Friday, <strong>December</strong> 13, <strong>2013</strong>By David ZicThe issue<strong>of</strong> dress reformis both simple andcompli<strong>ca</strong>ted. Simple,be<strong>ca</strong>use Scriptureand Inspiration so clearly outline itsimportance and give clear instructionon the issue. Compli<strong>ca</strong>ted, be<strong>ca</strong>use fortoo long we have not taken the issueseriously. While a few have sighed andcried about the increasing influence <strong>of</strong>worldly fashion among our own people,the majority <strong>of</strong> us were inclined toset this aside as a fringe issue. Now theresults <strong>of</strong> years <strong>of</strong> neglect on this issueare being felt in the overall conditionfound among the pr<strong>of</strong>essed people <strong>of</strong>God. We must now confront this issueas never before, or face a consequencethat will lead us to destruction.As a man I must admit that the issuein the past did not seem to be so importantto me. Clearly the fashion industryis targeted more at women thanmen. But the trends are changing andmen are now as likely as women to betargets <strong>of</strong> Satan’s devices in this respect.The moral depravity so rampant insociety must be addressed, or we willbe swallowed up as a people by a wavethat will take us far out to sea and awayfrom the Rock <strong>of</strong> our Salvation.“Enter ye in at the strait gate: forwide is the gate, and broad is the way,that leadeth to destruction, and manythere be which go in thereat: be<strong>ca</strong>usestrait is the gate, and narrow is the way,which leadeth unto life, and few therebe that find it” (Matthew 7:13, 14).The <strong>ca</strong>ll to be separateGod’s people are a separate people.That is why we are clearly bidden:“Be ye not unequally yoked togetherwith unbelievers: for what fellowshiphath righteousness with unrighteousness?and what communion hath lightwith darkness? And what concord hathChrist with Belial? or what part hathhe that believeth with an infidel? And20 The Reformation Herald, Vol. 54, No. 6
what agreement hath the temple <strong>of</strong>God with idols? for ye are the temple<strong>of</strong> the living God; as God hath said, Iwill dwell in them, and walk in them;and I will be their God, and they shallbe my people. Wherefore come outfrom among them, and be ye separate,saith the Lord, and touch not theunclean thing; and I will receive you,and will be a Father unto you, and yeshall be my sons and daughters, saiththe Lord Almighty” (2 Corinthians6:14–18).The fashion industryClothing is not sinful. In fact, clothingis used in Scripture to symbolizethe covering righteousness <strong>of</strong> Christ.But the enemy <strong>of</strong> souls has taken clothingand made it an idol that separateshumanity from their Creator. Thefashion industry is exploiting humanweakness to pride and vanity and thustying its victims to the things <strong>of</strong> thisworld.In contrast, the sons and daughters<strong>of</strong> God take the position to separatefrom the things <strong>of</strong> this world.“Love not the world, neither thethings that are in the world. If any manlove the world, the love <strong>of</strong> the Father isnot in him” (1 John 2:15).“Christ’s followers are requiredto come out from the world and beseparate, and touch not the unclean,and they have the promise <strong>of</strong> being thesons and daughters <strong>of</strong> the Most High,members <strong>of</strong> the royal family. But ifthe conditions are not complied withon their part, they will not, <strong>ca</strong>nnot,realize the fulfillment <strong>of</strong> the promise.A pr<strong>of</strong>ession <strong>of</strong> Christianity is nothingin the sight <strong>of</strong> God; but true, humble,willing obedience to His requirementsdesignates the children <strong>of</strong> His adoption,the recipients <strong>of</strong> His grace, the partakers<strong>of</strong> His great salvation. Such will bepeculiar, a spectacle unto the world, toangels, and to men. Their peculiar, holycharacter will be discernible, and willdistinctly separate them from the world,from its affections and lust.” 1Distinguished by the ribbon <strong>of</strong> blueWhen God wanted His people to bedifferent from the world, He wantedtheir dress to reflect this separation.“And the Lord spake unto Moses,saying, Speak unto the children <strong>of</strong>Israel, and bid them that they makethem fringes in the borders <strong>of</strong> theirgarments throughout their generations,and that they put upon the fringe <strong>of</strong>the borders a ribband <strong>of</strong> blue: and itshall be unto you for a fringe, that yemay look upon it, and remember allthe commandments <strong>of</strong> the Lord, anddo them; and that ye seek not afteryour own heart and your own eyes,after which ye use to go a whoring: thatye may remember, and do all my commandments,and be holy unto yourGod. I am the Lord your God, whichbrought you out <strong>of</strong> the land <strong>of</strong> Egypt,to be your God: I am the Lord yourGod” (Numbers 15:37–41).The ribbon <strong>of</strong> blue was a mark <strong>of</strong>identifi<strong>ca</strong>tion, not for them, but for theworld. Likewise, in the new dispensationour clothing is an identifyingmark to the world. As they see ouroutward appearance they are looking atour inward hearts.“Ye are our epistle written in ourhearts, known and read <strong>of</strong> all men” (2Corinthians 3:2).“Let the fashion change, and conveniencewould no longer be mentioned.It is the duty <strong>of</strong> every child <strong>of</strong> God toinquire: ‘Wherein am I separate fromthe world?’ Let us suffer a little inconvenience,and be on the safe side. Whatcrosses do God’s people bear? Theymingle with the world, partake <strong>of</strong> theirspirit, dress, talk, and act like them.” 2You <strong>ca</strong>nnot serve two masters. Whenyou become a slave to worldly fashion,you <strong>ca</strong>nnot at the same time claim tobe a follower <strong>of</strong> Christ.“No man <strong>ca</strong>n serve two masters: foreither he will hate the one, and lovethe other; or else he will hold to theone, and despise the other. Ye <strong>ca</strong>nnotserve God and mammon. Therefore Isay unto you, Take no thought for yourlife, what ye shall eat, or what ye shalldrink; nor yet for your body, what yeshall put on. Is not the life more thanmeat, and the body than raiment?”(Matthew 6:24, 25).Does this mean diet and dress arenot important? No. It’s simply thatwholehearted Christians are not preoccupiedwith these things be<strong>ca</strong>use theyhave submitted their lives to Christ andobediently do what Christ would do inregard to diet and dress.“Behold the fowls <strong>of</strong> the air: forthey sow not, neither do they reap, norgather into barns; yet your heavenlyFather feedeth them. Are ye not muchbetter than they?” (verse 26).In the same manner we should beseparate from the world in eating anddressing. We will not be preoccupiedwith these things.Christ is ready to lead you to Himfrom wherever you are at this moment.Do not worry where you havebeen till now. Do not worry aboutthose around you who will see thechange in your life. If we have notproperly reflected Christ to the worldtill now, we <strong>ca</strong>n begin today. What awonderful living testimony you <strong>ca</strong>nbecome <strong>of</strong> the power <strong>of</strong> Christ inconversion. A slave <strong>of</strong> fashion <strong>ca</strong>n befreed from this snare. Your connectionwith Christ will thus be evident to allthe world.For myself it was difficult to realizethe importance <strong>of</strong> the issue <strong>of</strong> dressreform until I realized this hard fact:There are only two things that you <strong>ca</strong>nreflect to this world. While the worldtries to tell you to be an “individual,”the reality is that you will reflect onlyone <strong>of</strong> two things to others. Whensomeone looks at you, you will either“True, humble, willing obedience to [God’s] requirementsdesignates the children <strong>of</strong> His adoption.”. . . Our clothing is an identifying mark tothe world. As they see our outward appearancethey are looking at our inward hearts.The Reformation Herald, Vol. 54, No. 6 21
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