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Liberty Advocate http://www.libertyadvocate.com
Easter Is a Holy Day by Karen Pansler Lam, J.D.
Easter is a holy day.
Years ago, Christians wore new clothes, “Easter finery,” on Easter Sunday symbolizing the resurrection of Christ and our new life as a born-again Christian. Women and girls bought new dresses, shoes, spring coats in a pastel color as well as gloves, purses, and new hats to wear to church. Men and boys got new suits, shoes, shirts and ties.
Today, we don't dress up on Easter. We dress down...way down.
Some people argue that God doesn’t care how you dress for church – appearance doesn’t matter. Well, He cared about the appearance of the animals Israelites presented for a sacrifice…
Thou shalt not
sacrifice unto the Lord thy God any bullock, or sheep,
So, why would we
present ourselves in God’s house as a living sacrifice with tattoos
(Ye shall not make any cuttings in your flesh for the dead, nor print any
marks upon you: I am the Lord. Leviticus 19:28); jeans (rebellion
against the Old Church Order of reverence); tennis shoes, shorts, flip flops,
other play clothes; and other sinful or disrespectful “blemishes.” Don’t let any pastor or religious leader deceive you… It is not the sin of vanity to dress in our Sunday Best for the Lord’s Day, or to dress in Easter finery for Easter Sunday. However, the Bible instructs us to dress in modest apparel. But Rev. W.M. Statham explains modest dress does not mean renouncing adornment:
In like manner
also, that women adorn themselves in modest apparel, 1 Timothy 2:9.—Modest adornment."That women adorn themselves in modest apparel." The gospel never permits asceticism. As God is the God of beauty, and nature is clothed with garments (like the high priest of old) of glory and beauty, so here we have the true idea carried out in religion. Women are "to adorn themselves." God's most beautiful work in creation, the human frame, is to be fitly appareled; for, to this day, art knows no higher subject than the human face and form. But— I. MODESTY IS TO BE THE SPIRIT OF ALL ADORNMENT, because the nature of the being adorned is a sacred nature. Woman is the true guardian of virtue. Her manner, her temper, her spirit,—all these constitute the best defense of virtue.
II. DRESS IS THE SYMBOL OF CHARACTER. If
there is absence of shame-heartedness, there will be absence of shame-facedness.
The womanhood of that age had sunk very low. By turns woman had been the toy
or slave of man. The gospel uplifted her; for we are all equal in the sight
of God. There was neither male nor female there; and she must help the great
ideal, and by modest apparel show the innate modesty of her thought and
feeling. For, say what we like, dress acts upon the mind and character.
Dress like a clown, and you will feel like a clown. Modest apparel need not
be shorn of taste and refinement and true beauty. It is no dishonor to a
woman that she likes dress. It is not Christian
to destroy that taste; but that which becometh women professing godliness is
modest though beautiful apparel.—W.M.S. God is the God of beauty. And it is not a sin for women to adorn themselves with beautiful dresses. And it is not a sin for men to clothe themselves with beautiful suits. But some pastors have been indoctrinated with Rick Warren’s communist ideology of a classless church/society by dictating that we dress down (preferably jeans) when we attend church. For example, Pastor Travis Agnew of Rocky Creek Church in Greenville, South Carolina, follows Rick Warren’s communist ideology of a classless church...
Avoid Attire that Divides. In our
culture, suits and dresses reveals financial stability within a home.
Unfortunately, not everyone has that type of finances to acquire such
clothing. Listen to what James has to say in 2:1 My brothers,
show no partiality as you hold the faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord
of glory.2 For if a man wearing a gold ring and fine clothing comes
into your assembly, and a poor man in shabby clothing also comes in,3 and
if you pay attention to the one who wears the fine clothing and say, “You
sit here in a good place,” while you say to the poor man, “You stand over
there,” or, “Sit down at my feet,”4 have you not then made
distinctions among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts? First, he writes, "Avoid attire that divides." In other words, avoid class distinctions. He is promoting a Marxist classless church/society. Next, he writes, “In our culture, suits and dresses reveals financial stability within a home. Unfortunately, not everyone has that type of finances to acquire such clothing.” What an ignorant argument! Suits and dresses do not reveal “financial stability within a home.” People choose not to buy suits and dresses for Sunday. Instead, they choose to squander their money on cable/satellite/cellphones/smartphones/tablets and other expensive technology with expensive monthly payments, expensive vehicles, lottery tickets and other gambling, movie tickets and theater snacks, and other wasteful spending. Now for Agnew’s communist interpretation of Scripture... “Pastor” Agnew does not understand James 2:1-4. James is not suggesting a classless church. There is no Scripture teaching this false doctrine. Christianity recognizes class distinctions. James is instructing us not to pay homage to a man because he is rich. We must judge a man by his character and moral worth. Moreover, the Bible teaches we should be concerned with making a good appearance. The virtuous woman was concerned with her family making a good appearance.
She is not afraid
of the snow
Matthew Henry
comments: “All her household are clothed in scarlet, strong cloth and
fit for winter, and yet rich and making a good appearance.”
For all her household are clothed with
scarlet; with warm garments. The word used is shanim, derived
from a verb meaning “to shine,” and denoting a crimson or deep scarlet
colour. This colour was supposed, and rightly, to absorb and retain heat, as
white to repel it; being made of wool, the garments would be warm as well as
stately in appearance.” The virtuous woman was concerned not only with the practicality of her family’s clothing, but also their appearance. The virtuous woman believed that making a good appearance mattered for herself and her family every day. Finally…
What? know
ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, If we truly believe our bodies are temples of the Holy Ghost, then we will clothe them with holiness and beauty. Don't let any pastor or religious deceive you... When we attend the Lord’s house on the Christian Sabbath – the Lord’s Day – we are presenting ourselves to Him. Therefore, we should present our best appearance.
Don't let
anyone discourage you...
April 2022
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