Lesson for May 27, 2026  |  Lesson 5

Divine Viewpoint vs. Human Viewpoint

There are two viewpoints in life: divine and human. Your way of life right now is being influenced by what you think. Since you have free will, you can think whatever you want to think, and according to Proverbs 23:7 you are what you think.

Satan’s world system has a way of thinking that does not line up with the thinking of God. We call this Human Viewpoint Thinking. Christians and non-Christians alike think human viewpoint on a regular basis. God’s thinking is found in God’s Word, the Bible. The Bible is more reliable than anything we see, hear, smell, taste, or feel. It is the Word of God the Father, the mind of Jesus Christ, and the voice of the Holy Spirit. We call God’s thinking Divine Viewpoint Thinking. (I Corinthians 2:16; Hebrews 3:7, 4:12; II Peter 1:12-21)

In order to have Divine Viewpoint Thinking, you must know the doctrine taught in the Bible. The more Bible doctrine you know, believe, and apply, the more Divine Viewpoint Thinking you will be able to exhibit. The less Bible doctrine you know, the more Human Viewpoint Thinking you will exhibit. The more Human Viewpoint Thinking you exhibit, the more insecure and unstable you are going to be.

Daily study of God’s Word keeps Divine Viewpoint Thinking fresh in the mind and helps counteract Human Viewpoint Thinking. (Psalm 119:129-135) Thinking your way through life with divine viewpoint will bring victory, peace, power, and stability. (Isaiah 26:3-4, 33:6) However, vacillating between Divine Viewpoint Thinking and Human Viewpoint Thinking makes a believer unstable, according to James 1:8. An unstable believer is an unhappy believer.

This inner conflict must be dealt with in order for believers to stabilize their thinking and, thereby, their spiritual life. Mental stabilization comes by means of knowledge of Bible doctrine (I Timothy 2:15, 3:16), application of Bible doctrine (Colossians 4:5), and cleansing when necessary (I John 1:9).

When Divine Viewpoint Thinking is developed through consistent study and application of Bible doctrine, it produces confidence based on the absolute truth of God’s Word. (Hebrews 4:9-16) This confidence in God’s Word leads to spiritual maturity. Study and application of God’s Word takes work. Just as a person may be old physically and act like a “two-year-old,” a person can be a Christian for many years and still be a “babe in Christ.”

The Christian Way of Life is all about what you think. You can glorify God by what you think. Once you’re thinking divine viewpoint, what you do will glorify God. Right thinking produces right actions.

One biblical example of Divine Viewpoint Thinking is the story of David and Goliath. You may recall this story but with the emphasis usually being placed on what David did. The Bible however, puts the emphasis on what David thought. (I Samuel 17:33-47)

David habitually looked at life from Divine Viewpoint. He was “the man after God’s own heart (mind).” (I Samuel 13:14; Acts 13:22) David’s greatest desire in life was to know the mind of God. Therefore, he habitually fulfilled the principle of bringing every thought into captivity into obedience to Jehovah (Christ). (II Corinthians 10:5) Even in David’s later life when he got out of line, he knew that confessing his sin restored his fellowship with God. So, he acknowledged his sin to God, received his discipline and moved on in his spiritual life. (Psalms 32, 38, 51)

The Christian Way of Life is a supernatural way of life, which cannot be lived apart from knowledge of Bible doctrine and the filling of the Holy Spirit. (Romans 7:6, 8:2; Galatians 5:25; Ephesians 5:18) This way of life requires thinking. All changes in our lives must come from the inside. The true character of a believer is determined by their mental attitude. The Christian Way of Life began with a change of mental attitude (repentance) towards Jesus Christ, which resulted in salvation. (Acts 3:19)

At the moment of salvation, God did at least 40 things for each one of us. Many of these assets include things necessary to live the Christian Way of Life. Choosing to use these assets enables believers to live in a manner that is acceptable to the Lord, and to think in a way which brings honor to Jesus Christ. (Romans 12:1-2; Ephesians 4:23; Colossians 3:1-2)

After salvation, we make the choice of what our life is going to be like. God never forces us into any course of action. He has, however, provided the potential to fulfil His plan for us, but it is still our choice. The Christian Way of Life is designed by God so that you can think and think properly.

Pressure situations require thinking. Thinking requires vocabulary. Divine vocabulary influences what you think and enables you to operate under pressure. In other words, the more of God’s Word you get in you, the more of God’s Word will be available to you when needed.

God has provided each of us with a sound mind under the filling of the Holy Spirit. (II Timothy 1:7) This means that we have the potential for a relaxed mental attitude. The relaxed mental attitude can be developed only by consistent intake, belief, and application of Bible doctrine. This relaxed mental attitude produces confidence in our soul. (II Corinthians 5:1-8)

The result of Divine Viewpoint Thinking is peace, power, stability, and victory. This means that all believers are capable of having Divine Viewpoint Thinking. (II Timothy 1:7; II Corinthians 10:5)

During the Church Age, God has chosen to reveal His essence and plan through His written Word. Therefore, our attitude toward the Word of God is our attitude toward God. If we pursue Bible doctrine, we love God; if we only listen or study at our convenience or when we are in trouble, then we insult God. If we only study but fail to apply the doctrine we are learning, then it does us no good.

Application of God’s Word means it has become a part of us. The best illustration is eating food. You can buy food and prepare the food. You can even place it on the table. You can even put it in your mouth. But it does your body no good until you chew the food and swallow it! It can then be converted to energy. God’s Word is the same — you must put into practice what you are learning, or the Word of God will do you no good.

If the Word of God is not changing our thoughts and actions, then we are not applying it. A wise believer (wisdom is application of Bible doctrine) is a believer who uses what they learn.

David knew and applied this principle. (Psalms 138:2-3) David also taught us a divine principle in this verse: God, specifically Jesus Christ/Jehovah, has magnified His Word over His name (a reference to His reputation). In no other way can we approach God, understand God, or fulfill God’s plan than to know and apply His Word. God’s blessings are poured out upon those who have and use Bible doctrine because they have developed the capacity to receive blessing.