Appearance
God wants our appearance to be modest, he wants us to hold our vessels in honor and sanctification. The outside should reflect what the very thing that's on the inside. We are representatives of Christ we are to walk as a light in the world. When the world sees us they should see the light of Christ. We are redeemed of the Lord, God's workmanship through Christ. People should be able to see the change that God has made in our lives (Eph 5:8-11).
Lets face it certain dress attire attracts certain people.
- When people see us whether they are old friends or family, who do they see?
- What are they saying about you?
- Do they see Christ in you?
- Do we spend more time dressing our outer appearance or dressing our spirit?
- What message are we putting out?
Our lives should bring people to Christ not leading them astray. What's more important, doing what we want to do or keeping our brother from falling. Remember we are bought with a price, we are not our own but Christ's.
Verses:
- "All things are lawful for me, but all things are not expedient: all things are lawful for me, but all things edify not."
- "even as I please all men in all things, not seeking my own profit, but the profit of many, that they may be saved." .... 1 Corin 10:23, 33
- "That ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world."
- Lets not use our liberty to be an occasion to the flesh or let our good be evil spoken of. Phil 2:15
- "For so is the will of God, that with well doing ye may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men: As free, and not using your liberty for a cloke of maliciousness, but as the servants of God." 1 Peter 2:16
Our body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, and God does not want his temple looking like the world. God said he wants a distinction between clean and unclean, holy and unholy. He wants our light to shine. He created us in His image.
To dress or act in an immodest manner that excites impure desires in others is as wrong as the immoral desire it provokes. We as Christians must not allow the enemy to use us as a tool to trap someone else. Paul uses the word "shamefacedness" (1 Tim 2:9) which means refusal to dress in a way that draws attention to the body. Not everyone is able to control their thoughts. Remember sin is already in the world and we can't change that, some people are servants to their flesh and it's desires.
Jesus puts it like this:
"Woe unto the world because of offences! for it must needs be that offences come; but woe to that man by whom the offence cometh!"
You shouldn't do it because everyone else is doing it.
Lasciviousness (aselgeia gk.): Following one's passions and desires to the point of having no public decency or shame.
Top priority in our lives shouldn't be promoting ourselves or someone's product it should be promoting Jesus. Jesus said, ".. if I be lifted up from the earth, I will draw all men unto me". The problem we've been lifting up the wrong thing. We are not required to lifting up our problems or our faults or our frustrations we should be lifting up Jesus. Let our fashion statement be Jesus.
Matthew 5:13-16