Standards protect inward holiness!!!!!

[SDG]

Originally Posted by Sister Truth Seeker

Why would outward holiness protect inward holiness....I think its the other way around myself....because my heart is holy...Jesus makes me holy, loving Him, believing in Him, that is what makes me holy...not the clothes I wear...being immodest is not anything that has been pushed on here...just some of us don't feel a dress is any holier than other types of clothing...

Amen ... amen and amen ... the article of clothing ain't holy ... it's Him that is within us.

[MissBrattified]

I believe that we can set up boundaries to protect ourselves (and others) from personal weaknesses. But I don't believe that the boundaries in and of themselves are reflective of holiness, and in some cases, they serve instead to mask private corruption.

[Michael Phelps]

Originally Posted by bdlooney

I am so frustrated with people today!

Why is it that when anyone of our people (Ladies especially) hold up "traditional" standards of dress they are automatically deemed as unfashionable?

My good wife wears skirts well below her knees and she is extremely fashionable. She does not look frumpy, weird, old lady or anything!

She looks like a lady who is worshipping her God in the beauty of holiness. Just because she doesn't have a tug-of-war match with her skirt every service does not make her archaic!

And this is not about my wife. I am using her as an example.

And just who determines fashion anyway? Is it a Spirit filled, modesty loving person? I don't think so! So why do we attempt to measure up to them?

I remember a scripture that says We are in the world but not of the world!

Why is there an assault on the holiness loving people that uphold outward standards to protect inward holiness? And why are these assualts coming from those that once were apart of us?

If you want to be charismatic then be charismatic but please stop trying to shove your so called "liberty" down my throat!!!!

There I think my rant is over!

Nothing wrong with dressing a certain way, and I don't think anyone on this forum would argue with that fact.

What we do argue with is the very title of your thread - STANDARDS PROTECT INWARD HOLINESS.

This is one of the most erroneous statements I've ever read, and I'd really be interested on whatever scriptures you may use to back this statement up.

NOWHERE in scripture does the Bible even allude to the fact that an outward appearance can PROTECT an inward holiness.

Maybe I just overlooked the scriptures............I eagerly await your response.

I think in some cases it is because people are being forced to dress in a way that is not their personality. It's hard to be creative when you are only wearing things because people tell you that you are supposed to. Not sure if that makes sense to anyone or not.

For example, if I have never worn a suit before, but suddenly find that I am required to wear one, I would do it, but would not know how to tie a tie, would probably use a clip-on, would not even know about the different types of dress shirts and cuff-link options, etc.

Yes, some people just know how to dress sharp, no matter what they are wearing, and some people know how to dress sharp when it is something that they enjoy wearing, and some people just don't care about dressing sharp at all.

Personally, I wear cargo shorts, sandals and short sleeve shirts 99% of the time now. I don't see any point in wearing anything else.

[OneAccord]

Originally Posted by bdlooney

I remember a scripture that says We are in the world but not of the world!

By the way, and I don't mean to be nit-picky but.....

Is this really (in bold) in the Bible?

Maybe you are thinking of...

1Jo 2:16 For all that [is] in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.

[MissBrattified]

Originally Posted by Sheltiedad

I think in some cases it is because people are being forced to dress in a way that is not their personality. It's hard to be creative when you are only wearing things because people tell you that you are supposed to. Not sure if that makes sense to anyone or not.

For example, if I have never worn a suit before, but suddenly find that I am required to wear one, I would do it, but would not know how to tie a tie, would probably use a clip-on, would not even know about the different types of dress shirts and cuff-link options, etc.

Yes, some people just know how to dress sharp, no matter what they are wearing, and some people know how to dress sharp when it is something that they enjoy wearing, and some people just don't care about dressing sharp at all.

Personally, I wear cargo shorts, sandals and short sleeve shirts 99% of the time now. I don't see any point in wearing anything else.

This is a valid point. Some folks just don't know how to put sharp outfits together, especially when they've dressed one way all their lives, and switch to a new mode of dress.

Cargo shorts, sandals and short sleeve shirts? SD, are you a frumpy dresser?

Originally Posted by MissBrattified

This is a valid point. Some folks just don't know how to put sharp outfits together, especially when they've dressed one way all their lives, and switch to a new mode of dress.

Cargo shorts, sandals and short sleeve shirts? SD, are you a frumpy dresser?

In the military, there were the guys who just wore what was issued to them, and then there were the guys who would go buy the special shoes, and special uniforms which were authorized but were not actually issued. Then there were the people who refused to buy the special uniforms, but would spend hours shining their shoes and starching and ironing their uniforms so that they could be more elitist than the ones who "paid" for their uniforms to look so good.

If I'm frumpy it is because I wear what my wife picks out for me (she buys clothes for me that she likes, I rarely buy my own clothes anymore). Since I work from home most of the time, you're lucky to get a collared short sleeve shirt and cargo shorts, it is usually basketball shorts with paint on them and a t-shirt... Unfortunately I am on a business trip so I had to wear clothes today.

[Jack Shephard]

Originally Posted by RandyWayne

The answer is quite the opposite. In most cases it provides a FEELING (or an illusion) that the inward holiness is there, without it actually being so. All because the attention is so laser focused on the externals based on a written or unwritten church rule book.

Originally Posted by Darcie

Amen! I remember thinking "oh I'm going to heaven I don't cut my hair, where pants, etc.". But know what? my insides were ugly. Standards do not protect inward holiness. You have to work on that daily. With prayer, devotions, worship, and all that good stuff.

[bdlooney]

When the inside is right it will show up on the outside!

I am not saying that clothes make you holy. Standards are not holiness.

It's all about boundaries in our life that assist in protecting holiness. And if done correctly, when holiness is inside first then outward standards will project holiness. When done the other way around they are just standards for standards sake.

[StillStanding]

I think that outward "standards" can sometimes be a facade of holiness, while inside holiness is lacking.

Gal 3:3 Are ye so foolish? having begun in the Spirit, are ye now made perfect by the flesh?