Appearances deceive, but can be changed. Reality is changeless. It does
not deceive at all, and if you fail to see beyond appearances you ARE
deceived. For everything you see will change, and yet you thought it
real before, and now you think it real again. Reality is thus reduced to
form, and capable of change. Reality is changeless. It is this that
makes it real, and keeps it separate from ALL appearances. It must
transcend all form to be itself. It CANNOT change.

The miracle is means to demonstrate that all appearances can change
because they ARE appearances, and cannot have the changelessness reality
entails. The miracle attests salvation from appearances by SHOWING they
can change. Your brother has a changelessness in him beyond appearance
and deception, both. It is obscured by changing views of him which you
PERCEIVE as his reality. The happy dream about him takes the form of the
appearance of his perfect health, his perfect freedom from all forms of
lack, and safety from disaster of all kinds. The miracle is proof he is
not bound by loss or suffering in any form, because it can so easily be
CHANGED. This demonstrates that it was NEVER real, and could not stem
from his reality. For that is changeless, and has no effects which
anything in Heaven or on earth could ever alter. But appearances are
shown to be unreal BECAUSE they change.

What is temptation but a wish to make illusions real? It does not seem
to be the wish that no reality be so. Yet it is an assertion that some
forms of idols have a powerful appeal which makes them harder to resist
than those you would not WANT to have reality. Temptation, then, is
nothing more than this; a prayer the miracle
touch not some dreams, but keep their unreality obscure, and give to
them reality instead. And Heaven gives no answer to the prayer, nor can
a miracle be given you to heal appearances you do not like. You have
established LIMITS. What you ask IS given you, but not of God Who knows
no limits. You have limited YOURSELF.

Reality is changeless. Miracles but show what you have interposed
between reality and your awareness is unreal, and does not interfere at
all. The cost of the belief there must be some appearances beyond the
hope of change is that the miracle cannot come forth from you
consistently. For you have ASKED it be withheld from power to heal all
dreams. There is no miracle you cannot have when you DESIRE healing. But
there is no miracle that can be given you UNLESS you want it. Choose
what you would heal, and He Who gives all miracles has not been given
freedom to bestow His gifts upon God’s Son. When he is tempted, he
denies reality. And he becomes the willing slave of what he chose
instead.

BECAUSE reality is changeless is a miracle already there to heal all
things that change, and offer them to you to see in happy form, devoid
of fear. It will be given you to look upon your brother thus. But not
while you would have it otherwise in some respects. For this but means
you would not have him healed and whole. The Christ in him is perfect. Is
it this that you would look upon? Then let there be no dreams about him
which you would prefer to seeing this. And you will see the Christ in
him because you LET Him come to you. And when He has appeared to you,
you will be certain you are like Him, for He is the changeless in your
brother AND in you.

This will you look upon when you decide there is not one appearance you
would hold in place of what your brother really is. Let no temptation to
prefer a dream allow uncertainty to enter here. Be not made guilty and
afraid when you are tempted by a dream of what he is. But do not give it
power to replace the changeless in him in your sight of him. There is no
false appearance but will fade, if you request a miracle instead. There
is no pain from which he is not free, if you would have him be but what
he is. Why should you fear to see the Christ in him? You but behold
YOURSELF in what you see. As he is healed are you made free of guilt,
for his appearance IS your own to you.