First Claim...Practiced

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Last Sunday evening, I preached a message on “The First Claim Principle.”

Jesus Christ has first claim on the life of all saved people.

Colossians 1:18 KJV 1900
And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence.
This evening, I want to be practical. I want to ask the question, “Does Jesus have first claim to....”
Philippians 4:9 KJV 1900
Those things, which ye have both learned, and received, and heard, and seen in me, do: and the God of peace shall be with you.
Notice, in that verse, the little word do.
It is one thing to hear the truth, to know the truth, to see it in practice…it is quite another to ‘walk in truth.’” Sometimes the difficulty is in the “practicality” of the Christian life. Church congregations are eager to have preachers give Biblical principles and Biblical truth. However, sometimes church congregations will get a little defensive when a preacher begins to get practical. They might even say – under their breath – the pastor can’t tell me “how” to live! Tonight, I would like to give some “practicality” to one such Biblical principle.
I would like to go back to the First Claim Principles and ask:

Does Jesus have first claim on how you dress and what clothes you wear?

Many times, people wear clothes for some of the following reasons:
“These clothes are comfortable.”
“These clothes make me look good.” “My friends think this outfit looks good on me.”
“These clothes flatter my figure.”
“I like these clothes.” “I like this style of clothes.”
“Everyone is wearing clothes like this.”
Now, while there may not be anything inherently wrong with those statements, shouldn’t we also consider how Christ would want us to dress?
In addition to the “First Claim Principle...”

Three overriding Biblical principles that we should keep in mind for any topic of “practicality” as it relates to how we live out our lives:

We have been called to holiness.

Leviticus 20:7 KJV 1900
Sanctify yourselves therefore, and be ye holy: for I am the Lord your God.
1 Peter 1:15 KJV 1900
But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation;
Titus 2:3 KJV 1900
The aged women likewise, that they be in behaviour as becometh holiness, not false accusers, not given to much wine, teachers of good things;

We have been called to a life of separation from the world and to God.

2 Corinthians 6:17 KJV 1900
Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you,

We have been called to live a life that is pleasing to the Lord.

Ephesians 5:10 KJV 1900
Proving what is acceptable unto the Lord.
1 Thessalonians 4:1 KJV 1900
Furthermore then we beseech you, brethren, and exhort you by the Lord Jesus, that as ye have received of us how ye ought to walk and to please God, so ye would abound more and more.
Too many Christians – knowingly or unknowingly – live to please themselves instead of pleasing their Lord realizing that Jesus Christ has first claim to their life!
Tonight I would like to share with you the M.I.L.K guidelines for dress:

Modest

2 Timothy 2:9–10 KJV 1900
Wherein I suffer trouble, as an evil doer, even unto bonds; but the word of God is not bound. Therefore I endure all things for the elect’s sakes, that they may also obtain the salvation which is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory.
A practical definition of modesty is simply this – Not drawing the wrong type of attention or an undo amount of attention to yourself.
Something that you’ve probably seen is a style in which words or logos are printed across the backside of clothing which does nothing but simply draw attention to the wrong body part of an individual. Is that modest?
Ladies – if your clothing is too tight; too low; or too high you are likely to draw the wrong kind of attention to yourself.
Guys – You can also draw the wrong kind of attention to yourself whether it be wearing clothing so loose that it is hanging around your knees or wearing clothing designed to accentuate every muscle you have – or don’t have.
“For the most part, the current ‘worldly’ trend in clothing styles is immodest fashions, such as tight, form-fitting dresses and blouses that leave nothing to the imagination…We believe that our young ladies should dress in a manner that others will focus on the face and particularly the eyes, for some say, ‘the eyes are the mirror of the soul.’”

Illustrating Godliness & Gender

“…modern modesty standards are not about arbitrary rules of how much skin is shown or how low-cut something is, but about the messages and values our clothing communicates.”
Proverbs 7:10 KJV 1900
And, behold, there met him a woman With the attire of an harlot, and subtil of heart.
In that passage of Scripture what was this woman communicating? She was illustrating a harlot!
Turn to and read 1 Peter 3:1-4.
Our clothing should be a reflection of who we are and the values that we treasure. Or, should I say it this way...

Our clothing will be a reflection of who we are and the values that we treasure.

The Godliness that we say we possess in our hearts should be reflected in how we dress.
It should be our desire to exemplify a distinct lifestyle that is not conformed to this world.
Romans 12:2 KJV 1900
And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.
Ephesians 5:8 KJV 1900
For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of light:
As Christians, are we simply seeking to blend in with the world or are we seeking to be distinct from the world?
Not only that but...

Ladies should dress and look like ladies. Men should dress and look like men.

I use to take that statement for granted. However, you can longer do so! With the rise of the LGBTQIAP it is even more important that we dress and act in a manner that leaves no doubt to others about our gender!
These next two relate directly to specific styles and are used primarily as we have given a standard of dress to the young people in the Academy and also as we give a standard of dress to the teenagers when they come to youth activities. However, these two standards could be just as applicable to anyone.

Loose Fitting

I believe that this one is obvious. We shouldn’t dress in clothing that is so tight that it leaves little to nothing to the imagination. That doesn’t mean, though, that we should go to the opposite extreme, either, of wearing clothing that is so baggy that it hangs off of you.

Knee Length

And, as our pastor in Savannah, GA would say, I’m talking about the low knee not the high knee!
While I cannot give you “chapter & verse,” when choosing clothing and seeking to be modest, “knee length” is something that is easily understood.
Closing: Our desire should be to reveal our Lord and Savior to those around us. One of the first ways in which we do that is through our dress. But, I also want to warn you: The right dress/clothing doesn’t produce a right heart—it should reflect one! Christ-honoring dress should be the product of a pure heart, not the white-washed exterior of a proud one.
Not long ago I was with my family strolling through an open shopping area when we happened upon a new bowling alley that served lunch to your lane. We needed lunch and bowling sounded fun, so a few moments later, we were bowling, eating, and making some great memories. It wasn’t until we were leaving that I noticed a large sign at the entrance explaining the dress code. I read this sign in disbelief.
The rules were as follows: No sweatshirts or sports jerseys, no jogging pants or jumpsuits, no MC colors, no hats or headgear, no baggy clothing, all clothing must be neat and clean, no long shorts, no boots, no long or baggy T-shirts, no sleeveless shirts, and no solid color T-shirts. Wow! All that just for bowling!
In closing, think about that bowling alley. Somebody there really respects that environment. When it comes to dress—do you care as much about honoring the Lord as they do about bowling?
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