I recently heard
a statement that went something like this:
“If you are
going to witness, then you should wear a suit and tie because you are
representing Jesus”.
Now maybe I misunderstood
this, please tell me if you think I did. Since when did wearing a suit,
tie or the combination thereof become a prerequisite for sharing the
gospel? Since when were representatives of Christ identified by the
suits they wear? I believe that many times we as Christians go along
with things like this because it sounds good. My fear is that we will
start equating our clothing with some level of holiness; burdening down
people in ANOTHER layer of legalism. I can find NOWHERE in the New Testament
where Jesus told the Disciples how to dress or that a certain way of
dressing would show others that He was their Lord. I don’t find
anything about this in the writings of Paul or Peter and something quite
the opposite in the book of James. I understand the good intentions
behind the idea that we should “dress our best” at church
or when soul winning BUT I don’t find this taught in scripture.
I can’t find even one scripture!
There are; however,
some guidelines. First John teaches that we are to be separated from
the world and I believe this includes our clothing. Also, we are to
dress modestly (this is also taught repeatedly). In other words, don’t
wear a Metallica shirt when you go soul winning (of course you shouldn’t
even have a Metallica shirt if you call yourself a Christian). Don’t
wear a skirt with less material than a hankerchef when you go to church.
Finally, the Bible teaches that we should abstain from all appearance
of evil.
In conclusion, as
long as you cover up (dress modestly) and avoid looking worldy, whatever
you wear should be just fine. If you want to wear a suit, then wear
one! If you don’t want to wear one, then don’t. And whether
you do or don’t, please don’t look down your nose at folks
that may do things alittle different. As long as what someone is wearing
is not sinful, KEEP YOUR OPINION TO YOURSELF.