“The Lord seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord looketh on the heart” (1 Sam. 16:7).
“For if there come unto your assembly a man with a gold ring, in goodly apparel, and there come in also a poor man in vile raiment; and ye have respect to him that weareth the gay clothing, and say unto him, Sit thou here in a good place; and say to the poor, Stand thou there, or sit here under my footstool: are ye not then partial in yourselves, and are become judges of evil thoughts?” (Jas. 2:2-4).
Does it matter what we look like when we show up to assembly meetings? This question can stir a little tension sometimes. The above scriptures are often cited to support the idea that outward appearance is unimportant. It is the condition of the heart that matters. And that is true: the condition of the heart does matter. No amount of outward adornment will compensate for a poor inward spiritual condition.
But it is not enough to dismiss the subject at this point. While only the Lord can accurately assess the inward condition, we do well to see that the outward appearance is consistent. Here are a few things to consider in the matter of our assembly “dress code.”
1. Does my appearance attract attention to myself? Assembly meetings are no place to make a fashion statement. We come together around the Lord. Attracting attention to myself in anything I do or say is out of place.
2. Does my appearance promote modesty? It should be obvious to every Christian that the world’s ideas of fashion need to be tested by God’s standards. Clothing designed by worldly people to encourage and promote ungodly behavior has no place in the Christian’s wardrobe. My dress should be the same among believers as it is in the world (1 Tim. 2:9).
3. Does my appearance promote a casual attitude? Human experience shows that what we wear affects our attitude. North American business has adopted a “casual Friday” practice where employees are permitted to wear a more relaxed outfit to work on Friday. The idea is to relax heading into the weekend. It is different from the rest of the week. What about my attendance at the meetings? Does my clothing suggest that the assembly meeting is a weekend social event with my friends? Or do I have the sense we are meeting the Lord?
4. Does my appearance challenge the assembly? What is the general practice in my assembly in my town? Do I conform? Or am I interested in challenging the saints? Is there a hint of rebellion in my dress? For instance, if the elders request men to wear a shirt and tie on the platform, do I obey their request? Or do I feel the need to challenge this? Regardless of the justification for their request, Christian behavior requires that I comply. Learning to obey is good training for all of us.
5. Does my appearance speak well about the assembly? Can you imagine showing up for a job interview in the same clothes you wear to cut the grass? Or wearing sloppy clothing to an important business meeting? In other words, my willingness to look my best (without excessive spending, 1 Tim. 2:9) says a great deal about how I value the person I’m meeting. It should be obvious that the Lord’s assembly is worthy of the best we can be, because of who we are meeting and what we are there to do.
But what about James’ words to us? James is pointing out the difference between a rich man and a poor man. Partiality between rich and poor is to be rejected completely. What we are talking about here is not a rich man’s clothes and a poor man’s clothes, but a man or woman whether rich or poor in this world (but rich toward God) who shows by outward appearance that they take the things of God seriously. There is nothing in this that should make us think expensive clothing is necessary. The heart condition comes first. But a right heart condition will manifest itself in an appropriate way in the lifestyle of the discerning believer.