Christian dress does not have a specific design or style, but it has some specific features. These features differentiate the Christian dress from the worldly dress.
It might interest you to know that the value of the global textile mills market totaled 668 billion dollars in 2015. The textile mills market includes yarns and fabrics. It is predicted to reach 843 billion dollars in value in 2020.
Also, the value of the global apparel market totaled 843 billion dollars in 2016. The apparel market covers all clothing except leather, footwear and knitted items. It is forecast to reach 1 trillion dollars in value in 2021. A huge market indeed!
What are the roles of Christians in this economic value for dress? Today’s message would explain the attributes of Christian dress and the implications of the present fashion in the church.
The Origin of Dressing
The first record of wears was recorded when Adam and Eve ate the forbidden fruit. So, disobedience to the instruction of the Lord led to the alteration of the human brain. It killed the sense of freedom and replaced it with the sense of nakedness.
Adam was the first fashion designer, but he got it wrong because the fig leaves could not cover the nakedness properly. Genesis chapter 3 verses 7 say: “Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves coverings.”
God did not like to see our nakedness exposed in any form… thus He helped Adam and Eve with a better material that could cover their nakedness properly. Genesis chapter 3 verses 21 say: “Unto Adam also and to his wife did the LORD God make coats of skins, and clothed them.”
What is the Design for Christian Dress?
Christian dressing in our generation is a controversial topic that a lot of Christians do not like to hear. Why? Our leaders refused to scold us when we accepted the fashion of the world.
The fashions of the world had engrossed the church so much, and we dislike anyone who preaches against our love for the worldly fashions.
We call such preacher an “old school cross…” We refuse to attend the few churches that criticize worldly fashion in the Christendom. Unfortunately, many Pastors do not want to lose their unstable members to this controversial topic, so they kept quiet. “Sitting on a keg of gun powder…”
The features for Christian dress include:
1. Modest; covering all the sensual parts of the body.
2. Decent; not with flashy colors or attractive ornaments.
3. Appropriate; the under-wear for the inner room is not for evening dinner across the street.
4. Less Expensive; to avoid waste of money on vanity.
5. Design; the female dress must be different from the male dress.
First Timothy chapter 2 verse 9 say: “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.”
Can Christian Woman Put on Trouser?
Trouser for women became popular in the 19th century. I felt bad when I discovered that the Devil is corrupting the people through fashion. Dressing differs from one culture to another, and the early generations knew that the dress of a male can never be the same for a female, because of the difference in our body shape and responsibilities.
But, the Devil who is doing all his best to corrupt the human race enticed people with the fashion of unisex. When God noticed this abomination in the midst of the Gentiles, He warned the Israelis not to imbibe such fashion.
Deuteronomy chapter 22 verse 5: “A woman shall not wear anything that pertains to a man, nor shall a man put on a woman’s garment, for all who do so are an abomination to the LORD your God.”
The thought of a woman to wear trouser was inappropriate in the America culture until the 18th century. Mrs. Bloomers and her friends thought of it, and it was widely accepted in the 19th century. It marks the beginning of moral destruction in the US. Other Continents grabbed the fashion as well, and the world is going wild.
Many women of this generation had lost their respect due to their provocative style of dressing. If you are a God-fearing woman who wants to follow the will of the Lord, test trouser with the five features above and tell me if it is a pass or not.
Christian Dress and the Church
False Pastors in the church told their congregation that God does not look at outward appearance, so the Christian dress can be the same as the worldly dress. Any verse in the Bible they quote to support this abomination is simply misconception.
Paul did not tell the women to be moderate in abominable wears or makeups. The context of ‘moderation’ in 1Timothy 2:9 was moderate Christian dress and behavior.
Pant that shows the ‘front V-shape’ and ‘back hills’ of the women is no more inappropriate in the church. Miniskirts and other seductive wears are regarded as normal Christian dress in many churches. Hey! The church had fallen in love to worldliness.
Please take this caption serious: “Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world–the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life–is not of the Father but is of the world. And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever.” 1John 2: 15-17
I am not judging anyone, but I am telling you the scriptural truth. This generation had failed the Lord. We need to go back to the Bible, and restore the First Love. Let’s stop embracing all the offers of the world – it is shameful!
The Spirit of the Lord warned us to be different from the world, but our action says: “No, we want the fashion of the world”.
The Lord told us not to conform to the custom of the world, but the church leaders say: “No, let’s bring in the worldly people with their corrupt custom; they will change in the church.”
Unfortunately, the lukewarm converts did not change, but they thought the other church members how to embrace the corrupt custom of the world.
So, do not flow with the custom of the world that gets rotten every day.
God is not a respecter of man. Our population cannot intimate God! Remember the story of Noah. This is a clarion call for us to stand firm in God’s Will and to reject ungodly dressing.
Listen! Very soon, the fashion of trouser and miniskirts will fade away, and the use of bikini and underwear pants will be the next fashionable clothes in the public. Devil is not at rest, he will invent more fashions that will deep the world into a terrible mess.
Don’t be deceived by those Pastors and Prophets who are after your money and your presence in their church. God is concerned with the cloth we put on;
These are some proves:
1. The Lord made a better cloth for Adam and Eve. Genesis 3:21
2. He taught the Priest how to dress. Leviticus 16:4
3. The Lord took the subject of cloth (holiness) very serious. Leviticus 14
4. Jesus discouraged expensive wears. Matthew 6:19
5. Holy Spirit speaks through Paul and Peter when the early Christians faced the storm of corrupt fashion.
6. Our body is the temple of the Lord, so He is concerned with the dress we put on. 1Corinthians 3:16
You would give an account of how your body, soul and spirit were used on earth. So, always fix your trinity into the trinity of the Lord.
I implore you to take a firm stand in Christ and don’t be tossed away by the fashion of this corrupt world. Christian dress does not expose cleavages and other sensual part of the body.
Christian dress neither seduces nor induces the beholder with lustful desire. Godly dressing does not tighten the body to show the feminine shape.
Note: You might be the only one in your household obeying the will of God related to Christian dress. Don’t be discouraged, because many are called into the Christendom, but few would be chosen at the end – Matthew 22:14.
