David J. Stewart #fundie jesus-is-savior.com

The other thing that convinced me was the doctrine of separation from the world. The fashion of the world is to wear pants (patterned after men's clothing). This wasn't the case until about 100 years ago, when actresses began wearing pant suits that resembled men's suits. Before that, women almost universally wore dresses (I remember my Granny saying that she wore her brother's overalls to pick cotton to keep her legs from getting all scratched up). So the fashion of the world became women wearing pants. I felt that, to be separate from the world, I needed to dress differently than the world. I also needed to be feminine and distinctively female; there should be a noticeable difference between my clothes and a man's clothes. The difference in our culture is that women wear dresses and men wear pants, so I believe it's right for me to wear dresses.

Several years ago, my pastor gave some principles for Christian dress. They're very helpful, and they can be applied to male or female, pants or dresses.

1. Modesty - does this clothing cover me adequately? I Tim. 2:9


2. Not worldly - does this clothing reflect the current trends of Hollywood and TV? I John 2:15


3. Difference - does this clothing easily show there's a difference between me and the opposite gender? Deut. 22:5


4. Inoffensive - does this clothing offend a brother or sister in Christ? As a woman, will this cause my brother to stumble or think lustfully about me? Rom 14:7-8,12-13 I Cor. 10:23; 8:13


5. Glorifies God - does this clothing glorify God, or does it call attention to me and glorify me? I Cor. 10:31

As for this being a matter between a wife, husband, and God:

A saved man will encourage his wife to do what God is laying on her heart. Several ladies have mentioned how their husbands didn't see the need for dresses only, but supported them in wearing them because the ladies felt that is what God wanted them to do. With an unsaved husband, the dress issue can be a witness to her husband in one of two ways: if he doesn't mind her wearing dresses only, it can be a witness of her changed life; if he doesn't want her to wear dresses only, her submission to him in this area will be a witness to him (especially if she makes sure to wear what pleases him when they are at home, even if she wears dresses all the rest of the time).

This issue is just like any other that families have to make a decision about. If your heart is open to do whatever God wants you to, and you study scriptures related to it and come to a different conclusion than others, you've done what you need to to follow God's leading. We have freedom in Christ to follow Him as He leads us to. I don't know why some people develop certain convictions and others don't. How people dress is not a salvation issue; it's a separation issue. It's not my job to win them over to my way of thinking on separation - it's the Holy Spirit's job to teach them how God wants them to live. If they ask why I believe something, I'll tell them; otherwise, I stay quiet.

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