For example, if I say, “I need to get some sleep so that my emotions will not unravel.” Couldn’t it be concluded that I am also stating that if I don’t get enough sleep my emotions are likely to unravel. I can tell you from history that this conclusion is valid.
Let me give some more “if, then” examples:
If it is said, “Drive the speed limit so that the police will not give you a ticket,” then isn’t it inferred that the police will give you a ticket if you do not drive the speed limit.
If it is said, “Color your hair so that the gray hair will not show,” then isn’t it safe to say that if you don’t color your hair the gray will show.
If it is said, “Read the Bible so that wisdom will not fade,” then isn’t it being said that wisdom will fade if the Bible is not read?
If it is said, “Exercise so that your muscles will not sag,” then isn’t it being deduced that if you don’t exercise your muscles will sag.
Lastly, if it is said, “Paint so that the wood will not rot,” then doesn’t this indicate that if the wood is not painted it will rot?
The Bible too at times says one thing that infers another. But we must know the Bible; search the Bible, in order to glean this wisdom.
I heard of a woman that was challenged by a friend to say “yes” to her husband’s advances. After several months the friend asked the woman how she was doing with saying “yes” to her husband. The woman said it was about the same. The friend was surprised by this and asked why she hadn’t starting saying “yes” to her husband. The woman said she had never heard of that idea from anyone else so she didn’t apply it.
Hadn’t heard of that idea from anyone else? What about from the Bible? Who is needed beyond that? Either this sweet woman hadn’t read her Bible or she doesn’t take it seriously, because this is a topic that is addressed both clearly and with inference.
I Corinthians 7: 4-5 “The wife’s body does not belong to her alone but also to her husband. In the same way, the husband’s body does not belong to him alone but also to his wife. Do not deprive each other except by mutual consent and for a time, so that you may devote yourselves to prayer. Then come together again so that Satan will not tempt you because of your lack of self-control.”
When can we say “no”? There is only one time I can read here: by mutual consent and for a time.
But if that is not clear enough, let’s look at what is inferred. I see two “so that” statements.
The first is “so that you may devote yourselves to prayer,” doesn’t that indicate that if the reason is not for prayer then it should not be used.
The second “so that” is, “Then come together again so that Satan will not tempt you”. Does this not infer that if we do not come together then Satan will tempt us? Wives, are we inviting Satan in by saying “no” to our marital duty? Want to break the bonds of temptation over your marriage? Then “come together,” and say “yes”.