Good day my sisters in the Lord,
I pray that you are striving on to be obedient to the Most High and not bringing reproach on His Holy Name.
I know I wrote about clothing and similar things yesterday...but I had another thought that I wanted to share here for today.
Whose adorning let it not be that outward adorning....of putting on of apparel;(1 Peter 3:3)
I was thinking about this subject. Why do people dress up for "church"? That one didn't use to make sense to me. (And no I am not saying it's good to go to church as it's done today, as it isn't). If they were doing it for God and God is everywhere, why just on Sunday for church? So I concluded it was dressing for man, to be seen of men, to feel good. I suppose people will tell you that it is "a sign of respect in God's house"...but that's part of the error of "going to church" mindset and if we are God's true people we are the "church" or a much better way to put it, the called out ones and the set apart ones for God, Christ's body.
"God that made the world and all things therein, seeing that he is Lord of heaven and earth, dwelleth not in temples made with hands; Neither is worshipped with men's hands, as though he needed any thing, seeing he giveth to all life, and breath, and all things; And hath made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth, and hath determined the times before appointed, and the bounds of their habitation; That they should seek the Lord, if haply they might feel after him, and find him, though he be not far from every one of us: For in him we live, and move, and have our being; as certain also of your own poets have said, For we are also his offspring. Forasmuch then as we are the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the Godhead is like unto gold, or silver, or stone, graven by art and man's device. And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent: Because he hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead."Acts 17:24-31
But as I said it made no sense to me people dressing in their "Sunday best". And whenever they gathered for Bible study or similar things even for their Sunday gatherings in private with just family or friends they wore whatever they usually did at home and even if that had holes in or was dirty etc. In other words they would never wear that if they gathered with other people in a special building on Sunday. (And no, Sunday isn't the Lord's day either.)
We are to worship God in Spirit and truth...as Jesus said to the woman at the well.
"The woman saith unto him, Sir, I perceive that thou art a prophet. Our fathers worshipped in this mountain; and ye say, that in Jerusalem is the place where men ought to worship. Jesus saith unto her, Woman, believe me, the hour cometh, when ye shall neither in this mountain, nor yet at Jerusalem, worship the Father. Ye worship ye know not what: we know what we worship: for salvation is of the Jews. But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him. God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth. The woman saith unto him, I know that Messias cometh, which is called Christ: when he is come, he will tell us all things. Jesus saith unto her, I that speak unto thee am he."John 4:19-26
No longer do we worship in any particular place. Nor is our worship external like it was in the Old Testament.
Yes God had His earthly temple adorned with beautiful things...
"And the greater house he cieled with fir tree, which he overlaid with fine gold, and set thereon palm trees and chains. And he garnished the house with precious stones for beauty: and the gold was gold of Parvaim. He overlaid also the house, the beams, the posts, and the walls thereof, and the doors thereof, with gold; and graved cherubims on the walls."
2 Chronicles 3:5-7
But we know exactly what He wants from us, His daughters today - adorning of the heart and not external except with what He told us to which is biblical dress and things like shamefacedness and sobriety etc (You can see some more posts on clothing here). God is everywhere and we worship Him in truth which is in His ways.
If we have been born again by the gospel then our earthly bodies are the temple of the Spirit."Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you? If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are."1 Corinthians 3:16-17
I'm reminded of this too...
"My brethren, have not the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, with respect of persons. For if there come unto your assembly a man with a gold ring, in goodly apparel, and there come in also a poor man in vile raiment; And ye have respect to him that weareth the gay clothing, and say unto him, Sit thou here in a good place; and say to the poor, Stand thou there, or sit here under my footstool: Are ye not then partial in yourselves, and are become judges of evil thoughts?"James 2:1-4
It also made me think of the Pharisees loving to dress for attention and to be seen of men.
"But all their works they do for to be seen of men: they make broad their phylacteries, and enlarge the borders of their garments,"Matthew 23:5
I used to have different clothes for wearing around the house and different ones for when we would go out to town (and earlier on, yes extra good ones for church). Why does there need to be a difference I ask?
No I am not saying it's sinful to make sure your clothes aren't dirty from working around the house or farm etc when you go into the world for shopping etc. But we can be the same at home and the same when we gather for fellowship and teaching in the Word and when we go out and about in the world too. It's so freeing to be honest! We don't have to worry about this "putting on of apparel" for this or that.
That's the same for headcovering as well. It's not something you "put on for church". Our life for God is everyday and we are His peculiar set apart daughters every moment of the day. As 1 Corinthians 11 says, Christ is the head of man and man the head of woman and that remains the same always. Her hair (her glory) is to be covered.
And I know women (and there probably are very many) that can't step outside the house to be seen by anyone without their makeup on. This is all outward adorning and putting on of apparel. Not for God's holy daughters...no they are adorned with something different, something incorruptible.
Why can't those claiming to be believers simply dress the same for God as He has commanded every day, instead of living a double life. It's bondage to all those things. It's so much simpler to be able to not worry about "putting on of apparel". We dont adorn our outsides with clothing or things because we love God and keep His commandments...and if we walk in the Spirit we don't want to do those things and we are free from them!
So that's it for today. It's just a bit of a different aspect to the dress subject for women that I was thinking about.
I leave you with this...
"Then they that feared the Lord spake often one to another: and the Lord hearkened, and heard it, and a book of remembrance was written before him for them that feared the Lord, and that thought upon his name. And they shall be mine, saith the Lord of hosts, in that day when I make up my jewels; and I will spare them, as a man spareth his own son that serveth him. Then shall ye return, and discern between the righteous and the wicked, between him that serveth God and him that serveth him not."Malachi 3:16-18
May you be strong in the Lord today.
Love in Christ,
...from a daughter of God
See the gospel to eternal life here.