In your Bibles tonight to Deuteronomy chapter 22.
And we're going to get there in a few minutes.
So if you would also like to turn a Proverbs Chapter 7 will
be there first. I know these lessons over the
last couple months have really pushed people in two directions.
And again we're going to be talking about other this idea of
standards and convictions, some have responded, well to it and
embraced it and others have pushed back against and I think
a lot of that has to do with what you've always heard.
The way you were raised or just maybe a lack of previous
teaching on that topic. But whatever side you've taken,
I want you to understand that in no way.
Have I taught these lessons because I like controversy or
push back. In fact, I hate it.
I've taught these lessons because I find them clearly in
the word of God. And it's my responsibility as
your pastor to preach the whole counsel of God regardless of
whether I like it or whether you like.
And I'm going to answer to God someday for what I teach and
what I preach. I'm not going to answer to
anyone of you at the Judgment seat.
And I don't mean that in a disrespectful way at all.
I don't mean that in a, in a Snarky way at all.
But I'm going to answer to God. And I want to, I want to preach
and teach the things and do my best to be able to say that I
preached and taught it. Whether it was popular in
Christian culture or whether it was accepted or not.
So, this will be our last study on standards and convictions,
but I think you'll find it to be a pretty convincing argument in
favor of just exactly what I've been talking about.
And that's the idea of stronger, standard stronger, stronger,
standards of dress and there's certainly a whole lot more.
We could say, there's been a lot of books written on this.
This topic, but for the sake of time and for other important
things that I do think we need to get to, this will be the
last. And so, just to give you a
little bit of a recap in the last two lessons.
We looked at two scriptural principles that relate directly
to this area of what we, where we looked at the principle of
modesty and we looked at the principle of vanity and we spent
a little bit of time on those, but tonight we're going to look
at this third principle and again, the last principle and
it's a Biblical principle and one that relates Directly to our
clothing but it relates directly to how people viewed clothing in
Bible times and how people view clothing now and it's the
principle of identity. We might also call it the
principle of Distinction and so when we talk about the idea of
dress it's not just modesty although that's a big part of
it. It's modesty and distinction or
modesty and identity. So I want to Define this
biblical concept of identity and see how it applies in our lives,
in this area of standards and conviction.
So, Number one, let's look at this and I've only got two
points here tonight, not not that.
It's going to be real quick. But just I want to make sure
that we lay these things out. So number one, you have to
understand that your clothes, say something your clothes
speak. And I'm not talking here,
particularly about modest in modesty or vanity.
I'm talking about the fact that your clothes choices create or
reveal something, essentially about you, they identify you
and, you know, it Be that. I mean, there's lots of
different ways that, that can be applied, you know, that guy
always wears that color, or that guy always wears a suit or that,
you know, that lady, always wears that type of clothes,
whatever it happens to be. And so maybe kind of on the more
harmless side of that thing. You know, they may identify you
as a slob, the way you dress, right?
Or they may identify you as somebody who is neat or somebody
who is fashionable, or somebody who is, you know, prioritizes
Comfort or you know, that your practical or that you're young
or that your old, right? You can tell how old Old bill is
based on the way that he dresses all the time, but I'm kidding.
I'm kidding. And then he's made everybody
else do it because he went and bought ties and made everybody
else put those onto. No, I'm kidding.
Jackson loves that tie, brother, Bill.
He wears that thing every every time they have to wear a tie for
school, every time for church, he wears it everywhere, so
appreciated, I'm teasing, obviously.
But all of these things may or not may or may not be
intentional by you, but they do exist your clothes do speaking.
Along that same lines. There are some Our examples in
both. But the Bible and in real life
of clothes, being purposely, chosen for reasons Beyond Beauty
or practicality, right? And that's, that's a lot of what
we've talked about before there. A lot of times, they're chosen,
as a means of self-expression, doesn't take long of walking
around in a mall somewhere to see just exactly what
self-expression. They're trying to make right
there was, there are some some clothing brands that are more
and I'm not up on my clothing brands.
So forgive me, but there are some clothing brands that are
more outspoken in their idea of rebellion against society and
everything else, and you could go into like, Abercrombie and
Fitch. And you can see, especially in
the tooth, you know, the early 2000s.
But even now there's a lot more that are like that.
I think maybe they were probably one of the leading ones in that
whole charge of that sexualized look and trying to just, you
know, give people that idea, you think about somebody who dresses
with the Gulf Lifestyle, right. I mean they, you can see a
difference in them and they're trying to show you something,
right? Most of the time that goth idea
is, I'm rebelling against the society.
I'm going to wear all black, I can wear my hair off how I want
to. I can wear my clothes.
I want to and you can't say anything otherwise, right?
There's a lot of stores that you can go to that.
Have that idea, I mean, I don't have to say much about the Amish
for you to know that they have their own style of clothing and
how they dress, you know, and go to a pride parade, right?
You're going to see that they dress in their own way to, so
our dress and the way we dress says something about us.
It's a means of self-expression in a lot of ways and thankfully
we do have scripture to show us that fact to I just want to look
at this one verse in. Proverbs chapter 7 and verse
number 10 it says this and behold there met him a woman
with the attire of a harlot. I'm trying not to be
inappropriate but a prostitute then and now Wright had a
certain style of clothing that advertisers who they are and we
see all the way throughout the rest of the Bible and not not
necessarily that that idea. But the idea of you know, a
priest garments, a Widow's garments, you had a bride's
garment so there's obviously ways that we can dress to try to
get across the certain idea of what we are or what we want to
be. So how do you, how you present
yourself to the world? Whether you like it or not
identifies you and and and those That we just mentioned and for
sake of time, we're not going to go look at them in the Bible,
but there are simply different expressions of the same biblical
truth and that's this your clothes speak, what you wear
says something about you. So how does the overarching
truth of a Holiness that comes from the inside out?
Apply here. Well, it tells us that our
clothing, our make up our jewelry, our hair, everything,
they're all presentation choices and they should be filtered
through the understanding of who we are.
Well, Are we biblically? Or Sinners saved by grace,
right? We're children of God pursuing
Holiness, or at least, we should be were new creatures who have
been separated from the world, or at least we should be.
And and the same thing with that we talked about with the
principles of vanity and modesty this principle principle of
identity, directly impacts the clothing.
Choices that we make in relation to our appearance and that has a
lot to do with the Brand's, the Styles, the lengths, the colors
materials, so many different things.
That we can talk about. But my point here is that those
choices identify us and they should be filtered through a
Biblical screen. How you look says something
about who you are about, how you identify yourself about, how you
view yourself for that matter. But I guess the question that I
would ask tonight then is, does your appearance choices or do
your appearance choices? Reflect, The work of Christ
within you or not. So, not only do your clothes,
identify your Christianity, your underlying identity, as a
Christian. But also number two, your
clothes, identify your gender. And that's, that's kind of where
I want to focus tonight. And so turn over to Deuteronomy
chapter 22. Biblically we have seen this
idea specifically in First Corinthians 11 already.
And again, for the sake of time, I'm not going to go back and
review that tonight. But Paul spent a lot of time he
took that almost that whole chapter there, in First
Corinthians 11 to talk about that idea.
Of course we talked about the idea of your hair and your
appearance and all that stuff. But this idea that our outward
appearance ought to line up with the gender that God made us is
not just reserved a hair like we talked about, you know, it's
explicitly. Died in scripture to our
clothing as well. Deuteronomy chapter 22 and verse
5 says this, the woman shall not wear that which pertaineth unto
a man? Neither shall a man put on a
woman's garment for all that do. So, are Abomination unto the
Lord, thy God. Now, Abomination is a great word
of emphasis. It's not only reflects the depth
of God's feeling about something, but also the length
of God's feeling about something and with one exception,
everything that God condemns as an Nation in the Old Testament.
He again, condemns as an abomination, in the New
Testament, we see that same idea with homosexuality, right?
For example, which by the way that that has obvious gender
connections to it as well, right?
God calls homosexuality, an abomination in the Old Testament
and Deuteronomy 22, God is basically saying in essence, I
made you a man, I made you a woman, your outward appearance
ought to reflect that. We could put it another way
around and say that you should not dress to reflect your
sexuality. But you should dress to reflect
your masculinity or femininity, right.
The first part of that would be a modest dressing to reflect
your sexuality, would be immodest but the second part of
that is entirely scriptural dressing to reflect your
masculinity or femininity right doing that is an external
reflection of an internal belief.
God identifies me as a man or God identifies me as a woman.
My clothing choices ought to publicly say that.
I understand and I agree with what God Said.
We could look at a lot of verses in a lot of physical examples to
show that, which we're not going to do for the sake of time
tonight. But God made us different,
right? God gave us different roles.
God gave us different responsibilities, and we've
talked extensively about that when it comes to the roles of
the husband, and the wife, and the man, and the woman in the
home, we have different mentalities.
We have different bodies. We have different strengths, we
have different weaknesses, but we're not only different where
scripturally required to visibly.
Look different. And so in being briefed, Safe
tonight. I'm not.
I'm not taking time to explain how psychology has trying to
Ben. Has been trying to change the
generals for many years. But what we're seeing today with
this trans gender ideology that is just being pushed down our
throats and and it is you know, it is it's transforming schools.
It's transforming bathroom policy to whoever thought you
know ten years ago that you were going to have to wonder if there
was going to be a guy in a man's in a woman's bathroom, right?
But this whole idea this trend Gender ideology has been given
free reign because of all the work that's been done in society
to change those gender roles to this point in history, but the
simple truth is that we cannot change our gender without
revolting against our maker. And, you know, as obvious as it
seems to us that God gave you the gender that you were
assigned at Birth, right? You're either a man or a woman
you don't get to change that. And Society is saying, no, I
want to change that I got You know, God gave me this, you
know, this these features to make me a man or a woman, but
that's not who I am. I'm changing that and you revolt
against what God made you to be right, but what those who
Embrace that idea fail. So often to grasp is that we
cannot even appear to change our gender without revolting against
our maker. And to do that is to become our
own God. It's become our own maker, it's
to deny his sovereignty and really to assert our own
sovereignty in our lives. It would seem fairly Is that in
a society? That's rushing in the opposite
direction. So quickly in the area of gender
that God's people would see the necessity of an even clearer
stand than we've ever had before.
And that I know that kind of teaching is not popular.
It's very much criticized today and apparently since it came out
of Deuteronomy which you know never mind the fact that it also
includes a lengthy passage about this in First Corinthians.
But the whole idea that men's and women's appearances should
be visibly distinct from each other doesn't apply anymore.
Well, that was in Deuteronomy. That's the Old Testament.
It doesn't matter. American Christianity teaches
really that that only applied to the Jews in the Old Testament.
It doesn't apply today because that's Deuteronomy, right?
That's the, that's the book of the law and there's, but there's
something curious here though. It's not what most of
Christianity, a thought for 2000 years.
And let me just give you a brief sampling.
I pulled out a bunch of commentaries and started reading
through what they had to say about Deuteronomy. 25.
Most of the Terry's that I have. And and that are in the public
domain are old and have been written, you know, many years
ago by Christians, that, you know, before all this nonsense
of, you know, homosexuality was being pushed on us and
transgenderism was being pushed on us.
I have to think that today in a lot of cases, the commentaries
that have been that are being written.
Today are not being written in light of what the Bible has to
say, they're being written in light of what culture has To say
about those things and that changes the way that they right.
But let's go back a few years and see what what some of these
commentary said before the enlightened age in 1560 the
Geneva Bible, footnotes about this.
All of these that I'm going to read our about Deuteronomy 22:5.
Says that alters the order of Nature and shows you despise
God. Matthew pool, he lived from 1624
21679, he said, now this is forbidden partly.
Decency's sake that men might not confound nor seem to
confound those Sexes, which God, hath, distinguished, Matthew
Henry. That's a name that a lot of you
would probably recognize as you Henry was, was probably one of
the first ones to actually write a commentary on the Bible, or
least wrote a commentary on the whole Bible, he died in 1714.
So that'll tell you how long ago, this was.
But he said, the distinction of the Sexes, by the apparel is to
be kept up nature itself. Teaches that a difference.
Be made between Them in their hair and by the same rule in
their clothes, John Gill died in 1771 said this, since in nature,
a difference in Sexes, is made, it is proper and necessary that
this should be known by difference of dress.
Otherwise, many evils might follow Adam, Clarke Died In
1832. He said the close shave
gentleman May at times appear like a woman in the female dress
and the woman appears a man in the male's.
Attire wear this to be tolerated in society, it would produce the
greatest confusion Albert Barnes died in 1877.
The distinction between the Sexes is natural and divinely
established and cannot be neglected without in decorum and
consequent danger to Purity Jamison faucet.
And brown is another commentary was written in 1871 says the
adoption of the habiliment of one sex by the other is an
outrage on decency. Obliterates.
The distinctions of nature by fostering softness and
effeminacy in the man impudence and boldness in the woman as
well as levity and humor. Park Christian both and in short
it opens the door to an influx of so many evils that all who
wear the dress of another sex or pronounced an Abomination unto
the Lord. And that's, I mean, obviously,
those were written before, the idea was popular that we would
that men would wear women's clothes.
Women would wear men's clothes and but I'm starting to think
that it's not me that's out of the step with the majority of
Christianity. It's the emits American
Christianity Today who really only came up with this idea in
the last 50 years or so. But it's Not been all that long
since Christians began to embrace this idea.
So I have to believe. That's it's the current
generation that's out of step with the majority of Christian
thinking on this Old Testament verse.
But modern American Christianity has thrown out the historical
understanding of Deuteronomy 22:5 because it doesn't want to
be out of step with society that shifted, his views on women,
wearing pants and honestly, this the same idea and we talked a
little bit about this on Wednesday night when it came to
the idea of evolution, right evolution.
To be accepted amongst Christians because science was
saying that this was the way the Earth came around.
Well, they knew that, the Bible said that in the beginning, God
created the heavens and the Earth.
But then science came out and said no no that's not the way it
happened, it happened by Evolution.
So then Christianity started trying to come up with a way to
fit science and the Bible together and they came up with
the ideas like the Gap Theory which says well there was days
of creation. God created this and left long
gaps of time for everything to evolve right.
Well, that's not what the Bible says.
That's. That's not what it.
You know, the Bible doesn't then have anything to do with what
the Bible says. In the Bible is very clearly the
evening and the morning were the first day, right?
So, so when we try to marry the Bible with Society, it's always
the Bible that ends up getting thrown out, not society.
When it should be the other way around when it comes to us as
Christians. But Christianity does not have
the right to adjust. The teaching on a passage just
because Society has adjusted, but that's what we've done with
a lot of things. We've adjusted.
Christianity based on what society says is normal.
Right. Why are you finding out that in
a lot of these churches? And thankfully it's not it's not
crept into the Baptist Church in most places yet.
But why are you finding that a lot of these other denominations
are changing their view on homosexuality.
Did the Bible change on that? The Bible is always said that
homosexuality is an Abomination, but now Society is ramming it
down our throats and telling us, it doesn't matter.
Let people decide for themselves, what they want to
do, that's their own life, they can do what they want.
To do with their life you need to accept it to an American
Christianity is saying okay, okay, fine, you push it down our
throats long enough. We're accepting it, right?
And whether it's still in their version of the Bible or not,
there they are allowing homosexuality.
Homosexual, marriages in their churches, their allowing clergy
to be homosexuals. That doesn't have anything to do
with the Bible and a hundred years ago.
People would have would have looked at that and said what in
the world are you doing? But now because Society has
said, Okay, in society is pushed it long enough, we've begun to
accept it. If Christianity does that I'll
promise you, it'll have no end of adjusting to do this.
Look at the constant shifting of positions on sexual sexuality
and gender in Liberal. And now, even in Evangelical,
American Christian churches. Now, I've read a lot of good
books on this subject, but one that I came across in fact, Miss
Barbara, let me borrow it. I'd heard of it before I didn't
have it, but it was written by Elizabeth rice.
Hanford and it's and the title of the book is your clothes say
it for you. In fact, I've got it right here,
John all rice, which Brian just mentioned.
We the song that we just sang was written by John O Rice.
He's written a lot of the songs that we have in our book but
this is this is one of his daughters, Elizabeth writes
Hanford and the book isn't real long.
I don't know how many pages it is.
How about 100 pages? But it's an excellent book on
this whole topic and especially geared for ladies because she is
a lady, but I want to read you Chapter in this book.
And I know I don't do this very often but I came in studying
this out, I came across this chapter and rather than try to
summarize it myself. I decided I'm just going to read
it and it's a little bit long but the way that she handles,
this passage here in Deuteronomy, 22 verse 5, I think
is excellent. And so let me read it to you.
She says, this apparently, this scripture says a woman is not to
wear a man's clothing, and a man is not wear women's clothing.
Those who do are an Abomination to God Abomination is as strong
a word of a version as you can find.
It means extreme. Disgust, loathing, abhorrence,
hateful, shamefully vile Abomination.
That's the way the God feels when he sees a woman put on a
man's garment or a man put on a woman's garment.
Is this what that verse were actually means?
Sometimes it's been dismissed by Christians with the comment.
That's only ceremonial law. That doesn't apply to us
Christians it's only ceremonial law.
Then we not only are not obliged to keep it, it would be wrong
for us to impose it on There's when Christ died.
He blotted out, the handwriting of ordinances that was against
us, which was contrary to us and took it out, took it out of the
way, nailing it to his cross. That's Colossians chapter 2 and
verse 14. Verse 16 and 17.
Say, let no, man, therefore judge you in meat or in drink,
or in respect of an holyday or of the new moon or of the
Sabbath days which are a shadow of things to come.
But the body is of Christ, all ceremonial laws were abolished
at the cross. All moral laws are still
enforced, so how can we tell if this is ceremonial law or moral
law? And therefore For binding,
you'll remember that a ceremonial law was established
by God, especially for the Jews had nothing to do with the
inherent right or wrong, it involved a certain ceremony,
hence, the word ceremonial that would teach the Jews.
Something specific about their set apartness for God.
Jews were commanded to do certain things just to show,
they were different. For example they were forbidden
to eat certain animals and birds but God changed that command
after the death of Christ in Acts 10 15 God told the Apostle
Peter what God hath cleansed that call not thou common the
Big lesson had been taught. It was impossible to earn
salvation by keeping rules. The lesson is ended, now anyone
Jew, or Gentile can eat meat. First Timothy 4 3 and 4 says,
men will depart from the faith commanding to abstain from
Meats, which God hath created to be received with Thanksgiving of
them, which believe and know the truth for every creature of God
is good and nothing to be refused.
If it be received with Thanksgiving is then Deuteronomy
22:5 ceremonial or moral law, the whole chapter is a mixture
of both. Many verses are obviously Moral
law, if you see a neighbor's ox or sheep wandering, return it
conserve, natural resources. So future Generations can eat.
Take responsibility in your home for the safety of others wife
has a right to a fair trial, if Accused by her husband of
impurity. Rape is to be severely,
punished. So, is adultery.
These are moral laws for verses in this chapter are probably
ceremonial, don't so mixed seed in a field, don't plow with an
ox and ass together. Don't mix fibers in woven cloth,
do well Fringe on your clothing now into which of these two
categories. Verse 5 fit one clue.
Is that the scripture says a woman who wears men's clothing
is an Abomination unto, the Lord thy God.
It's a terrible offense to God himself when a woman puts on
men's apparel. Does God ever used the
expression, Abomination unto the Lord?
When speaking of a ceremonial law know, the essence of
ceremonial always that Jews would make certain things
unclean to themselves. Deuteronomy 14, Leviticus 11,
listed number of things. The Jews were to consider an
Abomination. He is unclean to you.
Leviticus 11:7, all fouls. That creep, going a On all four
shall be an Abomination unto. You verse 20, all such
prohibitions made to Jews in the Old Testament, were canceled in
the New Testament, but when the phrase an Abomination to me,
when God is speaking or an Abomination to God is used, the
scripture is forbidding a gross, moral sin, something inherently
and obviously, wrong and equally condemned in the New Testament
idolatry is an Abomination to God.
So, our human sacrifices witchcraft murder and lying in.
These got, she's got versus for all these, but, therefore, when
God, Is it is an Abomination to him when a woman wears, a man's
clothes. We must conclude it is a moral
command not ceremonial. This sin is the same class with
gross sin of idolatry adultery and murder in light of this.
Many Hebrew scholars believe Deuteronomy 22:5 refers to the
Heathen practice of using male, prostitutes and Temple worship
specifically to transsexual cross-dressing for deviant sex
in the worship of pagan gods. And maybe this is its primary
meaning and a deliberate wearing of the apparel of the opposite
sex in order to blur the distinctive work.
God Has in mind for each, sex would be wrong to wear the
clothing of the opposite. Sex might betray perhaps
unintentionally an unwillingness to submit to the plan.
God especially designed for each one of us when he created US
male or female. Question that next arises is,
what is men's apparel. What is women's apparel?
The assumption is that the reader of this scripture would
know which was, which God does never give a command that we
can't obey because we don't know what it means.
The second assumption is that men's and women's clothing, do
differ. First Timothy 2:9 says, In like
manner, also that women Adorn themselves in modest apparel,
the word apparel is a Greek word.
Casteau Young's analytical concordance, translates, it
long, robe note, for the moment that the emphasis is on, robe
will talk about the long robe later.
In this scripture, the assumption is that women will
wear robes. I know of only one situation in
scripture where men were commanded to wear pants.
The priests were commanded to wear breeches to cover the loins
and thighs. When they walked up the steps to
minister at the altar in 1st Timothy 2:9 in the in the first
Timothy 2:9 reference we might as Ask if God gave this command
concerning robes, because it was the custom in Timothy sculpture
for women to wear robes, perhaps not God's word is eternal, it
will last forever. It is, it is as applicable and
relevant to us who live in an urban mechanized mobile society.
As it was two people, two, thousand years ago, living in a
rural agricultural, simple Society.
Furthermore, the stress of scriptures that we're not to
conform to the world's standards of culture.
If they violate scripture some of Christ, most scathing
denunciation were against those who taught the traditions of In
as if they were the doctrine of God, God didn't notice that most
of the women in Timothy's Church wore robes.
And then determined that all Christian women in that town
should wear robes. In fact, God graciously makes
allowance in scripture for those of different cultural
backgrounds in non-moral matters.
The outcome of the Council of Jerusalem and X-15.
Was that Gentile Christians ought not to offend Jewish
Believers. And that Jewish Believers ought
not to require ceremonial customs of Gentile Christians.
In fact, when cultural Customs are referred to in scripture,
which might not be Familiar to those of another culture.
The Holy Spirit often takes time out from the narrative to
explain that custom, for example, in Ruth 47.
Now this was the manner and former time in Israel,
concerning redeeming a man. Plucked off his shoe and gave it
to his neighbor Second Kings 11:14, Esther 113 for Samuel, 99
have similar explanations. I would not ever give a command
in Scripture that depended on our knowing about a foreign
culture from an external Source apart from his word before, we
can understand it enough to obey it.
Second Peter, 1 3 and 4 says, his divine power hath given unto
us all things that pertain unto life and godliness whereby are
given unto us exceeding, great and precious promises.
So God's word does not require light shed on shed on shed on it
from secular history. In order to understand what is
expected of us. Certainly where profited by
light from other sources on the word of God, we are enriched by
what Bible historians teach us. I speak now only of God's
commands themselves being plane whatever.
First Timothy, 2:9 means it's not To command a first century
women and their relationship to a local cultural custom.
It's for women living today in our culture, as well.
The Bible also makes many references to men, wearing
robes, the Greek word stole is used of men's garments, as well
as women's three times. The word is translated wrong,
long, robe or long garment, How can there be a distinction of
men and women? Both wore robes a clue is found
in the Greek word. Catus told used only once in
scripture and there's reference to women's clothing There, there
it refers to women's clothing. The great scholar says, that,
that word means properly a lowering letting down.
Hence, a garment, let down. So, this seems to indicate a
woman's role would be longer than a man's.
Another clue is found in Deuteronomy, 25.
The word garment is the Hebrew word.
Simla in contrast to an inner garment or vest.
Simla means, outer garment, this implies, it's the outside the
obvious, the immediately distinguishable garment that
ought to differ between men and women, the silhouette the All
impression is to be distinctly, male or female, you ought to be
able to tell at a glance whether one is a man or a woman and zone
defense, pictorial dictionary, the article on Hebrew woman's
dress, says, a few articles of female clothing, carried
somewhat, the same name and basic pattern yet.
There was always sufficient difference in embossing
embroidery needle work. So that in appearance, the line
of demarcation between men and women could be readily detected
in the more remote parts of the Arab lands.
Today, they wear clothing is essentially the same as it was
in. What times this statement is
still true, though, the traditional Arab dress for men
and women is still the robe. There is never the slightest
doubt in your mind as to whether you are viewing.
A man or a woman, the entire silhouette is different one day.
At the dinner table. Our children were discussing our
paper boy, was he a paper girl? He wore a shirt and blue jeans
but that proves nothing these days.
His or was it her hair was long and curly with cute bangs.
He wore loafers with a fringe. I was inclined to agree with my
girls, no boy could have curls that pretty but my son, Paul won
the argument. Aunt.
It's a boy. He said, positively, he rides a
boy's bicycle. This is what God meant.
When he described confusion this Deuteronomy 22:5, then mean a
woman I'll never wear slacks and this country, most women wear
slacks if most women wear them. Doesn't that automatically make
them women's apparel perhaps. So.
But if women's and men's apparel are to be distinct, how can a
woman make her slacks distinct from a man's?
Not by color pastels are no longer the private province of
women. Color alone no longer conveys
femininity my zippers on the side instead of the front.
Woman explained to me, I made my slacks for me so you can't say
they are man's apparel but does that meet God's expectation,
that the silhouette the first impression be distinctly
feminine to tell the truth? You wouldn't be very happy if a
man check to see if the zipper on your slacks was in the front
or on the side. But slacks are so much more
comfortable than a skirt. You might say, your comfort is a
subjective matter. You really may be more
comfortable in pants, but should we make Comfort our first
consideration? A hundred times a day.
We choose to do. What is not comfortable, but
right, We got a bed every morning when staying in bed
would be more comfortable, but slacks are more modest than
skirts. Most women wear isn't it?
Better to wear slacks into being modest aren't pants.
The lesser of two evils. In a later chapter, we'll talk
about whether slacks are more modest in a skirt and yes, I
realized that's the third time. I've told you will discuss
something later if you've no idea how hard it is to keep this
how hard it is, to keep this book organized right now.
Let's talk about whether slacks of the lesser of two evils,
Manish, nests or in modesty, Charles Spurgeon said, when
choosing between two evils, Neither is it better to be a
modest or to wear men's apparel Spurgeon says choose neither.
You don't have to choose between in modesty and on womanliness
you can be modest and womanly when we must make a moral
decision, let's erase from our possible choices, every
alternative that involves wrong. If you feel, you have no choice.
But the lesser of two evils is because you have not considered
all the Alternatives, you do have another Choice somewhere
somehow, so that you don't have to break any of God's commands.
He promised in First Corinthians 10:13 to provide a way we can.
Escape from Temptation. God always keeps his word.
There's always some way to solve a problem without choosing evil.
You may have to do some creative thinking and perhaps some
designing and sewing. I'm not promising, you, it'll be
the easy way out, but you can find a garment to wear that is
both feminine, and modest and functional, but my husband likes
me to wear slacks. You might exclaim knowing that,
I'm the woman who that wrote that just as difficult to handle
book me, obey him, you know, I believe God wants us to obey our
husbands. Does he want you to wear slacks?
Because you seem to be more fun less inhibited.
And you wear them, they seem to make you more his pal, His
companion, that's a gift, you can give him no matter how you
dress, if you are earnestly obeying your husband and
everything. Not just where your druthers
coincide with his his will. I've a hunch, I'll defer to your
convictions about this. My husband does not feel as
strongly as I do about my not wearing pants, but he Treasures
my relationship with the Lord and wouldn't want me to do
something against my conscience, but you might properly object,
you have taken one teensy-weensy, scripture in the
Old Testament and made a federal case.
Is out of it. If it's as important as you say,
wouldn't God have repeated elsewhere in scripture?
This command is not repeated elsewhere in scripture, but the
biblical principle underlies, all man-woman relationships.
Even if it's not repeated, we have to ask ourselves how many
times must God commands us to do something before we obey him
twice. Three times.
Is it one clear command enough to show us the mind of God if we
won't listen to him the first time, would we listen to him the
second or third time? Jesus said, we are accountable
for every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God.
One command is enough, is it legalistic rather than living by
grace, to obey this particular element of scripture?
I think not, I make choices every day about my lifestyle to
avoid Temptation not to earn God's approval but simply
because he showered his great grace on me.
One of my girls said to me but mother lots of women.
Don't believe. Like you do about this and
they're just as good of Christians as you are.
This is absolutely true. I have no corner on God's word.
This is a decision you must make for Off as you study the word
and see God's heart. God holds me accountable for
decisions. I make while reading his word
regardless of what others believe Proverbs 22 21 says
we're to know the certainty of the words of truth.
So that we might answer the words of truth back to him, who
sent them to us, we are accountable to listen to God's
word, then repeat it back to him to demonstrate that.
We really heard him correctly. Perhaps the principles given in
Romans chapter 14, for Christians who disagree on
certain matters of Lifestyle will help you make your
decisions. First, it is wrong to Judge
others about spiritual decisions, they make as they try
to serve God, him that is weak in the faith receive.
Ye but not to doubtful disputations.
Let not him that eateth despise him that eateth not and let not
him, which eateth not judge him. That eateth for God.
Hath received him who art thou that judgest another man's
servant to his own Master. He standeth or falleth ye shall
be holding up for God is able to make him stand for none of us
liveth to himself and no man, dieth to himself.
But why Dost thou judge thy brother or why Dost thou set at
nought thy brother second? Each of us will answer to God
alone for our decisions. For we shall all stand before
the Judgment seat of Christ for it is written.
As I live saith the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every
tongue shall confess to God. So then every one of us shall
give account of himself to God. Third, we ought not to give
someone else an excuse to sin. Let us not judge there for one
another anymore. But judge this rather that no
man put a stumbling block or an occasion to fall in his brothers
way. But if thy, brother be grieved
with thy meat, now walkest thou not charitably, destroy, not him
with thy meat. For whom Christ died, let not
then your good be evil spoken of for the kingdom of God, is Not
meat and drink, but righteousness and peace and joy
in the Holy Ghost. The last of all, we must not
violate our own conscience hast, thou Faith, have it to thyself
before, God, happy as he, that condemneth, not himself in that
thing which he alloweth. And he that doubt is, is damned
if he eat. Because he eateth not of faith
for whatsoever is not of faith is sin.
This surely ought not to be a divisive thing among Christians
a woman. A woman's godliness is certainly
not determined simply by whether she wears a skirt or slacks, a
critical spirit toward others about this would be just as
sinful as disobedience in any others fear, you might exclaims
in exasperation but Libya, I just don't like to wear skirts.
And with that, we have may have come to the heart of the
difficulty. Why don't you like to wear
skirts? Instead of slacks, is it because
slacks are more comfortable, more stylish cheaper more
modest, or could there be a more basic problem of which you are
not aware? Several years ago, I was in the
library researching a patriotic program.
I was writing for our Christian Day School, leafing through the
yellowed, 1933 almanach, I came across the picture of Marlene
dietrich's sitting on top of a grand piano performing in a
nightclub the caption said Miss Dietrich was the first woman
ever to wear a man's suit in public.
That was not strictly accurate. History tells us of many women
who wore men's clothing but when asked why she dared to do so she
retorted because I'm tired of men, having all the fun in life.
A friend of mine was shopping in one of the largest department
stores in Atlanta. She was astonished that they had
dozens of racks of pantsuits and only one rack of dresses and
suits with skirts. She expressed her surprise to
the saleswoman. You bet?
The clerk said, we women are finally getting our rights.
We're not going to let the men push us around anymore,
sometimes. Then evidently a woman will
choose to wear pants because she doesn't want the role.
God lovingly designed for her, the question who wears the pants
at your house? Implies, that whoever wears the
pants is the boss God. Good for the man to be the
leader in his own home. What you where does reflect your
attitude toward an authority reveals how you feel about being
a woman. God wants even your clothing to
demonstrate that. You gladly.
Accept the position, he has given you, your clothing should
say, I enjoyed being a woman and I gladly submit to God's will
for my life. I know it's long and a lot to it
and you know, certainly you could grab that book and and
there's a lot more to it that kind of explains how she got up
to that point. But the simple truth With.
I think, is that American Christianity for the most part?
No longer swims against the current, but we always used to
do that it. Now, it purposely swims with the
current and it mocks these poor dumb, ignorant, legalistic
Christians, who are trying to swim against the current and
that's why it's why there's even a necessity to teach a lesson on
what it means to be an independent fundamental Baptist
because there are so few left so many, I mean, just go to any of
these churches in this area and look at At what they are
allowing in the churches and you'll know that, you know,
we're trying to swim with the current instead of against it.
And in fact what's happening now is that a lot of Christians are
apologizing for the fact that ever swim against the current
right? How many times have you seen
people come out and say you know I know how hurtful the language
was for us to preach against homosexuality and I know how
hurtful the language was for us to save this and say that and do
these other things. When all we're doing is
preaching the word of God don't need to apologize for preaching.
Word of God. But when women began wearing
pants in Western Society, it was understood that that was a
statement by women that they had assumed for themselves.
The roles that were traditionally taken on by the
men. That and like she mentioned in
that book, the statement of who wears the pants.
In the family means who's in charge who leads, right?
Who provides who sets the pace, the reason why my wife and my
daughter don't wear pants in public.
And the reason why honestly, every every In that teaches in
Sunday school or sings in the choir, or as a nurse who work,
or does anything in our church should be in a skirt or dress
during church is not just about modesty.
Yes, it's about modesty but it's also about identity.
I wouldn't let my son walk out of the house in a skirt.
But you have a big issue with that if I let my son walk out of
the house in a skirt, you know, I wouldn't allow a deacon to
serve the Lord supper in a dress, right?
You would think I was joking. Probably.
And then you'd have a big issue with me if I got up here to
preach in a dress, right? You would have a heart attack
probably and and you would never come back, you know, you.
But in you might be saying, well, men, wearing skirts is
different. Everybody knows that men
shouldn't wear skirts. Right.
But mark my words just not gonna be long before it's mainstream
and you're going to see it a whole lot more already, trying
to push it in a lot of aspects and it may be a few years.
But eventually American Christianity is going to follow
and there will be it's going to start in your big
non-denominational churches first, but they'll be guys up
there preaching, on the stage in a skirt.
And they're going to be laughed at and made fun of and
everything else. And people are going to leave
that church but some will stay and eventually more churches are
going to do it and eventually it's going to be mainstream,
it'll be normalized and And men are going to wear.
Skirts fact, can I read you an article really quick from from
this past summer? Brad Pitt turn some heads at the
premiere of his latest film by donning.
A skirt for his red carpet appearance 58 year old actor was
all smiles when he arrived at the Berlin.
Screening as he posed for photos while, wearing a brown raw Edge
hem, knee length, skirt and matching jacket pit paired, the
outfit with combat boots. A pink button down multiple
necklaces and sunglasses. As outfit.
Showed off multiple leg tattoos. When he was asked why he was
wearing a skirt. The actor told a reporter, the
breeze, The breeze. The actor has apparently
professed. His love of wearing skirts in
the past according to British Vogue magazine, pit predicted
that skirts would become a mainstream fashion for men in no
time. He made the comments while
promoting the 2004 historical War film.
Troy men will be wearing skirts, by next summer pit set at the
time. That's my prediction and
Proclamation the film answers. To both genders, we're going for
realism and Greeks wore skirts all the time.
That wasn't even the first time the actor War, traditionally
feminine clothing for a photo op.
At the height of his heart throb days in 1999.
Brad Pitt appeared on the cover of Rolling Stone smoking, a
cigarette, while wearing, a boldly printed dress went pop
singer, Harry Styles started wearing dresses like on the
cover of Vogue, many fans, Drew comparison to pits photoshoot.
Social media was divided on pit skirt and jacket combo for the
premier. One podcaster said, just when
you think Brad Pitt, couldn't get any sexier he wears a skirt.
Another person said all the dinosaurs a guest today at Brad
Pitt in a skirt. I freaking love it.
Personally pit previously told his Squire that his personal
approach to style values Comfort above all other things.
He said this you get older you get crankier and comfort becomes
more important. I think it's as simple as that.
I don't want to look ostentatious but if you come
close you notice I like how the lining.
Feels those details that are important to me too exhausting
to follow trends. I think it's pretty interesting
that a lot of women use the exact same excuse for why they
wear pants. But, you know, there's a lot of
arguments to that. Well, obviously your male
chauvinist, you know, it doesn't have anything to do with
control. It has everything to do with
trying to be scripturally obedient, right regardless of
whether well you know because people say that you what your
church is never going to grow. You're always going to have a
small church and honestly, it's probably true.
That's probably true. But it's not about church
growth. It doesn't have anything to do
with how big we are or The size that we are anything like that
it has everything to do with obedience.
Well I can see your church is made up of legalistic dinosaurs,
you know? And I think people should run
screaming out of that controlling atmosphere and again
you can take it to a whole far extreme and and we'll leave it
at that but you know I'm certainly not trying to chase
anybody out am not going to speak harshly about you or
anything like that and but but, but you're still going to have
to answer to God, someday for Deuteronomy 22:5 and How you
responded to it, right? And and again, It comes down to
the idea that my wife. And honestly you know my I grew
up with this standard so for me it was not something that I'd
never heard of before. It was not something that I that
was foreign to me. But when I met my wife and you
know, I honestly had my wife worn pants when we met.
I probably would have said, you know, what fine do that?
Then it doesn't doesn't bother me, but she had that standard
and it was, it was not something that That she took lightly, it
was something that she took very seriously and over the years.
I've come especially through studying these things out myself
to get to the point where it is important that we do this, it's
important that we have that as a standard.
And you know, and I know the argument, you know, if that's a
rule I'll keep it at church. But I'm going to live how I want
you the rest of the week and you can't stop me.
And you're right, I can't stop you.
And I wouldn't try to stop you, I, you know, but I think we need
to have that desire to grow. Grace to grow in Holiness.
It's an inward Grace that works its way out, not just that
church. Like obviously, you've never
seen my wife and a pair of pants because it's not just that
church. It's at Walmart, it's on the
sidewalk, it's at home, it's everywhere because it's a
reflection of who you are, not just something you do.
And I think that's I think that that mindset has been projected
on people in churches for so long.
This is something you do. That it that it becomes just
something you do rather than something that you are Melissa.
Nobody is nobody is happier than I am that.
This is the last lesson in this series.
I'm not trying to make you unhappy, I'm not trying to make
you uncomfortable. I'm not trying to make you
angry, but as we've looked at this whole idea of clothing has
a moral, use the Bible principle of modesty.
Clearly enters into that closing clothing has it and it has
enough. Aesthetic, use the Bible
principle of vanity clearly enters into that.
We've talked about both of those principal and clothing has an
identifying use, and that's what we're talking about tonight.
The Bible principles related to looking like a Christian and
looking like a man or looking like a woman clearly enter into
that. And again, it doesn't have to
just be man, wearing a skirt, right?
There's a lot of ways that men today are looking a whole lot
more effeminate than they ever have.
And you know, the idea of the skinny jeans and, you know, all
these tight clothes and you know, just there's a lot of
different things and honestly I'm just I am I am perplexed by,
you know, even in churches that I knew for many years to be
good, churches, how the guys are all running around.
This long floppy hair, thats hanging over their face in their
eyes and they're constantly doing this kind of stuff.
That's feminine it's effeminate and it's not it's not something
that is is it's just pushing a line.
To try to look more and more like the world because that's
what they're seeing today, right?
You watch basketball games and that's what you see you watch.
You know, you watch any of these other things.
And that's what you see the guys, how all this long floppy
hair. And, you know, you notice that
the the shorts are getting shorter again, back in the 80s,
when the shorts were, this tall in a basketball game, you know,
they're getting back to that point again, you know, and, and
it's moving back in that direction.
And all of Christianity says, well, this is what Society is
doing. So, this is what we have to do,
too. We move with Society rather than
there should be, one thing that will never change and of course
that's the word of God, but that should be American Christianity.
Does not matter. What Society does, it does not
matter what society says it does not matter.
What changes in our world there should be one thing that never
changes and that should be Christians because we basically
are basing it on the word of God, but we change and we flow
with society and we're Society starts doing this.
We float down hill with And we might create a little bit of a
Ripple by pushing back, just a little bit against that but
we're all floating in that same direction and at some point we
have to stand up in the middle of the river and say let the
world flow around us. I'm not moving from this spot
and that's honestly what this idea of standards and
convictions is all about. We should be different.
We should be distinct especially in a world.
That is trying to tell us that we have to be the same as them.
Something has to be different. Something has to change and It
shouldn't be us. Let the world change.
Let the rest of American so-called Christianity change.
We need to hold a line that we've been given in the word of
God. So your religion is inward.
Yes, but it's also outward it's inside out and it's important
that God's people apply that to our appearance.
Not going to talk not going to do any more lessons on this.
Although there's probably a lot of other things that we could
say a lot more verses that we could look at, I believe we've
covered it sufficiently. But think about it, pray about
it. It's something that has to be a
decision that you make on your own.
Because again, if obviously, we're going to have a standard
for our church. So when you're working in a
Ministry, this is the standard that you have to have because
this is who we are and you representing the church but
everywhere else, that's your choice.
You decide what you're going to follow, and what?
You're not going to follow what you're going to be, and what
you're not going to be. And again, it's the whole he's
it's if I can convince you, or if I can tell you that, you have
to do that, then the moment I'm gone or the moment, you're
somewhere else. It's going to change again
because somebody will convince you the other way or you don't
have to do it anymore because you're no longer under those
rules or whatever. So I'm not going to tell you
what you can and can't do when you are.
On your own when you're when you're at your home when you're
doing the things that you're going to do.
But but I think it's something that you ought to seriously
consider from the word of God, especially in light of what we
talked about tonight when it comes to this idea of
Distinction. So modesty, yes, but also
distinction and those two go hand-in-hand and they help us to
become an end to be exactly what God wants us to be.
There is there's a lot of things that I that are more important
than that in the Bible, right? There's a lot of doctrines that
that are that are more important than this.
Idea of modesty and standards and convictions and all that
stuff. Although the idea of Standards
your convictions is not just, you know, we tend to associate,
you know, what you wear with standards but there's a lot of
standards and there's a lot of convictions and things that we
can have. So that's a broad term.
But you know that's something that that the Holy Spirit has to
convince you about and something that you really need to pray
about it. Something that you that you
really need to search out and figure out if there is something
more to it than maybe the way that you've always done it.
Let's pray and then we'll sing Our Song and be dismissed.
Thank you for listening. I know it's especially if you've
not heard it before, it's not an easy thing to listen to.
And for me like I've mentioned is not an easy thing for me to
preach because I know I'm talking to people who have never
heard it before and who in a lot of ways may not like it, I'm not
trying to make you. Like I said, I'm not trying to
make you angry. I'm not trying to trying to
ruffle any feathers or anything like that, but because it's in
the word of God. God and and something that we
need to talk about and something that you need to consider.
Let's pray and we'll sing, I'll be dismissed.
Father we love you again. We thank you for your goodness
to us. Thank you for the truth that we
have in the word of God. I pray that you'd help each one
of us in our pursuit of Holiness to be as right with you.
As we possibly can be and God where we where we are, I pray
that you help us to change it not even in just this Serie but
in others sometimes we may go over board on some things and if
we're error if we're airing in those things and I pray that you
help us to change where we underperform in the things that
you want us to do. I pray that you help us to
change them and especially in relation to this idea that we're
talking about with standards of dress God, I pray that you would
help us to to have the holy spirit's leading in our lives,
on these issues and on these things that we could be
convinced of them, one way or another and that you Is it in
our hearts? And I pray that you would help
us to be that Solid Rock of Christianity.
Not for the sake of just standing up, not for the sake of
trying to be noticed or anything like that.
But for the sake of holding the truth of the word of God in
every area that we find in the Bible.
And I pray that you help us to be Christians that you can use
because of it, not not for the sake of just being noticed, not
for the sake of just being different, or standing up in
some ways or whatever God. You know what my heart is on
this. Issue.
I'll pray that you help us to be different because we want to be
right, but it's obviously be different because we want to be
used and I pray that you would use us because of that.
Thank you for all that you do for us in Jesus name.
Amen.