APOSTLE EDWARD SSEWANYANA: CHRISTIAN DRESSING: PART 6

The world is being used as a puppet of the devil to introduce indecent dressing. The devil uses the secular entertainers and especially the singers to negatively influence the young generation to dress indecently. God tells us that you can not be His friend and the world's friend at the same time. “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). God is very strict when it comes to a Christians getting the world's fashions wholesale and wearing them without even consulting Him. God tells us not to love the world or the things that are in it including its fashions, "Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For ALL THAT IS IN THE WORLD, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, IS NOT OF THE FATHER, but is of the world” (1 John 2:15-16). God wants to raise up Christian fashion designers who will not fall for the trap of trying to please the world's craving for indecency and will instead produce designs that displease the world but please God. God hates garments that are spotted or made dirty by fleshly influences of the world, “hating even the garment spotted by the flesh” (Jude 1:23). God wants you to totally come out of the world system and separate yourself even in your clothing, “Wherefore COME OUT FROM AMONG THEM, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, AND TOUCH NOT THE UNCLEAN THING; and I will receive you” (2 Corinthians 6:17).

THE DRESSING OF THE IDEAL CHRISTIAN MAN AND WOMAN

The ideal Christian's dressing should possess the following qualities;

1. Dressing that glorifies God

“Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, DO ALL TO THE GLORY OF GOD” (1 Corinthians 10:31). Everything that a believer does including the way they dress should be done so as to glorify God. The clothing that God designed for the High priest was to demonstrate His glory (Ex 28:2). Does the way you dress glorify God or the devil? If it is glorifying the devil then get rid of it.

2. Dressing that is decent

"In like manner also, that women adorn themselves in DECENT APPAREL, with MODESTY and SOBRIETY… But (which becometh women professing godliness) with good works” (1 Timothy 2:9-10 Webster). The scriptures define the true standard of decency and speak about the need to have a sense of shame as you dress (1Tim 2:9 KJV). When dressing you should dress soberly which means dressing in a manner that is serious and solemn. Do not dress like a drunk man who does not care if anyone will be offended. "Whose adorning let it not be that outward adorning …But let it be the hidden man of the heart, in that which is not corruptible, even the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God of great price” (1 Peter 3:3-4). The ideal Christian woman is admonished to concentrate on placing the priority on the inner man or the spirit. Inward beauty will always produce outer beauty.

3. Dressing that does not stumble God's children

“Let us not therefore judge one another any more: but judge this rather, that NO MAN PUT A STUMBLINGBLOCK or an occasion to fall in his brother's way” (Romans 14:13). When you intentionally put a string or log in the path of a runner who is about to win a prize you can even be imprisoned. God says that we should not place anything in the path of our fellow runners that will cause them to miss their prize. You are not running your race alone, so when you make weak brother or sister stumble you are sinning against God. “And through thy knowledge shall THE WEAK BROTHER perish, for whom Christ died? But when ye sin so against the brethren, and wound their weak conscience, YE SIN AGAINST CHRIST. Wherefore, if meat make my brother to offend, I WILL EAT NO FLESH while the world standeth, lest I make my brother to offend” (1 Corinthians 8:11-13). Apostle Paul says that he would rather become a vegetarian for the rest of his life if he knows that eating meat may make his weaker brother to stumble.

4. Dressing that is acceptable in the specific location or culture

As a Christian we have to consider the positive customs of the nations we abide in that do not necessarily go beyond the limits of God's word. You have to become all things to all men in order to bring as many of them as you can to the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ. “To the weak became I as weak, that I might gain the weak: I am made all things to all men, that I might BY ALL MEANS SAVE SOME” (1 Corinthians 9:22). Apostle Paul demonstrated this adaptability by having Timothy circumcised yet this was not a requirement for a born again Christian so that he could be able to win more Jews for Christ (Acts 16:3). Jesus encourages us to be as wise as serpents because serpents blend into the environment they are in to avoid detection (Matthew 10:16).

5. Dressing that is selected and led by the Holy Spirit

As a son or daughter of God your ultimate desire should be to be led by the Holy Spirit in all aspects of your life. "For as many as are LED BY THE SPIRIT OF GOD, they are the sons of God” (Romans 8:14). Allow the Holy Spirit to speak to you and heed him even in the area of dressing. When you neglect that still small voice on the inside that instructs you to remove that indecent wear, your heart becomes seared with time until indecent clothing does not bother your conscience. Keep your conscience clear with God and allow the Lord to lead you in your dress code.