Worldly Dress

The Bible, in telling Christians how to live, makes mention even of their dress. Why is this? It is because extravagance in dress is indicative of a proud heart. Thefts, murders, evil thoughts, pride, etc., come forth from the heart and defile the man (Mark 7:21-22). Any article of dress put on merely for adornment can only be the fruit of pride in the heart. Some may wear adornments by way of jewels, pearls, rings, necklaces, etc., and still say that they are not proud. But the Bible says, “By their fruits ye shall know them.”* (Matthew 7:20)

Some have asked, “Can I not be a Christian and continue to wear my rings and plumed hats?” We would ask, Can you be a Christian and willfully disobey the Word of God? What does God’s Word say? “In like manner also, that women adorn themselves in modest apparel, with shamefacedness and sobriety; not with broided hair, or gold, or pearls, or costly array.”* (I Timothy 2:9-10)

We have heard people say that this text does not mean what it says, or is not meant for us now. What makes you say that? It is because you do not want to live to it. If I should tell my daughter not to wear gold, and she continuing to wear it, and should tell others that I did not mean what I said, I should consider it an act of very great disrespect. Jesus says, “In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.”* (John 14:2-3) Where is the professed Christian that does not believe that Jesus meant what He said in this text, or that He did not mean it for them? If He did not mean what He said in the former text or meant it for some other people, how can we know He meant what He said in the last text, or meant it for us? We all believe this text to mean what it says, and that it is meant for us. Why do we? Because we would love to have it that way. And why do some disbelieve the former text? Because they do not love to have it that way. Oh, the inconsistency of man! We shall quote this text in Timothy from the Syriac Version of the New Testament: “So also that women [dress] in chaste fashion of dress: and that their adorning be with modesty and chastity: not with with gold, or with pearls, or with splendid robes: but with good works as becometh women who profess reverence for God.”

The wearing of gold and pearls does not become a woman who professes reverence for God. Such things give them a worldly appearance. It is really painful to the Christian heart to see men and women laboring and planning and striving to keep up with the fashion. Someone has said, “We had just as well be out of the world as to be out of style.” That is just what Christianity will do for you. It separates you from the world and its fashions and styles. Many a young man is driven to dishonesty

merely to keep up with the world in its pride. His clothier perhaps goes unpaid while he walks the aisle of some fine meeting house with the air of a millionaire. He takes his part in the League or the Endeavor, and considers such service entitles him to the name Christian.

Many a husband is working hard to support his wife and children, while the wife is spending his hard-earned money for fashionable and costly array for herself and children. The new spring hats and bonnets must be purchased, and that in the latest style, if debts go unpaid. Many a mother is working late at night, and goes to her bed with an aching heart and head because of her desire to clothe her children after the world so they may attend Sunday school, etc. Oh, where is the plain and humble Christianity of primitive days! Let us take a look at the life of the lowly Nazarene and His devoted followers. Here we behold the humble and self-sacrificing Christian virtues.

While it is wrong and contrary to the Scriptures to spend money for gold and pearls and costly apparel, it is equally as wrong to make an unnecessary expenditure of money in the erection of buildings. When we see dwelling houses with their fancy carvings and domes and decorations, we conclude that vain is the heart of the owner; and when we see a meeting house with its towering steeple and stained windows, our heart is grieved. In the name of Jesus we affirm that it is wrong and contrary to the spirit of Christianity to make such an unnecessary expenditure of money in the building of a house of worship. We have seen many a meeting house that cost fully enough to build three plain houses that would seat as many people and fully as durable. The unnecessary expenditure of money in the building of these houses is often double the amount required to build a good comfortable plain building. Frequently meeting houses are remodeled when the old one was plenty good enough, but not fine enough. Why those colored windows with their drawings? Are they the result of love to God, or are they the result of pride? At this present writing there are thousands of human beings starving, not in foreign and heathen lands only—in our own beloved land many feel the pangs of hunger. With this suffering of human beings around us we say in the fear of God that no man nor society can expend money for costly colored windows and rich fancy carvings and ornamentation without incurring the displeasure of the Almighty.

Dear reader, I appeal to your commonsense and reason (if you do not know anything about the Bible): which is more congenial to the spirit of right and of Christianity and more commendable to God—to use money in buying feathered and flowered hats, laces, ribbons, necklaces, beads, jewels, gold rings, chains, studs, buttons, etc., or the giving of this money to some poor man or woman who is struggling hard to keep the wolf from the door? May God help us to see.

Christianity in Dress Early Christian Period

Today’s professing Christians are walking but a step behind the world, concerned about being too “different” or standing out too much. Plainly they are still walking “according to the course [direction] of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air,” albeit a few steps behind. Unless this worldly course or path is abandoned, their direction changed, and the strait and narrow way gained, they will undoubtedly share the fate of all those traveling the broad way.

Quotes beginning shortly after the death of the apostle John shows us that from the days of the early church, truth and holiness were on a collision course with the world. Contrary to our mental picture of modest, long flowing gowns, a study of the ancient “modest” world reveals a picture of worldly attire, immodesty and extravagance.

Early Christians, who chose to walk with Christ, chose to “stand out” against the popular, mainstream ideas of their day, presenting no less striking a picture than those who will walk the narrow way today. Thankfully, then as now, true prophets are willing to wield the sword of truth in all its practicalities, dress no exception.

Clement (200 AD): “...For such clothing, falling close to the body, takes its form more easily adhering as it were to the flesh, receives its shape, and marks out the woman’s figure, so the whole make of the body is visible to spectators!”

Cyprian (195-258 AD): “Let there be in the woman not the outward adorning of array or gold or apparel, but the adorning of the heart. If you dress your hair sumptuously, and walk so as to draw attention in public and attract the eyes of youth upon you...so that although yourself perish not, yet you cause others to perish, and offer yourself as it were a work of poison to the spectators; you cannot be excused on the pretense that you are chaste and modest in mind. Your shameful dress and immodest ornament accuses you; nor can you be counted now among Christ’s women or girls, since you live in such a manner as to make yourselves objects of desire. If you have painted your face and dyed your hair, you have followed the serpent. As you are adorned in the fashion of your enemy, with him you also shall burn by and by!”

Cyril (315-386 AD): “Let thine apparel be plain, not for adornment but for necessary covering, not to minister to thy vanity but to keep thee warm in winter and to hide the unseemliness of the body, lest under pretense of hiding the unseemliness, thou fall into another kind of unseemliness by extravagant dress.”

Basil (330-379 AD): “As to color, avoid brightness; in material, the soft and delicate; to aim at bright colors in dress is like women’s beautifying when they color cheeks and hair with hues other than their own.”

Chrysostom (347-379 AD): “I beseech you, let us leave ornaments to parades, to theatres, to signs in the shops. But let not the image of God be decked out with these things. Now if for bare necessities, one is not to take anxious thought, what pardon can we deserve who take thought for things expensive and merely ornamental?”

Jerome (342-420 AD): “To be finely dressed and to have the reputation of being so, is to my mind quite as disgraceful as to play the harlot or to plot against a neighbor’s wedlock. (Cosmetics) serve only to inflame young men’s passions; to stimulate lust, and to indicate an unchaste mind. Such adorning is not of the Lord; a mark of this kind belongs to the antichrist.”

John Wesley (1703-1791): “The wearing of gay or costly apparel naturally tends to breed and increase vanity. By vanity here I mean, the love and desire of being admired and praised. Every one of you that is fond of dress has a witness of this in your own bosom. Whether you will confess it before men or no, you are convinced of this before God. You know in your heart, it is with a view to be admired that you thus adorn yourselves, and that you would not be at the pains were none to see you but God and His holy angels...
Let your dress be cheap as well as plain; otherwise you do but trifle with God, me, and your own souls.”

Adam Clarke (1762-1832): “If Paul saw the manner in which Christian women now dress and appear in the ordinances of religion, what would he think? What would he say? How could he ever distinguish the Christian from the infidel?

And if they who are in Christ are new creatures, and the persons who ordinarily appear in religious assemblies are really new creatures (as they profess to be) in Christ, he might reasonably inquire, ‘If these are new creatures, what must have been their appearance when they were old creatures?’”

That the experience of a Christian is inward and heartfelt, we do not at all contest. It is indeed an inward experience that grants the soul new life and power over sin, but these truths will in no wise negate our argument.

The rock and rap musicians of our age are consistent with their profession. Not only do they profess to be something, but they look like what they are. Take the young man with the sleeveless shirt and baggy shorts who loves the game of basketball. Not only does he love it in his heart, but he is consistent with that affection and appears the part of a basketball player. Then we have the country music singer who appears to be exactly what he is.

All of these that we have mentioned have strong merit to the claims of what they are. Now we come to the professed Christian world, and what contradiction greets our eyes. The so-called “Jesus people” look like the “rap people.” The “Jesus lovers” look like the “rock lovers.” We do not seek to offend any child of God whatsoever, but may this simply awaken your better judgment. Let me put it this way. If I were a soldier in the US Army and constantly affirmed my love for my country, would I not be suspect if I wore the uniform of another country? Who would trust me? My contradiction of dress would discredit my claims.

May every true Christian see this clearly? The professed Christian world, generally, cannot win the world today because they are the world. They are involved in all that the world is involved in, and not only so, but they look like the world also. We do not say that the way we dress makes us Christians, but by virtue of being Christians, we will look like Christians.

We cannot win the world by conforming to it. We know that Paul said he became all things to all men, but this same Paul told us not to be conformed to this world. Paul would have lawfully and scripturally gone as far as he could to help people. If we do more than this, we are operating in our own minds and this brings tragedy, not salvation. The professed Christian world has conformed so well to the secular world that there is nothing to win people to. This is a fact. If our Jesus parties, raps, rocks, square dances, dresses in Tommy Hilfiger and other name brand clothing, and leaves people with no definite soul transformation that gives them power over sin, what do we really have to offer? May every true Christian rally to these clear truths.

Does Jesus really care that much about our outward appearance? Yes, insomuch that the scriptures teach us how to dress and how not to dress (I Pet. 3:3-5, I Tim.2:9-10). If you had disciples whom you commanded to represent yourself to the world, how would you want them to represent you? Would you not want them to represent you according to who you really were? If you were a cowboy, would you want your disciples to look like rappers? Would the president of the United States send people with pink hair and shorts on across the seas for peace talks?

How much more would the holy and perfectly pure God of heaven not send His people forth in this way. God is not a compromiser. He’s not in the business of bending and bowing to the world. He rightfully demands our obedience to His rules for our own good. In ourselves we do not know how to win the world, but Christ does. Worldly men will get tired of the world and all it has to offer. God forbid that professing Christians offer these weary souls the exact thing that they are weary of. May God help us?

Of course there will always be those religious people who hate the truths that we here present. Such may discard all this as “nonsense,” but the true child of God will be concerned about the desires of Christ. Outward appearance is very important. To dress like a Christian doesn’t make one a Christian, but this is hardly an excuse not to dress like one. Do you look like a Christian?

The Fashion of the World promotes the spirit of pride among people. There is so much vanity seen on display. The world and your peers would say that you are not in style if you don’t wear brand name items of clothing. The world makes you feel out of step. But actually as a Christian you ought to be out of step with the world. We are to love not the world, neither the things in it. It was the spirit of this world that killed Christ. The spirit of this world hates Christ and it hates the Christ in you and the Devil is the prince of this world. He dictates the trends and fashions of this world.

So many profess Christians who are caught up with the fashions of this world and are in direct disobedience of Jesus command to love not the world. The Lord did not leave it up to America's Top Model or Tyra Banks to dictate what the saints should wear.

These top fashion designers Calvin Klein, Chanel, Christian Dior, Giorgio Armani, Gucci, Hugo Boss, Jean Paul Gaultier, Louis Vuitton, Marc Jacobs, Prada, Ralph Lauren, Tommy Hilfiger, Valentino, Versace, Yves Saint Laurent, and many other designer are on they way to hell if they don't repent and get their life right with God. Also you have sport figures, rappers and other entertainers dictating what we should wear, and when buy into this foolishness, I will show you a backslidden or worldly Christian that is fallen from the grace of God. We are the head and not the tail, The church is the one who should be setting the standard of dress for the world, the world should not be setting the standard for us. The world should be able to look to us as an example of what and what not to wear.

Yes this is fanaticism in the extreme sense of the word. I don't believe God want's his people to look like they just stepped off of the Quaker Oatmeal box. This group who mimics the Church of God Reformation movement of the late 1800's and early 1900's have in their restoration efforts sought to bring in reforms to head off the tide of worldliness that has flooded the evening light reformation movement. But my question to them is why did you stop only at the 6th seal light of understanding? If you are truly seeking to restored the church back to standards of the New Testament and the early Christian period, why do you look like the Quakers and Amish and Mennonites groups of those periods. I must say you have missed the mark also. The New Testament Church is bigger than your little kingdom, or movement. The only thing that you are missing are your horses and buggies. You have given place to self righteousness just like the Scribes, Pharisees, and Sadducees of their day. Outwardly you appear righteous, but inwardly you are full of dead men bones. Your group has its head, this is not the head of the New Testament Church. Jesus is the only head of the church and savior of the body.

The question was asked is this worldliness? I emphatically says no. These two groups appears to be in line with what the bible teaches regarding modesty and the New Testament Standard concerning Christian Dress. If you check out some of the early photos and art that gives a description of the earliest period of Christianity, you will see that they appear to conform to that standard

The bible prophesied of this day when the spirit of haughtiness (pride) would be on display, and among the people of God. The spirit of pride can work two ways, it can make you over do it and under do it, If you embrace the spirit of fanaticism in your dress, you have over acceded in your reach for modesty, It is not modesty, it is only a manifestation of pride, and it you dress like the world and call yourself a Christian you have the manifestation of pride in your heart and you have flat out comprise. Modesty is the happy go medium between the two; the extreme and the comprise. Where are you at?

Because of the religious world lowering its standards to suit the world, anyone and anybody can profess Christianity and walk hand in hand with the world. But true bible believing Christians must not follow this spirit of pride that is being promoted in the world and supported by the spurious Christian leaders so-called.

God word hasn’t changed; Jesus is the same yesterday, today, and forever. Whosoever is a friend of the world is an enemy to God. Listen to the prophet Isaiah in the 3^rd chapter starting at the 12th through 26th verse, and the 4^th chapter through to the 6^th verse;

12 As for my people, children are their oppressors, and women rule over them. O my people, they which lead thee cause thee to err, and destroy the way of thy paths.

14 The LORD will enter into judgment with the ancients of his people, and the princes thereof: for ye have eaten up the vineyard; the spoil of the poor is in your houses.

15 What mean ye that ye beat my people to pieces, and grind the faces of the poor? saith the Lord GOD of hosts.

16 Moreover the LORD saith, because the daughters of Zion are haughty, and walk with stretched forth necks and wanton eyes, walking and mincing as they go, and making a tinkling with their feet:

17 Therefore the LORD will smite with a scab the crown of the head of the daughters of Zion, and the LORD will discover their secret parts.

18 In that day the Lord will take away the bravery of their tinkling ornaments about their feet, and their cauls, and their round tires like the moon,

20 The bonnets, and the ornaments of the legs, and the headbands, and the tablets, and the earrings,

22 The changeable suits of apparel, and the mantles, and the wimples, and the crisping pins,

24 And it shall come to pass, that instead of sweet smell there shall be stink; and instead of a girdle a rent; and instead of well set hair baldness; and instead of a stomacher a girding of sackcloth; and burning instead of beauty.

26 And her gates shall lament and mourn; and she being desolate shall sit upon the ground.

Isaiah 4

1 And in that day seven women shall take hold of one man, saying, we will eat our own bread, and wear our own apparel: only let us be called by thy name, to take away our reproach.

2 In that day shall the branch of the LORD be beautiful and glorious, and the fruit of the earth shall be excellent and comely for them that are escaped of Israel.

3 And it shall come to pass, that he that is left in Zion, and he that remaineth in Jerusalem, shall be called holy, even every one that is written among the living in Jerusalem:

4 When the Lord shall have washed away the filth of the daughters of Zion, and shall have purged the blood of Jerusalem from the midst thereof by the spirit of judgment, and by the spirit of burning.

5 And the LORD will create upon every dwelling place of mount Zion, and upon her assemblies, a cloud and smoke by day, and the shining of a flaming fire by night: for upon all the glory shall be a defense.

6 And there shall be a tabernacle for a shadow in the day time from the heat, and for a place of refuge, and for a covert from storm and from rain.

We can see from the following text of scripture that God was going to wash away this filth from His people by the spirit of judgment and by the spirit of burning. This means by judgment preaching of His Gospel under the anointing of the Holy Ghost. My friend if you love God you would keep His commandments and His commandments are not grievous.

Christianity Separates from the World

Christians are not of this world. Jesus, in speaking of His followers, says, “If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you.”* (John 15:19) The apostle John says: “Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.”* (John 2:15) The apostle James says: “Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? Whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God.”* (James 4:4) The apostle Peter says, “For the time past of our life may suffice us to have wrought the will of the Gentiles, when we walked in lasciviousness, lusts, excess of wine, revelings, (partying) banquetings, and abominable idolatries.”* (I Peter 4:3) Salvation of God saves people from the sins of the world. The apostle Paul says: “Among whom [those who walked according to the course of the world] also we all had our conversation [conduct] in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others.”* (Ephesians 2:3) When he was in sin he walked as the world walked, but when he became a Christian he was saved, or separated, from such a life. The spirit of Christianity and the spirit of the world are directly opposite in their nature. “What fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness?”* (II Corinthians 6:14)

Surely every reader is convinced that Bible Christianity saves men and women from a worldly life. Now how is the world going? We see them striving, planning to lay up treasures here upon earth. Christian conduct is to lay up treasures in heaven. We see the world joining secret societies and trusting in life insurances for protection. Christians with any degree of light do not do such things, but trust wholly in God, who has promised to care for them. We see the world dressing in feathers, flowers, laces, ribbons, beads, pearls, jewels, gold, and costly array. Such is not the Christian’s dress. They are commanded to dress in modest apparel with shamefacedness, as people should who profess godliness. We see the world chewing and smoking tobacco and using snuff, opium, etc. Such is not Christian conduct, neither is it becoming to the gospel of Christ. We as Christians must live clean, pure and holy lives.

We see the world trusting in omens and signs, or a kind of witchcraft, such as a horseshoe bringing good luck, and hundreds of other very foolish signs very unbecoming a Christian, but is a fruit of the flesh (Galatians 5:19-21). We see the world returning evil for evil; when wronged they seek revenge. Christians do not act that way; they love their enemies. They are not overcome with evil, but overcome evil with good. We see the world engaging in foolish and slangy talk, the telling of stories, and saying funny and amusing things. Such is not a godly nor Christian conversation. Christians are to be sober minded, to have a sound speech; every word must be seasoned with grace, that it may minister grace to the hearers.

We see the world going to shows, fairs, picnics, card parties, ball games, horse-races, theaters, etc. Christians do not love the world or its revelry. There is too much for a lover of the Lord to do in this sinful world to spend time in such worldly amusements; besides he has no desire for such things. His affections are set on things above. What do you think of a professed Christian sitting along side of a worldly man watching the horse-races? When the race is becoming very close they both get nervous, and both cheer with equal enthusiasm. What kind of a light is this professed Christian? What is there here noble or beautiful for Christianity? While the professed Christian and his unprofessed companion are cheering over the horse-race the true Christian is visiting the sick, or encouraging the discouraged, or helping the needy, or about his honest toil.

The reader can at once see which is more Christ like. I pray God to make every professed Christian who thus enjoys the world to blush with shame as he reads this. Sometimes we see a company of young men and young women walking down the street, maybe the greatest number of them belong to church, and it goes out before the world that they are Christians, but along with their un-professing companions they are jesting and laughing, and giddy and frivolous, and fashionably dressed, so you cannot tell the life of the one from the other. Ah, tell me where is the separation between the Christian and the world if this be Christianity.

Alas! How sad that the standard of Christianity has been so lowered that you are in many instances unable to distinguish it from the world. Thank God! true Christianity retains her exalted seat far above this world. She reigns a queen of light and peace in her robes of spotless white. She is beautiful. “She… looketh forth as the morning, fair as the moon, clear as the sun, and terrible as an army with banners.”* (Song 6:10)