I think many of us in the UCPI get distracted from the central themes of the bible. The main themes that I see repeated over and over again are Christ's work on the cross and the forgiveness/salvation it brings, faith in that work, love as well as the rest of fruit of the spirit (love is highlighted), being born again as per
Acts 2:38, etc.
Even though there are many closely related central issues that Jesus put emphasis on time and time again, it seems we tend to pick at mostly the "motes" if you will. The rarely mentioned and not emphasized parts of the word seem to be what the majority focus on.
Please don't misunderstand me, all of the bible is truth and all parts are important, but if Jesus and his apostles paid great care and attention to the delivery of certain select subjects (almost as if they felt they were of utmost importance and we really needed to make sure we got the point
), should we not in turn pay more attention to those subjects?
Concerning "holiness standards", my opinion has always stayed the same. I don't see them stressed in the bible, nor clearly stated, so I do not overemphasize them in my life. I clearly see the need to carry myself in an appropriate manner so I may represent God in the manner He deserves to be represented. I understand that the bible asks me to be modest, so modesty is what God gets from me in that regard. Of course there are the obvious things like murder, theft, adultery, fornication etc. that are plainly expressed and none can argue, being so plainly stated.
As per the dress code part of the "holiness standards", I again exercise modesty. I cannot see dress codes as a salvation issue for they are not stressed, nor are they plainly stated in the bible. (((Woman not wearing clothing pertaining to man, vice-versa,
imo, simply refers to society's standard, [as long as we are the modest version of said standard], seeing as the whole point is meant to let us be seen by the world as separate sexes, and set apart by being the modest version of said separate sexes. At the time of it's writing [clothing pertaining too ...] men and woman both wore the same clothing, except there were male/female versions.)))
The best example, biblically, that I can come up with concerning outward standards and Christ's position on them, is the Pharisees. (No offense, just being honest.) They felt they were justified in God's eyes, based on their appearance/works and started twisting even spiritual things into fleshly acts such as fasting and praying. The whole law was a physical
effort to be holy. Jesus explicitly stated that ....
Matthew 5:20 - For I say unto you, That except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven.
As we all know the Pharisee's righteousness was summed up as ....
Matthew 23:28 - Even so ye also outwardly appear righteous unto men, but within ye are full of hypocrisy and iniquity.
I am by no means saying anyone here is a hypocrite or a Pharisee. The point is, this outward stuff didn't seem to please Jesus very much. Just a couple versus up he told the Pharisee's he was more interested in the inside of man than the outside.
All that to say this, if we start where God starts, the inside, the inner man/heart, and let God bring us to full maturity, we will inevitably begin to wear the true holiness of God that is on the inside of us, on the outside (Without the conscious effort due to stressing the issue).8
Ephesians 4:24 - And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.
Eph. 4:24 clearly states that when we are born again, we are new creatures that are created by God in
true holiness. No matter what you were wearing at the moment you were saved, in that moment, you had true holiness in you.
Once more, it's just my opinion, but I think it is wise to cease telling people they are going to hell or disappointing God because of their dress, and really get down to business concerning what God plainly stated were salvation issues.
Threaded Mode
