The Reality of Perception…

“Genesis 1:26 Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness;

Then man, encouraged by evil, took the steps toward changing reality into his very own perception, “This could be seen as making us equal to God.”

First step… Perceive the truth… Now the serpent was more crafty than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made. And he said to the woman, “Indeed, has God said, ‘You shall not eat from any tree of the garden’?” (Genesis 2:1)

Second Step… Give your eyewitness account… The woman said to the serpent, “From the fruit of the trees of the garden we may eat; but from the fruit of the tree which is in the middle of the garden, God has said, ‘You shall not eat from it or touch it, or you will die.’” (Genesis 3:2-3)

Third Step… Let the presumption of  withholding something of benefit sway your free will… The serpent said to the woman, “You surely will not die! For God knows that in the day you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” (Genesis 3:4-5)

Fourth Step… Chose you this day whom you will obey… When the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was desirable to make one wise, she took from its fruit and ate (Genesis 3:6)

Fifth Step… Run and hide when you find out you were not only WRONG, you are NAKEDLY WRONG… Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves loin coverings. They heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden. (Genesis 3:7-8)

Eve’s perception (she SAW and therefore she knew) convinced her that the reality of God’s Words (even though He SPOKE and REALITY happened) would not happen if she freely chose to overrule them with a practical, amazingly beautiful, wise reason for disobeying.

What she perceived was NOT what really happened… What happened was the words God spoke became real, just as He said they would!

Maybe we could give her the benefit of the doubt because she didn’t really know what death meant. After all she lived in Paradise and did not yet know evil – only good.

Yet when their eyes were opened and they KNEW they were naked – no longer dressed in heaven’s innocence.  What did they do? Covered themselves and hid from their Creator who had only shown them and showered them with good. Good was the REALITY of Paradise, and yet, concern for themselves kept them from acknowledging what they had done had far reaching consequences to the garden and all of creation they had been commissioned to fill, subdue, and rule over the earth and all of it’s inhabitants.

When reality didn’t give them the standard of living they had become accustomed to, they avoided the Reality Maker.

They didn’t “perceive” of  confessing their complete idiocy, sincerely acknowledging God’s complete rightness, and vowing to obey only the God of ALL GOODNESS!

Besides independently designing their own covering of their nakedness, and believing they could just avoid the Maker of haven and earth, they stuck by me! Me! ME!

Genesis 3:12-13 The man said, “The woman whom You gave to be with me, she gave me from the tree, and I ate.” Then the Lord God said to the woman, “What is this you have done?” And the woman said, “The serpent deceived me, and I ate.” Blaming everyone and everything… even God – especially God (the woman YOU gave me – the serpent YOU created) with little regard for the fact that they ATE.

And they did it… wait for it… Side by Side and Hand in Hand!

THEY DID IT – THEY ATE! No matter how pretty the perception of the why’s and how’s and who was counseling them, perception is not nor becomes  reality. (And may I just say, my prayer on December 2, 2019, I pray our Side by Side perception never become the Hand in Hand encouragement for ourselves and others, replacing  God and His Word as our One True Reality.)

Perception is the ability to see, hear, or become aware of something through the senses, it doesn’t guarantee the quality. Reality on the other hand is the world or the state of things as they actually exist, as opposed to an idealistic or notional idea of them. (Definitions taken from the dictionary provided on this Apple computer)

Adam and Eve “perceived” the tree and by God’s Word it was “real”. Adam and Eve “perceived” the tree was perfect for their circumstances (food, beauty, wisdom) but they failed to “perceive” the fruit’s reality (loss of knowing only goodness) or the real consequences of such knowledge, It looked good to them therefore they judged their perception as the REAL DEAL and God’s warning as not their problem!

The difference between the serpent and them? He did know the reality of evil. He did know his plan for Adam and Eve. He did know his desire for God and God’s kingdom. Could Adam and Eve ever “perceive” an entity that swore an oath to steal, kill, and destroy all things from the good hand of God?

Could Adam and Eve ever “perceive” that they would not only question the character and motive of God, whom they walked with in the cool of the evening, the God they were created to look like Him, the God who trusted them with His most holy gift of free will – the ability to choose their own actions. Would they ever “perceive” that upon questioning the character and motive of said God, they would use their free will to disobey without regard to or for God’s desires.

Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they knew that they were naked…the eyes of both of them, no longer saw only what they wanted to see, they knew the truth… they KNEW REALITY and it wasn’t even close to their perception!

If we knew the reality of evil, I believe we would run for our lives! If we knew the reality of our nakedness, I believe we would seek, with everything in us, the One who has defeated evil. If we knew the reality of the lies told and by whom, for the express purpose of keeping us from knowing reality, I believe we would choose to know the truth and to be set free.

Side by Side and Hand in Hand we can seek REALITY… Jesus *said, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me. (John 14:6)

Side by Side and Hand in Hand we must open the door to REALITY… Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and will dine with him, and he with Me. He who overcomes, I will grant to him to sit down with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne.’” (Revelations 3:20-22)

Side by Side and Hand in Hand…

He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says!

**All Scripture quoted comes from the “Bible Gateway” app and is the NASB version of the Bible unless otherwise noted.