Likewise, ye wives, be in subjection to your own husbands; that, if any obey not the word, they also may without the word be won by the conversation of the wives; While they behold your chaste conversation coupled with fear. Whose adorning let it not be that outward adorning of plaiting the hair, and of wearing of gold, or of putting on of apparel; But let it be the hidden man of the heart, in that which is not corruptible, even the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God of great price. For after this manner in the old time the holy women also, who trusted in God, adorned themselves, being in subjection unto their own husband. 1 Peter 3:1-5.
In like manner also, that woman adorns themselves in modest apparel, with shamefacedness and sobriety; not with broided hair, or gold, or pearls, or costly array; but (which becomes a woman professing godliness) with good works. 1 Timothy 2:9-10.
The foolishness of God is wiser than man’s wisdom and his law and commandment is holy and righteously indisputable. The love and desire to please God above every other thing should overcome the ego and unbroken part of man in Christ Jesus. This love of God (not the love of the world or self- love) should triumphs over self pity, ungodly shame and every other opinion of others in the world as the result of our new lifestyle in Christ Jesus. There is nothing like reverential submission to the word of God in the simplicity of it, not seeking to wrestle with the word of God because of what we see others doing, or seeks to change the validity of its authority and dispensation as men’s pleasers or for whatsoever reason than to tremble before the eternal unchanging word of God. This is the greatest honor we can ever give to God, if we tremble to the word in order to live by every jot of it because he also honor his word above his name.
Here, the Spirit of God made reference to holy women in the old time as our typical example on how to dress and to please God, if we are truly the bride waiting for the bridegroom, and are not fleeting around with another man (world). James 4:4. Note: they are spiritual adulterer and adulteresses whose ways of life and manners of living and other things are in conformity to the world, and they shall perish with the world.
Here, it speaks of holy dressing and presentations in contrast to worldly dressings and appearances. The passages of the scriptures before us reveals the ways and manners of holy women of old habiliment in their professed confession of relationships with God (which becomes women professing godliness), their conducts and physical appearances in contrast to the so called end time false saints dressing and appearing in strange and worldly attires which the bible calls the attire of harlot. Proverbs 7:10.
What is the attire of harlots? (a) Any dress showing the delicate parts of your body as a woman in a whoa spirit is an attire of a harlot. (b) A dress showing the chest and leaving the layer or upper parts of the breasts opened (c) a dress showing the color or the line of the underwear or the braziers: (d) such top that reveals the abdomen and made impossible to tuck in, not covering the waist appropriately, showing the rubber band of the pants. These are the descriptions of an attire of a harlot – a strange clothes and clothing which the Lord shall severely punish and condemn the worldly minded for at his appearing and kingdom – hold thy peace at the presence of the Lord God: for the day of the Lord is at hand: for the Lord hath prepared a sacrifice, he hath bid his guests. And it shall come to pass in the day of the Lord’s sacrifice that I will punish the princes, and the king’s children, and all such as are clothed with strange apparel. Zephaniah 1:7-8.
The texts before us shows that the pursuits, interests and desires of the holy women of old were not on the outward adorning (it is not speaking of being shabby or non- desirable as of neatness) but that their godliness and physical appearances was so holily, un-blamable and unspotted with the world – pure religion and undefiled before God the Father is to keep yourselves un-spotted (untarnished, unsullied and stainless) from the way the world does things. James 1:27. A woman of God or the daughter of Zion is fearfully and wonderful made, and they don’t need to package themselves with artificial things of the world than to show contentment, satisfaction and gracefulness in their natural beauty before God. Imagine Sarah without broided hair or gold in her ears but with her natural beauty in godliness, quietness and meekness was recommended twice to two different kings to become a wife?
As a woman of God, modesty in the simplicity which is in Christ Jesus should be sought after in the place of extravagant – party or festive appearance. This is what the texts means by saying not with or not of putting on of apparel: for after this manner the holy women of old time (your spiritual ancestors) dressed and were acceptable to God in their religion: good for you to emulate and to live after their examples, that you may appear before the Lord without distraction – using the world, but not abusing it, for the fashion of this world passes away. 1 Corinthians 7: 31.
You don’t and shouldn’t dress to the church to worship God or live in the world as a child of God as if you are going to a carnival show where the corrupt body is glorified and sexual lusts of the eyes and the lusts of the flesh are equally fed – you are bought with a price. Glorify God in your body and spirit which belongs to God’s. The truth is this: either it is by your ignorance, or willingly or unwillingly, or by conscious act or by an unconscious but ignominious dressing, if your dressing is causing a stumbling block of sin for men who are weak in heart to sin and fall in the world and church, whether or not they commit the act of sin with you or with someone else, you’ll certainly not make heaven because you are an offence in the world and in the kingdom – but whoso shall offend one of these little ones which believe in me, it were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and that he were drowned in the depth of the sea. Woe unto the world because of offences! For it must needs be that offences come; but woe to that man by whom the offence cometh! Matthew 18:6-7.
The carnal and delusional broad way believers considers godly women without earrings, necklace and strange clothes as those who are in bondage, while the opposite is the truth that the worldly believers who are found with earrings and necklace are indeed imprisoned to the world instead of being crucified to the world. As a woman of God, your sexual attractiveness and figure is exclusively meant for your husband’s satisfaction and appreciation at home – the appearance of your breasts should always satisfies him and not an outsider by way of improper or inadequate covering of the chest. The purpose of your salvation is for total transformation and sanctification of the body, soul and spirit from within by the renewal and regeneration of the spirit of God. Some carnal and unbroken Christians will argue that clothing does not matter to God by falsely quoting God looks into the heart, but not outwardly which has nothing to do with the texts before us: but Christ will say that because your heart is still corrupt with lusts and uncleanness, it can be seen by the type of clothes you put on, – and until your heart is cleansed, and you are renewed in the spirit of your mind, your outward appearance and presentation will remain the same like the unregenerate people of the world – woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For ye make clean the outside of the cup and of the platter, but within they are full of extortion and excess. Thou blind Pharisee, cleanse first that which is within the cup and platter, that the outside of them may be clean also. Matthew 23:25-26. Note: It is not only of praise to God to dress godly and appear in godliness, but you must also comport in godliness and exercise yourself in all godliness. 1 Timothy 4:7.
The changes wrought by Christ through the spirit of God starts from within. Both inner and outward cleanliness, sanctification and presentation are very important to God as the Lord has given himself to the church that he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish. The degree of our inner cleansing and brokenness reflect in our physical appearance and the presentation – the outward man: beauty is deceitful and favor is vain, but the woman that fear God shall be praised. Proverbs 31:30.
We should fight for the faith which was once delivered and lived out by the saints of old, commended and approved by God as our perfect example for emulation, if we are to please and be acceptable to God. We must contend for this kind of Christian dressing code which God expect from us alongside with his holy fear – the fear of the Lord is clean or pure. The grace of God must not be turned to lasciviousness (given to, or expressing lusts, consciously or unconsciously exciting sexual desires in others because of seductive dress or appearance) otherwise we are living an ungodly life, and are doomed for condemnation and destruction afterlife. Jude 3-4.
In Genesis 35: 1-5, before the incident of the golden calf, God gave instruction to patriarch Jacob concerning the dressing code for the women professing godliness women (for he had four wives with him).They are to put away the strange gods that were among them, or the strange gods their lives, and be physically clean, and be as natural as they were born and made in the image and glory of God – for the grace of God that brings salvation hath appeared to all men, teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world; looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Savior Jesus Christ; who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works. Titus 2; 11-14.
God made it known to Jacob that not all clothes are acceptable and fitted for worship in the house of God. They households of Jacob must change their clothes before they approach the thrice holy God for fellowship or worship. Total change in heart (Joel 2:13) brings, render and tender the heart to total transformation and conformity and trembling to the word of God. They all (Jacob’s women) in response gave unto Jacob all the strange gods which were in their hands (bangles, necklaces and wrist chains) and all their earrings which were in their ears; and Jacob hid them under the oak which was by She- chem. Genesis 35; 1-4.
You are of your father the devil, the lusts of your father you will fulfilled…the argument presented here by Christ was that a daughter of Jezebel – a daughter of Belial will manifest physical characteristic features of her mother Jezebel and of her father – Satan to paint her lips, fingers, nails and face with red and other colors. 2 kings 9: 30. Why should you be altering the perfect work of God in your life by the appearances of worldliness? 1 John 2:15-17. If your hair is naturally black or white, why should you turn it to red, blue or yellow color? If God wanted you to have earrings on you, he ought to have made holes on both sides of your ears when you were born – God made man upright, but they have sought out many inventions! Ecclesiastes 7:29.
I pray that God will open your eyes to the spiritual realities of extra hair attachments on your head as you ignorantly open the door for the evil spirits into your life through them; including the wigs and such hair doing like Bob Marley which has given right to another master (demons) to lay claims on you! The beauty of the great price is of a great reward in the sight of God. Such spiritual beauty is manifested in your natural presentation from the light of God’s word though the worldly and carnal believers would mock that you are being religious in your obedience before God. This is not a tradition or doctrine of man as many worldly believers are claiming. It is the biblical code and manner of dressing for the redeemed under the blood bought covenant who are crucified to the world and the world is crucified to them, for no fair show whatever in the flesh.
Believer is said to be delivered from this present evil world (Galatians 1:4), but if your eye is evil by your conformity to the world, how great is the darkness which is in you? Moreover the Lord said, because the daughters of Zion are haughty, and walk with stretched forth necks and wanton eyes, walking and mincing as they go, and making a tinkling with their feet; therefore the Lord will smite with a scab the crown of the head of the daughters of Zion, and the Lord will discover their secret parts. In that day, the Lord will take away the bravery of their tinkling ornaments about their feet, and their cauls, and their round tires like the moon. The chains, and the bracelets, and the mufflers. The bonnets and the ornaments of the legs, and the headbands, and the tablets, and the earrings. The rings, and the nose jewels. The changeable suits of apparel, and the mantles, and the wimples, and the crisping pins…Isaiah 3; 16-26.
The manifestation of spiritual gifts is never the ground of a place in heaven. Matthew 7:21-23. You must live by every word of God and the simplicity in Christ Jesus. Don’t think and assumed that all shall be well as long you’re speak in tongues, see visions or revelations, work miracles and prophesying – remember that the gifts and the calling of God are without repentance. The presentation of your body at the altar of non – conformity to the world as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God is our submission to the perfect will of God; even as Jesus did, that he might sanctified us with his own blood, suffered without the gate – outside the city. The writer of Hebrews epistle then enjoined us to come to or go after Christ without any mark or trace of the world in us, bearing the reproach of Christ – wherefore Jesus also, that he might sanctify the people with his own blood, suffered without the gate. Let us go forth therefore unto him without the camp, bearing his reproach. For here we have no continuing city, but we seek one to come. Hebrews 13; 12-14. The reproach of Christ is the believer’s freedom and total hatred for the love of the world in the lusts of the eyes, lusts of the flesh and the pride of life. It is seen in those who are living in the two fold crucified life to the world and self. Galatians 6:14.
If we are not crucified to self, we can’t be crucified to the world. If we are not totally crucified with Christ, we cannot be crucified to self. It is our total crucifixion with Christ and self that will bring about the deadness to the attractiveness and the appellation of the fancies of the flesh and of the world in exchange for the wondrous attraction of the cross for a crucified life, and for the testimony or attestation from the people of the world that we are with Christ. Galatians 2:20.
The standard, demands and authority of God’s word, his expectations of obedience and submission to them in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation has not abated nor changed. The word of God cannot be altered nor diminished for any culture or people. It cannot be changed for a nation, civilization or time. Those that are saved from different culture, nations and mentality are expected to live out the word, irrespective of the century they are living in, and to shine as light in the world – this is the new creature! From the heart comes the issues of life…. total brokenness and death from within is reflected by the non- conformity to the standards, usages, practices, mentality, ways, doings, presentations, physical appearances, reasoning’s and living of the uncircumcised in hearts – whose mind is blinded, having the understanding darkened…aliens from the life of God, because of the ignorance that is in them. Do you really understand such word as to keep yourself UNSPOTTED FROM THE WORLD as a mark of an approved religious life before God? Are they seeing you as one of them or as a different person, transformed by the power of the word of God and of the spirit’s quickening of the Spirit? James 1:27
Do you need another –special personal conviction from the spirit of God before you put into practice what is written in word of God? This is the excuse, deception and stubbornness of the wide gate seekers and worshippers leading them to hell. The Word and the Spirit is one. The Spirit cannot override nor contradict the word; neither will he strive with man. If any man will keep his commandment he shall know and understand these doctrines in the new creatures, the beloved of his God, clothed with meekness and quietness in the glory of the eternal-unchanging word as of the glory of the Only begotten of God, full of grace and truth.
Change your wardrobe and clothing, woman must not wear what belongs to man and man shall not wear what belongs to woman, for they that do such things are abomination unto God. Deuteronomy 22:5.
Worldliness is a big deal of sin awaiting many you at the judgment seat, by then it shall be too late to repent of it. 1Timothy 5:24. Ignore the corrupt custom from Scotland where men put on skirts or any other places where men are wearing skirt and women are wearing trousers. The Spirit of God through his holy Apostle is not writing this to the women of that age alone, but to the believers of all ages. The word of God is for all ages, nations and people, settled forever in heaven. It is required and applicable for all and sundry. You are not of the world, therefore, do not dress to appear or live like them. Do not think that Christ shall judge you, but you have one that shall judge you, even the word you let fall to the ground shall stand against you in the Day of Judgment against you. John 12:47-50.