CHRISTIAN DRESS

Many people think that society dictates how we as Christians should dress. They feel that if something is fashionable to wear in the corporate world or out for a night on the town, it is proper to wear the same attire to Church where we come to worship God. When it comes to proper clothing, we should not let the worlds values dictate what is appropriate for us. Satan is the "god of this world" (2 Corinthians 4:4) and he is the one who influences societies clothing fads.

It is a sad situation that there should even be a need for an article like this. Church is the one place we should be able to see as a sanctuary from the world with its lusts and desires. Let me say at the beginning of this article that many (but not all) of the problems with clothing comes from the way that Christian women dress today. Any honest man will admit that men are visually stimulated. When they see a female that is dressed in a manner that exposes her cleavage, legs & thighs, or tightly clings to her revealing every curve she has (something that is reserved only for her husband) it is distracting and can lead to lusting with many men or boys. Men can also dress inappropriately with tight fitting pants and revealing shirts unbuttoned half way down their chest. That is not proper for an environment to worship God either.

While this problem has been around for many years, I have told my wife and daughters to be an example and select modest clothing for Church. The first time someone in the congregation came to me asking for help because they had a problem with lust was around 1996. I failed with that individual and told him the problem was his and he should deal with it, I regret that decision to this day. Here was a brother in the faith crying out for help acknowledging he had a problem with lust. He asked if I would ask the women to dress more modestly and I labeled him a pervert and sent him on his way. We would not think of treating an alcoholic that way, but we feel it is OK to treat a brother in need in that manner. It is like shoving a drink under the alcoholic's nose.

So what does the Bible say about this? In Exodus 28:40-43 God tells Moses to make tunics with sashes and hats for Aaron's sons so they could minister to Him as priests. In addition to this they were to wear linen trousers to cover their nakedness that came from the waist to the thigh. Every time Aaron and his sons came before God they were commanded to wear these or they would  incur iniquity and die. We are told it is a statute forever.

Notice, God did not instruct them to make their underwear briefs, he told them to wear boxers that went down to their knees! Why would God command this? It is not because He would see their nakedness of their thighs and lust, it is because God commands anyone who comes near to him to be modest. What is the spiritual lesson we can learn from this instruction? 1 Thessalonians 5:22 "Abstain from every form of evil." Just like God didn't want the heathens to gossip about seeing the nakedness of the priests when they worshiped Him, He doesn't want the same for His people today. We are told in Matthew 5:28 "...whoever looks at a woman to lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart." Jesus raised this sin from physical to spiritual. If lusting makes you a spiritual adulterer, does knowingly dressing in a manner that makes your brother or sister stumble with this sin make you a spiritual prostitute?

A spouse should dress in a manner that is pleasing to their mate, but it should be done in private, not in Church. We do not need to please others or draw attention to ourselves because of our dress. In 1 Timothy 2:9-10 Paul tells us, "in like manner also, that the women adorn themselves in modest apparel, with propriety and moderation, not with braided hair or gold or pearls or costly clothing,10 but, which is proper for women professing godliness, with good works." Who determines what is proper? It is not society, it is God. He commands modesty.

BE HONEST

Which one of these two woman are your eyes drawn to, the one on the left, or the right? Which one would you think is ready to go to Church and worship God? The one on the left is wearing a cross, do you think that makes her a Christian? Which one is wearing modest clothing according to the Biblical definition? Although they are both pretty, which one do you think would cause the men in their congregation to lust? Which one do you think would be the most comfortable sitting next to Jesus?

God tells Israel in Isaiah 47:2-3 that He will punish them by uncovering their thighs and make them pass through the rivers with their nakedness showing, so their shame will be seen. He says "I will take vengeance, and I will not arbitrate with a man." Today Satan has convinced us there is nothing wrong with showing our nakedness when we come to worship God. People believe that this is perfectly normal and that they are not the ones with the problem. That is not what God's Word tells us. He does not allow immodesty in His house. He is the God who is the same yesterday, today and tomorrow.