As we journey through the scriptures and the story of God it is important to see how God uses experiences to shape and mold us. Our life is real, it is tangible. We encounter life as it unfolds day to day. God uses both space and time to teach us through our circumstances. Most of the Bible is about people and their experiences on Earth. So everything begins with experience, because it is all we really have to begin with.

As we read the scriptures, it is easy for some to relate to them as a list of do’s and don’ts. We see the ten commandments and we think, “as long as I can be self-controlled and obey them then I will be a good person.”

As we continue our journey through the scripture it is very important that we have the right attitude of heart in order to experience more communication from God. Many people look at all that we have been talking about and they categorize it as religion. They think that religion is simply about self-control. They think that trying hard to be good is what helps a person actually be good. This left turn towards self-control is actually trying to externally perform without acknowledging that God wants to change our heart. This is the definition of religion, in the negative sense of the word.

The left turn does not require any relationship with God or humility. Jesus accused the religious leaders of His day of this when He said…

“You search and investigate and pore over the Scriptures diligently, because you suppose and trust that you have eternal life through them. And these [very Scriptures] testify about Me! And still you are not willing [but refuse] to come to Me, so that you might have life.

(John 5:39-40 AMPC)

The scriptures were meant to be a pointer back to an intimate loving relationship with God. They are a means to an end and not an end in themselves. The story of the Bible is all about how human beings have failed to humble themselves and in relationship acknowledge a need for their creator to help them.

As we saw in Samuel…

Humility leads us to trust God and surrender to His Spirit. When we surrender to God’s spirit we experience self-control as a fruit that comes from having a relationship with God, not external rule keeping. The law (rules) were actually engineered to show us our need for a savior. Like a mirror shows you when you have dirt on your face. You don’t wash yourself with the mirror. The mirror simply reveals the truth that you have a need for washing. Only God can make us clean, doubling down on more rule keeping won’t cleanse us. Religious rule keepers often become self-righteous and look down on others because they think they are righteous and others are not. Relational followers instead experience self-control as a by-product of having a humble relationship with their creator. The point to walk away with from this diagram is to make the right turn not the left turn.

As we enter into the Kings we will see Israel continue to rely upon themselves and their Kings instead of God Himself. God raised up prophets to expose pride and arrogance in human life experience.