1. Public Use of Shorts
It is now a fashion for men to move about with shorts. Some make long journey in shorts. This is not the custom with men in our day but came as a fashion. When a mature adult or noble man is seen in shorts in a public place, he portrays himself as an ignoble person. Believers bear the image of Christ and the word of eternal life and so must avoid rough and ignoble appearance as this, which can make people offended at them and at the gospel they carry.
2. Worldly Fashion and Design
Fashion refers to a popular style of clothes or dress reigning at a particular time in the society. Fashions are the work or invention of fashion designers. We are living in a progressive and dynamic world where new fashions keep taking over the old, as the world hastens to its close.
The Bible commands God's children not to love the world, nor the things of the world; not to make friendship with the world, to keep themselves unspotted by the world. The 'world' warned against, is the sinful human society and ungodly activities and lifestyle of sinners. Sin affects the sinner in every way. It affects his thoughts, tastes, designs, styles of dress, inventions and creativity. The world has her fashions designed to meet the taste of her children. The fashions of the world are designed to promote immorality, corruption, disobedience to God and wickedness. The god of this world, Satan, is the brain behind these fashions and designs. He employs the service of ungodly fashion designers, tailors and seamstresses to achieve his aim.
Believers are not of this world and so must not partake in the evil fashions and designs used by the men and women of this world. Christian fashion designers must ensure that they do not design any kind of wear that promotes sin and brings dishonour to God among men. No Christian tailor or seamstress should accept to sew a style of dress that promotes sin and brings dishonour to God. Believers are instructed by God's word to be watchful, to prove all things and abstain from all appearance of evil. Hence proper care and examination must be made for every style of dress to be sewn and every kind of clothes to put on. Our wears as believers must go through the screening exercise of God's word. We must make sure we do not grieve the Holy Spirit that lives in us by the kind of clothes we wear.
3. Ungodly Dresses
Our world today is full of ungodly wears, fashions and designs that are called by many names. New ones will keep coming up until Christ comes. We shall examine a few designs of clothes and their evil effects.
(i) Slit or split skirts
This are skirts with a slit or opening at the front, back or sides. Sometimes the slit reaches to the knee or above it. This design is meant to expose the woman's inner body as she moves about or sits down among people. It is a satanic design which abuses the dignity and personality of the woman. Satan's intention for this design is to pull the eyes of men to the opening in the woman's dress which shows up to her privacy. Men suffer defilement in their thoughts through these slits in the women's skirts or gowns.
It's unfortunate that many Christian women are being used as agents of defilement unawares. It is only those who are defiled that can defile others. Hence those who put on such dresses are never holy Christians. Christian women must avoid the use of slit skirts and gowns.
(ii) Mini skirts
These are skirts whose length scarcely reaches the knees. Some end at the thigh. Mini skirt is advancement upon the split skirt on women nakedness. By them the woman's thighs which are part of her sensitive and attractive body parts are made bare for men's gaze and arousal. Because of proximity to her inner privacy, it exacts great pull on the eyes of many men. Her bending or sitting position many times exposes her inner privacy. Women who use this normally cross their legs or bring their knees tightly together when in sitting position. But this often wearies them. Many times they forget themselves.
Miniskirts are degrading to the woman. Those who wear them are considered irresponsible and immoral. It is unfortunate that in many churches the choir and 'gospel' singers use miniskirts. When they sit in the church their thighs are bare and there is an opening that shows in to their inner privacy, to the gaze and defilement of church members and ministers. Both they and their ministers who allow them to use such dresses to church shall not see the kingdom of God. The Christian woman's skirt must be long enough to cover hers knees properly in sitting position.
(iii) Armpit exposing, sleeveless blouses
This design was introduced to arouse men. Some men see the soft and hairy armpit of a woman and their mind connects it to her privacy below. Yet sleeveless blouses and gowns are the delight of many women. The devil makes the godless woman delight in defiling dresses.
However, some women put this sleeveless dress on top of an inner wear with sleeves. When this is decently done it is proper dressing. The blouses of Christian women must have good befitting sleeves. The sleeve of the blouse must at least cover her arm.
(iv) Blouses with deep cuts
Blouses with deep cuts are designed to expose the woman's upper body, from shoulders up, for the lustful contemplation of men. The region leading to her breast is made bare to the gaze of lustful men. Many women are ignorant of the advantage Satan gains over them through ungodly dresses, while some put them on purposely to attract customers. This kind of dress makes the woman lose her God given glory. These ungodly dresses are highlighted to help the Christian woman avoid them.
The clothes she is to put on must cover her body properly so that she is not the reason for the moral defilement of any man in the sight of God.
(v) Tight fitting dresses
These are dresses that give no allowance to the body. They are designed to bring out the woman's shape for a show or to achieve some evil intentions. The length of some blouses is so short that either the woman's umbilical cord region is made bare or the whole of that region is made bare in her bending position. The present immoral society encourages young women to leave bare their umbilical cord region for men's lustful gaze. The Christian woman's blouse and skirt must give good allowance to her body and long enough to keep her body from being made bare, even in bending position. If the blouse or skirt is the type with buttons, the buttons should be properly fixed such that her bare body or underwear is not exposed.
(VI) Perforated and transparent clothes
These are used by both men and women. This kind of dress allows people to look through the perforations to the body. The under wear is clearly seen. This is indecent dressing and should be avoided by believers. Our body must be properly covered so that no one is carried away by lust or evil thought through looking in to our body. Perforated transparent dresses are not good for Christians.
The Bible does not list the kind of dresses, fashions and designs a believer should adopt. However it presents guiding principles for Christian dressing, which include the following:
(i) The dress must cover the body to avoid being a stumbling block to others.
(ii) The believer must avoid worldly fashions and designs aimed at corrupting the society
(iii) A woman must not put on man's dress; neither should a man put on a woman's dress.
(iv) Christian virtues of meekness, gentleness, humility, temperance, goodness and modesty must be seen in the believer's comportment.
(v) The believer must be an example to other believers in his or her clothing.
(vi) He or she must not dress for show-off
(vii) The glory of God must be the sole aim in bodily clothing.
The wedding garment used by the people of the world istransparent and does not cover properly. Some parts of her body are made bare. This corrupts the mind of the faithful and is evil in the sight of God. The Christian bride wedding garment must be descent and cover her body properly. For this purpose, she may avoid renting a wedding garment but sow one for herself to meet her Christian conviction.
Revelation 19:7-8: Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready. And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints.
1 Corinthians 10:31: “Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God.
PST PAUL RIKA
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