We're doing some remodeling in our home so we've been thinking about colors to spark things up a bit; the interior of our home was entirely white when we bought it. Well, not actually white, it's an off-white called Swiss Coffee. At the paint store you can find a special "white" color pallette with hundreds of shades of white. Each color sample standing alone looks "white". The true shade stands out only when placed next to a color sample that is "pure white".
This spoke to my heart. "Pure white", spiritually speaking, is God's written Word, the Bible and the "Word made Flesh" Jesus Christ - God the Son. Our thinking and the pattern of our lives may not be black, but neither are they "pure white". That's why it is so vital that we keep ourselves in the Word of God. Then the flaws in our thinking and manner of living will show up for what they are, "off white".
Some people look at the Bible and Jesus and "re-invent" both to reflect their own "off white" thinking. Others find objective truth statements through sound exegesis and the application of time honored principles of interpretation. These get a glimpse of "pure white" and with the enablement provided by God's grace make the necessary adjustments in their thinking and manner of life.