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Should Christians Separate from the World?

HomeChristianity and the BibleShould Christians Separate from the World?

No one likes being misunderstood. It’s frustrating. It troubles us when we’re misunderstood…in fact, it’s so troubling that we often take it personally when others misunderstand our family, or our friends. I’m no different. Thousands of GodWords visitors are seekers or skeptics or spiritually confused, so I take it personally when someone makes it more difficult for these nice folks to understand God. At the moment I’m taking aim at Pentecostals.

One of the identifying marks of a particular brand of Pentecostalism is a list of do’s and don’ts known as “Standards”. Note the capital S. This list of restrictions includes things like long hair for men, women in pants, adult beverages, cosmetics, wedding bands, movies, and so on. Those who adhere to Standards are convinced that these restrictions help to keep them spiritually pure.

Please don’t misunderstand: I have no problem with Pentecostal people as individuals. I grew up in and ministered in and still worship in a church that originated in the Pentecostal Holiness tradition and whose motto is “Holiness Unto The Lord”. If a guy wants short hair, or if a woman likes skirts, that’s okay with me. Fewer movies is probably better than more. Alcoholism is a plague. I’m all for clean living…but that’s not the point.

Most Christians are, to some extent, concerned about clean living…or “being holy”. This makes sense, since the Bible teaches that Christians should live holy lives. Many Pentecostals, however, take the Scriptural mandate for holiness and twist it into something it’s not. They teach that Christians should separate themselves from non-Christians and “worldly things”.

To some extent, I understand their confusion. After all, the implication of the word “holy” is ‘being set apart’. The Bible asks whether light can have fellowship with darkness. The Bible also tells us to avoid the appearance of evil, which sounds like a really good idea to me. It would be easy to assume that Christians should pull back from society to remain pure…easy, that is, if you ignore the rest of the Bible.

Jesus didn’t suggest that purity is maintained by avoiding contact with impure things. He explained that it is not what enters into the mouth that defiles the man, but what proceeds out of it. Purity is, He explained, an inside job. He chastised the religious elite of His day for missing the point, saying “…you clean the outside of the cup and of the dish, but inside they are full of robbery and self-indulgence”. Jesus taught this by example as well. He rightly went against the religious traditions of His day when He ate with tax collectors and spoke with foreign women and worked on the Sabbath and ran the swindlers out of the temple.

Purity isn’t a matter of simple avoidance. God is utterly holy and utterly pure, but He didn’t hang back from the world to avoid contamination. He’s fully aware of the extent to which humans can degrade themselves, but He became one of us and lived with us and touched the sick and the sinful with His hands and His heart. God isn’t less holy because of His contact with sin. Based on Jesus’ example, Christians are supposed to place themselves in contact with those who are not yet holy.

Pants don’t make women sinful. Men with long hair aren’t necessarily being disobedient. Beer wasn’t created by Satan, and there are a lot of really great movies that I’d love to take Jesus to see. It’s okay to set standards to live by, but setting Standards only further confuses those who are already confused about God. Our insides are more important than our outsides…and Jesus died to prove it.

If holiness had anything to do with pants and pilsners, the Bible would clearly say so. Christianity isn’t about simple do’s or don’ts. It’s about allowing God to decide which direction your life should take. It’s about letting God transform you into His likeness. It’s about love interacting with those who need love most.


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Comments

22 responses to “Should Christians Separate from the World?”

  1. Robert Faron says:

    seperating from the world means don’t get involved with the world. Jesus ate with the tax collectors, but I will assume they spoke about the things of God. It is fine for me to spend time with a worldly person, but it is wrong for me to involve myself in worldly activities. If my friend wants to go bowling with me, great, but if he wants to hit the bars afterwards that is wrong and I won’t go. Pants on women is about a differentiation of the sexes, men don’t wear dresses and women shouldn’t wear pants. The devil is trying to blur the gender line, and that is a sin. Long hair is a sign of submission and the order of the family. 1 Corinthians was not written to the Corinthian church only, it was written to all of God’s churches, then and now, he said for women not to cut their hair and he didn’t change his mind, his word is forever settled in heaven. It doesn’t teach long hair, it teaches un cut hair. Thank you and have a nice day

    • Tony says:

      Robert:

      We agree, in part. Those who follow Jesus should follow His example in dealing with unbelievers. Hanging out with sinners won’t make you spiritually dirty, as I’m sure you’d agree. Neither will having a beer, or watching a movie, or dancing, or having long hair, or having short hair, or having no hair.

      Where we disagree is on Standards. I’m a big believer in Scripture. If Scripture addresses an issue, we should know about it and understand it and apply it where needed. If Scripture doesn’t address an issue, we can have opinions of our own…but we shouldn’t make something a spiritual issue when it’s not found in Scripture. For example: I see nothing about differentiating between the sexes in the New Testament. I see differentiation, and I approve of it…but let’s not pretend that a woman wearing pants is blurring the gender line. Jesus and His disciples wore robes, which looked suspiciously like dresses. Along those same lines, Jesus and many others likely had long hair. Certainly anyone taking a Nazarite vow had long hair, and nobody was accusing them of being like the ladies as a result.

      The reason that Paul wrote to the Corinthians about hair is that, in their region, short hair WAS used as a means of looking like men, and that was done for pagan worship. Paul instructed them about their hair not to make sure the ladies didn’t look like men, but to make sure the ladies didn’t look like temple prostitutes. This is a clear situation where Paul wrote ‘prescriptively’…that is, giving specific instructions for a specific situation.

      Let’s look at another situation to make sure you’re wrong, shall we? Paul wrote that Timothy should take a little wine for his stomach. Using your logic, 1 Timothy wasn’t written to Timothy only, but to all of God’s people, then and now. That means you and I should drink wine as well, and not just water. Right? No, of course not. Context is important, and you’ve missed the context of the Corinthian passage about hair.

      I say this with respect, Robert: you’re part of the problem. You’ve taken the traditions of men (not to mention some very poor Bible reading habits) and elevated those traditions to the place of Scripture. This is a very serious error. Please take some time to review your beliefs in light of Scripture, and make sure you know what you’re talking about. I wholeheartedly approve of setting oneself apart from the culture to both serve and proclaim Christ. I wholeheartedly despise what you’ve done, which is to substitute your opinions for God’s Word. You and those with whom you have influence deserve better. Let me know if you’d like to discuss this further, or if you need a hand getting on track with how to interpret the Bible properly. I wish you well.

  2. Chidi says:

    Let’s not confuse the scripture with our personal opinions. If the scripture prohibits anything, as a believer, go with that prohibition.
    For instance, on the issue of men not having long hair or women covering their hair while praying or prophesying, why not just believe this scripture as it is and keep back your personal opinion.God’s word is crystal clear on this, therefore obey it.Men should not have long hair, simple.
    Moreover, women should not wear pants, I mean dress immodestly. Any dressing that can seduce another person is sin.Imagine in a world where women are allowed to be wearing only pant to the church all in the name of modernisation,it is wrong before God & men.
    Bible is clear on the issue of separation, it enjoins believers to be separate from the world, that is the standard set by the world through its civilizations. Separation does not necessarily require believers not greeting, staying together or even attending the same school with unbelievers, rather it focuses on the principles of living. In other words, believers are not to live like unbelievers.
    Unbelievers live in disobedience while believers live in total obedience to God’s word. That is, believers should not partake in ungodly practices since these practices are associated with unbelievers & not believers.

    • Tony says:

      Chidi:

      Thanks for visiting GodWords. I’m happy you’re here!

      You are wise when you say to not confuse Scripture with opinions. That’s very important. What’s equally important is to handle Scripture thoughtfully. We all have access to the same Bibles, but we don’t all see the same things in Scripture. That’s because – for the most part – we haven’t been taught to properly interpret Scripture. There are some very simple guidelines that help us do this.

      One of those guidelines – probably the most important – is to read each passage in context. That means several things. To understand a verse or passage, we should:

      • learn about the author
      • learn to whom they were writing
      • learn why they needed to write those words.

      When we fail to read a passage in context, we are likely to either misunderstand what it says, or to misapply what it says. For example, in Matthew 23 Jesus said this: anyone who swears by the gold of the temple is bound by that oath. What does that mean? We can’t know…unless we go to the text and read the surrounding verses. When we do that, we can see that Jesus is quoting something that the Pharisees taught, and criticizing them in the process. Without the context, we might make up all kinds of nonsense.

      In exactly the same way, we need to read every passage of Scripture in its context. Your comment contains a number of “Standards” (note the capital S). To see what God meant by including them in Scripture, we must take each one-by-one and read it in context. When we do that, we’re on the way to properly interpreting the Bible.

      Your comment takes Scripture out of context, and confuses it with personal opinions. For example, you mention pants. There’s nothing in the Bible about pants, and the question of whether they are immodest is a matter of opinion. You’re advocating that women not wear pants not because Scripture teaches us this, but because you feel right in saying it. That’s an unhealthy and unreasonable way to handle the Word of God.

      Another example is this “separation” from the world. Let Jesus be our example here: did He separate from the world? He did not. He ate with tax collectors and other sinners…and that wasn’t just having lunch. In their culture, that meant that you accepted them by being welcomed into their homes. If Jesus thought He should separate from the world, He certainly would not have done this. These “Standards” go beyond Scripture and teach error. You’re right when you say that believers are not to live like unbelievers…but you go too far in your application. Unbelievers use computers. Does that mean you shouldn’t? Unbelievers have jobs. Should you not?

      No, that can’t be what you mean. You’ve gone on with even more wisdom (I mean that): believers live in obedience to God’s Word. The problem here is that you’ve substituted personal opinions – no matter how well established or long-lasting – for Scripture. This is a gigantic mistake, and it comes very close to legalism…being made righteous, or being kept clean, by our actions. This external way of looking at things is contrary to what Jesus taught.

      I welcome further discussion on this topic, Chidi. It’s important to discern between the traditions of men and the words of God. In this case, I think you have the intentions exactly right…but the application is exactly wrong. Let me know what you think.

  3. C.Rose says:

    Hello and God bless you. I am so thankful for finding this page/website because I have so many questions regarding this topic! I’ve been serving the Lord in a pentecostal church for the past 7 years and since my conversion I’ve always struggled with the Standards you’ve mentioned. As a young woman who came to know Christ as a teenager the transition I felt like I had to make was not easy and difficult to explain to my family and friends (in regards to my outward appearance and certain things I was no longer allowed to do) But through it all I’ve sumbmitted myself and obeyed the regulations placed. Even though they may not always make logical biblical sense to me. I wanted to know what you would say to the portions in the Bible expressing that we should be obedient to our clergy leaders? (Hebrews 13:17 and 1 peter 5:5) If i do decide to cut my hair short or wear pants, i am in disobedience to my leaders and therefore to God? I believe with all my heart that God saved me where I am at for a reason and this feeling is what’s been keeping me there all these years. And I love the members at my church, theyre a great group of people. But a lot of the older members are focused on the “standards”. I’ve tried having conversations with these members about my inability to completely understand how a woman having short hair or wearing pants is wrong. And they’ve led me to Deuteronomy 22:5. Which I get, but not really because I can wear pants and people will still know I’m a woman and I can cut my hair and Not confuse anyone about my gender. I know doing these things are not a sin, but do they become sin when you are disobeying rules set by your leaders? As you wrote in the article, it’s confusing and I feel that all the time. Some seasons more than others because I just have that “suck it up” kind of attitude, but in regards to this, should I? I recently shaved a small portion of the back of my head (it’s easily hidden by the rest of my hair so as to not cause too much of scene) to see what it’s like because for a long time I’ve felt that the Lord has been telling me for the last 6 years that my long hair is an idol and I feel so deeply that he’s calling me to cut it short… though I don’t feel like I’ve done anything wrong for getting this small portion shaved, I know that if one of my leaders finds out I’ll be in trouble. I have mentioned the possibility of me cutting my hair and donating it and my leaders have advised me against it because they believe a woman should have long hair. I wear pants every now and then and I can’t help but feel ashamed when I do and immediately regret it because if I’m seen by and elder in my church I know I’ll be having a conversation with my pastor about it. I love my leaders, I want to obey them, I believe the word of God is telling me to obey them but to what extent? Is there an extent? Is it always this confusing?

    My overall question: is my disobedience to my leaders a direct disobedience to God and his Word? (But please feel free to comment on everything else.)

    • Tony says:

      C.Rose:

      Thank you for taking the time to write. It’s very encouraging to read that I’ve been even a small help for you. I hope to be able to answer your questions.

      You mention Standard, and “the regulations.” Please understand that these are not God-given. They come from well-meaning men and women. Their desire is to see God’s people live holy lives, which is a good thing. Unfortunately, their efforts are misplaced. We definitely should lead holy lives, of course…but holiness has never been achieved from the outside going in. It’s always from the inside coming out. I hope you can see that a person could obey ALL of the Standards and not even be submitted to God. This is the nature of Standards: they’re external. They have never made anyone holy, and have never kept anyone holy. These regulations have been added to the Scriptures, not derived directly from them. As one example, we don’t read anything in the New Testament about men wearing long-sleeved shirts. Many Pentecostals insist that men do, however. If it’s not coming from the Bible itself, where is it coming from? Well…from people.

      Holiness is not related to such things. The word “holy” means “set apart.” If you have any special dishes, for example, those are “holy.” There’s no religious implication in holiness…it’s just saying that a thing or a person isn’t to be used for everyday, mundane kinds of things. As Christians, we have been set apart by God to do the good works He set aside for us to do. We should absolutely be “set apart” for God, to be used by Him to accomplish His purposes. This has nothing to do with how we dress, or whether we watch a non-religious television program. It has everything to do with whether we’re serving ourselves, or serving God.

      As for being obedient to clergy, I would ask you to think carefully about this. The Apostle Paul did not say, “Follow me.” He said, “Follow me as I follow Christ.” The two passages you cite do say that we should submit to our spiritual leaders. This submission is not absolute, of course. Reading through the New Testament will show us that these leaders must meet strict requirements as well. If you read Titus (a short book) you will see that Paul gave strong instructions to Titus about how to handle disagreements over doctrine. Those in positions of authority must hold firmly to the trustworthy message as it has been taught, so that he can encourage others by sound doctrine and refute those who oppose it. Standards are not sound doctrine…they’re interpretations of Scripture that are matters of opinion. Are we to submit to leaders who fail this test? Absolutely not! Anyone who insists that you follow the Standards has disqualified themselves. They should be refuted. Titus (pastor of the church in Crete) was dealing with unsound doctrine: the idea that one must be circumcised to follow Jesus. How did Paul respond, and what did he tell Titus to do? He said they must be silenced, because they are disrupting whole households by teaching things they ought not to teach (1:11).

      We have numerous examples in the New Testament where unsound doctrine is being taught, and our instructions are to not put up with it…ever. I understand your desire to stay with your church. I recently left a church after 14 years of leadership, and it was difficult…but necessary.

      They mention Deuteronomy 22:5, which says that A woman must not wear men’s clothing, nor a man wear women’s clothing, for the Lord your God detests anyone who does this. This is Scripture, to be sure. Here’s some more Scripture, from the same chapter: Make tassels on the four corners of the cloak you wear. I’m willing to bet that your loved ones don’t even wear cloaks, let alone have tassels on them. I don’t say this to undermine Scripture, of course…just the opposite: I say this to insist on sound doctrine. If they want to appeal to Deuteronomy 22 as binding, they need to refer to ALL of it as binding. There’s nothing in that chapter to indicate otherwise. The simple truth is that while Deuteronomy was written FOR us, it was not written TO us. I’m not suggesting that men and women should dress alike. I’m asking an easy question: WHY would God say this? Did it have to do with avoiding the customs of the surrounding cultures? HOW did men and women dress at the time? They certainly didn’t have clothes like we have today…so, unless they’re willing to wear cloaks and put tassels on the corners, they should be able to see that including this passage in the Standards is nonsense. You are correct: you can wear pants and cut your hair and not be confused with temple prostitutes or pagan worshippers. To answer your question directly: disobeying leaders who are wrong is not a sin.

      Here is evidence that your church community is problematic: you’re afraid of being in trouble if they find out what you did. Now, it’s understandable that you’d be worried if you had committed some sin, and wanted to hide it…but you know that’s not a sin, yet you fear the consequences of being discovered. That’s not only unhealthy, it’s downright unbiblical. I would recommend that you stop attending that church NOW. Not tomorrow, not after next Sunday, not later this year. NOW. Why? Because: every day you’re with them is one less day you’re in a healthy, doctrinally-sound community who will help you know the difference between Standards and real, honest holiness.

      You’re clearly a grown-up. You can make your own decisions. I’m only giving you advice: get out now. Your first responsibility is to watch YOUR life and YOUR doctrine closely. You can maintain relationships with those in that congregation who are willing to associate with you, and – hopefully – help them understand your reasons for leaving. I’m sending this via personal email as well, to make sure you get it. Please respond anytime, as I’d like to help you in any way I can. If you’ll tell me which city you live in, I’ll look for a few churches to recommend.

  4. Juno says:

    Wow, I guess that I am not the only one who feels confused! This website has helped me TREMENDOUSLY!! I have been wondering about these things for 6 years or so! Now i believe i need to look for another church.

    • Tony says:

      Juno:

      I’m happy to hear that I’ve been helpful. Let me know if you’d like a hand finding a mature, biblical, healthy church in your area. =)

  5. Jen says:

    …Good afternoon. I was able to see this site as i browse about women having long hair. As I go into reading, we’ll to tell you honestly I was a bit shock. I thought this site could be a bit help, but I’m sorry to say this, but this isn’t helpful. The Bible was written many years ago. If such was written only for a group of persons and won’t be applicable now-a-days,then what’s the point of having one. There would be no importance in reading it. But then again, the Bible was written for us, and even for those yet to be born. Those scriptures are also for us, the very words in it. We should live a holy life not conforming to the patterns of this world and not being equally yoked to the unbelievers. And also we should not be an instrument of Satan to tempt our brothers. I hope God would clear the blur vision you have in His Word, but if not it is also His will, for He even allow Pharaoh to have a hardened heart all for His glory. God bless

    • Tony says:

      Jen:

      Thanks for writing, and for doing a little complaining. I appreciate the feedback!

      The whole Bible was written for us, but not all of it was written to us. The principles are sound, and can be applied to anyone in any culture…but the specifics will differ from situation to situation. The New Testament instructions about hair had to do with worship. In certain places, at that time, some women would shave their heads and dress in ways that kept people from knowing whether they were male or female. The reason for the instructions about women not shaving their heads was to make sure that Christians wouldn’t be confused with pagan temple prostitutes. We don’t have these specific things in the world today, but we have similar circumstances. Buddhist monks, for example, might shave their heads and wear orange robes. By itself, this is not to be condemned. However: a follower of Jesus might want to be careful to avoid being seen as a Buddhist monk. That would get in the way of spreading the gospel.

      Paul told Timothy to drink a little wine for his stomach problem. Today, he might tell Timothy to take an antacid pill. We err when we pretend that everything in the Bible applies directly to every person in every time and in every culture.

      Shaved heads were never the issue. Gold jewelry was never the issue. Being mistaken as a pagan worshipper of false gods was the issue, and still is. When we pretend that context doesn’t matter, we can make the Bible say almost anything. When we respect the text and take each passage as the writer intended, we avoid serious errors. Too many have been led astray, criticized, or condemned by those who take Scripture out of context. Let me encourage you, Jen: study. The Bible isn’t really that difficult to understand, if we take it seriously enough to trust that God, and those He chose to write Scripture, knew what they were doing.

  6. Brittney says:

    Hi there! I’ve been going through several sites and videos about women’s hair in regards to the Bible, but I still can’t find anything that directly pertains to my question.
    I have been wanting a sidecut for well over a year now, but have recently become much more aware of trying to live my life in accordance with what God wants and upholding His expectations.
    As a Catholic, I’m aware there are no regulations in my religion about hair length as far as I can find. However, I have read (as well as heard some people explain) that some people stereotype the sidecut hairstyle and those who wear it as being promiscuous etc.
    I understand what you mention about seperating oneself from the earthly world, but would this particular hairstyle be wrong of me to get, as isome view it with the same negative light that certain people of Corinth were viewed?
    I don’t want to get a hairstyle that will displease God or make me unable to reach as many people because they judge me as a pagan or a prostitute etc. (If given the opportunity to help bring anyone closer to God, even though I’m not a religious leader of any kind).
    Last, I know some people say that a woman should wear a veil in church, but if I am able to pull my hair over and no longer be able to tell I even have a part of my head shaved is it then wrong to have this hairstyle? And would this style be OK to get if I cover the sideshave while in prayer? As I know the Bible mentions not having a shaved head while in prayer or while prophesying.
    I have wanted this style for a while because I just like the look of it because it’s different and edgy. But the Bible says not to try to stand out or do anything rebellious. People also have made the argument that unmarried women can cut their hair, but I am engaged and unsure if this would go against that argument, especially when my fiance doesn’t care what I do with my hair. God Bless

    • Tony says:

      Brittney:

      Please excuse the delay in getting back to you. My mother passed away in June, so I’m a bit behind on my correspondence.

      I don’t believe God cares about your haircut. Really. I also do not believe that having a sidecut would create a spiritual problem. However: I’m not you, and I’m not in your situation. You’re VERY wise to consider whether even small decisions might diminish your ability to serve others well…I applaud you for being mature enough to see that how we live may be of eternal importance to those we seek to reach. That’s awesome!

      The question, as you’ve pointed out, is whether your decision will make it harder for those you serve to trust God…or whether they will find more reasons to trust Him.

      The situation in the first century was very clear. I’ll draw a parallel. Let’s pretend that only prostitutes wear mohawk haircuts. It would be a bad idea for a disciple of Jesus to get a mohawk, as those around them might be confused about what following Jesus means. That’s what happened in the early church: a certain trend was to be avoided because of the confusion involved. If, in your neighborhood, a sidecut communicates something specific, you should only get a sidecut if that’s your message. If you want to avoid the message, avoid the cut.

      As I understand Him, God couldn’t care less about your haircut. God cares about saving people, and He chooses to use us…so it’s our responsibility to make wise decisions about how we live. Here’s my advice: look in the mirror and ask yourself, in light of your ministry to others, whether a sidecut is a good idea or a bad idea. I’m guessing you’ll have your answer even before you see the mirror. Let me know how it goes, Brittney!

  7. Lumain says:

    Wow, this has been of so much help. The way you have explained is to the point and clear to understand. I cannot fathom how some people still struggle to get it. But then again the Word said about falseness that their eyes are blinded, they cannot see. I feel so sorry for them for be so blinded about Standards and to miss the whole point of Christ love and reason for Him coming to earth and died on the cross. And still they cling to the Standards. Its a bit like losing your first love for the Lord in exchange for law. I have a pentecostal family member and had to distance myself recently from him as he keep on telling me I will miss heaven because of my bob hair and ladylike pants. I truly love Jesus and accepted Him as my Personal Saviour, so I just wonder by myself why He would reject me if I accepted Him…

  8. Wendy says:

    The last paragraph in this post contradicts itself. Which direction your life should take and letting God transform you into His likeness will show up as external visible changes aka holy living (Standards)

    • Tony says:

      Wendy:

      Thanks for your comment! With respect, you may have missed the point. Standards (with a capital S) are extrabiblical…that is, they’re part of a particular group’s ideas about how we should live. They’re intended to be a guide for holy living, which is good…but they’re entirely external. If you look right, sound right, and smell right, you’re assumed to be right. We all know that’s not how it works. Jesus criticized His own neighbors for this very thing:

      Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence. Blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup and dish, and then the outside also will be clean. (Matthew 23:25-26)

      Standards (with a capital S) are cultural rules about how to dress, how to wear one’s hair, how (or whether) to wear jewelry and makeup, and so on. While our desire to follow Jesus will definitely be reflected in the choices we make, we all know that it’s possible to be spiritually lost and, from the outside, look like you’re right with God. Why do so many focus on the outside, rather than on the inside?

      When someone decides to follow Jesus, they don’t really need us to tell them whether they should stop wearing pants. What they do need is for those of us who are more mature to come alongside them and help them study the Bible. I’ve known a lot of Pentecostal folks who understand perfectly how to live up to the Standards…but most of them couldn’t explain the Gospel if you asked them to. Spiritual maturity is an inside job, Wendy. You know that. When the inside is clean, the outside will also be clean…when you only clean the outside, you look good but are, in Jesus’ words, a hypocrite.

      The Bible is enough. When a Christian knows what Jesus did and what He taught, holy living is pretty simple. When you know the Scriptures, you don’t need Standards. In my experience, those who live by Standards don’t know Scripture. That includes every single person in the UPC that I’ve ever met. They can tell you not to drink or chew, or dance, or go to movies or have a TV, but they can’t tell you why. My hope is that you will know the Scriptures so well that you can be guided by them, and by the Holy Spirit, rather than by the people in your neighborhood who are always watching to make sure your outside is clean.

  9. Hairstyles says:

    My brother recommended I might like this web site. He was totally right. This post actually made my day. You can not imagine just how much time I had spent for this information! Thanks!

  10. Scotty d. says:

    Thanks Tony. Fine article.

    If Jesus had meant for us to hold up in Christian Conclaves and separate from the “World” he would have never issued the “Great Commission” – “Go therefore into all the world…” (Matthew 28:19-20). On the issue of “Being different”, I can’t agree more. I have had a pony tail most of my adult life, how I wear my hair is my business. I do happen to not have much of it left anymore, and I last shaved my entire head about 2 years ago when my wife was going through Chemo, to show solidarity with her.

    She wears pants, a lot. Does it threaten me or my masculinity, or my “Identity in Christ”? Not at all. Did my pony tail hinder my relationship with Christ or with others? Not at all. The external things are not what matters – at all. What matters is our love for one another, and our actions towards the world. We don’t judge the world, they are already condemned. And, BTW, so were we, before becoming born again.

    After being born again, it’s JUST JESUS that makes me different from them, not anything I do, or have done, or will EVER do! It’s JUST JESUS! He’s the only thing good in my life, there is nothing good in me. It’s all about letting him work in my life, to make me more like himself, one day at a time. I am a drug addict and an alcoholic, nearly 39 years clean and sober (praise God!) so I realize that the Christian life is very much a life of “Recovery” as well. We are recovering from SELF (sin) and the desire to live only for ourselves. Jesus COMMANDS that we love one another, and he tells us: “There is no greater love than this – that someone lay down his life for his friend.” (John 15:13).

    I have done youth ministry, as well I currently teach 2nd-3rd graders in Sunday School. I tell them that the Bible is not simply a list of “Dis and dats” (do dis and don’t do dat). It is, as a whole, a picture of who God is, and what he has done for us. Even more, it presents a mirror that if we look into it, we see ourselves in truth, and understand our need of him, of our need to be born again. Lastly, but certainly not least importantly, is that the Bible presents a lens through which we can view “The World” around is, also in truth, and see it for what it really is. That then, determines how we interact with it, and with those who are still lost in it.

  11. Malia says:

    Hi Tony, you are an inspiration for people like me who do not have much knowledge about the Bible and are looking for the true interpretation of the word of God. I live in Orlando Florida and would appreciate if you could send me information about churches in my area.

  12. Joel says:

    There are many church communities that agree with certain ways of living and not with others. It is also my observation that bible interpretation can be dictated or influenced by what someone believes is right or wrong. Some women in our church have Long hair and others have it short! Its not a big deal. However, ladies don’t put on pant and men don’t do dreads or plait hair in any way. For example, is it right or wrong for men to do dreads or plait hair? Did i get it right that beer or alcoholic drink isn’t wrong for Christians today??

    How about shaving beards and women using makeup and ornaments? This is also another area I need your opinion of. I have also met people who say long hair for women doesn’t mean plaiting it, using weaves or using artificial hair like most of oh people do.

    Am Hoping that the reply will be as neutral and biblical as it can be.

    • Tony says:

      Joel:

      You certainly don’t need my opinions. As you’ve said, you need a biblical response. My suggestion is to carefully read the Bible, and see for yourself. Rather than depending on me or anyone else, you can search for articles about the topic. Then, rather than just trusting that they know what they’re talking about, you can look up the verses they mention and learn what God’s Word actually says.

      I’ve written an article, as you can see. There are comments here, too… so you can start your research here if that’s helpful. The restrictions you’re talking about are not instructions for Christians. It’s important to read each verse in its original context, understanding not only what’s written, but why. The information is out there, my friend. You shouldn’t take my word for it… but my position is that God is not directly concerned with whether a woman wears pants, or whether a man has a beard. As for alcohol, I’m not a fan. Alcohol causes far too many problems for me to be neutral about it… but that’s not a spiritual position. It’s a practical one. If Christians are shouldn’t drink alcohol at all, Paul would not have told Timothy to take a little wine for his stomach.

      Context matters. Learn WHY each instruction is given, and you won’t struggle to understand which instructions are for you, and which are not. Let me know if you have any questions. Have a great day!

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