Just about anyone I know would dress up to go before the president of the United States even if they didn't like him. When we go to worship dressed casually this is the way we see the worship itself, "casually" (relaxed and unconcerned) lacking in debt of character as well as reverence. Dressing in clothes befitting the worship of the King of Kings seems appropriate to me.
So many people in our country have used the excuse since the 1970's that God doesn't care about our clothing. If they knew their Bible they would see that we will be dressed in fine white linen when we are taken to heaven. Other passages show us that God does care about our clothing styles.
Zechariah 3:4
So the angel said to those standing before him, "Take off his filthy clothes!" Then he said to Joshua, "See, I have removed your iniquity, and I will clothe you with splendid robes."
Luke 15:22
"But the father said to his slaves, ‘Quickly bring out the best robe and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand and sandals on his feet;"
When the prodigal son returned he was accepted back into the family through an expression of a gift of proper clothing.
When some people dress to go to an office party they wear their best, but when they come to worship the King of Kings they dress as though they are getting ready to do housework.
Worship is not a ritual we do to get it out of the way so we can get on with our normal life. Worship is a whole-person mentality based on coming before the King of Kings.
Our clothing style reflects our inner attitude. Dressing too fancy to be seen by others is just as bad as dressing down in worn-out clothes that we would wear working in the garden, this is laziness toward our worship and our relationship with God.
It is interesting that the "dress down" mentality began in the 1970s when all more's began to break down. Diligence in everything became a reason to mock.
Those who say dressing up a little for worship is too much focused on clothing are the same people who will fight to defend their dress-down choice. It is the "dress down" crowd who are too focused on clothes. They want to be comfortable without any standards, so they attempt to mock those who choose to dress in a diligent and respectful way for the worship of the King.
Yes, I said it, it is disrespect for the worship of the King or the Lord's Supper to come dressed in clothing that demonstrates laziness.
Of course, there will be those who ask the question; "what about those who don't have better clothes", the truth is everyone has enough money to have one decent and respectful set of clothing for worship. Even in the days of the depression, every woman had a dress for church gatherings that she only wore to town and to worship. All men had a suit and every child had something nice to wear to worship. If there was someone who did not have the clothing no one cared. If someone did not have decent clothing for worship no one judge them or acted superior to them, at least in authentic believing gatherings.
The people who will defend their ripped jeans at gathering paid a lot of money for those silly things. Yes, I said that too, just recently I spoke to a teenager who paid $80 for a pair of bleached-out ripped jeans. Call me silly, but I cannot and will not accept these jeans as normal and rational. My point is this if someone can pay that much money for ripped jeans they can pay less than that for decent clothing to meet to worship the King of Kings.
I don't normally judge anyone's clothing except when I see that it comes from a place of laziness, laziness in clothing is evidence of laziness in worship, a sort of "fulfilling an obligation" or "dressing for the people" in style rather than to come to worship the King of Kings.
I keep repeating that phrase; "worship of the King of Kings" because that is what we are doing when we meet with other believers in worship.
Not every meeting of believers is going to be a time to dress a little more formally. Sometimes we have potlucks or picnics that require us to dress less formally, however, this is not the worship time of the gathering.
Why do we hold worship in such low regard as to treat it so casually? For many centuries people dressed appropriately for the occasions that were special to them. Now everywhere we go we see people in restaurants as casually as they are in worship, perhaps this is a sign of the end-times lack of respect for others and for God.
Perhaps "fashion" that is the dress-down fashion of our day takes priority over honor for God, or honor for others. I do not judge those who dress down for gatherings but I do see the culture as a whole as lacking in honor and respect as an overall lifestyle. The clothing is just a clue and reflective of our modern attitude toward God.
I am old enough to remember the days when it was considered rude to go visiting someone or shopping in our work clothes and worse if we showed up at worship in them when everyone knew we had better.
Today's younger generation focuses on fashion and doing as they please far more than they do on others, even God.
The following passage is referring to the Marriage Supper of the Lamb in which the man who came to the banquet without proper attire, that is without the covering of the blood of the Lamb, was thrown into hell.
Matthew 22:11-14 11 “But when the king came in to look over the dinner guests, he saw a man there who was not dressed in wedding clothes,
12 and he *said to him, ‘Friend, how did you get in here without wedding clothes?’ And the man was speechless.
13 Then the king said to the servants, ‘Tie his hands and feet, and throw him into the outer darkness; there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth in that place.’
14 For many are called, but few are chosen.”
Our clothing does not tell everything about us but it can present a clue about our inner attitude, one of either diligence and respect for the worship of God, or conversely the lack of respect for what is Holy.
The person in the above passage thought he was going to get into heaven another way, other than through Christ. His attire was reflective of his attitude about Christ. He was not covered in the blood of Jesus, he attempted to get into heaven through his own merits.
While this analogy is not a perfect one for this subject it might be applied to attitudes other than salvation. Many people attempt to deny the principles of God to follow their own sinful hearts and still call themselves Christian.
Our outer appearance often is a display of our inner heart. Our culture is for the most part in rebellion against the ways of God. Our clothing styles reflect this in an obvious way. Clothing has become casual, even ratty and sensual, lacking in respect and honor.
The ripped jeans mentality is an expression of defiance against what would be normal and rational forms of dress, even what would be pleasing to God.
The more we see the 2 Timothy 3 mentality emerging in these last days the more we will see it in clothing choices deteriorating too.
The fashion industry is in rebellion against God, many styles these days are reflective of the revolt and defiance of those who create this clothing.
Five decades ago jeans that are going for $80 in the stores would have been thrown in the trash as useless.
In our days of staunch rebellion and lack of good sense, we see outlandish things in clothing styles. The worse the rebellion the more clothing styles become "ragingly insane."
2 Timothy 3:1-5 "3 But realize this, that in the last days difficult times will come.
2 For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, slanderers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy,
3 unloving, irreconcilable, malicious gossips, without self-control, brutal, haters of good,
4 treacherous, reckless, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God,
5 holding to a form of godliness although they have denied its power; avoid such people as these."
All activities and clothing styles are going to reflect the last day's rebellion against the ways of God. Rebellion is up in our faces now all the time. The more we serve the Lord the more the culture fights against us and God.
The culture as a whole says there are many ways to God and we can dress, play and act any way we please without restraint, all in direct opposition to God's Holy Word.
We cannot expect this to change, we are living in the last days before the church is removed and the tribulation begins. The world has thrown off all Godly principles and restraints but will see a time of greater restraint and oppression it has ever seen.
Often when we defy God to remain free from morals and standards He sends a leader who will oppress the people far more than they thought they would have been oppressed by God's standards, which are designed to help and protect us.
The antichrist will promise total freedom and wealth to those who will follow him only to be met with so great misery that the people will wish to die but will not be able to do so.
The antichrists of the world promise all kinds of freedom and wealth but his way always brings immense pain, hate, and devastation.
Satan is the father of lies, he will promise you great things only to bring worse trials.
If you have not trusted in Christ so that your eyes will be opened to the lies and distortions of the devil, please do so today. The times of great tribulation are coming soon, once this begins it will be too late to escape it.
2 Thessalonians 2:7-12
7 For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work; only He who now restrains will do so until He is removed.
8 Then that lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord will eliminate with the breath of His mouth and bring to an end by the appearance of His coming;
9 that is, the one whose coming is in accord with the activity of Satan, with all power and false signs and wonders,
10 and with all the deception of wickedness for those who perish, because they did not accept the love of the truth so as to be saved.
11 For this reason God will send upon them ]a deluding influence so that they will believe what is false,
12 in order that they all may be judged who did not believe the truth, but took pleasure in wickedness."
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