A view of the Bosphorus Straight, which runs through the city of Istanbul, Turkey.

I was browsing through pictures this morning, and came across several pictures of my summer spent in Turkey, in 2002. It brought back several memories of the places and people I had encountered. Istanbul was a gigantic place which millions of people...it would have taken no time to get lost there. This picture above was one of my most favorite places to be in the city...it was on a road that travels down into a university that we frequently visited. Looks beautiful, right? Well, from this vantage point, yes, it does. However, anyone can agree with me that when you are only a few feet from it, it actually looks and smells like one of the most disgusting bodies of water that you've ever seen. I'm talking trash thrown into it along with an odor that just makes you want to gag.

Isn't it interesting that our perspective on things really makes a difference in how we view them? I think of an average person who is a helpful citizen, cares for others, protects his/her environment, works diligently at their job, etc., etc. One might look at this person and think that he/she is a great person that makes a significant contribution to our world. But God has a different perspective. When He sees someone, who, to us, is a good person who serves well, he doesn't see goodness. Listen to what Isaiah writes about what God sees:

"We have all become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous deeds are like a polluted garment" (Isaiah 64:6).

Polluted garments? Literally, this really means menstrual rags. Yuck! God looks at our good deeds like that? God has the view that is up close and personal. He made us. He knows us better than we know ourselves. And the reason God has this view of us is because we are tainted with sin. Sin causes us to be separated from God's fellowship, but makes us enemies of God. So, what you and I see as a good person who does great things in life to help others and his/her surroundings, God sees as one who is unclean, defiled, and disgusting in His sight.

Oh, but what glorious truth there is in the gospel of Jesus Christ! Hear the words of Paul, who wrote of the great salvation that delivers us from this bondage:

"but God shows his love for us in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us" (Romans 5:8),

and,

"For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life" (Romans 5:10).

Through the righteousness of Christ, we no longer are viewed by God like Isaiah described. We are looked upon as holy, righteous, glorious sons and daughters of the Almighty. God didn't want it to stay like the way of the past. He wanted us to be restored. And it cost Him His Son's life to make it happen.

However, we must make a decision whether or not we will accept this Christ. We can't just sit here and know that this happened. We must embrace it with our lives and fully surrender our old selves to God. Paul wrote earlier in the letter to the Romans that in Christ, we are dead to our sins. But if we reject Him, we pay dearly for it. Our lives will be spent eternally separated from God because He cannot live with sin in His presence. We have the opportunity now to invite Jesus Christ to enter our lives and save us from our sins. If we reject Him, there will be consequences...eternal consequences. If we receive Him, we have fellowship with God and will enjoy everlasting company with Him and His Son, Jesus, in heaven.

Which will you choose?