Response to UPC Bible study on Make-up
Response to a Bible study written by Rev. M.G. Blankenship. Found at http://www.apostolic.edu/biblestudy/files/bwahprt3.htm.
Accessed 12/21/06.
I am not going to reprint the entire study because it would take too much space. What I will do is show a piece from the Bible study and then respond to it. I do recommend that you read the entire Bible study and form your own conclusions.
Spelling and editing errors in the italicized errors are the mistake of the author of the Bible study that I am responding to. Spelling and editing errors in the rest of the article are my mistake.
Rev. Blankenship writes:
This is an issue of association: Without exception, every example of makeup in the Bible is associated with wicked women. Queen Jezebel when trying to seduce Jehu: ( who was a VERY WICKED WOMAN)
II Kings 9:30 "And when Jehu was come to Jezreel, Jezebel heard [of it]; and she painted her face, and tired her head, and looked out at a window."
** Let’s be honest: we would have to recognize that what we call makeup is really nothing more than painting your face. THEREFORE, I could say I am going to Builder’s Square and buy a five gallon bucket of makeup for my house. The only difference between normal & a clown is the amount. Somehow, paint sounds cheap, but makeup is "cultural." – but it’s the same thing. Even the world acknowledges someone "overdone" as a "Jezebel"
Eye makeup started in Egypt about 3000BC . Egypt is a type of sin and bondage throughout the Bible. (it sure didn’t start in Israel among God’s people)
My Response:
Just because something started in Egypt, and Egypt is traditionally a type of sin, does not make something inherently evil. Egypt was one of the first civilizations to use irrigation, so is irrigation inherently evil? Of course not! The fact is that Egypt existed for thousands of years before the Hebrews were called out, so they had plenty of ideas. Just because they did something does not make it wrong. Egypt is a type of sin because the Israelites were held in bondage there. It was not a type of sin because of any particular thing that they did.
Now let’s look at Jezebel. Jezebel was a Phoenician princess who married King Ahab (note that she was not Egyptian). Jezebel was definitely an evil woman, but she was not evil because she painted her face. That has nothing to do with it. She was evil because she persecuted the prophets of God and things like that.
The point is this: If we cannot wear make-up because Jezebel painted her face, then we also cannot "adorn" our hair or look out a window.
See the logic here? Just because an evil person happened to do something does not mean that the action is evil.
Also, for what it’s worth, the only time Jezebel is mentioned in the NT is when a prophetess is called a "Jezebel" by Jesus. The reason? She was leading Christians to commit acts of immorality and to eat food sacrificed to idols. Nothing about make-up there.
Rev. Blankenship writes:
Look at Solomon’s advice to young men:
Proverbs 6:25 "Lust not after her beauty in thine heart; neither let her take thee with her eyelids."
Painting the face is direct, simple pride & vanity at its rawest form . It is simply designed for sex appeal; it has no other purpose.
My Response:
The commandment in Proverbs 6:25 is to not lust after adulturesses. The statement, "Neither let her take thee with her eyelids" may or may not have anything to do with eye paint. The Keil & Delitzsch Commentary on the Old Testament (one of the better Old Testament commentaries) has this to say about the subject: "The warning, ‘let her not catch thee with her eyelids,’ refers to her (the adulteress’s) coquettish ogling and amorous winking1." Of course, other commentaries (such as JFB and Clarke) think that the verse is talking about eye shadow2. We just don’t know for sure. Either way, the debate about whether or not "take thee with her eyelids" refers to eye shadow is pointless. The passage does not command women to not wear eye shadow, it only commands men to not lust after adulturesses. Men will lust over women whether or not they’re wearing eye shadow.
I also do not think it’s fair or right to say that make-up is "simply designed for sex appeal." (Note that this is the same view that the UPCI takes in their doctrinal section when they say, "Since the primary effect of makeup is to highlight sex appeal, we reject makeup as immodest3.")
This is not right.
Just because a woman uses make-up to enhance her physical appearance does not mean that she’s out looking for sex. If we follow this logic than anything that we do to enhance our physical appearance is "immodest."
Is it wrong to put on deoderant? Is trying to smell nice enhancing our sex appeal? What about brushing our hair, or wearing matching socks? See where this is heading? Everyone wants to look nice, and there’s nothing wrong with that! The problem only comes when someone is obsessed with their physical appearance to the point of neglecting modesty or inward holiness.
Rev. Blankenship writes:
In the scripture: it always denoted boldness, seduction, ostentation and even prostitution.
NOTICE THESE TYPES OF GOD SPEAKING TO BACKSLIDING ISRAEL..
Jeremiah 4:30 "And [when] thou [art] spoiled, what wilt thou do? Though thou clothest thyself with crimson, though thou deckest thee with ornaments of gold, though thou rentest thy face with painting, in vain shalt thou make thyself fair; [thy] lovers will despise thee, they will seek thy life." Ezekiel 23:38-40 "Moreover this they have done unto me; they have defiled my sanctuary in the same day, and have profaned my sabbaths. For when they had slain their children to their idols, then they came the same day into my sanctuary to profane it; and, lo, thus have they done in the midst of mine house. And furthermore, that ye have sent for men to come from far, unto whom a messenger [was] sent; and, lo, they came: for whom thou didst wash thyself, paintedst thy eyes, and deckedst thyself with ornaments."
My Response:
Jer. 4:30 is not even hinting that women should not wear make-up. It only says, "In vain you make yourself beautiful." I will reverse the argument by making this point: If this Scripture teaches that we can’t wear make-up to make ourselves look beautiful then it also means that we can’t wear scarlet or any gold. (Of course, there are some extremely fundamental churches that teach against wearing red or any gold, but they are the minority).
If Ezekiel 23:40 is associating make-up with harlotry, then it’s also associating taking a bath with harlotry. (I haven’t showered yet this morning, so I don’t suppose I’m a harlot yet today…but that will change before I go out this afternoon.) Please forgive the sarcasm, but you see how ludicrous this train of thought is!
Rev. Blankenship writes:
Esther 2:13 "Then thus came every maiden unto the king; whatsoever she desired was given her to go with her out of the house of the women unto the king’s house. 14 In the evening she went, and on the morrow she returned into the second house of the women, to the custody of Shaashgaz, the king’s chamberlain, which kept the concubines: she came in unto the king no more, except the king delighted in her, and that she were called by name. 15 Now when the turn of Esther, the daughter of Abihail the uncle of Mordecai, who had taken her for his daughter, was come to go in unto the king, she required nothing but what Hegai the king’s chamberlain, the keeper of the women, appointed. And Esther obtained favour in the sight of all them that looked upon her."
The royal courts of the king used cosmetics & jewelry. SHE RELIED ON INNER BEAUTY RATHER THAN MAKEUP TO WIN THE KING All she used was oil of myrrh perfume, and preparations to beautify the skin: (IE: perfumes, lotions, skin care, etc…)
Esther 2:12 "Now when every maid’s turn was come to go in to king Ahasuerus, after that she had been twelve months, according to the manner of the women, (for so were the days of their purifications accomplished, to wit, six months with oil of myrrh, and six months with sweet odours, and with other things for the purifying of the women"
My Response:
I do not mean to offend anyone, but this is possibly one of the worst examples of taking a Scripture out of context that I have ever seen! Esther was purified for six months with oil of myrhh and six months with spices and "things" (KJV) or "cosmetics" (NASB). (In reality the word that the KJV translates "things" and the NASB translates "cosmetics" refers to "ritual purification following menstruation4"; it is a difficult word to translate into English). Anyway, this is the point: The Bible never says Esther only used "lotions" and what-not…she was PURIFIED with them for one year. When she went into King Ahasuerus she could request whatever she wanted (verse 13), but the SECOND time that she was summoned to the King she only took what "Hegai, the king’s eunuch…advised" (verse 15).
Follow the pattern? Read the verses again: Esther goes into see the king, and she wears whatever she wants (13). Now she waits to see if the king calls her again (14). The king did call her again, and this time she goes with only what Hegai (who was the king’s eunuch, and who knew what the king liked) advised. The Bible says nothing about what Esther wore, only that she wore what Hegai advised the second time she went to see the king .
The girl could have been painted hot pink for all we know. If that’s what Hegai advised, then that’s what she did. The Bible just doesn’t say either way.
Also, let me make another point. The author of this Bible study is comparing Esther to Jezebel, like Esther is good and Jezebel is bad. Think about Esther for a second. Was she really that good?
The Babylonian diaspora (captivity) was over, and the Jews had been freed to return to their homeland, but Esther had stayed in Persia. When Esther was summoned to the king she hid her Jewish heritage. When the king selected her she married him, which was a cross-racial marriage–a direct violation of the Mosaic Law. Not only did she marry him, but she continued to keep her heritage a secret. We do not know what all she had to do to accomplish that, but it certainly involved breaking at least some of the ceremonial law (I.E. with the foods she ate, etc). THEN when she finds out that all her people are going to die, she’s still not sure what to do! Esther basically told Mordecai that she could not do anything because she had not been summoned to the king (Esther 4:11). Boo-hoo! In other words, Esther is so scared for her own skin that she’s debating whether or not to even help the Jews.
Esther finally got her act together, and it all turned out for the good. Now we view Esther as a heroine because of what she did, but the fact is that she was a backslidden, apostate Hebrew who only got her act together when the going got rough. Up until then she was hardly the role model that we make her out to be.
Rev. Blankenship writes:
DID YOU KNOW? American colonies between 1700-1800 makeup was outlawed? *** up until 1945-1950, it was considered sin by most churches
My Response:
It was considered sin for hundreds of years to defy the Roman Catholic church and to not take the sacraments. That doesn’t mean they were right. Man-made laws do not define what is Scripturally correct or incorrect.
Rev. Blankenship writes:
DO WE FOLLOW SOCIETY, OR THE SCRIPTURE?
Acts 5:29 "Then Peter and the [other] apostles answered and said, We ought to obey God rather that men."
*** These are issues that do not always have specific scriptures of complete prohibition. *** ( Rather these are issues of Biblical Association )
PRINCIPLE OF INTEREST TO CONSIDER…
EXO 38: 8 "And he made the laver of brass, and the foot of it of brass, of the lookingglasses of the women assembling, which assembled at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation."
The Laver of water was a piece of furniture that gained them access to the Holy Place! It was made of the mirrors of the woman…
My Response:
Are mirrors a sin? Either they are or they aren’t. Nowhere does the Bible command women to give up their mirrors or their make-up.
I agree that we should follow God and not society. The fact remains, though, that God never said anything about not wearing make-up.
Rev. Blankenship writes:
Bro. Wayne Huntley one time said…"Revival will come when we get the mirrors out of the women’s hands!" His point: (symbolically) Our woman must get over this self conscious hurdle of the world.
My Response:
If Bro. Wayne Huntley means that women [and men] need to be more concerned with inward beauty and holiness than they do outward beauty, then I agree with him (cf. 1 Tim. 2:9-10) (although I’m not sure that will alone bring revival).
Furthermore, I don’t think it’s right that the UPC picks on women so much about their appearance. I spent my whole life in Oneness Pentecostal churches, and I promise you that there are just as many vain men as there are vain women. The same goes for the rest of society.
My Conclusion:
Here’s the point, folks: The New Testament repeatedly makes it clear that God wants inner purity and holiness. On at least one occasion (1 Tim. 2:9-10) Paul instructs women to be more concerned with that than with outward beauty. However, the New Testament never dictates any rules of apparel–whether it be clothing, jewelry, or make-up. For that matter, the OLD TESTAMENT never taught against make-up either. It’s just not there.
Folks, holiness is necessary, but it works from the inside out. The Bible never gave any church the right to dictate standards of dress (such as no make-up). The Bible is the rule of authority, not us. If a woman has a problem with vanity and she feels that she needs to give up wearing make-up, then that’s between her and God. We have no right to create a universal rule that says make-up is inherently sinful, and women should not wear it. When we do that we are trying to force holiness into a person from the outside, and that just doesn’t work.
References:
- Keil & Delitzsch Commentary on the Old Testament, Johann (C.F.) Keil (1807-1888) & Franz Delitzsch (1813-1890), Prov. 6:25 [↩]
- A Commentary on the Old and New Testaments by Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset and David Brown, Prov. 6:25 [↩]
- United Pentecostal Church International – Modesty, Accessed 2006-12-21 20:02:31 [↩]
- The Complete Word Study Dictionary, © 1992 By AMG International, Inc., H8562 [↩]
April 19th, 2008 at 7:18 pm
I’m sorry you feel the way you do. You must have some kind of bitterness or something making you speak out against the UPC. Holiness does come from within and we need it to be as pleasing unto God. We are not perfect, but we can all strive for the one who died for us and live as close as we can to Him. We will have no problem living for Him in holiness or whatever we do as unto Jesus throughout our entire lives. The Word of God shall stand forever.
May 6th, 2008 at 2:30 am
Thank you so much for taking the time to stand up for what is right.. As 1 Samual 9 God says he doesn’t judge by the outward apperance.. If only they new that… Again,, you hit the nail on the head..
September 5th, 2008 at 6:35 pm
I disagree with Shane. Nothing on this website demonstrates bitterness toward the UPC. Just a different point of view.
Josh, you have no contact information under “contact me.” I came across your website and would like to chat with you. I’m a oneness pentecostal from California, and I’m having a real problem with the standards lately.
It’s not that I have a problem with having standards or even following standards. A lot of churches, clubs, organizations, work places, etc. have standards. (I’m an attorney, and most women wear knee-length skirts and pantihose to court. The legal world is a very old-fashioned conservative world, and I fit right in.) What I do have a problem with is the condemnation associated with the standards.
Please contact me. I’m interested in knowing more about your journey of faith.
September 6th, 2008 at 8:03 am
Hi, Penny, thank you for your comments. I will e-mail you shortly. I am not sure why nothing showed up under “contact me”–it looks like that page is working again now.
About Shane’s comments, I just want to clarify that this article had a much more sarcastic tone when he made his comments. The sarcasm was not intentional on my part, but it was still there. This was one of the first articles that I wrote (I actually wrote it while I was still attending a UPC church) and I had a lot of frustration. That seeped through in the form of sarcasm, and I can see how readers might have taken it as bitterness.
I can honestly say that I did not have a lot of bitterness when I left the UPC. I struggled hard to avoid it.
Anyway, I gave this article a re-write a couple of months ago to try to make the tone less sarcastic. The content is the same, but the tone is different than the original one. I can see how Shane construed the original article as being bitter. That perception was one of the reasons I re-wrote the article.
Honestly, I have not struggled very much with bitterness. When bitter feelings do crop up I try to follow the advice of Hebrews: “See to it that no one fails to obtain the grace of God; that no ‘root of bitterness’ springs up and causes trouble, and by it many become defiled;” (Heb 12:15 ESV).
Thanks again for your comments, and for the comments of everyone.
September 11th, 2008 at 3:44 pm
In all of the reading I have done of your writings I would say that you are one of the most humble and fair that I have had the pleasure to come across. Your writings are insightful and articulate. I have yet to find any of them condesending or bitter.
Sadly enough, it is not at all unusual for those in the UPC or other oneness organization to automatically ascribe bitterness to anything that is contradictory to the UPC or oneness teachings.
Thank for the time you put into these writings. They are so helpful.
Kayla
September 16th, 2008 at 4:42 pm
You are very sad and the devil has decieved bro. Your worldly lust have driven you from the truth. You have taken a very good representation of a holiness bible study and tried to justify a worldy approach. Don’t be angry bro., Jesus forgives and throws everything into the sea of forgetfulness, you can come back…I’ll be praying for you
September 16th, 2008 at 6:09 pm
Im am new here, and as I usually do in most forums that I join or post in, I jump right in with boh feet.
So I have to ask, William, are you still attending a UPC church? Or one like it?
The devil hasn’t decieved someone just because they disagree with “your” personal belief system of facial make-up. If disagreeing was deception then you also are decieved.
There is not one scripture to back up a doctrine against make up except 1 Tim 2:9 which only then teaches women modesty in all things.
The wordly approach is when a man or an organization makes up doctrine based on scriptures that do not even relate to the subject at hand.
It is when these men impose their own convictions upon women because they themselves have carnal, lustful, fetishes that drive them to impose these strange traditions of men upon women. Blameing the women for makeing they themselves lust after the opisite gender.
UPC and the like have put the spirit and sin of adultary souly upon the women to bare. Blaming them for there must inner inhabitions and never relizeing the problem lay within there own hearts as men.
Christ, the apostles, and the prophets put the blame more regularly on the man him self. read Proverbs 6:25, Matthew 5:28, Matthew 18:9
Brother Vasquez you speak of the “sea of forgetfulness” and yet when you see a woman with make up you do not see a daughter of The Creator but rather you see a harlot?
I say unto you “Except ye exceed the righteousness of the scribes and pharisees ye shall in no wise enter into the Kingdom Of Heaven” Matthew 5:20
Or yet have you forgot of the women cought in the very act of adultery, did Christ condem her for her adultery or her accusers for there hypocricy? And, why, as he told her “Go and sin no more.” Did he not tell her “Remove the paint from thy face.”?
Think on this brother, Roman, Corinthian, Pillipian, Ephesian, and Asian women all wore facial make up during Paul’s, the gentiles apostle, journeys. He new Mosaic Law better then any man of his time and yet he never mention’s the restriction of make up.
So then, why does your pastor preach hell and high water on a subject never mentioned once in the new testiment by the very men who had the power to bind and to loose doctrine in heaven and in earth?
November 2nd, 2008 at 4:53 am
As I read I thought of times that I question things. I’m very thankfull for a pastor that prays and for the Blood of Jesus. The times I have questioned the word of God were the times my prayer life was low. That is why it is very important to for us to pray. We are trouble if we are only warm, the lord Will spue us out.
January 7th, 2009 at 12:39 am
Lets put aside religion for A moment. What good does make-up do fore anybody ! personally myself I don’t see any real purpose for make-up unless A person is severely deformed and maybe could cover some of it up A bit. I don’t understand why this preacher is so bent on making A case fore make-up . personally i think it makes people looks fake like A clown. On A religious point I could understand why god would not like it Its A waist of time !! Is make-up really that important. Liberal Christian’s don’t want god to tell them how to live there lives . You know if it feels good do it . But they want the government to tell them how to live.
February 2nd, 2009 at 1:20 pm
Great Job! I just wish that more UPCers and folks of other like minded oragnizations would wake up and just see what they are doing. As a former UPCer myself, its amazin how many former upers you find, I mean we are everywhere and in every kind of church imaginable (I am Anglican Now). I attended one of their bible colleges for a breif time and still am very astonished what learned there in particular the reason for the standards. One memory was of the teacher telling us that if we are to Pastor’s and preachers that its our job to keep the flock away from the cliff and thats where standards come in, its keeping them as far away from the cliff as possible, although some will stray and fall off the majority will be saved….that was it for me, I was done with it. Anywho what a great read, keep up the good work.
P.S. to the UPCers reading this, I am not bitter, I still love Jesus and I still love you. come out of the wilderness, cross the river Jordan and enter the promised land!
March 1st, 2009 at 3:41 am
I am reading some of the postings and can see both sides of reasoning. The way I look at it is like this. If God convicts me..then I should follow God. If I am overly consumed with the way I look, or anything else for that matter- putting things in place of God= idols, then I am committing sin. We have to pray, seek God, read His word, be close to Him, walk with Him, learn of Him, and He will lead us to where He wants us to be.
By the way, I am a former UPCer also, my spouse and oldest child still attend, myself and the youngest child do not. The church can be very damaging to families by causing people to “choose” which path to take. I need my spouses help and guidance, direction and encouragement…not abasement and looked at like I am full of the devil…as so many UPCers do when someone leaves the church. It isn’t fair, loving or compassionate….I always am looking for the fruit….”you shall know them by their fruit”. God bless and thanks for the postings.
March 6th, 2009 at 5:42 pm
Josh,
I agree with Kayla that your writings are some of the most humble and fair I’ve come accross. I believe this is what happens when we read God’s Word with an open heart – and a readiness to follow Christ anywhere, even if means going against everything we were taught by man… I’ve lately been thinking about the “words in RED” and how THOSE words should be our belief system. Although I’m currently attending a UPC church, it is my recent reading of the ‘words in red’, and websites like this that have helped me to realize what the gospel really is. I look forward to reading everything on this site. Thanks for the time spent on this. :)
May 4th, 2009 at 3:59 am
It is always good to present both sides of the argument, Nevertheless, to each his own.
May 22nd, 2009 at 6:04 am
Don’t you think if God wanted us to be born with red lips, eyeshadow, mascara, etc. He would’ve just created us like that? Indirectly I think people are just unhappy with how they look and that’s why they put on make-up meaning that the not satisfied with God’s creation because the Word of God state that we are formed in His image….
May 22nd, 2009 at 10:43 am
Do you curl or straighten your hair? Do you have a perm? Do you hotstick it? Do you do anything, in any way, that alters the appearance of your hair? If your answer is yes to any of these questions–then you have the found the answer as to why some women choose to wear make up.
May 25th, 2009 at 8:16 pm
The UPCI does have things backwards these days, we tend to have forgotten that the journey does not begin with standards. The journey begins with a love for God like none other and a quest of prayer in “spirit and in truth” as the Bible teaches us to. I belive in Godly convictions that guides one to the personal relationship that we are to have.
I am UPC, my wife was Methodist. In the beginning of our relationship all I did was treat her as a lady, admire her the natural beauty that she had and give her someone to pray with. We developed a Godly relationship and she ventured on her own speed to a great walk with the Lord. Until… one day an elder of the church stood up in a youth service and declared his thoughts on standards. I was extremely upset and obviously so was she. I took her back to the house and said, “I want you to see a few scriptures and then go home tonight and pray, ask God whole heartedly for the truth and He will give you what is right for your life.” That night she went home and sought God. The next morning she woke up and did her normal thing, on her way out the door she was stopped short of the step. She felt drawn to go back inside and change into something else. This occured several times through our relationship. At one point she decided to wear some CLEAR nail polish, no big deal right? Well in a normal worship service she went to raise her hands during her time of prayer and she said, “My hands felt like brick, I couldnt lift them and it scared me.” The next thing that happend was she had cut about 4-5 inches off her hair, I didnt even notice because her hair was so long. But that night she fell asleep and in a dream she began to cut her hair and it started to bleed. She said it felt so real, like it was alive.
I say all that to say, everything that went on when it came to holiness standards came to her through prayer and supplication to God. We both agree that standards are not a saving factor in one’s life but it is noticable. She has never gotten so many comments about how beautiful she is or how nice her hair is or just the awe factor of everything about her. The natural beauty she carries is always recognized. Just as corinthians says, her hair has become a “glory” to her.
In no way does one person’s convictions mean that everyone should follow the same standards. I just belive that in anything you do, if you seek God and his truth He will give you the answer relevant to your life and your walk with Him. Anyone can talk both sides of the holiness standards topics, but only God can make something relevant to your personal life.
May 26th, 2009 at 9:43 am
I wish that everyone had that outlook. The real problem is that first, before anyone can be used–they have to “prove” they have converted and accepted the standards (at least in all the churches I have been a member or visited) That can be a very strong motivator to take on convictions that you have never truly had. Just imagine going to the church for the first time and feeling this incredible spirit of worship and wanting to NEVER lose it. Then, slowly but surely, people begin to reinforce that the only way to hold onto that feeling is to change and pick up these standards–especially if you have a desire to be used, to sing in the choir, teach Sunday School, even just sing a special. And to be told that other churchs are just “playing church” they just have a “form” of worship even to go so far as to condemn other UPC churchs as being “charasmatic” because they allowed wedding rings–PLEASE believe me, I’m NOT making this up–it really was told to me.
I really don’t know what else to say–I wanted to keep going, and we did for a long time, but eventually if these convictions are real no one will be able to keep them up forever. You can already see the changes taking place and I believe it is because these standards were man made.
May 26th, 2009 at 6:06 pm
Well, a lot of us want to fit in and because of that a lot of our convictions are self made as well. We can develop ourselves as a coping mechanism to cling to the first thing that makes us feel good and because it feels good we prove it with any means necessary. There arent many physical standards in the Bible for a male, but I have had my own personal convictions based on different factors. When I was involved in leadership, one of my convictions was that I couldnt wear shorts. When I did, I felt naked and it wasnt something I found in the Bible, it was something I found in myself. Well over time I got more involved in work and other things and less involved in church, thus I forgot about my conviction, but it didnt make it right to wear them. The way I realized this was, not so long ago I was in a resturant talking with my priest friend about things we felt were going in the wrong direction for both of our denominations. While involved in this discussion something came up about the Holy Spirit, tongues and baptism. When I began to get involved in the talk I got tingles all over my body and it went from my head down to my toes. At that point I realized that I was wearing shorts (not that I didnt know I put them on, but it became real to me again). I realized that in my convictions that I had long forgotten about, once I began to become deeper into this spiritual conversation, I could not help but feel convicted again.
I belive that once a conviction is placed in your heart that you should not turn away from it. It’s not like our legislative body that sets laws and creates loopholes and then overturns laws…. Those convictions are barriers that God sets in your life to keep you going in the right direction. The moment I began to break those barriers, I began to fall farther and farther from Him without even knowing. Before long I was involved in things I never would have seen myself involved in… One persons convictions are not necessary in someone elses life but… moral convictions are meant to stay
June 24th, 2009 at 5:41 pm
“…Your worldly lust have driven you from the truth.”
LOL… I am Josh’s brother, and anyone who knows him would never connect him with the idea of “worldly lust driving him from the truth” unless you count the Facebook photo in the coffee shop… =:-)
Just catching up on the site, Josh… Good stuff, even if I don’t agree with all of it!
Check these out…
http://www.anchorcross.org/people/kuruvilla/essay_fashion1.shtml
and
http://www.anchorcross.org/people/kuruvilla/essay_fashion2.shtml
Then, just for fun, read this… and feel the burn!!! (Ol’ Finney could really lay it down… as can Finny)
In the long run, as an apostolic, I can agree with much of what Josh says. However, I would maintain that the overwhelming historical and Biblical precedent is against the wearing of Jewelry and Makeup.
Cheers!
JS
July 2nd, 2009 at 5:36 pm
Hi. I have been pentecostal my entire life, but I am now struggling w/ several of the standards like not wearing make-up, jewelry, women wearing pants, etc. Can you please help me? Thanks.
July 2nd, 2009 at 7:21 pm
Tara, would you like me to email you directly? Or would you prefer to correspond through this page? Either way is fine with me!
There are several articles on this Web site that will help you out:
What does the Bible say about wearing jewelry?
What does the Bible say about wearing make-up?
What does the Bible say about women wearing pants?
How did the Israelites dress in the Wilderness, when Deuteronomy 22:5 was written?
I hope that those articles will give you a bit of help until we can talk more!
With that said, let me make a general statement about holiness standards. It goes like this:
Period.
The reason is because holiness cannot be forced in from the outside. Paul wrote that the law (I.e., Exodus, Leviticus, and Deuteronomy) was a “tutor to lead us to Christ, so that we may be justified by faith” (Gal. 3:24 NASB). Paul’s point is amplified in the previous verses when he writes:
So what is Paul saying here? He is saying that outward rituals and ordinances were just “placeholders” until the mediator, Jesus Christ, arrived!
Now, you might be asking: “How does this relate to holiness standards? Don’t some of the laws in the Old Testament still apply?”
The answer to the second question is that some of the laws in the Old Testament do still apply. We call these laws the moral laws, and they involve topics such as pre-marital sex, adultery, cheating, stealing, lying, homosexuality, and so on. All of the moral laws are ardently reinforced throughout the New Testament. But what is NOT necessary in the New Testament is a specific set of rituals or a dress code to live by.
At this point you might be thinking, “Does this mean that Christians can walk around naked?” And if you are thinking that question then you have cut to the heart of the debate about holiness standards: If we don’t define a dress code and set of rules for people to live by, then who will? It’s not defined in the New Testament, so who defines it?
The answer is: God.
Paul writes that:
These two words–regeneration and renewing–encapsulate the essence of the Christian. When a person is “saved” then God Himself takes residence inside of them. He regenerates us–he makes what was dead in sin alive through Christ. He washes us–he takes the filth of our sin and washes it away through the blood of Christ.
You see, Tara, regeneration is something that has happened and is happening in the life of the believer. Jesus describes the relationship between the believer and Himself as the relationship between a branch and a vine (John 15). Jesus is the vine, and we are the branch. When we are abiding in Christ then we are continually growing spiritual “fruit” (Gal. 5:22-24) and becoming more and more Christlike.
So how does this relate to holiness standards? Well, I return to my original statement.
The reason is because the only way a branch will produce fruit is if it is attached to the vine. If it is not attached to the vine, then no amount of pressing it up against the vine will make a difference.
Holiness standards are created by men and women of good conscious. They see a problem (I.e., lust, immorality, ungodliness, etc) and they decide to fix it. But the problem is that they don’t understand that rules imposed from the outside do not make a person holy. Only Christ can do that. And, to return to Paul’s words in Galatians, the entirety of the Old Testament law was meant to show us that external rules can’t produce holiness. Only Christ can do that.
In summary, one of the things that amazed me when I left holiness churches was that Christian women have a natural, God-given desire to be modest. I was blown away by the fact that women who cut their hair and wore pants were much more godly and modest than women who professed “holiness” but wore tight skirts and kept them as high as they could. (I am not saying the entire holiness community does that, of course! I am only saying that a person can have the holiness standards but not be holy. They can also not have the “holiness standards” but be as holy as the holiest of holiness Pentecostals!)
There is a lot more that can be said about the things that I just wrote. I hope that everyone who reads this understands that I am specifically addressing issues of holiness and modesty in this comment. I am not discussing how a person becomes saved, I am only writing about what happens when they are saved. The discussion over how a person is saved is for another time.
Also, I want everyone to understand that I do NOT promote ungodliness. The Bible tells us that Christ came to deliver us from sins, not to make us slaves to it (Romans 6). The only point I am making in this reply to Tara is that man-made rules cannot produce holiness. For that matter, God-made rules can’t force a person to be holy (God can override our free will but he won’t). God does command us to be holy, but the only way for us to be holy is to let God regenerate us and work on us from the inside out.
And you know what? The beautiful thing is that God commands us to be holy, but He knows that we can’t, so He provides the means for us to be holy through Jesus Christ. That is what John meant when he wrote:
In Christ,
Josh S.
July 10th, 2009 at 5:29 am
I too have grown up in a upc church, but i have giving up on
organized religion because people would rather read a man
made doctrine then pray for wisdon and knowledge that God
may give the understanding. They take the Holy
Ghost’s job away and try to lead you the way they want.
I would rather God lead me into conviction then men. You
made a good point if we are convicted of something , then we
give it up for God, not church pier pressure! It also sets us u
to fail two ways:1 we think we are better then others to judge
them because they do things differnt,even if they have a walk
with God or not. 2 we try to live up to the church standards
and we will find out that we are not perfect and feel we have
failed God and the church, and leave back to our old selves.
Your brother in Christ,
Lanny
July 31st, 2009 at 2:47 pm
Well… Does not the bible say be PURE? Does not the bible say be HOLY? Does not the bible say be not conformed of the world but transformed? Is make-up pure? Is make-up holy? Is make-up of the world?
Let’s just say, Why risk going to hell? I mean if you have to ask yourself if it’s wrong or not just simply DON’T DO IT… It’s usually the holy ghost and the devil trying to win you… the Lord saying “don’t do it” and the devil saying “why not? it’s okay.”
must i remind you THE DEVIL IS A LIAR.
July 31st, 2009 at 2:57 pm
Also… People seriously need to stop judging others… If you wanna wear make-up it’s cool. I don’t agree that it goes with what the word says BUT I’m not going to look down upon you if you do because i’m not your judge and it’s just as bad to judge. I’m a convert Pentecostal and I love it! I stand for what I believe for the Lord has really had his hand upon me and has showed and taught me so much. The Lord gives you his word pretty clearly and if you choose to obey it or not RELIES ON YOU not me but I sure do hope that you receive the Holy Ghost and let the Lord deal with you as he has me.
October 26th, 2009 at 12:31 pm
well im upci and i belive that putting on make-up is deff. a sin for many reasons. girls put it on not to protect themsleves but to attract and lure men thats its main purpose you cant say anything about it deep down in your heart you know its wrong but yet you still do it. make up was intended for men to lust over and that is it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
December 2nd, 2009 at 1:48 pm
eric: Your are definitely judging. Please talk to your pastor and ask for advice. Some women are putting on makeup to hide some blemishes and ugly marks. Don’t give a general statement which you could not prove. You are a disgrace to UPCI.
December 29th, 2009 at 5:23 pm
II Kings 9:30 has got to be one of the most grossly misinterpreted passages from the Bible. If one reads further, Jezebel certainly wasn’t trying to seduce Jehu, she shouts taunts and insults at him. I think more likely, Jezebel knew she was going to die, and wanted to do so in full defiance(she was evil but she wasn’t stupid)
December 30th, 2009 at 3:37 pm
Another thing I need to say-the commant to ‘love not the things of this world,’ is NOT a command to despise the things of this world. The Abyssingians made that mistake, to the point where they regarded starving yourself to death an act of holiness!
January 20th, 2010 at 7:28 pm
the point isnt make-up or no make-up. the point is not to judge! no one has the right to damn me to hell but christ. because you are a human you sin there’s no way around it. the more close minded you are the more room there is for ignorance to fill your head. as a college student i have to take classes that tell me things i dont really want to hear. but i listen, because when you pay attention you begin to find the flaws. for years women have been forced to meet the demands of men. to build up their ego and make them feel better about doing things that are wrong. ENOUGH! because a woman wants to feel better about herself she is a sinner? am i condonning recklessness of course not, but no one can make me feel inferior without my consent. in the end christ will be judging us not man. so i suggest we all get off our high horse!
March 5th, 2010 at 1:42 pm
I don’t quite follow you on your breakdown of Esther 2:13-14. It does not say Esther went to see the king twice. Verse 15 clearly states, “Now when the turn came for Esther…..”, not when the king called for Esther’s return. She had to wait her turn just like every other young woman and when her one and only turn came she requested nothing and won the favor and grace of the king. And where the heck does it say the king called her a second time?? Talk about taking Scriptures out of context! And about the whole make-up debate, make-up is immodest point blank no matter what the motives are for wearing it. Does anyone really know the meaning of immodest?? It means shameless, bold, forward, impudement, lewd, vulgar, obscene..I could go on and on. If it causes attention that does not glorify God, IT IS IMMODEST!
March 5th, 2010 at 2:06 pm
Just want to apologize if that came off rude. As I was reading Portia’s comments I felt the need to say I’m not judging nor looking down upon ppl with different beliefs and opinions. I love that we can agree to disasgree and still show the love of God amongst one another. I don’t think anyone is being overly critical and trying to sow discord among brethren. Once again I apologize for the tone that my first comment denotes. God bless!
June 1st, 2010 at 9:40 am
I appreciate Pastor Blankenships comments. He is correct. Makeup is meant to create an illusion of what the women looks like. In a way it is saying that God did not do a good job on a womens looks and they need to improve upon it. Secondly a women constantly seek to increase her ability to lead men to their way of thinking or actions desired and use makeup to enhance this ability. A feeling of powerlessness comes upon those who are not wearing makeup in a world where other women are and they feel that they cannot compete for men and position of control without being on the same competitive “playing field” and feel disadvantaged in not wearing makeup. The truth of the matter is that a women does not have to wear makeup to bolster her looks in order to “compete” with other women with their “improved” looks for men and position. If they trust the Lord for their power and protection and position, wearing makeup becomes unnecesary. I Peter 3:5 “For after this manner in the old time the holy women also, WHO TRUSTED IN GOD, adorned themselves,…” Also the New Testament in Corinthians makes a statement to the effect that man is the image and glory of God and that the woman is the image of man. Makeup worn by women circumvents this truth by creating her own “image” and setting aside the glory of the the image of man who is made in the image of God.
June 1st, 2010 at 9:54 am
Another point on the issue of makeup is that women do not need to do so in order to “enhance” their sex appeal. The fact of the matter is that God is in charge of who they should meet and who they should create a relationship with. Women wearing makeup to enhance their sex appeal are saying that they can “help” God to find them a suitable mate by doing so. In Genesis, we are told that when Adam was lonely that God saw this and created a woman from his rib. From Eve’s point of view, she was “brought” to the man that God intended for her. God needed no “help” from Eve in pairing them up. This is also true today. God will bring a a woman to the man that is right for her if she will trust God in what He does. She does not need to “help” God do so by enhancing her sex appeal with makeup, sexy clothes etc. I have seen this truth happen so many times in real life and in our church of more than 1000 members. After coming into Pentecost, the Pentecostal men in our church still found the Pentecostal ladies in our church quite attractive and lovely WITHOUT MAKEUP, JEWELRY, FANCY ADORNMENT or other enhancements that worldly women believe is needed to “win” her a man. The pentecostal men and ladies get married and have been wonderfully fulfilled in their marriages.
June 1st, 2010 at 10:26 am
I am beginning to see that Josh Spiers may have left Pentecost because he did not see the true Biblical principles that surround our stance on the UPC. Running from a church or situation has never been the answer. Answering Gods word with true understanding is.
June 1st, 2010 at 10:54 am
Frederick, comments for or against my articles or welcome. Comments against the messenger–whether it be me or any other commenter–are not. All posts “attacking the messenger” will be deleted.
With that said, if you would like to know why I left Oneness Pentecostalism then please feel free to read my testimony at: http://www.whyileft.org/my-story/.
God bless =)
- Josh S.
July 1st, 2010 at 6:07 pm
Hey Josh, I have posted on your different sites and enjoy the reading. My husband and I have been in the UPC for over 30 yrs and are contemplating going to a non denominational apostolic church in our area. I know I will face rejection but fear I may never get over the man made rules that have been set before me all these years. Tho I know I have liberties in Christ as long as they dont violate morals and the flesh as is says in Galations and I have no desire to dress immodest I just want the liberty to live my life without people judging because Im not as holy as they are. I trim my hear, and wear some make up which I know my pastor doesnt approve of even tho he told my friend they were just guidelines I cant help but think how hypocritical thats being when he knows he thinks their next to the ten commandments. Thank you for this web site it helps me alot!