Your experience when you dropped "dress standards"

[Sherri]

Originally Posted by HopePreacher

I didn't drop my standards and I never will. Jesus gave us the standard:
"Love the Lord your God with all your heart"
"Love your neighbor as yourself"
"By this will men know that you are my disciple, that you love one another"

What about dress standards? I have contended for many years that to a great extent society dictates our dress standards. Let me explain; When I was a young person in the church my pastor taught that a girls dress should cover her knees at all times. In fact, that was the standard for most of the girls in my school. That was in the 1960's - however, if those girls who lived the standard of that day attended a church from the 1860's they would not be allowed in the church with that much flesh showing.

In the early days of pentecost it was considered a "shame" for a woman to wear a red dress - she would be thought of as being a harlot. When I got married in 1968 my fiance almost called off the wedding because I wouldn't let her bridesmaids wear red dresses (it was a Christmas week wedding). Today wearing red is a common thing.

As societal mores change, so does the church. Now, with that being said, there are "standards" that do not change. The standard is modesty, sobriety and humility. If we loose those it doesn't make any difference what legal standard is set there will be no holiness.

An unfortunate reality of strict "standards" is that those standards become the standard by which we judge others - once we start judging others by our standards we are on that slippery slope that Jesus warned us not to get on. If we are willing we can learn a lot from the pharisees, and we can learn even more from the response that Jesus made to their accusations of violating their traditions.

[Aquila]

Folks, I think the Bible's clear. Modesty is part of Christian living. Cover your parts ladies and gentlemen. Don't show leg, don't show cleavage, don't wear blouses with sleeves so short you can't raise your hands without men being able to see your hootie-hoos up your sleeves. I don't care if a woman's legs are covered with a skirt or pants, just cover them. I don't care if she has short sleeves, just make sure you can be modest. And don't wear clothes so tight it leaves little to the imagination.

Don't drink so much wine with dinner you're a mess if a brother or sister calls you at 1 A.M. needing prayer. I don't care if you have a glass or two with dinner. Just use common sense.

I don't care if you smoke a pipe on occasion... just don't do it all day everyday.

But when it comes down to real "holiness"... follow the Ten Commandments...

1. You shall have no other gods before Me.
2. You shall not make idols or bow down to them, nor serve them.
3. You shall not use the name of the Lord your God disrespectfully.
4. Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy.
5. Honor your father and your mother.
6. You shall not murder.
7. You shall not commit adultery.
8. You shall not steal.
9. You shall not lie about your neighbor.
10. You shall not lust for your neighbor's house, or his wife, or any
thing that is your neighbor's.

All the Laws of the OT are based on one or more of the above commandments. Jesus summed these ten up with two...

Luke 10:27
And he answering said, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbour as thyself.

You want to know what kind of attitudes we should have as Christians?

Matthew 5:3-12
3Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
4Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted.
5Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth.
6Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.
7Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy.
8Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God.
9Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God.
10Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness' sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
11Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake.
12Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.

Notice, Jesus gave these from a mountain... Moses gave the Ten Commandments from a mountain. Perhaps these are the general spiritual laws a Christian should focus upon, the essence of the New Covenant just as the Ten Commandments were the essence of the Old Covenant. Moses delivered, "Thou shalt nots". Christ delivered, "Blessed are theys". The Sermon on the Mount is the single greatest portion of Christian teaching. Yet we totally ignore it for legalistic dress standards etc. And we say we know the "truth".

Here's a sad thing... I've heard sermons about television, hair, and pants. But I've yet to hear an expository sermon on the Beatitudes. Pentecost needs to REPENT. We don't need a "revival" (besides they schedule those every summer now). We need a Reformation. We need another move of God that denounces this old wineskin and lets the anointing flow in a way that's strong, biblical, powerful, and relevant to the real lives we are living.

[SeekingOne]

Thank you Aquilla and HopePreacher.

[stmatthew]

After being gone for a little while, I come here and find this thread resurrected and on page one. Its threads like this that does a thread creator proud.

[Pressing-On]

Originally Posted by stmatthew

After being gone for a little while, I come here and find this thread resurrected and on page one. Its threads like this that does a thread creator proud.

It just means nothing has been solved!

Miss your posts though!!!

[misspresley]

Originally Posted by HopePreacher

I didn't drop my standards and I never will. Jesus gave us the standard:
"Love the Lord your God with all your heart"
"Love your neighbor as yourself"
"By this will men know that you are my disciple, that you love one another"

What about dress standards? I have contended for many years that to a great extent society dictates our dress standards. Let me explain; When I was a young person in the church my pastor taught that a girls dress should cover her knees at all times. In fact, that was the standard for most of the girls in my school. That was in the 1960's - however, if those girls who lived the standard of that day attended a church from the 1860's they would not be allowed in the church with that much flesh showing.

In the early days of pentecost it was considered a "shame" for a woman to wear a red dress - she would be thought of as being a harlot. When I got married in 1968 my fiance almost called off the wedding because I wouldn't let her bridesmaids wear red dresses (it was a Christmas week wedding). Today wearing red is a common thing.

As societal mores change, so does the church. Now, with that being said, there are "standards" that do not change. The standard is modesty, sobriety and humility. If we loose those it doesn't make any difference what legal standard is set there will be no holiness.

An unfortunate reality of strict "standards" is that those standards become the standard by which we judge others - once we start judging others by our standards we are on that slippery slope that Jesus warned us not to get on. If we are willing we can learn a lot from the pharisees, and we can learn even more from the response that Jesus made to their accusations of violating their traditions.

AMEN - AMEN - AMEN!!!!!!!!

[Hoovie]

Originally Posted by stmatthew

After being gone for a little while, I come here and find this thread resurrected and on page one. Its threads like this that does a thread creator proud.

Yo man! Great to "see" ya.

[Jermyn Davidson]

Originally Posted by Aquila

I don't care if you have a glass or two with dinner. Just use common sense.

I don't care if you smoke a pipe on occasion... just don't do it all day everyday.

But when it comes down to real "holiness"... follow the Ten Commandments...

Pastor Adrian Rogers once said that there is no such thing as a worldly Christian. Neither is there a Heavenly devil.


For anyone who would say that you are advocating a "lukewarm Christianity," how do you respond?

[Hoovie]

Originally Posted by Jermyn Davidson

Pastor Adrian Rogers once said that there is no such thing as a worldly Christian. Neither is there a Heavenly devil.


For anyone who would say that you are advocating a "lukewarm Christianity," how do you respond?

I am not Aquila - and he will answer better I am sure, but one would need to define who is the worldly one... those who place more on people than the scripture demands or those who drink the wine.

The same scriptures that say wine is a mocker instruct us to take the tithe money and buy strong drink in celebration.

[rgcraig]

Originally Posted by stmatthew

After being gone for a little while, I come here and find this thread resurrected and on page one. Its threads like this that does a thread creator proud.

So your year old thread is to thank for all the new standards threads!

Lordy!