Your experience when you dropped "dress standards"

[Digging4Truth]

Originally Posted by Falla39

They can be, but need not be!!

Absolutely...


Some fulfill the rule of law but miss the spirit. They are wearing a dress... fulfilling some technicality and yet they are as immodest as most any woman wearing pants.

[SeekingOne]

Originally Posted by *AQuietPlace*

And I still want to know how people 200 years ago were "separate from the world". They looked exactly like everyone around them. An atheist woman would have had a floor-length skirt, long sleeves, and a bun hairdo. How was the church "separate" then? You couldn't walk into "The General Store" then and spot a Christian right off by glancing at them.

Me too. A friend and I were discussing "the pants thing" a couple of nights ago. She said she would never wear pants because dresses are the only "for sure" female clothing. Then she said how much she likes walking into a store and know who the Christians are. Huhhh? So we dress so we can recognize each other, but it matters not that we drive others away from us?

I visited a church recently due to a guest speaker there. The people there do not have a dress standard. I really wanted to talk with some people there, that were "for sure" from a rough background. I walked up to one of them and tried to speak to them, but they just said, "Hi" and walked away like they didn't want to hear what I might say.

I was sooooo saddened. If I had been dressed in a modest pair of pants, or maybe wore the dress I had on but didn't have my hair like a UPCer, THAT would not have happened!

Like it or not, when we dress like a "Holiness" person, we are judging those that do not. Then, when you read the Bible and see that Jesus did not require a certain style of dress, He dressed like everyone else (not temple prostitutes though) and he hung out with sinners, you wonder where in the world we are going with all this stuff?

I am seriously struggling with all of this. I don't want to offend those that I know that do think their salvation depends on how they dress, but I think it is more important that I go into all the world and preach the gospel, not go into all the world and preach a dress code.

[Pressing-On]

Originally Posted by Digging4Truth

Absolutely...


Some fulfill the rule of law but miss the spirit. They are wearing a dress... fulfilling some technicality and yet they are as immodest as most any woman wearing pants.

Digging,
I'm glad that you qualified your statement by the use of the word - some.

I think it's a total broadbrush either way - pants vs. dress - when we are discussing the outward appearance.

A friend of mine who happens to be a Christian (pants wearer ) and the Mayor's wife told me that during one of her daily walks she passed by my house and heard me getting onto my children about something.

She said, "I was very surprised and impressed that you didn't use any curse words."

She uses them all the time and also heads up a local cell group from her church.

Some people don't have a clue regardless of what they wear. It's always a matter of the heart - in a dress or pants. I wasn't raised in this "standards" way and see more people, that grew up in it, opposing the issue more than those that come in from out of the world. Just my observation.

My stand would be - it would be very awesome to allow God to do the convicting of any standard a saint would carry and not qualify them as saved by a specific type of clothing.

We know that the world does see that we are Christians by our love for one another, but they will also know by our decency of dress. What is on the inside, will certainly be reflected on the outside, but I know that you already agree with that.

[*AQuietPlace*]

Originally Posted by Pressing-On

My stand would be - it would be very awesome to allow God to do the convicting of any standard a saint would carry and not qualify them as saved by a specific type of clothing.

This would truly be wonderful. I hope we reach that point some day.

[Rhoni]

Originally Posted by Digging4Truth

Absolutely...


Some fulfill the rule of law but miss the spirit. They are wearing a dress... fulfilling some technicality and yet they are as immodest as most any woman wearing pants.

LOL. Not all women who wear pants are dressed immodestly. That is a UPCI misconception

[Pressing-On]

Originally Posted by *AQuietPlace*

This would truly be wonderful. I hope we reach that point some day.

I do see that happening, albeit, slowly. I look forward to it. The power of the move of God's Spirit, that we preach, must be shown to be as powerful working in each life. I think we should stretch and test that because it will not fail.

I know this because when my daughter was out of church, I found that when I took my hands off of the situation and put it in God's hands, He began to do a powerful work. I am still amazed to this day and it gave me more of an awareness of the "power" that we live and preach!

When my husband teaches, he tells the congregation that he is in no way trying to downplay the role of a pastor, but it is very crucial that we would go to God with our problems, situations and issues - first - leave it there and allow the preached Word to answer our questions. That gives us confidence that God is listening to our prayers. I amen him on that!

[Rhoni]

Originally Posted by Aquila

John 13:35
By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.

It doesn't matter how you dress if you're not loving to others, including others who count Christ as Lord but don't think like you.

I believe in modesty... but "clothes line preaching" is preached opinion of man.

Originally Posted by *AQuietPlace*

This would truly be wonderful. I hope we reach that point some day.

[*AQuietPlace*]

Originally Posted by Pressing-On

The power of the move of God's Spirit, that we preach, must be shown to be as powerful working in each life. I think we should stretch and test that because it will not fail.

I know this because when my daughter was out of church, I found that when I took my hands off of the situation and put it in God's hands, He began to do a powerful work. I am still amazed to this day and it gave me more of an awareness of the "power" that we live and preach! !

This is so true! I, too, have come to trust that God can handle his own business! I just have to trust him. I also had a child who walked away from God, but he was never out of God's hand. And now he's serving God again, and growing closer to him every day. God can handle his children.

This is one of the things that bothers me about churches that preach so many rules. We're depriving people of learning to walk with God for themselves. We don't trust God to work in people's hearts. Did they get the Holy Ghost or did they not? If they did, it can and will lead them.

[Pressing-On]

Originally Posted by *AQuietPlace*

This is so true! I, too, have come to trust that God can handle his own business! I just have to trust him. I also had a child who walked away from God, but he was never out of God's hand. And now he's serving God again, and growing closer to him every day. God can handle his children.

This is one of the things that bothers me about churches that preach so many rules. We're depriving people of learning to walk with God for themselves. We don't trust God to work in people's hearts. Did they get the Holy Ghost or did they not? If they did, it can and will lead them.

Amen - His Spirit is so very powerful, working, personal and awesome.

To be fair, though, I see a core of people, with standards, that are solid as a rock - faithful and full of compassion, love and a desire to see all men saved.

[ILG]

First things I did:

1. Got a wedding band.
2. Got a Christmas tree.
3. Wore culottes.
4. Started braiding my hair.
5. Started watching videos.