HONORING GOD'S TEMPLE
The human body is a marvelous work of God's creation. David recognized this:
Psm. 139:13-16 "...You formed my inward parts; You covered me in my mother's womb. (14) I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Marvelous are Your works, and that my soul knows very well. (15) My frame was not hidden from You, when I was made in secret, and skillfully wrought in the lowest parts of the earth. (16) Your eyes saw my substance, being yet unformed. And in Your book they all were written. The days fashioned for me, when as yet there were none of them."
We are the crowning achievement of God's creation. All of creation was in preparation for man's introduction - all pointed at the final act on day 6.
Gen. 2:4-7 God made man a physical, living being.
Gen. 1:26-27 God made man in His image. A spirit being robed in flesh.
Paul recognized this dual-nature of man when speaking of death & resurrection
1 Cor. 15:44-49 A natural body - and a spiritual body that we long to be clothed
Between birth and death, our physical body is "where we live"and in which we will be judged.
2 Cor. 5:6-10 "So we are always confident knowing that while we are at home in the body we are absent from the Lord. (7) For we walk by faith, not by sight. (8) We are confident, yes, well pleased rather to be absent from the body and to be present with the Lord. (9) Therefore we make it our aim, whether present or absent, to be well pleasing to Him. (10) For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad."
Man has had a struggle in this body since the fall in the garden of Eden.
Paul wrestled with sin as we all do: (Rom. 7:13-ff)
Rom. 7:24 "O wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death?"
Looking back at creation - Adam & Eve were INNOCENT - as a little child
Gen. 2:25 "And they were both naked, the man and his wife, and were not ashamed."
But after they ate of the forbidden fruit - their eyes were opened to know both good and evil.
Gen. 3:7 "Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves coverings."
Their shame drove them to cover their nakedness with clothing.
Now Adam & Eve knew the shame of sin - and hid from God
Gen. 3:9-11 "Then the Lord God called to Adam and said to him, 'Where are you?' (10) So he said, 'I heard Your voice in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; and I hid myself.' (11) And He said, 'Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree of which I commanded you that you should not eat?' "
Notice what God did next after cursing their lives:
Gen. 3:21 "Also for Adam and his wife the Lord God made tunics of skin, and clothed them."
Why? Not for protection - they had been naked previously with no need.
Now, because of a sense of shame they needed suitable clothing.
Does it matter what we wear? God thinks so. He has much to say of it:
CONSIDER - God made man & woman attractive to eachother.
The Song of Solomon is a beautiful, poetic love song:
Song of Solomon 1:15-16 (To his wife) "Behold, you are fair, my love! Behold, you are fair! You have doe's eyes." (16)
(To her husband) "Behold, you are handsome, my beloved! Yes, pleasant!..."
God instituted the marriage law in which that attraction is to be fulfilled
Heb. 13:4 "Marriage is honorable among all, and the bed undefiled; but fornicators and adulterers God will judge."
Any abuse of this is a sin against God & against our body
1 Cor. 6:13-ff The body is not for sexual immorality - not designed for it
Our body belongs to God - not to us
Our body (belonging to God) can be made the instrument of sin
Sexual sin defiles our body - the temple of God
Our body & our spirit belong to God - glorify Him in both
The attraction between men & women is to be controlled in our heart
Mt. 5:27-30 (Jesus) "You have heard that it was said to those of old, 'You shall not commit adultery.' (28) But I say to you that whoever looks at a woman to lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart. (29) If your right eye causes you to sin, pluck it out and cast it from you; for it is more profitable for you that one of your members perish, than for your whole body to be cast into hell. (30) And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and cast it from you; for it is more profitable for you that one of your members perish, than for your whole body to be cast into hell."David was guilty of this (2 Sam. 11)
But we are responsible for not tempting others to sin. Understanding the attraction between man & woman, don't dress in such a way to provoke or encourage others to lust
Rom. 14:20-21 "Do not destroy the work of God for the sake of food. All things indeed are pure, but it is evil for the man who eats with offense. (21) It is good neither to eat meat nor drink wine nor do anything by which your brother stumbles or is offended or is made weak."
Do not destroy the work of God for the sake of clothing .
1 Tim. 2:8-10 "I desire therefore that the men pray everywhere, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and doubting; (9) in like manner also, that the women adorn themselves in modest apparel (kosmios = orderly, well- arranged, decent), with propriety (shamefacedness, kjv, a sense of shame, modesty) and moderation (sobriety, kjv, soundness of mind, of good judgment), not with braided hair or gold or pearls or costly clothing; (10) but, which is proper for women professing godliness, with good works."
This implies that there is improper dress
"Proper" dress = appropriate & characteristic of a godly woman.
Women (and men) need ot review their wardrobe to insure that what they wear is not provocative and inappropriate -short, tight, sheer, billboard for beer
1 Pet. 3:1-6 Dress is important, but the adornment of the heart is of greatest significance. If the heart is right, how we dress will
conform to godliness.
We must give account of what we did in this body & how we used it
Have we used it to fulfill our own lusts, or to cause another to stumble - or to glorify Him in His temple?
2 Cor. 5:10 "For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad."
INVITATION
Jn. 14:23 (Jesus) "If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him."
HONORING GOD'S TEMPLE
Part 2
Our body is a gift from God. It is on loan to us to be used in this life for His glory.
It is His temple & we are responsible for how we use it and dress it. Both body & spirit are His.
How do we glorify God in our body?
1. How we use our body in service to Him and
2. How we adorn our body. The subject of this lesson
As we pointed out in the previous lesson, we are responsible not to become a stumbling block to others - such as dressing to cause others to lust and commit sin in the heart (Mt. 25:27-30)
What we wear says something about us. It is part of what identifies us as God's children.
What we wear can also identify us as being defiant & rebelliousto God.
WHAT WE WEAR CAN ATTRACT SIN
Example - Uniforms identify career people: Postman, doctor, mechanic, harlot:
Prov. 7:6-10 "For at the window of my house I looked through my lattice, (7) and saw among the simple, I perceived among the youths, a young man devoid of understanding, (8) passing along the street near her corner; and he took the path to her house (9) in the twilight, in the evening, in the black and dark night. (10) And there a woman met him, with the attire of a harlot, and a crafty heart."
Gen. 38:12-15 Judah mistook his daughter-in-law for a harlot.
Notice: a widows garment, & the attire of a harlot.
Notice: Attire of a harlot was not skimpy but identifiable.
Beware - We identify ourselves by how we dress. Don't send a wrong signal.
WHAT WE WEAR CAN SHOW RESPECT FOR OTHERS
Joseph respected the office & authority of Pharaoh when called to him:
Gen. 41:14 "Then Pharaoh sent and called Joseph, and they brought him quickly out of the dungeon; and he shaved, changed his clothing, and came to Pharaoh."
Jesus used this concept of respect for others & for the occasion:
Mt. 22:1-14 A man attending a wedding feast at the king's invitation came improperly dressed. This was in disrespect of the occasion.
Consider: Weddings, funerals, worship.
The assembly of worship has become an occasion of casual dress.
Consider - Why are we here?
Acts 20:7 "Now on the first day of the week, when the disciples came together to break bread, Paul, ready to depart the next day, spoke to them and continued his message until midnight."
Mt. 18:20 "For where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of them."
Notice Moses' words to Aaron after Nadab & Abihu died because of failing
to honor God by offering profane worship:
Lev. 10:3 "And Moses said to Aaron, 'This is what the Lord spoke, saying: 'By those who come near Me I must be regarded as holy; and before all the people I must be glorified.' ..."
Psm. 89:7 "God is greatly to be feared in the assembly of the saints, and to be held in reverence by all those around Him."
Growing up, we dressed in our best for worship. My parents were teaching me that what we were about to do was something special.
THERE IS ANOTHER SIDE TO THIS MATTER
Each one must examine their own heart on sincerity & reverence for God.
No one can nor should do this. There is no "dress code" for worship. If so, it is imposed by man.
Consider the issue of a woman's covering in the assembly. It was a matter of custom and personal preference, not a "dress code."
However, also notice that it was also a matter of respect for that custom.
1 Cor. 11:1-16 "but if anyone seems to be contentious, we have no such custom, nor do the churches of God."
We are not at liberty to judge others based on their clothing.
Jas. 2:1-9 This is unjustly judging others based on social status.
Note - the poor or rich were distinguished by their dress.
The poor could do no better.
The rich can become extravagant & flaunt their wealth.(Attitude)
Mt. 23:5 (Jesus) "But all their (scribes & Pharisees) works they do to be seen by men. They make their phylacteries broad and enlarge the borders of their garments. (6) They love the best places at feasts, the best seats in the synagogues, (7) greetings in the marketplaces, and to be called by men, 'Rabbi, Rabbi.' "
Phylacteries - "A small strip of parchment with portions of the law written on it, fastened by a leather strap to the forehead or left arm as a reminder of their duty to keep God's commands.
How we dress is a matter of judgment & personal preference - like to that of eating meat offered to an idol.
Rom. 14:1-4 Let not him who wears a suit despise (look down on) he who doesn't. (Assumes he is slack & has a heart problem -He may.)
Let not him who does not wear a suit judge him who does.
(Assuming he is self-righteous & better than others. - He may be.)
Rom. 14:12-13 God is the judge - not us.
Jas. 4:11-12 "Do not speak evil of one another, brethren. He who speaks evil of a brother and judges his brother, speaks evil of the law and judges the law. But if you judge the law, you are not a doer of the law but a judge. (12) There is one Lawgiver, who is able to save and to destroy. Who are you to judge another?
INVITATION
Our greatest concern is that what we do in & with our body is pleasing to God who will judge us on the last day.
2 Cor. 5:1-10 "For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad."
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