Men should always be concerned about their appearance. God’s men have great respect and modesty in their appearance so as not to shame God or send forth a “stinking savour” to man “for man looketh on the outward appearance” (1 Samuel 16:7).
A godly man realizes the first impression he gives to this world is in his dress and appearance. He is careful of his testimony to younger boys watching him. He is not a slob. He has a dress code. He keeps his clothes on. He honors the Lord by reverencing the human body. “If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are.” (1 Corinthians 3:17).
He claims no “right” to his own body for the Bible is clear on this matter. 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 puts it best, “What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s.”
He glorifies God in his body every chance he gets. For instance, he doesn’t go to church on Sunday dressed like he is going to a picnic, but like he is going to the Lord’s house! He is going into the presence of Royalty, to the home of the King of Kings.
One grieves others by dressing down in the presence of the God that others respect so much. One wouldn’t go to a job interview or into the audience of a dignitary that way. God should be respected most. A godly man wears his best out of honor for Christ and respect for others. Especially for the senior citizens at church, who had such respect for “holyday” (Psalm 42:4) that they always wore their “Sunday-go-to-meeting” clothes and shoes.
Men should abhor nakedness, for God abhors it. The first thing God did when Adam and Eve sinned was kill animals and make them “coats of skins” (Genesis 3:21). Nakedness brings people low. 2 Chronicles 28:19 says, “For the Lord brought Judah low because of Ahaz king of Israel; for he made Judah naked, and transgressed sore against the Lord.” It is a sore transgression before the Lord that leads to lewdness, sexual sin, and judgment (study Leviticus 18:6-30).
Peter was fishing naked one day. As soon as Jesus came around, Peter threw his clothes on, jumped into the water, and swam to Jesus (John 21:7). He appeared embarrassed by his appearance. We are always in Christ’s appearance today and that should prompt us to perpetual modesty. Even around water! Amen?
We should keep our shirts on and our thighs and legs covered (contemplate Isaiah 47:2, 3). Having thighs showing is nakedness and shame. Isaiah said it is not manly. Our buttocks should be covered (2 Samuel 10:4-5; Isaiah 20:4). Our privates should be covered. Although Michal’s spirit was not right, her complaint to her husband, David, had some truth to it (2 Samuel 6:20).
Our clothing should not be “soft” (Matthew 11:8 – same Greek word translated effeminate in 1 Corinthians 6:9) nor “strange” (Zepheniah 1:8 – God will punish them, read it!). “Strange” means different, outlandish, or unexpected. Thus our clothing should be masculine and conservative. Not out of the ordinary. Not feminine.
We ought not to wear earrings. The Jews did when coming out of Egypt, but the ear was used as an appendage to carry the gold that would be needed later for the furniture in the tabernacle (they did not have carts or horses). All other references to earrings on men led to trouble. A case in point would be the statement, “For they had golden earrings, because they were Ishmaelites” in Judges 8:24. Men should not tatoo their bodies (Leviticus 19:28). Men should not shave their heads or grow their hair long. They should cut their hair and keep it short (Ezekiel 44:20; 1 Corinthians 11:14).
All this and more is found in the Bible. It sounds like God wants us to be clothed, conservative and a good testimony by our physical appearance so as not to turn anyone away from the faith. What message do you send with your appearance?
