:17)“But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear.” (Isaiah 59:2)“For your hands are deled with blood, and your ngers with iniquity; your lips have spoken lies, your tongue hath muttered perverseness.” (Isaiah 59:3)“None calleth for justice, nor any pleadeth for truth: they trust in vanity, and speak lies; they conceive mischief, and bring forth iniquity.” (Isaiah 59:4)

248How You See Yourself“Their webs shall not become garments, neither shall they cover themselves with their works: their works are works of iniquity, and the act of violence is in their hands.” (Isaiah 59:6)“Their feet run to evil, and they make haste to shed innocent blood: their thoughts are thoughts of iniquity; wasting and destruction are in their paths.” (Isaiah 59:7)“For our transgressions are multiplied before thee, and our sins testify against us: for our transgressions are with us; and as for our iniquities, we know them.” (Isaiah 59:12)“But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as lthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away.” (Isaiah 64:6)“And there is none that calleth upon thy name, that stirreth up himself to take hold of thee: for thou hast hid thy face from us, and hast consumed us, because of our iniquities.” (Isaiah 64:7)“Be not wroth very sore, O LORD, neither remember iniquity for ever: behold, see, we beseech thee, we are all thy people” (Isaiah 64:9)“Your iniquities, and the iniquities of your fathers together, saith the LORD, which have burned incense upon the mountains, and blasphemed me upon the hills: therefore will I measure their former work into their bosom.” (Isaiah 65:7)“Thus saith the LORD, What iniquity have your fathers found in me, that they are gone far from me, and have walked after vanity, and are become vain?.” (Jeremiah 2:5)“For though thou wash thee with nitre, and take thee much soap, yet thine iniquity is marked before me, saith the Lord GOD.” (Jeremiah 2:22)

249List of All Scriptures Regarding Iniquity“Only acknowledge thine iniquity, that thou hast transgressed against the LORD thy God, and hast scattered thy ways to the strangers under every green tree, and ye have not obeyed my voice, saith the LORD.” (Jeremiah 3:13)“Your iniquities have turned away these things, and your sins have withholden good things from you.” (Jeremiah 5:25)“And they will deceive every one his neighbour, and will not speak the truth: they have taught their tongue to speak lies, and weary themselves to commit iniquity.” (Jeremiah 9:5)“They are turned back to the iniquities of their forefathers, which refused to hear my words; and they went after other gods to serve them: the house of Israel and the house of Judah have broken my covenant which I made with their fathers.” (Jeremiah 11:10)“And if thou say in thine heart, Wherefore come these things upon me? For the greatness of thine iniquity are thy skirts discovered, and thy heels made bare.” (Jeremiah 13:22)“O LORD, though our iniquities testify against us, do thou it for thy name’s sake: for our backslidings are many; we have sinned against thee.” (Jeremiah 14:7)“Thus saith the LORD unto this people, Thus have they loved to wander, they have not refrained their feet, therefore the LORD doth not accept them; he will now remember their iniquity, and visit their sins.” (Jeremiah 14:10)“We acknowledge, O LORD, our wickedness, and the iniquity of our fathers: for we have sinned against thee.” (Jeremiah 14:20)“And it shall come to pass, when thou shalt shew this people all these words, and they shall say unto thee, Wherefore hath the LORD pronounced all this great evil against us? or what is our iniquity?

250How You See Yourselfor what is our sin that we have committed against the LORD our God?.” (Jeremiah 16:10)“For mine eyes are upon all their ways: they are not hid from my face, neither is their iniquity hid from mine eyes” (Jeremiah 16:17)“And rst I will recompense their iniquity and their sin double; because they have deled my land, they have lled mine inheritance with the carcases of their detestable and abominable things.” (Jeremiah 16:18)“Yet, LORD, thou knowest all their counsel against me to slay me: forgive not their iniquity, neither blot out their sin from thy sight, but let them be overthrown before thee; deal thus with them in the time of thine anger.” (Jeremiah 18:23)“And it shall come to pass, when seventy years are accomplished, that I will punish the king of Babylon, and that nation, saith the LORD, for their iniquity, and the land of the Chaldeans, and will make it perpetual desolations.” (Jeremiah 25:12)“All thy lovers have forgotten thee; they seek thee not; for I have wounded thee with the wound of an enemy, with the chastisement of a cruel one, for the multitude of thine iniquity; because thy sins were increased.” (Jeremiah 30:14)“Why criest thou for thine afiction? thy sorrow is incurable for the multitude of thine iniquity: because thy sins were increased, I have done these things unto thee.” (Jeremiah 30:15)“But every one shall die for his own iniquity: every man that eateth the sour grape, his teeth shall be set on edge.” (Jeremiah 31:30)“And they shall teach no more every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the LORD: for they shall all know me, from the least of them unto the greatest of them, saith the

251List of All Scriptures Regarding IniquityLORD: for I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.” (Jeremiah 31:34)“Thou shewest lovingkindness unto thousands, and recompensest the iniquity of the fathers into the bosom of their children after them: the Great, the Mighty God, the LORD of hosts, is his name.” (Jeremiah 32:18)“And I will cleanse them from all their iniquity, whereby they have sinned against me; and I will pardon all their iniquities, whereby they have sinned, and whereby they have transgressed against me.” (Jeremiah 33:8)“It may be that the house of Judah will hear all the evil which I purpose to do unto them; that they may return every man from his evil way; that I may forgive their iniquity and their sin.” (Jeremiah 36:3)“And I will punish him and his seed and his servants for their iniquity; and I will bring upon them, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and upon the men of Judah, all the evil that I have pronounced against them; but they hearkened not.” (Jeremiah 36:31)“In those days, and in that time, saith the LORD, the iniquity of Israel shall be sought for, and there shall be none; and the sins of Judah, and they shall not be found: for I will pardon them whom I reserve.” (Jeremiah 50:20)“Flee out of the midst of Babylon, and deliver every man his soul: be not cut off in her iniquity; for this is the time of the LORD’s vengeance; he will render unto her a recompence.” (Jeremiah 51:6)“Thy prophets have seen vain and foolish things for thee: and they have not discovered thine iniquity, to turn away thy captivity; but have seen for thee false burdens and causes of banishment.” (Lamentations 2:14)

252How You See Yourself“For the punishment of the iniquity of the daughter of my people is greater than the punishment of the sin of Sodom, that was overthrown as in a moment, and no hands stayed on her.” (Lamentations 4:6)“For the sins of her prophets, and the iniquities of her priests, that have shed the blood of the just in the midst of her.” (Lamentations 4:13)“The punishment of thine iniquity is accomplished, O daughter of Zion; he will no more carry thee away into captivity: he will vis it thine iniquity, O daughter of Edom; he will discover thy sins.” (Lamentations 4:22)“Our fathers have sinned, and are not; and we have borne their iniquities.” (Lamentations 5:7)“When I say unto the wicked, Thou shalt surely die; and thou givest him not warning, nor speakest to warn the wicked from his wicked way, to save his life; the same wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at thine hand.” (Ezekiel 3:18)“Yet if thou warn the wicked, and he turn not from his wickedness, nor from his wicked way, he shall die in his iniquity; but thou hast delivered thy soul.” (Ezekiel 3:19)“Again, When a righteous man doth turn from his righteousness, and commit iniquity, and I lay a stumblingblock before him, he shall die: because thou hast not given him warning, he shall die in his sin, and his righteousness which he hath done shall not be remembered; but his blood will I require at thine hand.” (Ezekiel 3:20)“Lie thou also upon thy left side, and lay the iniquity of the house of Israel upon it: according to the number of the days that thou shalt lie upon it thou shalt bear their iniquity.” (Ezekiel 4:4)

253List of All Scriptures Regarding Iniquity“For I have laid upon thee the years of their iniquity, according to the number of the days, three hundred and ninety days: so shalt thou bear the iniquity of the house of Israel.” (Ezekiel 4:5)“And when thou hast accomplished them, lie again on thy right side, and thou shalt bear the iniquity of the house of Judah forty days: I have appointed thee each day for a year.” (Ezekiel 4:6)“That they may want bread and water, and be astonied one with another, and consume away for their iniquity.” (Ezekiel 4:17)“For the seller shall not return to that which is sold, although they were yet alive: for the vision is touching the whole multitude thereof, which shall not return; neither shall any strengthen himself in the iniquity of his life.” (Ezekiel 7:13)“But they that escape of them shall escape, and shall be on the mountains like doves of the valleys, all of them mourning, every one for his iniquity.” (Ezekiel 7:16)“They shall cast their silver in the streets, and their gold shall be removed: their silver and their gold shall not be able to deliver them in the day of the wrath of the LORD: they shall not satisfy their souls, neither ll their bowels: because it is the stumblingblock of their iniquity.” (Ezekiel 7:19)“Then said he unto me, The iniquity of the house of Israel and Judah is exceeding great, and the land is full of blood, and the city full of perverseness: for they say, The LORD hath forsaken the earth, and the LORD seeth not.” (Ezekiel 9:9)“Son of man, these men have set up their idols in their heart, and put the stumblingblock of their iniquity before their face: should I be enquired of at all by them?” (Ezekiel 14:3)“Therefore speak unto them, and say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Every man of the house of Israel that setteth up his

254How You See Yourselfidols in his heart, and putteth the stumblingblock of his iniquity before his face, and cometh to the prophet; I the LORD will answer him that cometh according to the multitude of his idols.” (Ezekiel 14:4)“For every one of the house of Israel, or of the stranger that sojourneth in Israel, which separateth himself from me, and setteth up his idols in his heart, and putteth the stumblingblock of his iniquity before his face, and cometh to a prophet to enquire of him concerning me; I the LORD will answer him by myself” (Ezekiel 14:7)“And they shall bear the punishment of their iniquity: the punishment of the prophet shall be even as the punishment of him that seeketh unto him.” (Ezekiel 14:10)“Behold, this was the iniquity of thy sister Sodom, pride, fulness of bread, and abundance of idleness was in her and in her daughters, neither did she strengthen the hand of the poor and needy” (Ezekiel 16:49)“He that hath not given forth upon usury, neither hath taken any increase, that hath withdrawn his hand from iniquity, hath executed true judgment between man and man.” (Ezekiel 18:8)“That hath taken off his hand from the poor, that hath not received usury nor increase, hath executed my judgments, hath walked in my statutes; he shall not die for the iniquity of his father, he shall surely live.” (Ezekiel 18:17)“As for his father, because he cruelly oppressed, spoiled his brother by violence, and did that which is not good among his people, lo, even he shall die in his iniquity.” (Ezekiel 18:18)“Yet say ye, Why? doth not the son bear the iniquity of the father? When the son hath done that which is lawful and right, and hath

255List of All Scriptures Regarding Iniquitykept all my statutes, and hath done them, he shall surely live.” (Ezekiel 18:19)“The soul that sinneth, it shall die. The son shall not bear the iniquity of the father, neither shall the father bear the iniquity of the son: the righteousness of the righteous shall be upon him, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon him.” (Ezekiel 18:20)“But when the righteous turneth away from his righteousness, and committeth iniquity, and doeth according to all the abominations that the wicked man doeth, shall he live? All his righteousness that he hath done shall not be mentioned: in his trespass that he hath trespassed, and in his sin that he hath sinned, in them shall he die.” (Ezekiel 18:24)“When a righteous man turneth away from his righteousness, and committeth iniquity, and dieth in them; for his iniquity that he hath done shall he die.” (Ezekiel 18:26)“Therefore I will judge you, O house of Israel, every one according to his ways, saith the Lord GOD. Repent, and turn yourselves from all your transgressions; so iniquity shall not be your ruin.” (Ezekiel 18:30)“And it shall be unto them as a false divination in their sight, to them that have sworn oaths: but he will call to remembrance the iniquity, that they may be taken.” (Ezekiel 21:23)“Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD; Because ye have made your iniquity to be remembered, in that your transgressions are discovered, so that in all your doings your sins do appear; because, I say, that ye are come to remembrance, ye shall be taken with the hand.” (Ezekiel 21:24)“And thou, profane wicked prince of Israel, whose day is come, when iniquity shall have an end.” (Ezekiel 21:25)

256How You See Yourself“Whiles they see vanity unto thee, whiles they divine a lie unto thee, to bring thee upon the necks of them that are slain, of the wicked, whose day is come, when their iniquity shall have an end.” (Ezekiel 21:29)“And your tires shall be upon your heads, and your shoes upon your feet: ye shall not mourn nor weep; but ye shall pine away for your iniquities, and mourn one toward another.” (Ezekiel 24:23)“Thou wast perfect in thy ways from the day that thou wast created, till iniquity was found in thee.” (Ezekiel 28:15)“Thou hast deled thy sanctuaries by the multitude of thine iniquities, by the iniquity of thy trafck; therefore will I bring forth a re from the midst of thee, it shall devour thee, and I will bring thee to ashes upon the earth in the sight of all them that behold thee.” (Ezekiel 28:18)“And it shall be no more the condence of the house of Israel, which bringeth their iniquity to remembrance, when they shall look after them: but they shall know that I am the Lord GOD.” (Ezekiel 29:16)“And they shall not lie with the mighty that are fallen of the uncircumcised, which are gone down to hell with their weapons of war: and they have laid their swords under their heads, but their iniquities shall be upon their bones, though they were the terror of the mighty in the land of the living.” (Ezekiel 32:27)“But if the watchman see the sword come, and blow not the trumpet, and the people be not warned; if the sword come, and take any person from among them, he is taken away in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at the watchman’s hand” (Ezekiel 33:6)“When I say unto the wicked, O wicked man, thou shalt surely die; if thou dost not speak to warn the wicked from his way, that wicked

257List of All Scriptures Regarding Iniquityman shall die in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at thine hand.” (Ezekiel 33:8)“Nevertheless, if thou warn the wicked of his way to turn from it; if he do not turn from his way, he shall die in his iniquity; but thou hast delivered thy soul.” (Ezekiel 33:9)“When I shall say to the righteous, that he shall surely live; if he trust to his own righteousness, and commit iniquity, all his righteousnesses shall not be remembered; but for his iniquity that he hath committed, he shall die for it.” (Ezekiel 33:13)“If the wicked restore the pledge, give again that he had robbed, walk in the statutes of life, without committing iniquity; he shall surely live, he shall not die.” (Ezekiel 33:15)“When the righteous turneth from his righteousness, and committeth iniquity, he shall even die thereby.” (Ezekiel 33:18)“Because thou hast had a perpetual hatred, and hast shed the blood of the children of Israel by the force of the sword in the time of their calamity, in the time that their iniquity had an end.” (Ezekiel 35:5)“Then shall ye remember your own evil ways, and your doings that were not good, and shall lothe yourselves in your own sight for your iniquities and for your abominations.” (Ezekiel 36:31)“Thus saith the Lord GOD; In the day that I shall have cleansed you from all your iniquities I will also cause you to dwell in the cities, and the wastes shall be builded.” (Ezekiel 36:33)“And the heathen shall know that the house of Israel went into captivity for their iniquity: because they trespassed against me, therefore hid I my face from them, and gave them into the hand of their enemies: so fell they all by the sword.” (Ezekiel 39:23)

258How You See Yourself“Thou son of man, shew the house to the house of Israel, that they may be ashamed of their iniquities: and let them measure the pattern.” (Ezekiel 43:10)“And the Levites that are gone away far from me, when Israel went astray, which went astray away from me after their idols; they shall even bear their iniquity.” (Ezekiel 44:10)“Because they ministered unto them before their idols, and caused the house of Israel to fall into iniquity; therefore have I lifted up mine hand against them, saith the Lord GOD, and they shall bear their iniquity.” (Ezekiel 44:12)“Wherefore, O king, let my counsel be acceptable unto thee, and break off thy sins by righteousness, and thine iniquities by shewing mercy to the poor; if it may be a lengthening of thy tranquillity.” (Daniel 4:27)“We have sinned, and have committed iniquity, and have done wickedly, and have rebelled, even by departing from thy precepts and from thy judgments.” (Daniel 9:5)“As it is written in the law of Moses, all this evil is come upon us: yet made we not our prayer before the LORD our God, that we might turn from our iniquities, and understand thy truth.” (Daniel 9:13)“O Lord, according to all thy righteousness, I beseech thee, let thine anger and thy fury be turned away from thy city Jerusalem, thy holy mountain: because for our sins, and for the iniquities of our fathers, Jerusalem and thy people are become a reproach to all that are about us.” (Daniel 9:16)“Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people and upon thy holy city, to nish the transgression, and to make an end of sins, and to make reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring in everlasting

259List of All Scriptures Regarding Iniquityrighteousness, and to seal up the vision and prophecy, and to anoint the most Holy.” (Daniel 9:24)“They eat up the sin of my people, and they set their heart on their iniquity.” (Hosea 4:8)“And the pride of Israel doth testify to his face: therefore shall Israel and Ephraim fall in their iniquity; Judah also shall fall with them.” (Hosea 5:5)“Gilead is a city of them that work iniquity, and is polluted with blood.” (Hosea 6:8)“When I would have healed Israel, then the iniquity of Ephraim was discovered, and the wickedness of Samaria: for they commit falsehood; and the thief cometh in, and the troop of robbers spoileth without.” (Hosea 7:1)“They sacrice esh for the sacrices of mine offerings, and eat it; but the LORD accepteth them not; now will he remember their iniquity, and visit their sins: they shall return to Egypt.” (Hosea 8:13)“The days of visitation are come, the days of recompence are come; Israel shall know it: the prophet is a fool, the spiritual man is mad, for the multitude of thine iniquity, and the great hatred.” (Hosea 9:7)“They have deeply corrupted themselves, as in the days of Gibeah: therefore he will remember their iniquity, he will visit their sins.” (Hosea 9:9)“O Israel, thou hast sinned from the days of Gibeah: there they stood: the battle in Gibeah against the children of iniquity did not overtake them.” (Hosea 10:9)

260How You See Yourself“Ye have plowed wickedness, ye have reaped iniquity; ye have eaten the fruit of lies: because thou didst trust in thy way, in the multitude of thy mighty men.” (Hosea 10:13)“And Ephraim said, Yet I am become rich, I have found me out substance: in all my labours they shall nd none iniquity in me that were sin.” (Hosea 12:8)“Is there iniquity in Gilead? surely they are vanity: they sacrice bullocks in Gilgal; yea, their altars are as heaps in the furrows of the elds.” (Hosea 12:11)“The iniquity of Ephraim is bound up; his sin is hid” (Hosea 13:12)“O Israel, return unto the LORD thy God; for thou hast fallen by thine iniquity.” (Hosea 14:1)“Take with you words, and turn to the LORD: say unto him, Take away all iniquity, and receive us graciously: so will we render the calves of our lips.” (Hosea 14:2)“You only have I known of all the families of the earth: therefore I will punish you for all your iniquities.” (Amos 3:2)“Woe to them that devise iniquity, and work evil upon their beds! when the morning is light, they practise it, because it is in the power of their hand.” (Micah 2:1)“They build up Zion with blood, and Jerusalem with iniquity.” (Micah 3:10)“Who is a God like unto thee, that pardoneth iniquity, and passeth by the transgression of the remnant of his heritage? he retaineth not his anger for ever, because he delighteth in mercy.” (Micah 7:18)

261List of All Scriptures Regarding Iniquity“He will turn again, he will have compassion upon us; he will subdue our iniquities; and thou wilt cast all their sins into the depths of the sea.” (Micah 7:19)“Why dost thou shew me iniquity, and cause me to behold grievance? for spoiling and violence are before me: and there are that raise up strife and contention.” (Habakkuk 1:3)“Thou art of purer eyes than to behold evil, and canst not look on iniquity: wherefore lookest thou upon them that deal treacherously, and holdest thy tongue when the wicked devoureth the man that is more righteous than he?.” (Habakkuk 1:13)“Woe to him that buildeth a town with blood, and stablisheth a city by iniquity!.” (Habakkuk 2:12)“The just LORD is in the midst thereof; he will not do iniquity: every morning doth he bring his judgment to light, he faileth not; but the unjust knoweth no shame.” (Zephaniah 3:5)“The remnant of Israel shall not do iniquity, nor speak lies; neither shall a deceitful tongue be found in their mouth: for they shall feed and lie down, and none shall make them afraid.” (Zephaniah 3:13)“And he answered and spake unto those that stood before him, saying, Take away the lthy garments from him. And unto him he said, Behold, I have caused thine iniquity to pass from thee, and I will clothe thee with change of raiment.” (Zechariah 3:4)“For behold the stone that I have laid before Joshua; upon one stone shall be seven eyes: behold, I will engrave the graving thereof, saith the LORD of hosts, and I will remove the iniquity of that land in one day.” (Zechariah 3:9)

262How You See Yourself“The law of truth was in his mouth, and iniquity was not found in his lips: he walked with me in peace and equity, and did turn many away from iniquity.” (Malachi 2:6)“And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.” (Matthew 7:23)“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.” (Matthew 13:41)“Even so ye also outwardly appear righteous unto men, but within ye are full of hypocrisy and iniquity.” (Matthew 23:28)“And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold.” (Matthew 24:12)“But he shall say, I tell you, I know you not whence ye are; depart from me, all ye workers of iniquity.” (Luke 13:27)“Now this man purchased a eld with the reward of iniquity; and falling headlong, he burst asunder in the midst, and all his bowels gushed out.” (Acts 1:18)“Unto you rst God, having raised up his Son Jesus, sent him to bless you, in turning away every one of you from his iniquities.” (Acts 3:26)“For I perceive that thou art in the gall of bitterness, and in the bond of iniquity.” (Acts 8:23)“Saying, Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven, and whose sins are covered.” (Romans 4:7)“I speak after the manner of men because of the inrmity of your esh: for as ye have yielded your members servants to uncleanness

263List of All Scriptures Regarding Iniquityand to iniquity unto iniquity; even so now yield your members servants to righteousness unto holiness.” (Romans 6:19)“Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth.” (1 Corinthians 13:6)“For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way.” (2 Thessalonians 2:7)“Nevertheless the foundation of God standeth sure, having this seal, The Lord knoweth them that are his. And, Let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity.” (2 Timothy 2:19)“Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.” (Titus 2:14)“Thou hast loved righteousness, and hated iniquity; therefore God, even thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows.” (Hebrews 1:9)“For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more.” (Hebrews 8:12)“And their sins and iniquities will I remember no more.” (Hebrews 10:17)“And the tongue is a re, a world of iniquity: so is the tongue among our members, that it deleth the whole body, and setteth on re the course of nature; and it is set on re of hell.” (James 3:6)“But was rebuked for his iniquity: the dumb ass speaking with man’s voice forbad the madness of the prophet.” (2 Peter 2:16)“For her sins have reached unto heaven, and God hath remembered her iniquities.” (Revelation 18:5)

Why we give YOU all our books for FREE:“Get the Truth, but do not sell it;Also get wisdom, instruction, and understanding.”(Proverbs 23:23)Why YOU should give all our books for FREEto all your friends and family:“Freely you have received, freely give!”(Matthew 10:8)Find our books here. Share the link with others!

Imagine You—In The Ministry! Yes, that is right, you are in the ministry! Christian ministry is imparting the gospel and biblical truths to others. Anyone can do this with the help of the Holy Spirit.You know people within your scope of infl uence who need to be ministered to. Since we are all under biblical command to tell or publish the truth, it’s about communicating that truth with them.“Declare among the nations, Proclaim, and set up a standard; Proclaim—do not conceal it.” (Jeremiah 50:2a)The vital truths of the Bible are explained in detail in our publications, which we provide you without charge. You can share this material to everyone you know.There is a proper sequence to learning truths. On the following pages is our suggestion of the sequence of our material, along with links and descriptions. We must be careful not to dump too much at a time.You’re in the ministry now! The Lord will bless your endeavors! Your rewards will be eternal! “We are workers together with God!”

Why You Were Born - A Blueprint for Discovering Your Life PotentialWhy are you here on planet earth? Once you know why you were born you will have a new appreciation for your true self and a known purpose in life. Then, and only then, can you choose a life path, a course of action and eventually a fulfi lled life … no disappointments, no pressure to conform to the ideas and expectations of others. You will be free to be you, the real you.In the second part of this book you will learn how to discover your ENA, your Embedded Natural Ability. How tragic that some will cross the stage of time, be standing at the exit sign, and look back only to see a wasted life of insignifi cance. None of us can run a good race on the wrong track. “My Way,” only counts if it’s the right way—God’s way. This book is also available as a 12-week group study with a Study Guide, Facilitator’s Guide, Lesson videos, and promotional material. Book Study Guide Facilitator GroupBook: NothingButTheTruth.org/wywbStudy Guide: NothingButTheTruth.org/wywbsgFacilitators Guide: NothingButTheTruth.org/wywbfgGroup Package: NothingButTheTruth.org/wywbkitThese books are free to you and for you to send without charge to any and all others as part of your ministry to them.have a new appreciation for your true self and a known purpose in life. Then, and course of action and eventually a fulfi lled conform to the ideas and expectations of

How You See Yourself -The Source of Your Struggle and How to Conquer ItHave you ever gone to a carnival and looked into one of those distorted mirrors, you know, the ones that make you look three feet tall and fi ve feet wide? The image of yourself that you see back is distorted. It can produce a good laugh. But many of us struggle with a similar condition – we don’t see ourselves accurately. We are hindered from being the best version of ourselves by this insidious thing called iniquity.Iniquity is mentioned 334 times in the Bible, yet so many remain oblivious to its signifi cant and negative impact on everyday living. Iniquity is the ancient term for narcissism. It’s one of the four reason Jesus went to the cross … “He was bruised for our iniquities” (Isa. 53:5). In this book you will not only identify the problems iniquity imposes upon us, but you will also discover the solutions.This book will help you discover:• How iniquity contributes to mental illness• How iniquity causes divorce and destroys households• How conquering iniquity will cause your prayer life to fl ourish• How you can fi nally live without fear and regret• How to embrace the benefi ts that come from being free from iniquity and the way it robs you of your God-given potential!• How iniquity is different from sin NothingButTheTruth.org/hysyThis book is free to you and for you to send without charge to any and all others as part of your ministry to them.Have you ever gone to a carnival and you know, the ones that make you look of yourself that you see back is distorted. It struggle with a similar condition – we don’t see ourselves accurately. We are hindered

Your Ultimate Life Management System - How Jesus’s Inaugural Address (The Sermon on the Mount) Can Change Your LifeThe prophet Jeremiah lamented (Jeremiah 10:23) “I know that the way of man is not in himself: it is not in man who walks to direct his own steps.” How can we manage our own path, and live life effectively? Could anything be more important than an effi cient, effective, and trustworthy life-management system? We need a life-management system!A life manager must be faithful, smart enough, wise enough, caring enough, and love you suffi ciently to be trusted to direct your life. Hence, Jesus! He loves you, which means He is relentlessly choosing your highest good without any personal profi t or benefi t as a motive of His own. In addition, Jesus is a life manager who never quits, and never gives up on you no matter what. He has said, “I will never leave you or forsake you; I am with you always, even unto the end of the world.”In His fi rst and possibly most compelling discourse, known as the “Sermon on the Mount,” Jesus outlines a practical, yet powerful life plan for you. Don’t miss it! He is for you. Follow Him. You will never be ashamed.NothingButTheTruth.org/yulmsThis book is free to you and for you to send without charge to any and all others as part of your ministry to them.I know that the way of man is not A life manager must be faithful, smart enough, wise enough, caring enough, and

High Value Target - When the Good Guys Become the TargetsIf you are a good person, watch out. The bad guys have you in their sights. Our culture has experienced a paradigm shift. It’s popular now to be immoral; and evil is promoted as preferred and desirable. It is objectionable enough that evil is put for good but now the good are put for evil... targeted! You targeted! And so are your children.In High Value Target you will discover the tactics arrayed against you and yours; tactics designed to steal your destiny, kill your dreams, destroy your moral intelligence, and demonize life. You will learn practical and powerful tactics, not only to fend off attacks but how to conquer, what to do of you are targeted as one of the good guys.NothingButTheTruth.org/hvtThis book is free to you and for you to send without charge to any and all others as part of your ministry to them.bad guys have you in their sights. Our is promoted as preferred and desirable. It is objectionable enough that evil is put for targeted! You targeted! And so are your

Personal Digital Discipleship - How to think, feel, and live truthfullyAs believers we are called to grow and mature in our faith and understanding of what it means to be followers of Christ. Certainly being part of a life-giving church is a key component. But not everyone has access to that.Personal Digital Discipleship is a powerful resource you can use to gain insight and understanding, teaching and training in the ways of God and how to effectively live out your Christian life.Walking you through the steps of being reborn, helping you change the way you think, shifting your emotions to follow God’s direction, replanning your life to align with God’s desires, and helping you reproduce these steps in others, this study can literally change your life.Each of the 30 full-color lessons contains a video component, lesson notes, additional study, application, and steps to share with others. Grow in your Christian walk by going through these insightful lessons.The book can be used for individual or group study. Group helps are listed in the book.NothingButTheTruth.org/pddThis book is free to you and for you to send without charge to any and all others as part of your ministry to them.

The Virtuous Woman - Your Guide to True FeminismIt is virtue that makes all that is good possible.The most infl uential people in any culture are the women!That’s where you can enter as the heroine! YOU, a Virtuous Woman!In the book of Proverbs (called the Book of Wisdom), God speaks of the characteristics of a virtuous woman. Chapter 31 uncovers many of the beautifully illustrated facets of love, virtue, and strength that a woman can possess.As you work your way through this book, the pages unpack each aspect of this amazing woman. Discovering and applying these truths can help you to become a woman of infl uence, strength, and character—a motivator, trendsetter, infl uencer, and advocate for virtue.This book is designed to celebrate the incomparable gifts and qualities of a virtuous woman and makes a good gift for any woman in your life.NothingButTheTruth.org/virtuousThis book is free to you and for you to send without charge to any and all others as part of your ministry to them.It is virtue that makes all that is The most infl uential people in That’s where you can enter as the heroine! YOU, a Virtuous In the book of Proverbs (called the Book of Wisdom), God speaks of the

Other Helpful ResourcesHow to Have Peace in Diffi cult TimesWe live in turbulent times. Society sometimes seems like it is teetering on the brink of chaos.This powerful book will give you keys to experiencing peace and staying calm no matter what may be happening to you or around you. When everyone around you is leaning into fear, panic, tension and worry – YOU have the power to walk in peace, even in diffi cult times.NothingButTheTruth.org/peaceFor Every Soldier There Is A Time to Kill and a Time to Heal“To every thing there is a season,And a time to every purpose under the heaven: A time to be born, and a time to die…A time to kill and a time to heal.” (Ecclesiastes 3:1-3)This vivid gift book is written for Veterans. In it they will discover the way to genuine healing. NothingButTheTruth.org/soldierThese books are free to you and for you to send without charge to any and all others as part of your ministry to them.

Con dence Knowing It Will Go Well With YouWe all want to know if things will turn out ok for us. We desire assurance that all will be well for us and our loved ones. “Can you know this for sure?”  at is the question!NothingButTheTruth.org/confidenceCrush the Hidden Power  at Defeats YouWe are hindered from being the best version of ourselves, the version God intended. We are prevented by this insidious thing called iniquity.NothingButTheTruth.org/crushpowerDiscover Your Spiritual G i   is brief ebook will ex-plain the di erent spiritual gi s, how they  t in the big picture, the Body of Christ, and how you can discover yours.NothingButTheTruth.org/spiritualgiftThese books are free to you and for you to send without charge to any and all others as part of your ministry to them.

How to Handle Di cult PeopleI wrote this short e-book to give you some practical, helpful and biblically-based insights on how you can work with people who are, well, challenging.NothingButTheTruth.org/peopleKeys to a Meaningful LifeDo you desire a meaning-ful life? If so, the informa-tion in this ebook should encourage you and help you move toward the ful llment, peace, and joy that a meaningful life brings! NothingButTheTruth.org/keysWords Matter - Speaking Peace to Calm the Storms of LifeChaos shows itself as anger, depression, panic, worry, or mistrust. Peace is the absence of these. So how do we get it?NothingButTheTruth.org/wordsThese books are free to you and for you to send without charge to any and all others as part of your ministry to them.

Nothing But The Truth MinistriesDedicated to the single task of explaining the truth in its simplest and purest form to all peoples of the world.People matter. YOU matter! Truth is the substance of all wise decision-making. So it’s important to know the truth – about you, about why you were born, about every aspect of your life. Truth is wonderful, even when sometimes it may not seem comfortable.This site is dedicated to sharing God’s truth with you – truth that you can apply to your daily life, your relationships, your fi nances, your choices, your future.Visit our website at www.NothingButTheTruth.orgAll our resources are available free of charge in digital form. Printed copies are available at our cost of printing plus shipping. WE DO NOT SOLICIT FUNDS, but we give opportunity if it is in a person’s heart to give. We are a 501(c)3 non-profi t organization. All contributions are tax deductible. Contributions to the mission can be made on our website.