"There is a way which seems right to a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death" (Proverbs 14:12).
There are many cases where perception results in illusion. In three-dimensional films for instance, objects on a screen 100 feet away viewed through the 3-D glasses can be made to appear as if they are right in front of our face. If we didn't know better, we'd think that an object came out of the screen and almost hit us. This is why scientific proof requires reproducible experimental evidence viewed from the right perspective (eg., without the 3-D glasses). The images on the film screen are actually two separate, overlapped two-dimensional recordings at slightly different angles corresponding to the slightly different angles of our two eyes, and using two different polarized light films. The 3-D spectacles are made with polarized lenses which then separate the two polarized film recordings on the screen so that each eye focuses on only one of the polarized light recordings. This reproduces the mechanics by which our minds understand depth as recorded by our eyes.
Our minds are thus deceived into thinking we're viewing three dimensions because the distorted focusing from the polarized spectacles blinds us to the fact that we're simply watching two separate polarized film recordings!
Notice that the deception problem lies with the 3-D spectacle-covered eyes of the observer. The polarization covering the observer's eyes and deceiving his true perception of the screen, is causing him to completely misjudge the same kind of dual polarized film recordings he is looking at.
Viewing life through the world's 3-D glasses, we can easily misjudge the heinous nature of sin-distorted surroundings in ourselves, the world, and Satan. Since perception of sin is clouded by our sinful perspective, right perspective is essential for right perception of sin. The right perspective is the clearest, brightest light which can expose the lurking illusions. The bright light of God exposes all manner of sin just as bright light itself exposes even subtle shades of darkness.
Consider the following experiment:
A shape outlined on an off-white surface in a dark room is surrounded by another shape outlined on the same off-white surface. As the amount of light shines onto and reflects off, the outside shape is varied while the amount of light shining onto and reflecting off the inside shape is held constant, the inside shape is made to look either white or black depending only on the brightness of the outside shape! When the brightness from the shined and reflected light of the outside surface is low (dark), the inside surface appears white. The inside surface appears gray as the brightness of the outside surface is increased, and appears black when the brightness of the outside surface becomes brilliant! Thus, when the perspective is bright light, the viewed object can appear dark as night. The bright surroundings expose the darkness within.
The shade of an object depends on the brightness of the perspective in which it is being viewed. From a sin-muddied perspective, a contaminated object may appear clean. But from a clear perspective, the contamination is revealed.
"No one is good but God alone" (Mark 10:18). All of us are contaminated by what might appear to be an off-white shade of gray but which on closer inspection, under the right circumstances, and from a pure, clear perspective, reveals its true shade, dark as night.
Relative to the unblemished light of God, our hearts stained with greed, envy, hate, and perversity are indeed very dark. Perceived from the light of God, "...in Him there is no darkness at all" (1 John 1:5) i.e., 100% luminance, the true darkness of our hearts is revealed.
This is exactly what the Scripture says. Viewing ourselves from God's perspective reveals the extent of our sin. The Law of God reveals the holiness, the righteousness, the goodness of God (the brilliant white light standard of God). And when we view our hearts through the Law of God, we can see how dark they truly are. The apostle Paul makes this clear in Romans 7:7-14: "I would not have come to know sin except through the Law; for I would not have known about coveting if the Law had not said, 'You shall not covet'... the Law is holy, and the commandment is holy and righteous and good... But sin, that it might appear sin was producing death in me through what is good, so that through the commandment sin became utterly sinful. For we know that the Law is spiritual; but I am of flesh, sold into bondage to sin." But then as he finishes out the argument he goes on to say, “O wretched man that I am! Who shall deliver me from the body of this death? I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord!” (Romans 7:24-25).
The light of God is bright and penetrating, so penetrating that it exposes everything. "Nothing can be hid from God. Everything in all creation is exposed and lies open before His eyes, and it is to Him that we must all give account of ourselves" (Hebrews 4:13). God's light is so intense, the power of His radiation so great, that it literally destroys evil. "He who is the blessed and only Sovereign, the King of kings and Lord of lords; who alone possesses immortality and dwells in unapproachable light; whom no man has seen nor can see (1 Timothy 6:15,16). "Thine eyes are too pure to approve evil, and Thou canst not look on wickedness with favor" (Habakkuk 1:13).
The absolute perspective is all-important when viewing sin. The correct perspective is God's - perfect purity, perfect goodness. The incorrect perspective is our own perspective, corrupted as it is by sin in ourselves and in the world around us (the mud which clouds our vision and dims the light around us; the 3-D spectacles which mis-focus our eyes). Such an incorrect perspective results in terrible illusions about sin.
What “seems right to a man” is indeed often a terrible illusion. We are all in desperate need of the light of God's Word (Psalm 119:105) and the light of life in Christ Jesus (John 1:4) in order to penetrate the darkness. We must view life from God's perspective. And that means that we all require the redemption that comes from accepting Jesus Christ as Savior, Who alone is our justification before God.
Do you know Him?
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