APPAREL
Innocency 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 splendour, 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.
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.
(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.
Practical Wisdom for Pastors, Crossway Books,
2001, p. 30-31.