Isaiah 1:16-20 English Standard Version (ESV)

16 Wash yourselves; make yourselves clean;
    remove the evil of your deeds from before my eyes;
cease to do evil,
17     learn to do good;
seek justice,
    correct oppression;
bring justice to the fatherless,
    plead the widow’s cause.

18 “Come now, let us reason together, says the Lord:
though your sins are like scarlet,
    they shall be as white as snow;
though they are red like crimson,
    they shall become like wool.
19 If you are willing and obedient,
    you shall eat the good of the land;
20 but if you refuse and rebel,
    you shall be eaten by the sword;
    for the mouth of the Lord has spoken.”

God is speaking to Israel as a nation not to individuals. Verse 9 speaks to a remnant of survivors who have not given themselves over to the evil perpetrated by the majority. For their sake He has not destroyed Israel like Sodom and Gomorrah. How many that might be we do not know.

I cannot help but think about God’s willingness to reason with that nation, a national discourse. He invites them to reason together after they turn from their evil ways and do those thing laid out in verses 16 and 17.

How much of this example points the finger at any nation in rebellion against God? Perhaps to all that have a remnant of the faithful. This begs me to ask what of the remnant? What are they to do?

Verse 27 “Zion shall be redeemed by justice, and those in her who repent, by righteousness.” (ESV)

No matter how bad it gets God continues to speak redemption by justice and repentance. He speaks hope to the remnant that are faithful to speak of justice and repentance.

Speak hope as long as there is hope.

1 Corinthians 7:5-6 English Standard Version (ESV)

⁵ Do not deprive one another, except perhaps by agreement for a limited time, that you may devote yourselves to prayer; but then come together again, so that Satan may not tempt you because of your lack of self-control.

⁶ Now as a concession, not a command, I say this.

Self-control is the last of the fruits of the spirit. Perhaps it is because it is expected of self and not of the spirit. This seems to be an issue of maturity and character. Both are developed over time and at different rates for each of us.

Paul’s advice that follows is listed as a concession, meaning he understands that some need more help than others. It is not a command, it is advice meant to help those who find themselves in need of help in this particular arena of life. I will not delve into the issue at hand, marriage. I am not a marriage counselor.

I am aware that this particular control issue is not the only one in which we might struggle with self-control. There are addictions we fall into from drugs to food and many in between. There are self-help groups for nearly all of them from NA to GA. The A in each stands for anonymous because there is a fair amount of shame associated with addiction.

Not all of these groups are faith based and even within those that are, it is not exclusive to Christian membership. The ambiguity of a high-power is often invoked. We all need help and advice is only advice where change is required. One has to take advice before they can discover if it works for them.

Paul makes one clear distinction by saying his advice is not a command. It is not law. Violating the advice is not a sin. People caught in a sin do not need another sin piled up upon their heads to get out from under.

Do not guilt others when giving Godly advice.