Between Soul Winning And Obscene Dressing In Today’s Churches
Gift was in a new town where she attended the Sunday service in one of the leading churches around. Sitting quietly close to one of the church’s entrances, she felt uneasy with what she witnessed- half naked ladies making their way to the auditorium with confidence.
She checked to be double sure she was in the same church which she had always highly esteemed. Or, could it be because she was in a town known to be profligate?
Through the service, she kept asking herself how this church could allow such to go on. In her inquisitiveness, she waited at the end of the service to approach one of the ushers and asked if the pastors at any time get to caution the congregation on indecent dressing.
The usher responded with a giggle, saying, “You want the church to scatter? People will stop coming ooo. We believe they should come the way they are. It is we the workers that the Pastors advice.”
Still not satisfied, she posed the question to her brother who invited her to church. His reply was not different from the usher’s. Though he added that the church believes that if the gospel of ‘come the way you are’ is not encouraged, more souls may not be won, because the unsaved will feel condemned and will not be free to walk into the church another day.
But, Gift replied that the conscience of some may not be touched as they may continue in their ways if the church remains silent.
Felicia told of her experience when she went to run an errand for her supervisor in a church under the same denomination with the church where she worships. On getting there she was told she cannot go beyond the point she was because her appearance was not in alignment with the church’s dress code. She said she was annoyed at first but realised there was no need to lose her cool as the rule was all about restoring sanity in the way people dress to God’s sanctuary. She further impressed upon herself that honouring God and valuing oneself is also reflective on one’s appearance.
Some folks find themselves arguing on appearance as they view it has nothing doing with the heart.
According to a Christian leader, people in this category forget that out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks.
Sharing that she saw a comic picture of the way women used to dress before the devil became a fashion designer, she said though appearance could be deceitful, but somewhat a pointer to a regenerated or unregenerated heart.
Quoting Matthew 11:28, she reiterates that the gospel of ‘come the way you are’ indicates that God does not condemn any individual but abhors sinful living and He is ever present to forgive a repentant heart, mend broken souls and give rest to all who labour and are heavy laden.
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Rev. Dr. Olusola Idowu, Pastor, Ajayi Dahunsi Memorial Baptist Church, Lagos, in his reaction to the promotion of obscene dressing in today’s church said is another clear sign of the end time.
“It is so unfortunate to note that this is not limited to church members but some pastors are also involved. Many pastors become involved by their active or passive participation or approval of the practice. According to them, it is the heart that really matters and not the physical appearance. The truth is simply that whatever we see in the physical appearance is usually the reflection of the heart. When one considers the prevalence of obscene dressing in the churches and the society at large today, it is as though the devil has taken over the fashion industry.
“It is so disturbing that though people dress yet they appear almost naked. The most painful aspect is that when you try to correct them they take offense and may even decide to leave the church. I believe churches and the society at large should rise up to this challenge. We must all speak against obscene dressing. There is nothing to gain in obscene dressing but much to lose both socially and religiously. What should be kept should be kept and what be revealed should only be revealed,” Idowu viewed.
Rev. (Mrs.) Deola Ojo, wife of Rev. Yinka Ojo, Co-founder Grace Family International Church, said decency is a problem faced by the society at large.
“This is another challenge we have in this generation. Sometimes you cannot tell the difference between a young person that is born again and a young person that is not born again as the lifestyle, culture, dressing is the same and it shouldn’t be like that.
“It is time for our young people to know God for themselves, it is not about attending XYZ church it is about being a true Christian, it is not about what your bishop or pastor says but what the Bible says.
“What Has God told you based on His word? Sometimes when you ask if a person is born again, the response is that he or she attends a particular church.
“The question is not having large churches but the important thing is having true disciples of Jesus. I am not talking about people that dress up every Sunday for church thinking they are going for a fashion show.
“Which is what is happening in a lot of churches. If you are thoroughly disciple you are not going to be lying or cheating. The situation where the society continues to degenerate is because people have refused to be disciple and are not embracing Bible culture.
“Though some come from a home where there are no role model which makes it difficult to turn them right. This is where mentoring (discipline in Bible language) our young ones comes into play. When we, including church leaders, start living according to Bible standard, we will begin to influence our society,” Ojo noted.
She went further, “Jesus is my style. Fashion to me means decency and purity. The Bible says let everything be done in moderation. Fashion also means moderation, which to me is dressing always to portray godliness.
People who look at us should at a glance know we profess godliness. I have heard some people say ‘it doesn’t really matter, men should be able to control themselves.’
“It is like saying if a woman is dressed naked men should control themselves. You do not say that. I’m aware that my dressing and comportment has impact on other people. Some people have tempting faces, isn’t it? The problem however arises when such person decides to wear skimpy clothes, the V neck is so V and the skirt is so short and with a slit. This is no longer decent and moderate.”
Dr. Dare Ajiboye, General Secretary/Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Bible Society of Nigeria (BSN), expressed concern that religious institutions that would have served as spiritual haven and paragon of moral standards are fast becoming money making ventures.
“Attention is more on how to enrich the institutions rather than building the characters of their members. If Nigeria reflects the number of religious institutions we have, the country should be heaven on earth by now.
Look at the way we dress in churches today, it is worse than night clubs. What they come out to tell you that it is not the physical appearance in churches that matters but the heart.
Yes they have quoted rightly, God is interested in our hearts but they should not forget what the Bible says also. The Bible says if you make your brother to sin, it is better that a stone is cast on your neck and you are thrown into the sea,” he noted.
Referencing Mathew chapter 5, he continued, “Jesus talked about how a man commits adultery in his heart if he looks lustfully at a woman. So you that is going naked to church or walking on the streets, you are preventing others from making heaven.
Men are moved by what they see just like women moved by what they hear. If a woman dresses provocatively the argument is if the heart of the man is clean he won’t fall but the basic truth is that most men are weak. When they see they start thinking. It is not until when they approach a lady to commit sin.
“Then the church is promoting that and saying it does not matter how you dress. Our appearance should be that of a godly one. So running after money coupled with the way we dress and the way we talk is why you see today that it is possible for a pastor to impregnate a member because the pastor himself is not even born again.”
Pastor Segun Tewogbola, President and Senior Pastor of Christ the Truth Ministries, Ashi Bodija, Ibadan, Oyo State, maintained that apostolic doctrines held the early church together, but apostasy scattered the modern day church.
“The Laodicea church is a prophetic clock which we are now, and it means anybody can do whatever he wills. This period is to usher in the falling away of many, before the son of perdition would be revealed. The books of Daniel and Revelation are similar in prophecy.
“They are talking about end time events. Jesus also talked about these events – they are going to happen with or without prayer. So we can only rescue our own souls from these, otherwise this modern day church is positioned to the end time.
“There is nothing we can do about it but to rescue individuals away from the wrath to come. The stage is being prepared very fast, the atmosphere is spiritually charged, the devil has but a very short time,” the preacher revealed.
Pastor Abiodun Ladipo, the Senior Pastor of Grace of God Restoration, Lagos, stressed that some churches are ignoring the warning of not removing the ancient landmark which the Bible talks about.
“Proverbs 22:28 says do not remove the ancient landmark which your fathers have set. When you are talking about modern way of worship; you will be talking about the certain things that came out with modernisation and that were not visible in the early church then.
“Jeremiah 6:16 says, ‘Thus says the Lord, stand ye in the ways, and see, and ask for the old paths, where is the good way, and walk therein and ye shall find rest for your souls.’ The truth is that the new and modern way of worship cannot be compared to old and early way of worship.
“For example, in some modern churches, technology has helped the gospel to reach a wider coverage. It has also enhanced corporate social responsibilities. In the name of modernism, many ancient landmarks have been removed.
For example, Sunday school no longer exists in many 21st century churches; financial prosperity is now being more emphasised than salvation of souls while many Christians are deficient in their knowledge of the scriptures. But in early church, ancient landmarks were preserved; the concern was more of pleasing God and financial prosperity was downplayed.
“Sunday school classes were the backbone of churches. Soul winning was the major preoccupation of the church, where believers were grounded in the scriptures and things of God and there was discipleship.
Holiness and righteousness showed forth in behaviour and dressing were also not left out. What will the church look like in the next 20 -30 years, if Christ has not returned? What will this generation teach or pass down to the next generation?
The way we are groomed is not the way we are grooming the next generation. The clergy is to be blamed for this state of things but it is never too late to return fully back to God,” Ladipo buttressed.
By Chinyere Abiaziem
Chinyere, a writer with Independent Newspapers Limited.
Credit: Independent