THE SCRIPTURE AND I

THE BIBLE AND DRESSING

INTRODUCTION :

When man had his dwelling in the Garden of Eden, he was without any form of clothing or covering for his body. The glory of his creation was enough covering for him. It was in this state of being that Adam and Eve carried on their activities in the garden without being conscious of their nakedness.

However, when man sinned, the glory departed and their eyes were opened to the realization of their nakedness they sew fig leaves to cover their nakedness. God slew an animal and clothed them with its skin. The fig leaves only cover their genitals but the animal skin covered them more properly. God is interested in our dressing.

WHAT IS DRESSING?

·              Dressing is to adorn one’s body with an apparel or garment

·              It is to bring forth what is inward in the heart to the view of the world by one’s outward look

·              It is to look presentable for life’s occasion showing forth the glory of one’s essence

·              It is to show forth the spiritual state of a person by physical presentation of body adornment like clothing

WHY IS DRESSING NECESSARY?

·        We dress to cover  our nakedness Gen 3:7,21

·        We need to dress to cover one another’s shame Gen 3: 7, 9:28

·        We have to dress to preserve our honour and human dignity Gen3:21

·        We dress to keep our bodies warm James 2: 15 – 16

·        Like food and shelter clothes are one of our basic human needs matt6:1-32

BIBLICAL DRESS CODE

·        A man  should not put on a woman’s clothing Deu 22:5 and a woman should not put on a man’s clothing

·        A man should not keep long hair like women 1Cor 11:14 though some keep it for ritual and ceremonial purpose

·        Women should adorn themselves in modest apparel 1 Tim 2:9, Phil 4:5 .Clothes that are not flamboyant and garish

·        Women should adorn themselves with sobriety 1Tim 2:9-11, Pt 3:2-5. She should not be provocative, suggestive and outrageous in what she put on

·        When a woman covers her head in the fellowship it becomes an act of submission to man’s authority and worship to honour God 1 Cor 11:4-7 , 1 Cor 10:31

·        Women should keep their hair as long as they could maintain it. It is their honour and glory 1Cor11:14-15, Col 3:17

UNBIBLICAL DRESS CODES OF TODAY

v     Wearing of pants or britches or trousers by women deut22:5 in Bible day’s men and women wore robes but they were different types. Under the man’s robes was a pairs of pants reaching to the knee. Woman wore none. Whenever a man was to do a hard or laborious task. He will pull up his gown and tuck it into the pants. This is what the bible calls girding up your loins John 13:4 , Judge 3:16

v     Cross dressing or so called unisex wears. In the bible days women wore lighter and shorter

v     Wearing of short tight skirt 1 Tim 2:9 the word modest in Greek means Katastole,a long flowing garment, not a short tight skirt

v     Wearing of min –skirt and revealing dresses Isa 47:1-3. When the tight is not properly covered, God looks at it as nakedness

v     Tight clothes that shows the provocations of the body outline. This is a sign of not being shamefaced. 1 Tim2:9 leading men into lust matt 5:28

v     Wearing flashy, sensual and worldly fashion. 1John 2:15-17, Rom 12:2, 1Cor 7:31

v     Whenever we dress with the sole aim of pleasing God Rom8:8 indecent painting (make –up) of the face and the adorning of all parts of the body with excessive jewelries and attachment Isa3:16-22

v     Christians who are dirty and irritable in their dressing are abusing their ambassador –hood 11Cor 5:20

v           Young men with unbuttoned shirt and pulled down trousers exposing what should be covered

v           Tattoo and body piercing Lev19:28 , 1Cor10:31, 1Cor6:19-20 , Ex 21:5-6

DANGERS OF IMPROPER DRESING

·        Improper and worldly dressing would make a person become an enemy of God Roms 8:7, 4:4

·        It could easily lure another into sexual sin inviting God’s wrath Lk17:1-2

·        It defiles the body which is the temple of God 1 Cor 3:16 -17

·        It could incure the curse of God upon an offender Isa 3:16-22, 24

·        It could shut a person out of God’s blessing

·        Crossing dressing is an abomination. Abomination has repercussion

·        One can loose the presence of God and the fellowship through improper dressing Exo 19:9-11