Moviemistakes.com is an interesting website. It lists all kinds of errors and mistakes in movies that somehow escaped the film editing process and find their way in the final cut of the film. The big budget films are not exempt. For example, in one scene of a very popular pirate movie, behind the main character is a man with a cowboy hat, white short sleeve tee shirt, and even sunglasses, looking out at a distance and seemingly unaware of the scene being shot. The website lists 245 mistakes for this film.
We may consider it inexcusable how filmmakers—with all the people involved or the technology use—can allow such mistakes to escape notice. But anyone with experience in writing a major paper in school can identify with such occurrences. You type up your first draft in your computer. You use the spell check and grammar check tools. And everything looks fine. You ask a friend to read the paper, who finds mistakes. And you make the corrections. You submit the paper to your adviser. And he catches many mistakes. You get the paper back and make all the corrections. You submit the paper again … and more mistakes are found. The paper goes back and forth between you and your adviser maybe three times. Finally, you and your adviser are satisfied. You make the final copy and have it bound. Finally, you pick up the bound paper from the binders and open the book. And on first page you read, you discover a misspelled word!
Human beings are not perfect. People do make mistakes (James 3.2). Even with the best of intentions and effort, even with the latest in technology, the “human factor” always opens the possibility of error and mistakes. The Lord knows this, and actually makes room for mistakes. “And the priest shall make atonement before the LORD for the person who makes a mistake, when he sins unintentionally, to make atonement for him, and he shall be forgiven” (Numbers 15.28 ESV).
What matters is that when one discovers or is confronted with his sin, he chooses to admit his guilt, repent, and do something about it. What is not acceptable is to “sin defiantly” (Numbers 15.30)—to knowingly and intentionally disregard God’s word. There is forgiveness for sin. Jesus Christ has secured the salvation of those who turn away from their sin and turn to him in faith. But when one insists on his own way, makes excuses, or refuses to admit guilt even in the light of the clear teaching of Scripture, then there is no mistake about receiving God’s judgment.
“But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called ‘Today,’ so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness … ‘Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts’” (Hebrews 3.13, 15 NIV11).
—Keith Y. Jainga