Week of Prayer, December 6–15, 2013 - sdarm.ca

of “caveman-style” clothing, He madethem coats of skins. He fully clothedthem with garments that symbolizedthe plan of redemption. In the sameway, when a person finally acceptsChrist as his or her personal Saviour,immediately there is seen a change inthe way he or she dresses. Instead of figleaves, people are fully clothed, as willbe discussed in the next article.In the same manner as Adam and Evelooked upon their new clothing, theywould remember that Christ died so thatthey could live. We also would, whenwe accept Jesus as our personal Saviour,have a change of clothing. Whenever welook at the principles of dress reformas given to the people of God in thelast days and even see a cross attachedto it at times, we remember the plan ofredemption for sinners and that Christ isour righteousness. “The dress reform istreated by some with great indifferenceand by others with contempt, becausethere is a cross attached to it. For thiscross I thank God. It is just what weneed to distinguish and separate God’scommandment-keeping people fromthe world.” 10Identification“I saw that the ax must be laid at theroot of the tree. Such pride should notbe suffered in the church. It is thesethings that separate God from Hispeople, that shut the ark away fromthem. Israel have been asleep to thepride, and fashion, and conformity tothe world, in the very midst of them.They advance every month in pride,covetousness, selfishness, and loveof the world. When their hearts areaffected by the truth, it will cause adeath to the world, and they will layaside the ribbons, laces, and collars;and, if they are dead, the laugh, thejeer, and scorn of unbelievers will notmove them. They will feel an anxiousdesire to be separate from the world,like their Master. They will not imitateits pride, fashions, or customs. Thenoble object will be ever before them,to glorify God and gain the immortalinheritance. This prospect will swallowup all beside of an earthly nature. Godwill have a people separate and distinctfrom the world. And as soon asany have a desire to imitate the fashionsof the world, that they do not immediatelysubdue, just so soon God ceases toacknowledge them as His children.” 11God gave Israel the principles ofdress reform not only as a reminderof Christ’s sacrifice for humanity, butalso for the purpose of identifying Hispeople. As we read Numbers 15:37–41,God made a simple arrangementof placing a ribbon of blue to identifywho are His people. “Here Godexpressly commanded a very simple arrangementof dress for the children ofIsrael for the purpose of distinguishingthem from the idolatrous nationsaround them. As they looked upontheir peculiarity of dress, they wereto remember that they were God’scommandment-keeping people, andthat He had wrought in a miraculousmanner to bring them from Egyptianbondage to serve Him, to be a holypeople unto Him. They were not toserve their own desires, or to imitatethe idolatrous nations around them,but to remain a distinct, separatepeople, that all who looked upon themmight say: These are they whom Godbrought out of the land of Egypt, whokeep the law of Ten Commandments.An Israelite was known to be such assoon as seen, for God through simplemeans distinguished him as His.“The order given by God to the childrenof Israel to place a ribbon of bluein their garments was to have no directinfluence on their health, only asGod would bless them by obedience,and the ribbon would keep in theirmemory the high claims of Jehovahand prevent them from mingling withother nations, uniting in their drunkenfeasts, and eating swine’s flesh andluxurious food detrimental to health.God would now have His peopleadopt the reform dress, not only todistinguish them from the world asHis ‘peculiar people,’ but because areform in dress is essential to physicaland mental health. God’s people have,to a great extent, lost their peculiarity,and have been gradually patterningafter the world, and mingling withthem, until they have in many respectsbecome like them. This is displeasingto God. He directs them, as He directedthe children of Israel anciently, tocome out from the world and forsaketheir idolatrous practices, not followingtheir own hearts (for their hearts areunsanctified) or their own eyes, whichhave led them to depart from God andto unite with the world.” 12ConclusionBy looking at all these statementsfrom the Bible and the Spirit of Prophecy,we can see that our God really lovesus. “And we have known and believedthe love that God hath to us. God islove; and he that dwelleth in love dwellethin God, and God in him” (1 John4:16). He gives us the principles of dressreform from His perspective of love. It isfor our benefit to follow these principlesfor physical, mental, and spiritualhealth and well-being. Not only does itbenefit us personally, but it identifies usas His peculiar people in this world.Every time we feel it is a cross todress in the prescribed manner thatGod gives us through the inspiredwritings, we are to remember that thismanner of dressing symbolizes thesacrifice of Jesus for a lost world. Themost important question for you todayis, Have you seen yourself as a sinnerin need of a Saviour? Have you seenJesus as the sacrifice for your sins? Haveyou accepted Him as your personalRedeemer? If you have not, then nowis the time to make this decision toaccept Him wholeheartedly and gladlyaccept the coats of skins (principlesof dress reform) as a symbol of thatacceptance. RReferences1Testimonies, vol. 2, p. 441. [Emphasissupplied.]2The Desire of Ages, p. 388.3The Great Controversy, p. 46. [Emphasis supplied.]4The Desire of Ages, p. 309.5Testimonies, vol. 1, p. 278. [Emphasis supplied.]6The SDA Bible Commentary [E. G. WhiteComments], vol. 1, p. 1081.7The Spirit of Prophecy, vol. 1, p. 40. [Emphasissupplied.]8Testimonies, vol. 4, p. 636.9Ibid., vol. 1, p. 136. [Emphasis supplied.]10Ibid., vol. 3, p. 171.11Ibid., vol. 1, pp. 136, 137. [Emphasis supplied.]12Ibid., pp. 524, 525. [Emphasis supplied.]The Reformation Herald, Vol. 54, No. 6 19