Politics.

There are people today who believe that in order to change the way humans are, you need to change the world around them. Of course, change may be slow, they admit, but eventually, if conditions are modified for a long enough period of time, we will have a "new" human. While we as Christians don't discout the influence of enviroment, we maintain that the only way people truly change is from the inside out. All other "change" is window dressing that doesn't affect the basic human nature. That can only be changed by God. How then can we best counteract sinful influences in society? By introducing more of our fellow humans to God and by allowing God to live His life through us.

Isaiah 1:18 tells us"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 as crimson, they shall be like wool. Israel is invited to discuss with God the accusations made against her. Verses 5-8 in Isaiah chapter 1 says, "I raised children and brought them up, but they have rebelled against me...Ah, sinful nation, a people loaded with guilt, a brood of evildoers, children given to corruption!...They have forsaken the Lord" God intends to show that Israel is precisely that sinful nation which He accused her of being. But in verses 18-19 God gives hope to a sinful nation. "...Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool. If you are willing and obedient, you will eat the best from the land..." The promised change carries conditions: Willingness and obedience. Without that change of life (repentance) which involves a willingness to turn from wickedness to obedience, the promise is ineffective. But in Israel's sinful state is she able to create willingness and obedience? Hardly. The ability to fulfill these requirements is a gift of God, His grace. At the same time, the responsibility of the nation to obey is not lessened. It is the mystery of the free offer of the Gospel. Verse 20 tells us "but if you resist and rebel,you will be devoured by the sword.”  Israel is not much different than the United States today, the warning and the promise for them is the same warning and promise for us... "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 as crimson, they shall be like wool, if you are willing and obedient...but if you resist and rebel,you will be devoured by the sword.”

  And last but not least from Deuteronomy 17:15-20 "be sure to appoint over you the king the Lord your God chooses. He must be from among your own brothers. Do not place a foreigner over you, one who is not a brother Israelite (Christian) The king, moreover, must not acquire great numbers of horses for himself or make the people return to Egypt to get more of them, for the Lord has told you, “You are not to go back that way again" (passing laws that make us slaves again to sin) He must not take many wives, or his heart will be led astray. (He must be faithful) He must not accumulate large amounts of silver and gold. When he takes the throne of his kingdom, he is to write for himself on a scroll a copy of this law (the Holy Bible). It is to be with him, and he is to read it all the days of his life so that he may learn to revere the Lord his God and follow carefully all the words of this law and these decrees and not consider himself better than his brothers and turn from the law to the right or to the left. Then he and his descendants will reign a long time over his kingdom in Israel.

Psalm 119:37 "Lord, Turn our eyes away from worthless things; preserve our life according to your word."

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Taken in part from a study of Isaiah titled "From Darkness to Light"