Jesus Is Lord Family Campground

Culture Wars

Issues Affecting Our Church Families

Part I: Does the Lord Care How I Dress?

By Brendan Riordan

Malachi 2:15 Family Ministries

Whether you realize it or not there is a near and present war for the heart and soul of your children. And, if you are not intentional in their child training, you will incur casualties. Already the ax is at the root as our teens fall prey to drug addictions, fornication, aids, teen pregnancy and a great falling away from the faith. It is a cultural war, a war vying for your way of life, your world view, and how you live on this earth as a Christian family.

This article marks the beginning of a series titled Culture Wars. The intent of this series is to flush out the issues facing the Christian family in America and will answer the question, “Does God Care How We Live?”

Recent statistics show that 63 % of your children, raised in Bible believing homes do not believe that Jesus is the Son of the one true God. Most Christian youth would also say that truth is relative and that nothing is absolute.  Sixty five percent believe or suspect that there is no way to tell which religion is true. And when Newsweek asked, “Can a good person who doesn’t share your religious beliefs attain salvation or go to heaven?”, Sixty eight percent of evangelical Protestants said yes. (Josh Mcdowell, The Last Christian Generation) What a contrast to what the Word of God says!

“He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life.”

1 John 5:12-13 NKJV

What has happened to us? Can the cultural pressure to conform to the modern (anything goes) humanistic American view be turned around? Whether you think yea or nay, as a Christian parent you have a supreme obligation to raise your children for God. (Malachi 2:15)

Believers ought to be characterized as alien, different (Hebrews 11:13) called out of the world, (2 Cor. 6:17) Temples of the Holy Spirit, (1 Cor. 6:19) who do not conform to the pattern of this world (Romans 12:2. And Romans 12:2 points directly both to the problem and the solution. “And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.” NKJV

Those who resist the sinful pull of this world, and those who abide in Christ and His Word will have renewed minds. A renewed mind enables one to know God’s good, perfect and pleasing will. This is huge! If you separate from the world and abide in Christ then you can know God’s will. If you do not separate from the world and abide in Christ you cannot know God’s good and acceptable and perfect will. Little wonder there is so much carnality in the church today. Most of us don’t even reach step one in qualifying to live the victorious overcoming life, i.e. separating from the world, nevertheless  reaching part two of the abiding that leads to a transformed mind. Who can walk in Christian triumph who does not even know God’s good, perfect and pleasing will?

The apostle Peter says it is our utmost goal to escape the corruption of this world caused by evil desires, and that we are in fact enabled thru the power of the Holy Spirit to do so. 2 Peter1:4. Why then does it seem as if the church in America is trying it’s hardest to emulate the corrupt world?

God does care how we live our life in this world. He does care how we raise our families and it should be our aim to live a clean moral life separated from the world.

“Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry. 6 Because of these, the wrath of God is coming.  You used to walk in these ways, in the life you once lived.  But now you must rid yourselves of all such things…”

Colossians 3:5-8 NIV

Culture Wars topics will answer these issues facing the Church families in America:  Does God care how I dress? How I entertain myself? How I choose a mate? How I Vote?  What music I listen to? Who I associate with? How I label myself?  Body Piercing?

My goal is to be like Peter and simply present reminders of what you already know as a believer. (2 Peter 3:1). Please do not consider my words as infallible as I am only a flawed commentator of the infallible Bible. Rather I encourage you to be like the Bereans and test everything I say by the word of God ( Acts 17:11). Lastly, these questions will here within be answered in brief, and at a latter time expounded upon.

1 – Does God Care how I dress?

Yes He does. There is a great deal written in the Bible about this topic despite the modern view that “God doesn’t care how you dress, how you wear your hair or what music you listen to. He only looks at the heart.” Jesus said you can tell a tree by its fruit. (Matt. 7:20) And the Biblical guideline for dress is modesty. (1 Peter 3:3-4, 1 Tim 2:9-10)

Modest dress emulates humility and reserve. Immodest dress, in contrast reflects arrogance, pride egotism, and usually sensuality. Is your heart reflecting humility or arrogance in your dress?

“Do not let your adornment be merely outward — arranging the hair, wearing gold, or putting on fine apparel —   rather let it be the hidden person of the heart, with the incorruptible beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is very precious in the sight of God.”

1 Peter 3:3-4 NKJV

“.. 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, 10 but, which is proper for women professing godliness, with good works.”

1 Tim 2:9-10 NKJV

(I do realize I have only addressed modest dress in regard to women here, we’ll try and touch on modest dress for men in latter issues of Culture Wars.)

As a pastor I often couched complaints by men about how women dressed in church. Their argument was “I come to church to worship the Lord and get away from the temptations of the world. I don’t want to be sexually tempted in my own church.” On one occasion a young women in the church video ministry had unwittingly exposed her backside while videotaping the sermon. (She was also wearing low-cut Hip-Huggers) When a man sent his wife to gently make the young woman aware, and offer her a sweater to wrap around, the young woman became offended, subsequently appealing to her father to force the church leadership to apologize. Leadership apologized and bothered the young woman no more. (Not the desired response)

Is your heart thinking about humility when you dress? Do you consider if your dress will make someone stumble? Where do you get your dress style from? What you consider style is usually some re – warmed style from a day long gone. In fifty years (if the Lord tarries) the now current style will seem very uncool then. If you live that long it might be the rage to wear a dead cat around your neck to be socially acceptable. The young people today are retuning to the Bohemian look of the 60’s. I don’t know about your Christian conversion, but with me, the desire was to become plainer. I felt free enough in Christ to no longer need to impress anyone about dress style. My desire was to become plainer, and stand out less. I hoped that people would be attracted by my new faith and Christ like attitude, not how I dressed. Let them think me weird because I didn’t keep up with modern trends and fashions but let them be jealous for what I had,  an inner peace, a Christ like attitude, and the blessings of God. (Romans 11:14)

In light of what scripture has to say regarding modesty, we at the Jesus Is Lord Park have chosen to require one piece bathing suits for women and girls, thus providing an environment that does not provide such stumbling blocks for other Christians while they are enjoying recreation time with their families.

I hope that this first Culture Wars topic, “Does God Care how I Dress?”, caused you to think more on this topic and search the scriptures for yourselves. I hope to revisit this topic in greater detail in future issues. Next issue of Culture Wars will ask, “Does God Care how I Entertain Myself?”

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