Bruised for Our Iniquities
by Robert Morris
"God…keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and
transgression and sin, by no means clearing the guilty, visiting
the iniquity of the father upon the children and the children’s
children to the third and the fourth generation." (Exodus 34: 6-7)
2 Samuel 11 tells the story of David’s adulterous relationship with Bathsheba. By chapter 13, we are reading about how his children began to commit gross immorality.
The Bible says the iniquity of the fathers is passed down to the children. So if we do not deal with the iniquity in our own lives, we will see it repeated in the lives of our children. Notice that this passage does not say that the sins of the fathers are passed down to the children, but it speaks of the iniquity that is passed down.
David succumbed to lust. Lust is an iniquity that dwells in the heart and it is different from sin. Sin is an outward action or movement. Iniquity is the inward motivation and attitude. Sin is in the hand and iniquity is in the heart, and if the attitude or iniquity is in the heart, then the action may follow.
Therefore, if we want to overcome our struggles in the area of sexual purity, we must deal with the inward motivation. We have to deal with iniquities, because the hidden things of the heart are what our children will inherit from us.
When God says, “Don’t step over this line,” and we step over it, that is sin. That is transgression. But the heart attitude behind that action is iniquity. For example, adultery (an outward movement) is sin; but lust (an inward motivation) is iniquity. If we allow lust to stay in our hearts, we are going to see it in our children; because God said he would visit the iniquities for the fathers on the children to the third and fourth generation. (Exodus 20:5)
Here’s the great news. God has made a way for us to be free from both our sins and our iniquities. Isaiah 53: 5 says, “But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities.” Jesus was wounded outwardly for our outward transgressions and sins. And He was also bruised inwardly for our inward iniquities. Everything that needs to be done for us to be set free from sin and iniquity has been done in Jesus Christ through His extraordinary sacrifice.
Jesus has set us free from sin and iniquity by His atoning work on the cross. If we do not allow Him to set us free in the area of iniquity, we will give our children an inheritance we don’t want them to have.
We live in a sensual society that constantly tempts us to compromise our purity.
If lust is allowed to stay in your heart, you will learn to walk in a rebellious relationship with the Holy Spirit. You will learn to tune out the voice of God and grieve the Holy Spirit.
Satan wants to keep you in the dark so he can continue to have power over you. But, our God is a God of grace and mercy. He gave His only Son to make a way for you to be forgiven and set free. If you come to him in transparency and humility, if you repent and turn to Him with your whole heart, He will forgive and restore you.
This Week
If you have fallen into bondage in this area, don’t run away from God. Run to Him! He is not condemning you. He is pleading with you to come to Him for help. If you repent of iniquity and sin and lean totally on Him day by day, He will be there to help you gain the victory in this area of your life.
Prayer
“Father, I know I can’t have an open and transparent relationship with your if I am choosing to be involved in impurity. I repent and allow you to expose the iniquity in my heart. I ask for your forgiveness and seek your deliverance from any hold the enemy has obtained. Thank you for freeing me through the blood of Jesus and breaking the influence of iniquity on my children.”
Robert Morris is the senior pastor of Gateway Church, where James and Betty Robison attend. This teaching comes from the series Dream To Destiny, which is featured all this week on LIFE Today.
