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Representative Responsibility (Part II)

 

Hey, welcome back! This issue’s Opinion Column deals with the continuation of Representative Responsibility and what it means to be responsible not only for our actions, but our appearance and the way we conduct ourselves in public. In the last issue, the topics of how we act and visual representation were covered. This article is meant to provide a more in depth look at the way which we clothe ourselves in public and the issues surrounding it.

Dressing modestly is an act which is always something that receives respect in the Christian community, but there are still Christians who do not practice it. Does that mean they aren’t Christians? No way! But what it does mean is that they are either 1. purposely ignoring what is said in 1 Timothy 2:9 and other passages which express the importance of modest dress, or 2. ignorant of the scripture which encourages proper dress. Throughout the entire New Testament, the importance of being “in this world, but not of it” is both stated and implied. That quote means that although we are in this world, we must not act like those who belong to it and do not follow the ways of the Lord. Dressing modestly, speaking politely, acting respectfully towards one another; these are all things which are spoken of in the Bible. Where the Christian faith is meant to encourage, striving to stress the importance of the things above (modest dress, polite speech, respectful conduct), the world promotes immorality and sin that is meant to grab us by the foot and pull us away from our Father’s embrace.

Since we are Followers of Christ, all of our acts must reflect who we are in order to show to the world that we are not of it, and that we do not practice that which it practices. In James 2 under the topic of faith and deeds, we are told that faith without acts to justify and represent it is useless. There is no true faith without deeds to accompany it. If we give up that which we have no right to forfeit, our Salvation, by purposely acting contrary to our faith, we will just end up to be another face covered in sin. And this salvation was bought not with our blood but the blood of an entity far more holy than ourselves; we therefore have no right to turn our faces away from it, it is for us. So many people ignore the truth because they do not want to be another so-called “face in the crowd” of Christians—they want to find their own “individuality” outside of religion, the trait which makes them unique. But the bottom line is that there is no individuality more defining than Holy Individuality. Our uniqueness should be found in the fact that we are Christians and that we strive to imitate the Life that demonstrated exact obedience to God’s rules and instruction. It should not be found in our physical appearances. There are so many who have fallen into the idea that they need to find their own “identity” in the world, but they are looking for an identity in the wrong places. Holy Individuality and Identity is found in the adherence and practice of God’s Word.

Since then we are called to present ourselves in accordance to our beliefs, what does it mean to dress “modestly?” Modesty refers to humility, reasonability, and inoffensiveness.

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“Before his downfall a man's heart is proud,
       but Humility comes before Honor”(Proverbs 18:12)

Humility refers to not trying to draw attention to yourself. Who are we meant to represent? Solely ourselves? Or are we meant to represent He who has instructed us to have Faith and Trust in Him? We have no right to dress in a way that attracts the attention of others exclusively for our own personal “gain.” This message applies to both women and men; women should dress “with decency and propriety, not with braided hair or gold or pearls or expensive clothes, but with good deeds, appropriate for women who profess to worship God.” 1 Timothy 2:9-10 NIV And men should not wear attire which is meant to glorify themselves and their wealth, because their wealth is worthless in the next life; no perishable items they obtain here on Earth are transferrable to God’s Kingdom. Therefore, our eyes should be fixed on “an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade—kept in heaven for [us], who through faith are shielded by God's power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time.” 1 Peter 1:4-5 NIV

"Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body." 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 NIV

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Reasonability refers to sensibility and awareness of how those who are not Christians dress. Don’t “Goths” dress the way they do because they are representing their beliefs which are surrounded by dark things? Don’t prostitutes dress in the way they do because they want to sell themselves? Different people dress the way they do because they want everything about them to express the beliefs which govern their lives. The way they dress often paints a picture of their inner most identity. That is why it’s so important that Christians today do not try to imitate the worldly figures that we see in the media. We do not belong to this world, we aren’t held to it by unbreakable chains, so we should stop trying to willingly enter into imprisonment as we were in the past! We are unique beings. We’re unique because the Holy Spirit dwells in us due to our Faith in the Lord. We should therefore act in a way which shows that the Holy Spirit dwells in us. That is just one of the responsibilities we hold as Followers of Christ.

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Inoffensiveness refers to well, just that: not being offending. There is a pretty broad line between offensive dressing and inoffensive dressing. Offensive dressing is any dressing which visibly promotes worldliness and does not express humility or reasonability, whereas inoffensive clothing does the opposite. The importance of living a life representing the Lord can not be expressed enough, and another one of our responsibilities as Followers of Christ is to proclaim the truth through nearly every aspect of our lives. Although we are told not to be quick to anger with our brothers and sisters, it is also important not to give our brothers and sisters something to be angry or offended with/by (unless of course, it's the truth that they are angered by). This is because “an offended brother is more unyielding than a fortified city, and disputes are like the barred gates of a citadel.” Proverbs 18:19 NIV For this reason, it’s important that we do not go out of our way to offend a brother or sister in Christ by the way that we clothe ourselves.

Is it necessary to dress in a way which attracts attention in order for us to speak the Truth to a brother or sister in Christ, or even a non-believer? Doing such a thing shouldn’t even be considered! Therefore, just as we are told in 2 Timothy 4 to be prepared to “correct, rebuke and encourage with great patience and careful instruction,” we should also make sure that we have taken into consideration that we have done all we can to have taken out the “plank from our own eye[s]” so that we can see “clearly to remove the speck from” our brother’s or sister’s eyes. Matthew 7:5 NIV If we want to correct any brother or sister, let’s make sure that we do it with a clear conscience and be sure not to advise them something which we ourselves are not prepared to consider doing.

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In conclusion, let’s pray that we all continue to “fight the good fight of faith” 1 Timothy 6:12 NIV and strive to throw off any defining connections with the sinfulness of this world. “Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.” Hebrews 12:2-3 NIV

The way we act, speak, and the way we dress are all things which play major roles in defining who we. It is of extreme importance that each one of us “lives a life worthy of the Lord” by constantly pursuing a life that represents our Faith in Him. We are meant to act as beacons of light in a dark world, let us make sure we are not simply beacons of light in a closed box.

May God continue to Guide your ways! Merry Christmas