Some people have complained that the standards set forth on this website are too high. Are they? In order to answer that, we need to know if the principles presented on this web site are human opinions or are they God's standards?
How will we know? Only by the Word of God and the Spirit of Prophecy can we know for sure which are God's standards, and which are man's standards. “It is the first and highest duty of every rational being to learn from the Scriptures what is truth, and then to walk in the light and encourage others to follow his example. We should day by day study the Bible diligently, weighing every thought and comparing scripture with scripture. With divine help we are to form our opinions for ourselves as we are to answer for ourselves before God.” {DD 38.3}
Without this diligent study, we merely have human opinions. The purpose of this web site is to provide resources that will educate and enlighten God's people regarding God's true standards concerning dress, and to inspire a desire for deeper study into these matters. “There is need of a better understanding of the principles of health reform. Temperance in eating, drinking, and dressing is essential.” {20MR 4.4}
God's standards are high. How high are they? “The Lord bids you to come up higher, to reach a holier standard. You must have an experience much deeper than you have yet even thought of having.” Testimonies, vol. 8, p. 318. {ChS 238.6} In fact, “God's ideal for His children is higher than the highest human thought can reach.” {8T 63.3}
That is why, when God's principles are presented, our human opinions must be laid aside. We dare not pull down what God wants to be lifted up. He has better ideas than our earthly goals and desires.
God wants us to keep growing in our Christian experience. “We are to be ever advancing from light to a greater light, holding fast what we have already received, and praying for more. Thus we shall never be left in darkness.” {RH, April 12, 1892 par. 10} “As a people professing to be reformers treasuring the most sacred, solemn, purifying truths of God's Word, we must elevate the standard far higher than it is at the present time.” {7MR 210.2}
Many people have a tendency to label standards that are higher than they currently practice as fanatical. You hear this all the time: Brother and Sister So-&-So are fanatical because they don't eat cheese, go to movies, swim in mixed company, and so on. Likewise, when the standard of dress is raised higher than people are accustomed to, many cry, “Fanaticism!”
Fanaticism is caused by exalting man-made standards, and ignoring God's standards. Man-made tests which endeavor to compel people to follow stringent rules that are not based on Bible principles have plagued religion for centuries. In fact, this policy will lead men to enforce the mark of the beast. We do not want to have any part in promoting man-made rules!
If the standards presented here are based on human opinions, they can lead people astray. If, on the other hand, they are based on God's principles, it would behoove every Seventh-day Adventist sister to carefully consider what is presented here. God's true principles will inspire and encourage those who are sincere about knowing and following the will of God. And we do need courage to follow God's standards! “Let women have courage to dress healthfully and simply.” {PH022 2.5}
The purpose of this site is to expound upon God's standard of dress. We are told that these standards affect our physical and spiritual health. “ ‘Above all things,' God desires us to ‘be in health,'--health of body and soul. And we are to be workers together with Him for the health of both soul and body. Both are promoted by healthful dress.” {PH022 1.2}
To the carnal mind, God's standards are way out of reach. They call for self-denial, which is contrary to our nature. It is the natural state of humanity to resist godly principles and war against God's ways. Opposition to God's standards will increase as ungodliness increases. “You may say that there are many Sabbath-keepers who dress just like the world. This has always been so and always will be so.”{PH096 14.1}
Why do people resist God's standards, and want to lower them? Selfish, prideful motives lie behind all rebellion. Satan presents plausible excuses to disguise our true motives. Some think that by lowering God's standards, they will have more influence on others. They don't want the narrow way to be quite so narrow. If it is made a little broader, it is urged that more people will be able to comfortably walk therein. The thought is that by pulling down the standards, more will accept the truth. Making the gospel more attractive to the world than it is presented in God's Word may seem like a worthy goal. But the end result will bring bitter disappointment.
If we endeavor to smooth out the narrow way, so that it isn't so steep and rugged, so it doesn't rub so hard against our desires, we will find we are not in the narrow way after all. We may think that we can “enjoy” our religion more if the standards are better suited to our liking. But at what a cost!
Jesus Christ came into this world to give us power to meet God's standard! “God has called us to glory and virtue. We have no right to assimilate with the world--dressing, talking, and living as worldlings do. God has given us a high standard to reach. To enable man to reach this standard, God sent into the world His only begotten Son. In our behalf Christ made an infinite sacrifice.” {2SAT 194.3} “We must lift the standard higher, and still higher, and in and through the grace of Christ we must attain unto it.” {RH, July 7, 1891 par. 5}
The world's standards are pleasant and comfortable to the carnal nature. Ellen White wrote, “My heart is pained to see those who profess to be followers of the meek and lowly Saviour, so eagerly seeking to conform to the world's standard of dress. {RH, December 6, 1881 par. 4} But, for the true follow of Christ, “The world, its customs, its fashions, will not be our standard. We shall not have a desire to conform to its practices; we shall not permit our inclinations to control us.” {PH096 68.1}
What happens when we refuse to follow God's principles? “The neglect of sister ______ to live up to the light on health and dress reform has been a stumbling-block to others. This should not have been. Men and women professing to be followers of Christ should be governed by principle instead of inclination and appetite.” {PH123 44.1}
“When Christians and worldlings are brought together, the Christian element is not to assimilate with the unsanctified. The contrast must be kept sharp and positive between the two. They are servants of two masters. One class strive to keep the humble path of obedience to God's requirements,--the path of simplicity, meekness, and humility,--imitating the Pattern, Christ Jesus. The other class are in every way the opposite of the first. They are servants of the world, eager and ambitious to follow its fashions in extravagant dress and in the gratification of appetite. . . We are not to lessen the distance between us and worldlings by coming to their standard, stepping down from the high path cast up for the ransomed of the Lord to walk in. But the charms exhibited in the Christian's life,--the principles carried out in our daily work, in holding appetite under the control of reason, maintaining simplicity in dress, and engaging in holy conversation,--will be a continual light shining upon the pathway of those whose habits are false.” {PH100 55.3}
“We are urged by the Spirit of the Lord to bear a pointed testimony against the idolatry of dress in this age….The children of Sabbath-keepers who have had their own way, and have been gratified in all their wishes, will, in consequence of their selfishness, idolatry, and unrighteousness, be unfit for heaven, but they will be fit for the last plagues. Unless parents arouse from their present condition, and do their appointed work, they will perish with their children.” {PH096 17.1}
On this web site, 4 main principles, or standards of dress are presented. They are 1.) Modesty, 2.) Simplicity, 3.) Femininity, and 4.) Healthfulness. Other principles generally fall under these main categories.
In the Bible and Spirit of Prophecy these 4 principles are described in detail. We cannot afford to pick out select quotes, molding them to fit our opinions and ignore the rest. We need to take everything that is written into consideration if we truly want to be pleasing to God.
“By the things of nature Christ illustrates the beauty that Heaven values,--the modest grace, the simplicity, the purity, the appropriateness, that would make our attire pleasing to Him.” {PH022 1.1}
Only when our dress is modest, simple, feminine and healthful dress does God consider it appropriate and pleasing to Him. These are His standards. We would do well to seek His indwelling power, which will enable us to live up to all the light He has given us.
