When Perception Betrays
Regarding This World
In human perception, the world often appears to be an exceedingly good and pleasant place. Because of this view, many people find it hard to abandon their love for it—even when they are told not to. The Lord Jesus said, "For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?" (Matthew 16:26).
James adds, "Adulterers and adulteresses! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. " (James 4:4).
Johnreminds us, "Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not of the Father but is of the world. And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever." (1 John 2:15-17).
Yet this teaching seems incomprehensible to those who cherish the world so much. As long as a person loves the world, he may not care for God. The wicked do not despise money, just as food is essential to them; similarly, people do not disdain the world—they love it deeply. So why did God say not to love the world? Because whoever owns the world is the devil (Luke 4:5-8). Therefore, loving the world means loving the devil.
The Bible says about God burning up the world with fire, "But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in which the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the elements will melt with fervent heat; both the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up. " (2 Peter 3:10).
Because God intends to destroy this world—owned by the devil and loved by humanity—we should not love it now. If we fail to see this clearly, we will continue to cherish it. No words can change that; it is a sad reality
Regarding Human Beings
Many people hold a mistaken view of humanity: the physical body is considered more valuable than the spirit. If one focuses on the body, people are willing to spend time and money; if one focuses on the spirit, they show little interest at all. In reality, without the spirit, the body has no value. James writes, "The body that is without the spirit is dead" (James 2:26).
Pursuing physical desires leads only to decay and deterioration day by day. Yet because of this wrong view, people invest time, energy, and money in a body that cannot truly feel or respond.
Jesus said, "For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?" (Matthew 16:26), showing that the spirit is more valuable than the universe itself.
However, because humans cannot see this truth, they do not believe or follow what Jesus teaches. In their view, physical needs—food, clothing, shelter—are paramount.
Jesus then instructed, “Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. (Matthew 6:31-33)
Because people do not understand or accept this assurance, they live only for their physical needs—a truly pitiful state.
Regarding Hell
If your hand causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter into life maimed, rather than having two hands, to go to hell, into the fire that shall never be quenched—where ‘Their worm does not die And the fire is not quenched.’ (Mark 9:43-44)
Jesus described hell as a place of eternal, unending torment—no dead worms, no extinguished fire. This indicates that hell is not a physical realm but a spiritual one, forever burning with an unquenchable flame. The phrase “no dead worm” emphasizes that living creatures will suffer eternally in that place.
Jesus warns of this eternal fire, yet many do not heed or understand it because they are like children who have never experienced such suffering. They only realize the reality of hell when they arrive there, by which time it is too late. Therefore, during our earthly life we must seek a way to escape hell. We cannot escape on our own; God has already saved us through Jesus Christ. All that is required is to know this truth and believe it.
Because people do not see as Jesus said, they are unafraid of hell and fail to take it seriously, continuing to live as if they will never be cast into it.
Regarding Heaven
Man does not see heaven, but we must listen to and believe what those who have seen describe.
John writes:
"Now I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away. Also there was no more sea. 2 Then I, John, saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from heaven saying, “Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people. God Himself will be with them and be their God. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away." (Revelation 21:1-4)
Because heaven has no sea, there will be no storms, winds, rain, or scorching sun. It resembles the earthly world in some ways but is not the same; pain, death, sorrow, crying, and suffering will cease. God promised to wipe away every tear.
Yet most people do not believe these truths and remain attached to this world through the devil’s deception. If they fail to reach heaven, they risk descending into hell, where they will be burned by eternal fire, thirsting for relief that never comes. Because they cannot see or are unwilling to learn about heaven, many take their divine access as granted—a sad reality.
Regarding God
Most people do not see or understand God as He truly is. In human perception, God appears merely as a being more powerful than us—a helper—but this view leaves them unable to love, fear, or respect Him properly. God is not a human being.
God Himself declares, “Behold, I am the Lord, the God of all flesh. Is there anything too hard for Me? " (Jeremiah 32:27).
God wants people to know Him as God. Scripture repeats this intent roughly ninety times in passages that say, "So that they may know that I am the Lord." And about seventy times especially in Ezekiel.
The real problem with the Israelites was their lack of knowledge of God. If a person truly knows God, he will not worship other gods. Most people today do not know God as they should, which is why they neither fear Him nor love, trust, or heed His words. Instead, they consider themselves “gods.” Therefore, the Scripture says, "You are gods" (Psalm 82:6).
Do you truly know God as God? If you have not yet learned this, it will be very difficult for you to cling to Him, rely on Him, or listen to Him. To genuinely understand that God is God, read Scripture and pray earnestly.
