Proper Dress


Since clothing is essential, there must be established ethics or absolutes pertaining to apparel. Why? Because clothing protects us and our bodies from the elements. Heat, Cold, Physical damage to our bodies, such as cuts, bruises, abrasions and premature aging of our skin. Which also involves the following -

Insects bites.
Disease.
Unwanted sexual advances.
Promoting loose sex.
Promoting deviate and disgusting behavior.
Deviate and disgusting display of the base parts of the human anatomy.
The shame produced by the display of our own unflattering anatomy.

Clothing can build self esteem and encourage the respect of others by -
Enhancing our appearance.
Promoting our pursuit of good character.
Directing our attention away from our pervasive base human desires.
Allowing us to concentrate on who the other person is, rather than what they are.

Revelation (7:13-17)

Then one of the elders asked me, “These in white robes-who are they, and where did they come from?”
I answered, “Sir, you know.”

And he said, “These are they who have come out of the great tribulation; they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. Therefore, they are before the throne of God and serve him day and night in his temple; and he who sits on the throne will shelter them with his presence.
Never again will they hunger; never again will they thirst. The sun will not beat down on them,’nor any scorching heat. For the Lamb at the center of the throne will be their shepherd; ‘he will lead them to springs of living water.’ And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.

The ethics of proper dress are detailed in these scriptures. We need to take note and dress appropriately. No, this is not the point of these scriptures. However, we would do well to note the example, and again, the analogy evidently was expected to be ageless and so always appropriate and easily understood in every age. This necessarily means appropriate attire is an ageless order among humans.

Generations of people have used Scripture examples as a way of determining good taste and modesty. There are also examples of work clothing portrayed in the Scripture. In many cases work demands the wearing of clothing that is not appropriate for other activities.

The analogy here has eternal life as being properly clothed, while being unclothed is to be rejected or is to fail to gain life. Christian men and women who take off their clothes or are under dressed when there are no necessary reasons for doing so are undermining a moral absolute. Christians can lose their sense of shame. If we set out to allure someone of the opposite sex by the way we dress we may get what we deserve and may even get more problems then what we deserve. Some Christians dress very provocatively and do so in their ignorance. Though they may do so in innocence they can still reap severe situations and a married life of misery. Many people are attracted by what they see and will act in what ever way it takes to get what they want. Then when the vows are over, in walks the real person. In many cases, it is better to be less attractive, more conservative and less provocative, so as to only attract those who are willing to search out 'true character'. Even then there are those who are looking for good character, yet have little of their own.

Adam and Eve found themselves naked before God. Since that time, and as a rule wanton nakedness has to do with sin. There is nothing left to say. There are no tenable arguments against the Christian etiquette of wearing proper clothing. Those people who rebel against this absolute make a lot of noise but they are not objective and they are portraying both a lack of discretion and rebellion.

The literal dress styles of the Scripture are not binding on us, but their sensibleness and propriety, or the underlying principles that are revealed by how the Godly dressed, are to be imitated. Loose, simple, clothing that covers and protects is the definition of the basic principle. Beyond that there is such a thing as being properly dressed for the occasion. Underline the word "dressed."