Can A Girl Wear Jeans And T-Shirt?
Question : If our daughter wears jeans pant and t-shirt or some other men's dresses, how do you respond according to the Bible?
Answer : Greetings in Jesus wonderful name! I know usually religious mind of people dig in to Bible to not meditate upon the word of God to know Jesus personally and experientially, but rather they do it to update their knowledge of good and evil, to find the do's and the dont's to walk in a religious way of external holiness to please God (Gen 2:17; Php 3:10-11). This tree of knowledge of good and evil actually is independency to live with a so called righteousness of their own apart from God and trying to please God through do's and dont's of the law which they learn through experience and surrounding acceptability which are basic principles of the world that comes through regulation which perish with using and cultural acceptability (Col 2:21-22, 20; Php 3:9).
I know what you have just discussed, the Old Testament says, "A woman shall not wear anything that pertains to a man, nor shall a man put on a woman’s garment, for all who do so are an abomination to the LORD your God." (Deut 22:4). This was told to the nation of Israel where God wanted to keep them from the surrounding pagan people who wore cross-gender garments to sacrifice to their gods and then have festivals of parties where sexual orgies were the norm after such great feasts. God wanted to separate them and keep them to bring the Savior of the world and save the world from their sins (Exo 19:5; Matt 1:21; 1 John 4:14). The sign of a peculiar people going back to Deuteronomy, in chapter 14, we find that God say to Israel, “Because you are My peculiar people, there are certain things which you may do and there are certain things which you should not do.” (Deut 14:2, Paraphrased Contextually). The main reason God said these things was to keep them all away from mingling with the paganistic and animistic culture of the surrounding ungodly people around them.
Coming to the main point, we see the western culture has jeans and t-shirt for men and women [both have different sizes and shapes for both gender], but in our Indian and Asian culture when they see a girl wear a jean pant and t-shirt, they see through the mind set of the culture that sees a pant and t-shirt as men's clothing even though such apparels are available for both gender separately. When a man wears a Saree, it is unacceptable I agree with that because it is purely a woman's clothing according to Indian culture and the world around. Even pyjamas when a man wears it also looks like a chudidhar which only girls wear, but they both have different sizes that fits for each gender uniquely. So with the eyes of the culture we should not see these issues and see it in reality and accept it. With globalization spreading around, to me that is a personal preference of each person that should be honored whether it is a girl or a boy. Nobody should ever become a victim of the culture around them that imposes it to make them living puppets. I believe for a girl to wear a jean and t-shirt is Ok for them as long as they feel good about it and they cover themselves up without revealing themselves for prying eyes around them to tempt them unnecessarily (1 Peter 3:3).
In the Old Testament all things were external and foreshadow, the same has become a reality of internal life in the New Testament (Col 2:17). Old Covenant focused on you and what you must do externally. New Covenant focuses on Christ and what He has done for you internally to make a external difference for the glory of God. Under law, God requires. Under grace, God provides. Old Testament says, 'If you do...I will bless or else you will be cursed.' (Exo 23:22; Deut 4:29; Lev 2:4; 26:3; Deut 7:12; 23:21; 28:2; 28:15). New Testament says, 'It is done...only believe all things are possible.' (Col 2:13; 1 Pet 2:24; Eph 1:3; 2 Cor 5:21; Heb 10:10; Eph 1:19; Rom 15:7; 8:39).
Circumcision was external in OT, but it is internal of the heart in NT (Genesis 17:9–14; Acts 7:8; Leviticus 12:2–3; Deut 10:16; Rom 2:29). Sacrifice of bulls, goats and lambs was external in the OT (Exo 12:5; Num 7:17; Heb 10:4), Jesus became one accepted and holy substitutional sacrifice for us before God so that we can offer our bodies internally acceptable as a living sacrifice to God and serve Him (Heb 9:14; Rom 12:1). Law written in stone by the finger of God externally (Exo 31:18; 34:1), Holy Spirit writes in our heart the law of God internally (Heb 10:16). Righteousness was external behavior in OT, righteousness is internal faith in NT (Rom 3:22; Php 3:9). Rest was external in Canaan land temporarily (Heb 4:7-8), rest is internal peace that passes all understanding and joy unspeakable given permanently for us to live by faith and maintain it (Heb 4:9-10; Php 4:6-7; 1 Peter 1:8; Matt 11:28-29).
So Paul the apostle clearly says to all believers, "16 So let no one judge you in food or in drink, or regarding a festival or a new moon or sabbaths, 17 which are a shadow of things to come, but the substance is of Christ." (Col 2:16-17). In other words, we as believers should not allow ourselves to be conformed to religious way of thinking and behaving like the world does, but we should renew our mind with the word of God which makes us believe that all is done by Christ so that we can be transformed in Christ internally in our soul to live a life worthy of God and be pleasing to Him in all things (Rom 12:2; 2 Cor 5:9).
Whatever has been external culture to the nation of Israel in the Old Testament, has become an internal experience in the New Testament for all believers around the world. So I believe that for a girl, more than what she wears outside or how she arranges her hair or how she beautifies herself with ornament, it is more important whether she has a chaste conduct, the hidden beauty of the heart, the incorruptible beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit which is very precious in the sight of God for a godly women, let the holy women and beautiful little girls of our Churches adorn themselves, being submissive to their husbands and fathers in the fear of the Lord (1 Peter 3:3-5; Eph 6:1; 1 Cor 7:38).
Will our way of dressing will speak about our personality? Yes a load of it....Am I supporting women and am bypassing the WORD OF GOD? By no means. My way of saying is, if internally someone is strong in faith, you don't have to say do this or don't do this, automatically, instead they will dress modestly, with decency and propriety, not with braided hair or gold or pearls or expensive clothes, but with good deeds, appropriate for women who profess to worship God (1 Tim 2:9-10). When we are godly, our dress will also line up to be godly, neat and also good looking.
Much Blessings....
Answer : Greetings in Jesus wonderful name! I know usually religious mind of people dig in to Bible to not meditate upon the word of God to know Jesus personally and experientially, but rather they do it to update their knowledge of good and evil, to find the do's and the dont's to walk in a religious way of external holiness to please God (Gen 2:17; Php 3:10-11). This tree of knowledge of good and evil actually is independency to live with a so called righteousness of their own apart from God and trying to please God through do's and dont's of the law which they learn through experience and surrounding acceptability which are basic principles of the world that comes through regulation which perish with using and cultural acceptability (Col 2:21-22, 20; Php 3:9).
I know what you have just discussed, the Old Testament says, "A woman shall not wear anything that pertains to a man, nor shall a man put on a woman’s garment, for all who do so are an abomination to the LORD your God." (Deut 22:4). This was told to the nation of Israel where God wanted to keep them from the surrounding pagan people who wore cross-gender garments to sacrifice to their gods and then have festivals of parties where sexual orgies were the norm after such great feasts. God wanted to separate them and keep them to bring the Savior of the world and save the world from their sins (Exo 19:5; Matt 1:21; 1 John 4:14). The sign of a peculiar people going back to Deuteronomy, in chapter 14, we find that God say to Israel, “Because you are My peculiar people, there are certain things which you may do and there are certain things which you should not do.” (Deut 14:2, Paraphrased Contextually). The main reason God said these things was to keep them all away from mingling with the paganistic and animistic culture of the surrounding ungodly people around them.
Coming to the main point, we see the western culture has jeans and t-shirt for men and women [both have different sizes and shapes for both gender], but in our Indian and Asian culture when they see a girl wear a jean pant and t-shirt, they see through the mind set of the culture that sees a pant and t-shirt as men's clothing even though such apparels are available for both gender separately. When a man wears a Saree, it is unacceptable I agree with that because it is purely a woman's clothing according to Indian culture and the world around. Even pyjamas when a man wears it also looks like a chudidhar which only girls wear, but they both have different sizes that fits for each gender uniquely. So with the eyes of the culture we should not see these issues and see it in reality and accept it. With globalization spreading around, to me that is a personal preference of each person that should be honored whether it is a girl or a boy. Nobody should ever become a victim of the culture around them that imposes it to make them living puppets. I believe for a girl to wear a jean and t-shirt is Ok for them as long as they feel good about it and they cover themselves up without revealing themselves for prying eyes around them to tempt them unnecessarily (1 Peter 3:3).
In the Old Testament all things were external and foreshadow, the same has become a reality of internal life in the New Testament (Col 2:17). Old Covenant focused on you and what you must do externally. New Covenant focuses on Christ and what He has done for you internally to make a external difference for the glory of God. Under law, God requires. Under grace, God provides. Old Testament says, 'If you do...I will bless or else you will be cursed.' (Exo 23:22; Deut 4:29; Lev 2:4; 26:3; Deut 7:12; 23:21; 28:2; 28:15). New Testament says, 'It is done...only believe all things are possible.' (Col 2:13; 1 Pet 2:24; Eph 1:3; 2 Cor 5:21; Heb 10:10; Eph 1:19; Rom 15:7; 8:39).
Circumcision was external in OT, but it is internal of the heart in NT (Genesis 17:9–14; Acts 7:8; Leviticus 12:2–3; Deut 10:16; Rom 2:29). Sacrifice of bulls, goats and lambs was external in the OT (Exo 12:5; Num 7:17; Heb 10:4), Jesus became one accepted and holy substitutional sacrifice for us before God so that we can offer our bodies internally acceptable as a living sacrifice to God and serve Him (Heb 9:14; Rom 12:1). Law written in stone by the finger of God externally (Exo 31:18; 34:1), Holy Spirit writes in our heart the law of God internally (Heb 10:16). Righteousness was external behavior in OT, righteousness is internal faith in NT (Rom 3:22; Php 3:9). Rest was external in Canaan land temporarily (Heb 4:7-8), rest is internal peace that passes all understanding and joy unspeakable given permanently for us to live by faith and maintain it (Heb 4:9-10; Php 4:6-7; 1 Peter 1:8; Matt 11:28-29).
So Paul the apostle clearly says to all believers, "16 So let no one judge you in food or in drink, or regarding a festival or a new moon or sabbaths, 17 which are a shadow of things to come, but the substance is of Christ." (Col 2:16-17). In other words, we as believers should not allow ourselves to be conformed to religious way of thinking and behaving like the world does, but we should renew our mind with the word of God which makes us believe that all is done by Christ so that we can be transformed in Christ internally in our soul to live a life worthy of God and be pleasing to Him in all things (Rom 12:2; 2 Cor 5:9).
Whatever has been external culture to the nation of Israel in the Old Testament, has become an internal experience in the New Testament for all believers around the world. So I believe that for a girl, more than what she wears outside or how she arranges her hair or how she beautifies herself with ornament, it is more important whether she has a chaste conduct, the hidden beauty of the heart, the incorruptible beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit which is very precious in the sight of God for a godly women, let the holy women and beautiful little girls of our Churches adorn themselves, being submissive to their husbands and fathers in the fear of the Lord (1 Peter 3:3-5; Eph 6:1; 1 Cor 7:38).
Will our way of dressing will speak about our personality? Yes a load of it....Am I supporting women and am bypassing the WORD OF GOD? By no means. My way of saying is, if internally someone is strong in faith, you don't have to say do this or don't do this, automatically, instead they will dress modestly, with decency and propriety, not with braided hair or gold or pearls or expensive clothes, but with good deeds, appropriate for women who profess to worship God (1 Tim 2:9-10). When we are godly, our dress will also line up to be godly, neat and also good looking.
Much Blessings....
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