“And it shall come to pass in the day of the LORD’S sacrifice, that I will punish the princes, and the king’s children, and all such as are clothed with strange apparel” (Zephaniah 1:8).
TEXT —Zephaniah 1:1-9
Message
When government officials in the State of Georgia decided to streamline the licensing process by allowing drivers to upload their own photos, they did not anticipate the unintended consequences. But recently, they decided to be a bit more explicit in their instructions. A recent Facebook post from the Georgia Department of Driver Services read, “Attention, lovely people of the digital era. Please take pictures with your clothes on when submitting them for your Digital Driver’s License and IDs.”
In Zephaniah’s prophecy made up of just three chapters, indecent dressing was mentioned as a sin to be punished by God. There is a clear link between the digression into idolatry, the culture of immoral practices, and indecent dressing. Of particular mention was the worship of the hosts of heaven, and the abominations of the surrounding nations, prominent among which was Baal, the Canaanite god of rain and fertility. God also promised to punish those who advanced the culture of indecency and sanction the princes and king’s children who modeled it.
Right from the book of Genesis, after Adam and Eve ate the forbidden fruit and became aware of their nakedness, they made leaves to cover themselves, but God provided animal skin for proper coverage and protection against the cold weather. Since then, clothing has been an established feature of man’s existence. After the Fall, man acquired a depraved nature which is expressed in many ways including lust of the flesh and the eyes. Beyond covering, clothing has become part of our identity. It is an expression of our principles, character, and virtues.
Believers in Christ in whose lives “old things are passed away” may not be able to stop the indecent dressing in the world, but they are not expected to adopt them. Our dress sense should be guided by decency and modesty (1 Timothy 2:9,10). Some church authorities have surrendered to the stiff resistance they faced in their attempt to correct erring members. Some influential leaders and members of churches are, disappointingly, at the vanguard of the promotion of the strange apparel frowned upon by God. Indecent, extravagant, suggestive displays in appearance, behaviour, and communication do not glorify God and are unbecoming of a true Christian.
Thought for the day
Indecent dressing may seem normal to the world, but they are strange to God’s people.
Listed among “500 most powerful people on the planet” by the Foreign Policy magazine in 2013, Pastor (Dr.) William F. Kumuyi is the founder and General Superintendent of the Deeper Christian Life Ministry (DCLM) headquartered in Lagos, Nigeria. DCLM started in 1973 as a 15-member Bible study group right in Kumuyi’s apartment at University of Lagos where he was a lecturer. His revolutionary Bible teaching on personal holiness and commitment to evangelism soon gained so much traction and resulted in a widespread revival.
1 comment
Thank you Lord for today’s daily manna and the message therein. Almighty God, please save us from falling into abnormalities and indecent attitudes in our way of life. Please help me to live life in moderation, and in line with your admonitions in Jesus’ name, Amen.
Thank you Lord for today’s daily manna and the message therein. Almighty God, please save us from falling into abnormalities and indecent attitudes in our way of life. Please help me to live life in moderation, and in line with your admonitions in Jesus’ name, Amen.