APPAREL

Innocence at first was man’s comely robe, in comparison of which the richest clothes are but nasty rags. Ah, how lovely did he look in that heaven-spun attire! In his primitive splendor, the most gaudy and costly apparel would have been but as a cloud over the face of the sun, or a coarse curtain over a beautiful picture. But sin caused shame, and shame called for clothes to cover it.

George Swinnock

Works, v. 1.

If lustful looking be so grievous a sin, then those who dress and expose themselves with desires to be looked at and lusted after...are not less, but even more guilty. In this matter it is only too often the case that men sin, but women tempt them so to do. How great, then, must be the guilt of the great majority of the modern misses who deliberately seek to arouse the sexual passions of our young men. And how much greater still is the guilt of most of their mothers for allowing them to become lascivious temptresses.

A.W. Pink

The Sermon on the Mount, The Law and Adultery: Matthew 5:27-32.

God is not offended by the way you dress, unless it is immodest or in unusual ways that draw attention to yourself. Wear what you have and what you can afford. God sees what is inside. Please Him, not others.

Curtis Thomas

Life in the Body of Christ, Founders Press, 2006, p. 248, www.founderspress.org. Used by Permission.

[Guidelines for the selection of church attire.] There are no set, specific rules. But there are some personal guidelines. Some of them are: What is the custom of the church? How do the members dress? What can our budget reasonably cover? What standard does the general community condone? What is typically modest? What can be nice enough but not draw attention to ourselves? What is the appropriate dress for the occasion? What clothes enable us to be proper stewards of God’s money? A simple rule is: Clothes should be clean and neat, not flashy but enhancing, and should neither take attention away from nor draw attention to... Our words and walk are more important issues than our dress.

Curtis C. Thomas

Practical Wisdom for Pastors, Crossway Books, 2001, p. 30-31.

Dress to be admired and not desired.

Author Unknown

Pray against the love of dress, that sin that diverts the mind of so many professors from the simplicity of Christ, and takes the eye off from the true adornment!

Octavius Winslow
Morning Thoughts.

If your clothing is provocative, even though it may be your heart’s desire to remain pure for your spouse, you are sending the message to men, to boys, that you are ready for that sexual activity now. You're sending a conflicting message and you're making it hard for your brother to remain pure. When your clothing draws attention through its tightness, or through the flesh that it reveals, away from your face, where you could be treated as a person of intelligence and dignity, and to those parts of your body which have sexual functions, you are asking for trouble and you are causing your brother to stumble... Do we want our wives and our daughters to be looked upon as sex objects for the gratification of other men?

J. Ligon Duncan
“The Scarlet Letter”, First Presbyterian Church, Jackson, MS. As downloaded in Fall of 2010, URL: http://www.fpcjackson.org/resources/sermons/exodus/Exodus%20Vol%203%20&%204/25bExo.htm. Used by Permission.

We should chose clothing that does not draw attention to ourselves and shows respect for others. We should not choose clothes in order to impress.

Jonathan Leeman

Reverberation, Moody Publishers, 2011, p. 82.

What are my motives in relationship to what I wear? Am I merely attracting attention to myself or to the Lord Jesus Christ who lives within me? Remember: You can dress elaborately to attract attention to yourself, or you can be shabby, unkempt or unclean to attract attention to yourself. Both lead to a lack of respectability.

Gene Getz