That ye may approve things that are excellent; that ye may be sincere and without offence till the day of Christ.
EXCELLENCE IN APPEARANCE
Someone has said, ‘Things must not only be right; they must appear to be right.” We could profit from that. We live in a degraded culture, and many people interpret innocent things according to the culture around them. Men, especially, need to use a lot of caution. For example, a lady can cuddle a child, but a man cannot. Men have to be careful to not get too physical with a child. Also, men need to be careful not to be alone with a woman or girl. They may be completely innocent, but it may not appear to some people to be innocent. Men have the responsibility to protect their own integrity, and that of the women they are with.
Another aspect of appearance involves three things that a preacher is not to tackle. He may preach about hell, smoking and drinking, money, moral issues, but these three things will bring rebellion whenever he mentions them. People will say, ‘That’s my own personal business. Leave that alone!’ What are these 3 topics? They are My Hair, My Music, and My Dress. However, these are important issues—much more important simply because they are so personal. In many ways, they help define who we are.
So, how are we to be excellent in our appearance? We could
choose a standard for the church, and all of us conform to it. That would never work. Here is a better way. It is much more difficult, but it is guaranteed to work. It involves 4 parts: [1] I know that I am saved. [2] I sincerely want to be submitted to the Holy Spirit in every area of my life. [3] I will carefully read my Bible regularly, expecting God to show me how I can apply it to my life, and [4] I will surrender myself to any way the Holy Spirit leads me.
We want to come to Faith Baptist Church appearing to be right. But much more, we want to be right in our hearts. Only that will make worship a joyful experience, and coming to church like a wonderful family reunion.
That ye may approve things that are excellent; that ye may be sincere and without offence till the day of Christ. Philippians 1:10