Which came first, the sin or the sinner?

Proverbs 29:16 (a)

  “When the wicked are multiplied, transgression increases…”

It would appear that this verse is written backward. Of course it is not, but our minds tend to think of this concept in the opposite direction. It is believed that when people begin to engage in sin-transgression- then more people become wicked. That is exactly the opposite of what this verse says. It is here presented that when there is an abundance of wicked people then there is an abundance of sin. Transgression increases at the same rate and in direct proportion to the amount of wicked people in an area or a generation. I have heard some Christians refer to a move in the Body of Christ by the “Pentecostals”  that demands that areas of extreme sexual perversion be battled spiritually. San Francisco for example has a large population of homosexuals and the response of some members of the body of Christ is to attempt to blame powers, principalities- demons for this large influx of sexual deviance. That mindset is in juxtaposition to this verse. This verse places the increase in sexual deviance as a result of the increase of those who lack salvation. That is, the unsaved congregate in a geographic location or in a generation and they begin to act out of who they are- their father’s children- the children of the wicked one and thus bring with them demonic spiritual forces. 

    This understanding sheds light on why and how the Lord wants His children to step in and start solving this issue. He does not say to His saints that they must speak to the unsaved in order to rebuke their actions. He directs us to make the unsaved into disciples of Jesus Christ because when that is accomplished, it follows that transgression would decrease. If the above verse is true, and it is, then the opposite is also true- “When the righteous are multiplied, transgression decreases…” 

This phenomenon is not as we assume… sin does not decrease so that the righteous may increase… no the righteous increase so that sin will decrease! To change our mindsets to the truth of this verse is to see those both inside and outside of the body of Christ with fresh eyes.