The Perception Gap

I'm reading 1 John chapter 3 over and over again and wondering at humanity's perception gap.

"Beloved, we are God's children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is." - 1 John 3:2 ESV

The chapter really links personal sin to a lack of perception. Mankind acts in lawlessness because God's nature and character is not in view.

"See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are. The reason why the world does not know us is that it did not know him... No one who abides in him keeps on sinning; no one who keeps on sinning has either seen him or known him. Little children, let no one deceive you. Whoever practices righteousness is righteous, as he is righteous. Whoever makes a practice of sinning is of the devil, for the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil. No one born of God makes a practice of sinning, for God's seed abides in him, and he cannot keep on sinning because he has been born of God." - 1 John 3:1, 6-9 ESV

Many go through life in lawlessness in the way that a person who knows nothing about cars deals with their broken down vehicle. If they can figure out how to open the hood they do but they still have very little idea what they are looking at much less how to begin fixing the problem so they get in and turn the key, again and again, hoping the problem will just go away.

"Beloved, if our heart does not condemn us, we have confidence before God; and whatever we ask we receive from him, because we keep his commandments and do what pleases him. And this is his commandment, that we believe in the name of his Son Jesus Christ and love one another, just as he has commanded us. Whoever keeps his commandments abides in God, and God in him. And by this we know that he abides in us, by the Spirit whom he has given us." - 1 John 3:21-24 ESV

God commands us to 'believe in the name of His Son' and see the pattern of love in Christ. Seeing Him activates us in love. We have access to the maker of all things and He shows us how people are made. Instead of 'ungoverned' patterns of self-destruction, we have other options. Revenge, hatred, envy, lying and taking become obsolete practices.

What we are isn't seen yet.

"For what we proclaim is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, with ourselves as your servants for Jesus' sake. For God, who said, 'Let light shine out of darkness,' has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. But we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us." - 2 Corinthians 4:5-7 ESV

What we will be hinges on what we have seen. Have we seen Jesus? If we see Him there is a transformation that happens inside that eventually is made manifest outside in love.

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