Study of James: Intro & Methods, Part 1
Sunday, September 22, 2019
Peace to Live By Study of James: Intro & Methods, Part 1 - Daniel Litton
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Over the course of the next several months I want us to look at and consider the Book of James. This New Testament epistle I feel will be beneficial to us as we really dive into it and break it down, trying to squeeze out of it all that we can. It is probably a familiar text for many of you, as I know it is for me. I think we will find, as we study it, that there is a lot we can get out of it, that we can take away from it and apply in our lives. There is much underneath the surface for sure.
Now, the Book of James was written by a man named James (for the title, then, follows the author of the book). The author bearing the name James was actually Jesus’ half-brother, in my position. The author isn’t the brother of John (the one whom Jesus loved, who wrote the Gospel of John) as that James died a martyrs death early on in the beginnings of the Gospel being proclaimed (see Acts 12). Therefore, that’s why we don’t call him the Apostle James because he was not of the original twelve disciples of Jesus. The date for the writing seems to be in the mid-to-late 40s in the first century, so some fifteen to twenty years after Jesus’ ascension into Heaven.
Like Thomas is so famously recorded for, James here, who like I said was Jesus’ half-brother (having been a son of Joseph and Mary; remember, Jesus’ real father was God himself), he did not believe that Jesus was the Messiah that was to come to Israel, God’s original chosen people. Recall, John recorded for us in John 7:5: “For not even his brothers believed in him” (ESV). Obviously, James here had a change in his ways. He was such a faithful and true brother in Christ that he eventually became one of the chief leaders of the Christian church in Jerusalem (see Galatians 2).
This being the case, James wrote the letter from the city of Jerusalem then. And, also, let us note that he had his Jewish brothers and sisters in mind when he wrote this—for he wrote it to them (that is, Jewish believers in Jesus). He starts the letter by addressing it “to the twelve tribes in the Dispersion” (1:1, ESV). So, he is referring to the Twelve Tribes of Israel which had been scattered about, and he is pinpointing it to the Christians within the twelve tribes. At that time, the Jewish people had become scattered throughout the different parts of the world there in the middle-east. How people believed outside of Jerusalem, your guess is as good as mine. Probably from Jesus’ ministry, and the outreach of the church in Jerusalem.
I do not want us to get focused on the fact this letter was written to Jewish Christians in this study. Obviously, this information being presented to us in the New Testament, it is relevant to all Christians, whether we have any kind of Jewish background or not. That’s a great truth about God’s Word. It is always profitable to us, no matter what the passage. And I believe that we are going to find great riches here as we study this book from our Lord’s half-brother.
There are three primary things I want us to keep in mind as we study the book of James here. These are three methods of understanding I want us to consider as we go through this epistle. I think really these methods work well when looking at any New Testament text, and I believe they will be particularly beneficial to us as we reflect upon the many truths of this book. The first thing is the Four Levels of Inner-Self. The second is the practice of giving up control. The third is the Law of Liberty (that’s is, living in freedom). I will discuss the first method today, and then we will discuss the other two next week right before we dive into the Book of James. Let me explain what I mean by the first method, The Four Levels of Inner-Self.
As I have become acquainted with and observed many Christians over the years, I have noticed that people are on different levels of consciousness in where they stand with their relationships with God and as new creations. While the Apostle Paul clearly taught us that we become a new creation at the moment we accept the message of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, it is also true that that instant transformation (which occurs at the spiritual level) does not immediately manifest itself in an outward change of character. It should, over time, lead us to become more and more like God wants us to be. The problem is, that for many it does not.
I have known a vast variety of Christians, then, in my almost twenty years of being a believer in Jesus at the time of giving this message. There are two predominate levels of thinking within the Christians I have known, and still two more beyond that. That gives us what I call the Four Levels of Inner-Self. This is a concept that I have developed to explain what I have seen, and to simplify it in an understandable way. Understanding these levels also will help people identify where they are at currently on the scale so that they can deal with issues in their minds and become more faith-filled, more God-empowered.
The Four Levels of Inner-Self are as follows, with a corresponding summary. Within each level, there are four dominate attitudes that are present.
Clearly, our goal in life is to arrive at the fourth level and stay there. We want to be Level Four Christians. Now, most people are not currently at this level (myself included). This is the level of people like the late Billy Graham, Rick Warren, Tony Evans, Joyce Meyer, and that old lady at your church of which she is always happy and nothing seems to bother her. Let us break down these levels further to better understand the meaning behind them.
Level One: The Depression State
Under the depression state, the Christian is dominated by feelings of unhappiness and lowness, and even hopelessness. A sense of lowness is the ultimate negative emotion I believe because it is characterized by a humiliated existence. Perhaps something wrong was done, there is an overwhelming sense of guilt, and the person feels there’s no overcoming it. Also, in this state is a sense that there’s no point in hoping for anything good to come because good usually doesn’t happen. There is a sense of being victimized, and a great sense of placing blame upon others for one’s problems. There may be a sense of overall tiredness and unmotivation to do much of anything. This person definitely doesn’t have life by the horns, but rather life has the person by the horns.
So, within this mindset there is a great inward focus on the self. Needs of others really cannot be considered here. There is a predominate concern about one’s own emotions. The reward to this kind of mindset is the person gets to feed off of the negative emotions of self-pity. The person can get addicted to feeling sorry for themselves. Even the basic truths of the Bible are seen in a negative light. In fact, this person may be mad at God, wondering why God has allowed them to be found in seemingly such negative circumstances. The person may believe God has failed them, let them down, or become a traitor against them.
Because there is such a great inward focus on the self, and a tendency for self-pity, the person may even have an underlying attitude of bitterness. I define bitterness as a more intrenched anger. It is an accumulated anger at the world and others for a heaped up sense of wrong that has occurred against the individual. He or she views life as being totally unrewarding and unfavorable to them. Certain others are viewed to have treated them particularly badly, which causes the person not only to harbor unforgiveness in their spirit but also severe resentment.
Hopelessness sets in when the person feels completely full of mourning. A person may feel trapped by a life circumstance of which there seems to be no solution to get out from under it. They envision themselves as being the person in the back-alley who got mugged, and then while on the ground, got shot and left for dead. There is no point anymore. No matter what the person tries to do to overcome their feelings, nothing seems to work. The are stuck, and fallen into a deep, dark, and very negative hole. This kind of existence can continue on for years after whatever event, or series of events, has transpired. Actually, it can last an entire lifetime if not dealt with properly.
Level Two: The Negative Existence
The overall, general negative existence of the Christian is characterized by feelings of anxiety, self-righteousness, aggravation, and yes, wantingness. Anxiety being the first overarching attitude, the favorite hobby of this person is the mindset of worry. The feeling of worry predominates most things within the person’s life, and he or she does not realize this fact because it has become such a regular habit to worry. A big problem with worry, as we will learn in the Book of James, is that when we continually worry about something it allows negative power to work against us. In other words, yes, what we worry about tends to happen in our lives in some way, shape, of form unfortunately. This is due not only to the negative power released in the spiritual realm by having faith in what Satan tells us, but also because of the tendency to subconsciously self-sabotage oneself.
Self-righteousness is prominent at this Level of Inner-Self. The person with an overall attitude of self-righteousness believes that he or she’s way of living the Christian life is the correct way and that all other ways are either incomplete or in fact wrong (sinful). Self-righteousness works to make a person anxious and aggravated. There is a great fear of being found out to be wrong about something. An attitude of perfectionism is present. Jesus’ call to be perfect has been taken to mean in outward actions, and boy, it shows. There is aggravation that crops up when the person’s correct way is not followed, and it is blanketed as a moral sense of righteous indignation and justice.
Thirdly, an overall attitude of aggravation is dominate inside of us when we have refused to let go of a past negative event, or the negative action of a person. We are still upset about what has occurred. And we only think about it from our side—from our perspective. Unlike the First Level of Inner-Self, this kind of anger is a functional anger, occurring in our minds from time to time. It doesn’t shut us down like bitterness can, but it is there in the background.
Then, finally, within the Second of Level of Inner-Self, the Negative Existence, is a great sense of wantingness. What I mean is that the person has strong cravings for different things. This can be for a good reputation. It can be for more possessions, like those that pertain to hobbies (for example, getting a new car, more sports collectables, or even the newest video games). It can be the strong desire to get married or even have children. The longing can be for a better position within one’s career and the respect that comes from those at the top. It can be for a high position within one’s church. Whatever the case, there is often a mental fire consuming the person, which manifests itself in the outward actions of unnecessary hard work and sacrifice. Worry comes into the picture here to help out with the wantingness. What the person doesn’t realize is, that this is all self-defeating and unnecessary and actually can prevent the person from receiving what they want.
How does this person view others at the Level of the Negative Existence? Because the person is full of fear, he or she has an overall distrust of others behavior. This may be conscious or subconscious. The person believes that others are generally up to no good, or have an ulterior motive behind what they want or are asking. Since the person has a lot of built up anger, they can become easily offended. When a person doesn’t behave toward them as they think they should, they often take it personally. Their view of themselves, including their wishes, the things they want, dominates their thinking. In other words, they have trouble seeing past themselves to the real needs of others. All of this negative thinking just works to make the person become more and more aggravated at others. They see injustices in the world, whether on the news or even within their lives personally, and they use these injustices to fuel up their aggravation all the more. They see others as angry and out to get them.
What about God? How is he viewed under the Negative Existence? Unfortunately, God is seen as hard to please. He is full of commandments that one must follow to keep him happy. If a person deviates too of course, God is there to instantly correct them, and get them back on track. The view of God is angry because of sin. He’s like an active volcano that has to let his steam out every now and then. So, the person sees him or herself as getting disciplined by God every so often. So, naturally, a person is in trouble frequently. Finally, their God withholds a person’s wants. The person is required to pass this test and then that test, and after God waits even longer, then he grants what is wanted. And yes, even sometimes, their God is stingy and doesn’t grant a wish at all.
The Third of Level of Inner-Self
Under the third level of thinking, a person moves from an overall negative mindset (whether they are on Level One or Two), to an overall positive mindset. This is the faith-filled mind. This is the mind that is becoming more and more like Jesus. With faith, a person is not dominated by anxiety anymore. Even when it crops up, it doesn’t last long. It has no stronghold. The person knows that whatever happens in life, there is an understanding in the background that everything will work out for the good, as Romans 8:28 states. This is because of God’s power surrounding them. Anxiety doesn’t flood the mind. Because of this, God’s power is allowed to flow freely. The person’s life is characterized by success and an unusual amount of supernatural favor. Things just seem to go this persons way a lot of the time. The flow of the river has changed from the negative direction to the positive.
Since the person is faith-filled, the person is also easygoing. They live in a comfortable state, both outwardly and inwardly. If the person steps outside of his or her comfort-zone, it is deliberately and not due to a negative force unexpectedly brought upon them. The person is okay with whatever is decided within a group, whether that be family or friends. They are not stuck on what they personally want. This person can listen to other people’s points of views without getting upset by them or feeling a need to correct them. As a result, they have friends who are faithful. They are a likable person, and people seek to be around them because they don’t have an overall negative vibe or a negative presence.
So, while the person is easygoing, he or she is accepting of life in general. Since the overall mindset of fear is not present, the person feels secure and doesn’t fear a sudden problem or a sudden, ruinous event. The person has high self-confidence, and overall background confidence that God is on their side. And, he is, for, again, the person is allowing God’s power to flow abundantly. The person is satisfied with what they have, and their position in life. They are happy with where they live, the job they have, the car they drive, and the person they’re married to. Making change to career or possessions is infrequent; things are very stable. Happiness is a dominate theme within the person. The drive to always obtain more is absent.
Enjoyment is possible at this level because the person has moved over to the positive side inside their minds. This might be the most distinguishing characteristic that a person has moved over into a positive state. The person is able to enjoy life in general, and that includes both work and other people. With work, he or she genuinely enjoys what they do, and there is no sense of dreading anything or of having particularly negative emotions about anything related to work. The person is able to enjoy hobbies and free time without a sense of guilt that he or she ought to really be doing something else with their time.
Because this person views themselves with an overall positivity, they are able to view others in the same light. They are able to provide help for others that actually helps them, and is not just some half-court shot at trying to help a person. They can give because they have. When they see others make mistakes, they are compassionate, knowing that everyone makes mistakes, including themselves, and that a lot of times people don’t have ill intent with what they are doing. Yes, like Jesus, they have sympathy for others. The person enjoys other people, as a sense of judgment and faultfinding around others has been given up. The person frankly doesn’t care where others may disagree with him or her.
God is viewed as a caring God. He is not hard to please and is flexible. He is viewed as accepting of the vast variety of different ways of following him under the Christian umbrella. If something is wanted, God is viewed as wanting the same thing and supporting it.
The Fourth Level of Inner-Self
With the fourth level, these people are characterized by attitudes of love, joy, peace, and patience (the first four Fruits of the Spirit). These are the predominate attitudes the person brings out in his or her character. It is the state that we all strive to reach in our lives. More easily said, there may be times where we reach this state for a short time, only to fall back into the third level. A person who has been truly tried and experienced what life has to offer reaches this state. This person emits an energy that obviously shows a greater control than most. It is such a positive energy that the person is adored, admired, and automatically respected.
This person, first of all, is in the realm of love. He or she is in an above state. Without effort, the person finds themselves around people who love them in return. They are around positive and successful people by default. One reason for this is because negative people feel too uncomfortable in their presence. There is a natural likability about the person. They are full of wisdom, and say the right things at the right times. They have nothing against anyone. No enemies to speak of. Love of self is at its highest; they don’t carry around any past regrets. Everything has been let go of and is all right. A thankful attitude permeates, and they naturally serve and help others around them.
Joy is also present in the Above person. They are able to see the world around them clearly and precisely. They understand the ways of God, how God works, and are very familiar with his dealings in their own life. They are able to give great advice to others because of their connectedness with their own experience. In no real way, shape, or form do unpleasant circumstances or so called bad news affect this type of person. They are above all of that. They understand their own character thoroughly and the character of others. This gives them good judgment in all matters contemplated. They are satisfied with life and with themselves.
Peace is ever present in the Above individual. Peace is the bedrock, the foundation of the person. Stillness of mind exists. An attitude of wantingness really does not exist. Everything is good. All negativity of any kind has been superseded. All thoughts are positive. Nothing seems to bother the person. Self-confidence and dependence on God’s ability, what we might call trust in God, is at its highest. The loss of negativity and trust in God allows the person naturally receive what the person requests. It is a pleasurable experience to be around, in the presence of, such a person.
Finally, the Above person is patient. What I mean is that there is not only a willingness to wait for whatever it is, but within that willingness is seen no eagerness at all. The craving for whatever it is to come to pass is relinquished, and only a quiet and confident patience exists. This person can wait with a laugh and a smile.
So, to summarize the four different categories of inner-self in regard to winning and losing in various life situations, here are the results one can expect in each group:
Conclusion
Well, that’s all the time we have for today. As I said, next week we will discuss my two other methods of understanding before we dive head first into the Book of James. I hope everyone has a great week, and I’ll see you next Sunday.
- Daniel Litton
Today’s Acknowledgements:
John MacArthur, Psychologist David R. Hawkins, and Joyce Meyer
Over the course of the next several months I want us to look at and consider the Book of James. This New Testament epistle I feel will be beneficial to us as we really dive into it and break it down, trying to squeeze out of it all that we can. It is probably a familiar text for many of you, as I know it is for me. I think we will find, as we study it, that there is a lot we can get out of it, that we can take away from it and apply in our lives. There is much underneath the surface for sure.
Now, the Book of James was written by a man named James (for the title, then, follows the author of the book). The author bearing the name James was actually Jesus’ half-brother, in my position. The author isn’t the brother of John (the one whom Jesus loved, who wrote the Gospel of John) as that James died a martyrs death early on in the beginnings of the Gospel being proclaimed (see Acts 12). Therefore, that’s why we don’t call him the Apostle James because he was not of the original twelve disciples of Jesus. The date for the writing seems to be in the mid-to-late 40s in the first century, so some fifteen to twenty years after Jesus’ ascension into Heaven.
Like Thomas is so famously recorded for, James here, who like I said was Jesus’ half-brother (having been a son of Joseph and Mary; remember, Jesus’ real father was God himself), he did not believe that Jesus was the Messiah that was to come to Israel, God’s original chosen people. Recall, John recorded for us in John 7:5: “For not even his brothers believed in him” (ESV). Obviously, James here had a change in his ways. He was such a faithful and true brother in Christ that he eventually became one of the chief leaders of the Christian church in Jerusalem (see Galatians 2).
This being the case, James wrote the letter from the city of Jerusalem then. And, also, let us note that he had his Jewish brothers and sisters in mind when he wrote this—for he wrote it to them (that is, Jewish believers in Jesus). He starts the letter by addressing it “to the twelve tribes in the Dispersion” (1:1, ESV). So, he is referring to the Twelve Tribes of Israel which had been scattered about, and he is pinpointing it to the Christians within the twelve tribes. At that time, the Jewish people had become scattered throughout the different parts of the world there in the middle-east. How people believed outside of Jerusalem, your guess is as good as mine. Probably from Jesus’ ministry, and the outreach of the church in Jerusalem.
I do not want us to get focused on the fact this letter was written to Jewish Christians in this study. Obviously, this information being presented to us in the New Testament, it is relevant to all Christians, whether we have any kind of Jewish background or not. That’s a great truth about God’s Word. It is always profitable to us, no matter what the passage. And I believe that we are going to find great riches here as we study this book from our Lord’s half-brother.
There are three primary things I want us to keep in mind as we study the book of James here. These are three methods of understanding I want us to consider as we go through this epistle. I think really these methods work well when looking at any New Testament text, and I believe they will be particularly beneficial to us as we reflect upon the many truths of this book. The first thing is the Four Levels of Inner-Self. The second is the practice of giving up control. The third is the Law of Liberty (that’s is, living in freedom). I will discuss the first method today, and then we will discuss the other two next week right before we dive into the Book of James. Let me explain what I mean by the first method, The Four Levels of Inner-Self.
As I have become acquainted with and observed many Christians over the years, I have noticed that people are on different levels of consciousness in where they stand with their relationships with God and as new creations. While the Apostle Paul clearly taught us that we become a new creation at the moment we accept the message of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, it is also true that that instant transformation (which occurs at the spiritual level) does not immediately manifest itself in an outward change of character. It should, over time, lead us to become more and more like God wants us to be. The problem is, that for many it does not.
I have known a vast variety of Christians, then, in my almost twenty years of being a believer in Jesus at the time of giving this message. There are two predominate levels of thinking within the Christians I have known, and still two more beyond that. That gives us what I call the Four Levels of Inner-Self. This is a concept that I have developed to explain what I have seen, and to simplify it in an understandable way. Understanding these levels also will help people identify where they are at currently on the scale so that they can deal with issues in their minds and become more faith-filled, more God-empowered.
The Four Levels of Inner-Self are as follows, with a corresponding summary. Within each level, there are four dominate attitudes that are present.
- The Depression State. In this state of mind, the Christian is dysfunctionally negative. Attitudes of unhappiness and lowness are predominate, and an overall attitude of bitterness may also exist. There may even be a sense of hopelessness from some negative past event.
- The Negative Existence. This negative mindset is not as severe as the first. However, within this person’s mind runs common attitudes of anxiety, self-righteousness, aggravation, and wantingness.
- The Positive Existence. Now we have moved to the positive side of the Levels of Inner-Self. Under this type of mindset, the person is characterized by mental attitudes of faith, easygoingness, acceptance of others and life situations, and an overall attitude of enjoyment.
- The Above State. This is the ultimate level of mental well-being. It is characterized by predominate attitudes of love of self and others, a trusting joy in life and God, a mind dominated by peace, and a greater level of patience (these are the first four Fruits of the Spirit). It is the child-like level that Jesus talked about.
Clearly, our goal in life is to arrive at the fourth level and stay there. We want to be Level Four Christians. Now, most people are not currently at this level (myself included). This is the level of people like the late Billy Graham, Rick Warren, Tony Evans, Joyce Meyer, and that old lady at your church of which she is always happy and nothing seems to bother her. Let us break down these levels further to better understand the meaning behind them.
Level One: The Depression State
Under the depression state, the Christian is dominated by feelings of unhappiness and lowness, and even hopelessness. A sense of lowness is the ultimate negative emotion I believe because it is characterized by a humiliated existence. Perhaps something wrong was done, there is an overwhelming sense of guilt, and the person feels there’s no overcoming it. Also, in this state is a sense that there’s no point in hoping for anything good to come because good usually doesn’t happen. There is a sense of being victimized, and a great sense of placing blame upon others for one’s problems. There may be a sense of overall tiredness and unmotivation to do much of anything. This person definitely doesn’t have life by the horns, but rather life has the person by the horns.
So, within this mindset there is a great inward focus on the self. Needs of others really cannot be considered here. There is a predominate concern about one’s own emotions. The reward to this kind of mindset is the person gets to feed off of the negative emotions of self-pity. The person can get addicted to feeling sorry for themselves. Even the basic truths of the Bible are seen in a negative light. In fact, this person may be mad at God, wondering why God has allowed them to be found in seemingly such negative circumstances. The person may believe God has failed them, let them down, or become a traitor against them.
Because there is such a great inward focus on the self, and a tendency for self-pity, the person may even have an underlying attitude of bitterness. I define bitterness as a more intrenched anger. It is an accumulated anger at the world and others for a heaped up sense of wrong that has occurred against the individual. He or she views life as being totally unrewarding and unfavorable to them. Certain others are viewed to have treated them particularly badly, which causes the person not only to harbor unforgiveness in their spirit but also severe resentment.
Hopelessness sets in when the person feels completely full of mourning. A person may feel trapped by a life circumstance of which there seems to be no solution to get out from under it. They envision themselves as being the person in the back-alley who got mugged, and then while on the ground, got shot and left for dead. There is no point anymore. No matter what the person tries to do to overcome their feelings, nothing seems to work. The are stuck, and fallen into a deep, dark, and very negative hole. This kind of existence can continue on for years after whatever event, or series of events, has transpired. Actually, it can last an entire lifetime if not dealt with properly.
Level Two: The Negative Existence
The overall, general negative existence of the Christian is characterized by feelings of anxiety, self-righteousness, aggravation, and yes, wantingness. Anxiety being the first overarching attitude, the favorite hobby of this person is the mindset of worry. The feeling of worry predominates most things within the person’s life, and he or she does not realize this fact because it has become such a regular habit to worry. A big problem with worry, as we will learn in the Book of James, is that when we continually worry about something it allows negative power to work against us. In other words, yes, what we worry about tends to happen in our lives in some way, shape, of form unfortunately. This is due not only to the negative power released in the spiritual realm by having faith in what Satan tells us, but also because of the tendency to subconsciously self-sabotage oneself.
Self-righteousness is prominent at this Level of Inner-Self. The person with an overall attitude of self-righteousness believes that he or she’s way of living the Christian life is the correct way and that all other ways are either incomplete or in fact wrong (sinful). Self-righteousness works to make a person anxious and aggravated. There is a great fear of being found out to be wrong about something. An attitude of perfectionism is present. Jesus’ call to be perfect has been taken to mean in outward actions, and boy, it shows. There is aggravation that crops up when the person’s correct way is not followed, and it is blanketed as a moral sense of righteous indignation and justice.
Thirdly, an overall attitude of aggravation is dominate inside of us when we have refused to let go of a past negative event, or the negative action of a person. We are still upset about what has occurred. And we only think about it from our side—from our perspective. Unlike the First Level of Inner-Self, this kind of anger is a functional anger, occurring in our minds from time to time. It doesn’t shut us down like bitterness can, but it is there in the background.
Then, finally, within the Second of Level of Inner-Self, the Negative Existence, is a great sense of wantingness. What I mean is that the person has strong cravings for different things. This can be for a good reputation. It can be for more possessions, like those that pertain to hobbies (for example, getting a new car, more sports collectables, or even the newest video games). It can be the strong desire to get married or even have children. The longing can be for a better position within one’s career and the respect that comes from those at the top. It can be for a high position within one’s church. Whatever the case, there is often a mental fire consuming the person, which manifests itself in the outward actions of unnecessary hard work and sacrifice. Worry comes into the picture here to help out with the wantingness. What the person doesn’t realize is, that this is all self-defeating and unnecessary and actually can prevent the person from receiving what they want.
How does this person view others at the Level of the Negative Existence? Because the person is full of fear, he or she has an overall distrust of others behavior. This may be conscious or subconscious. The person believes that others are generally up to no good, or have an ulterior motive behind what they want or are asking. Since the person has a lot of built up anger, they can become easily offended. When a person doesn’t behave toward them as they think they should, they often take it personally. Their view of themselves, including their wishes, the things they want, dominates their thinking. In other words, they have trouble seeing past themselves to the real needs of others. All of this negative thinking just works to make the person become more and more aggravated at others. They see injustices in the world, whether on the news or even within their lives personally, and they use these injustices to fuel up their aggravation all the more. They see others as angry and out to get them.
What about God? How is he viewed under the Negative Existence? Unfortunately, God is seen as hard to please. He is full of commandments that one must follow to keep him happy. If a person deviates too of course, God is there to instantly correct them, and get them back on track. The view of God is angry because of sin. He’s like an active volcano that has to let his steam out every now and then. So, the person sees him or herself as getting disciplined by God every so often. So, naturally, a person is in trouble frequently. Finally, their God withholds a person’s wants. The person is required to pass this test and then that test, and after God waits even longer, then he grants what is wanted. And yes, even sometimes, their God is stingy and doesn’t grant a wish at all.
The Third of Level of Inner-Self
Under the third level of thinking, a person moves from an overall negative mindset (whether they are on Level One or Two), to an overall positive mindset. This is the faith-filled mind. This is the mind that is becoming more and more like Jesus. With faith, a person is not dominated by anxiety anymore. Even when it crops up, it doesn’t last long. It has no stronghold. The person knows that whatever happens in life, there is an understanding in the background that everything will work out for the good, as Romans 8:28 states. This is because of God’s power surrounding them. Anxiety doesn’t flood the mind. Because of this, God’s power is allowed to flow freely. The person’s life is characterized by success and an unusual amount of supernatural favor. Things just seem to go this persons way a lot of the time. The flow of the river has changed from the negative direction to the positive.
Since the person is faith-filled, the person is also easygoing. They live in a comfortable state, both outwardly and inwardly. If the person steps outside of his or her comfort-zone, it is deliberately and not due to a negative force unexpectedly brought upon them. The person is okay with whatever is decided within a group, whether that be family or friends. They are not stuck on what they personally want. This person can listen to other people’s points of views without getting upset by them or feeling a need to correct them. As a result, they have friends who are faithful. They are a likable person, and people seek to be around them because they don’t have an overall negative vibe or a negative presence.
So, while the person is easygoing, he or she is accepting of life in general. Since the overall mindset of fear is not present, the person feels secure and doesn’t fear a sudden problem or a sudden, ruinous event. The person has high self-confidence, and overall background confidence that God is on their side. And, he is, for, again, the person is allowing God’s power to flow abundantly. The person is satisfied with what they have, and their position in life. They are happy with where they live, the job they have, the car they drive, and the person they’re married to. Making change to career or possessions is infrequent; things are very stable. Happiness is a dominate theme within the person. The drive to always obtain more is absent.
Enjoyment is possible at this level because the person has moved over to the positive side inside their minds. This might be the most distinguishing characteristic that a person has moved over into a positive state. The person is able to enjoy life in general, and that includes both work and other people. With work, he or she genuinely enjoys what they do, and there is no sense of dreading anything or of having particularly negative emotions about anything related to work. The person is able to enjoy hobbies and free time without a sense of guilt that he or she ought to really be doing something else with their time.
Because this person views themselves with an overall positivity, they are able to view others in the same light. They are able to provide help for others that actually helps them, and is not just some half-court shot at trying to help a person. They can give because they have. When they see others make mistakes, they are compassionate, knowing that everyone makes mistakes, including themselves, and that a lot of times people don’t have ill intent with what they are doing. Yes, like Jesus, they have sympathy for others. The person enjoys other people, as a sense of judgment and faultfinding around others has been given up. The person frankly doesn’t care where others may disagree with him or her.
God is viewed as a caring God. He is not hard to please and is flexible. He is viewed as accepting of the vast variety of different ways of following him under the Christian umbrella. If something is wanted, God is viewed as wanting the same thing and supporting it.
The Fourth Level of Inner-Self
With the fourth level, these people are characterized by attitudes of love, joy, peace, and patience (the first four Fruits of the Spirit). These are the predominate attitudes the person brings out in his or her character. It is the state that we all strive to reach in our lives. More easily said, there may be times where we reach this state for a short time, only to fall back into the third level. A person who has been truly tried and experienced what life has to offer reaches this state. This person emits an energy that obviously shows a greater control than most. It is such a positive energy that the person is adored, admired, and automatically respected.
This person, first of all, is in the realm of love. He or she is in an above state. Without effort, the person finds themselves around people who love them in return. They are around positive and successful people by default. One reason for this is because negative people feel too uncomfortable in their presence. There is a natural likability about the person. They are full of wisdom, and say the right things at the right times. They have nothing against anyone. No enemies to speak of. Love of self is at its highest; they don’t carry around any past regrets. Everything has been let go of and is all right. A thankful attitude permeates, and they naturally serve and help others around them.
Joy is also present in the Above person. They are able to see the world around them clearly and precisely. They understand the ways of God, how God works, and are very familiar with his dealings in their own life. They are able to give great advice to others because of their connectedness with their own experience. In no real way, shape, or form do unpleasant circumstances or so called bad news affect this type of person. They are above all of that. They understand their own character thoroughly and the character of others. This gives them good judgment in all matters contemplated. They are satisfied with life and with themselves.
Peace is ever present in the Above individual. Peace is the bedrock, the foundation of the person. Stillness of mind exists. An attitude of wantingness really does not exist. Everything is good. All negativity of any kind has been superseded. All thoughts are positive. Nothing seems to bother the person. Self-confidence and dependence on God’s ability, what we might call trust in God, is at its highest. The loss of negativity and trust in God allows the person naturally receive what the person requests. It is a pleasurable experience to be around, in the presence of, such a person.
Finally, the Above person is patient. What I mean is that there is not only a willingness to wait for whatever it is, but within that willingness is seen no eagerness at all. The craving for whatever it is to come to pass is relinquished, and only a quiet and confident patience exists. This person can wait with a laugh and a smile.
So, to summarize the four different categories of inner-self in regard to winning and losing in various life situations, here are the results one can expect in each group:
- The Depressed State: The person loses most of the time.
- The Negative Existence: The person loses a majority of the times.
- The Positive Existence: The person wins a majority of the times.
- The Above State: The person wins most of the time.
Conclusion
Well, that’s all the time we have for today. As I said, next week we will discuss my two other methods of understanding before we dive head first into the Book of James. I hope everyone has a great week, and I’ll see you next Sunday.
- Daniel Litton
Today’s Acknowledgements:
John MacArthur, Psychologist David R. Hawkins, and Joyce Meyer