MERELY OUTWARD ADORNMENT
Tuesday 11
“Do not let your adornment be merely outward—arranging the hair, wearing gold, or putting on fine apparel.” 1 Peter 3:3 (NKJV)
Read: Titus 2:3-5; 1 Peter 3:1-6
The admonition of Apostle Peter in our text has been turned to legalism by some believers or denominations. The admonition is, women should not let their adornment be merely outward, and some of the adornments are listed; arranging or fixing the hair, wearing of gold, and putting on of fine or beautiful apparels or clothes.
Now, the emphasis of the writer, Apostle Peter, was that women’s mind or focus should not be solely on those things. They should rather be focused on their spirit, the hidden person of the heart—they should build their inner man, their spirit. In other words, they should let their adornment be the incorruptible beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, and such is precious in the sight of God (1 Peter 3:4).
Now, telling women in your congregation not to fix their hair in a particular way, or not to put on gold earrings or whatever, and telling them that fine apparels should not be put on, would not make the people change.
I have seen some so-called professed believers who do not put on catchy and flamboyant apparels and do not wear gold but their character is almost worse than that of those who put such things on.
Telling women not to put on gold earrings or whatever would not change them. Change is done or effected by God through the Holy Spirit from the inside to the outside. If a change is attempted to be effected from the outside, it only would become fake. It would be an insincere change. There are many of such women, proclaiming to be holy by not wearing gold and ostentatious or flashing clothes, yet they are not godly.
The incorruptible gentle and quiet spirit being talked about by Apostle Peter in the passage is what should be developed by a believer through consistent study of God’s Word and the practising of it. Having an incorruptible gentle and quiet spirit is not forced on anyone by rules and regulations but by the Holy Spirit of God.
This type of fabricated holiness is what is being practiced in other religions, especially in Islam, where they tell their women to cover every part of their body, including their faces—in which they are instructed to be wearing burqa or whatever.
You cannot force a human being to live holy through laws and regulations. Living a holy life is through the hearing or reading of the Word of God, the Bible, and the practising of the principles in the Bible.
Transformation takes place in the mind through the practice of the Word of God and the help of the Holy Spirit (Romans 12:2). Not by telling the people to strictly be dressing in a particular way.
The people may agree to dress in the way you tell them to dress but they may not change inwardly. What you would not want them to do, the sinful practices, would be seen doing by them; even when they dress the way you said they should dress.
Now, are there no Muslim women fornicating or committing adultery, even with the dressing forced on them? Are there no Muslim women who are into sexual sin or harlotry, even with their hijabs or burqa or whatever? There are many of their women who are into promiscuity, even with those strict dressing code and rules.
Asking women to dress strictly in certain ways would not stop them from committing sin and it will not change or transform them into godly persons. It is the feeding on the word of God that transforms the soul (Romans 12:2) “Therefore lay aside all filthiness and overflow of wickedness, and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls.” James 1:21 (NKJV)
Reflect:
- Is your pursuit of holiness rooted in genuine inward transformation, or in outward rules?
- Where might you be judging others by appearance rather than the true state of their heart? Peace.
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