Called to Be Separate

“I was referred to Numbers 15:38-41: ‘Speak unto the children of Israel, and bid them that they make them fringes in the borders of their garments throughout their generations, and that they put upon the fringe of the borders a ribband of blue: and it shall be unto you for a fringe, that ye may look upon it, and remember all the commandments of the Lord, and do them; and that ye seek not after your own heart and your own eyes, after which ye use to go a whoring: that ye may remember, and do all My commandments, and be holy unto your God. I am the Lord your God, which brought you out of the land of Egypt, to be your God: I am the Lord your God.’ Here God expressly commanded a very simple arrangement of dress for the children of Israel for the purpose of distinguishing them from the idolatrous nations around them. As they looked upon their peculiarity of dress, they were to remember that they were God's commandment-keeping people, and that He had wrought in a miraculous manner to bring them from Egyptian bondage to serve Him, to be a holy people unto Him. They were not to serve their own desires, or to imitate the idolatrous nations around them, but to remain a distinct, separate people, that all who looked upon them might say: These are they whom God brought out of the land of Egypt, who keep the law of Ten Commandments. An Israelite was known to be such as soon as seen, for God through simple means distinguished him as His.” 1T 524.

“The children of Israel, after they were brought out of Egypt, were commanded to have a simple ribbon of blue in the border of their garments, to distinguish them from the nations around them, and to signify that they were God's peculiar people. The people of God are not now required to have a special mark placed upon their garments. But in the New Testament we are often referred to ancient Israel for examples. If God gave such definite directions to his ancient people in regard to their dress, will not the dress of his people in this age come under his notice? Should there not be in their dress a distinction from that of the world? Should not the people of God, who are his peculiar treasure, seek even in their dress to glorify God? And should they not be examples in point of dress, and by their simple style rebuke the pride, vanity, and extravagance of worldly, pleasure-loving professors? God requires this of his people. Pride is rebuked in his word.” HR, February 1, 1872.

            God planned for the Israelites a very simple arrangement of dress. It was peculiar—different—from the dress of those around them. An Israelite was recognized as such as soon as he was seen, for by the simple means of the blue ribbon he was distinguished as one of God’s peculiar people. Our dress, too, should be distinct from that of the world. What is the “ribbon of blue” which God has planned for His last-day people?

 “The dress reform answers to us as did the ribbon of blue to ancient Israel.” 3T 171. In the Spirit of Prophecy, God has given us abundant directions regarding what constitutes dress reform. Yet why is this reform needed?

“God would now have His people adopt the reform dress, not only to distinguish them from the world as His ‘peculiar people,’ but because a reform in dress is essential to physical and mental health. God's people have, to a great extent, lost their peculiarity, and have been gradually patterning after the world, and mingling with them, until they have in many respects become like them. This is displeasing to God. He directs them, as He directed the children of Israel anciently, to come out from the world and forsake their idolatrous practices, not following their own hearts (for their hearts are unsanctified) or their own eyes, which have led them to depart from God and to unite with the world. 

            “Something must arise to lessen the hold of God's people upon the world. The reform dress is simple and healthful, yet there is a cross in it. I thank God for the cross and cheerfully bow to lift it. We have been so united with the world that we have lost sight of the cross and do not suffer for Christ's sake. 

            “We should not wish to invent something to make a cross; but if God presents to us a cross, we should cheerfully bear it. In the acceptance of the cross we are distinguished from the world, who love us not and ridicule our peculiarity. Christ was hated by the world because He was not of the world. Can His followers expect to fare better than their Master? If we pass along without receiving censure or frowns from the world we may be alarmed, for it is our conformity to the world which makes us so much like them that there is nothing to arouse their envy or malice; there is no collision of spirits.” 1T 525.

Here we are given reasons why God has asked us to dress differently from the world. In the eyes of all who see us, our appearance will distinguish us from the world. Adopting God’s plan for dress will also benefit our physical and mental health. Finally, something is needed to tear our affections from the world. Yet unfortunately, the very thing that God designed to be a blessing to us has been lost sight of by a large number.

“Many who profess to believe the Testimonies live in neglect of the light given. The dress reform is treated by some with great indifference and by others with contempt, because there is a cross attached to it. For this cross I thank God. It is just what we need to distinguish and separate God's commandment-keeping people from the world. The dress reform answers to us as did the ribbon of blue to ancient Israel. The proud, and those who have no love for sacred truth, which will separate them from the world, will show it by their works.” 3T 171.

Why is dress reform as God planned it, either ignored or contemned by so many? Because there is a cross attached to it. It cuts across the grain of our natural pride and love of conformity.

Is the cross which God has offered us something which we should be ashamed to bear? No, but rather we should thank God for it, and cheerfully lift it. “It is just what we need to distinguish and separate God's commandment-keeping people from the world.” 3T 171. God knew just what we would need to separate us from the world. Should we try to improve on His plan?

“To many the dress reform is too simple and humbling to be adopted. They cannot lift the cross. God works by simple means to separate and distinguish His children from the world; but some have so departed from the simplicity of the work and ways of God that they are above the work, not in it.” 1T 523, 524.

            It is time to begin taking God’s counsel seriously, and literally. It is time to lift the cross. Even many years ago, “…not one in twenty of the sisters who profess to believe the Testimonies has taken the first step in the dress reform.” 1T 465.

            This neglect to obey has serious implications regarding our loyalty to God. “If we take merely this one question, reform dress, and see how many of the church have treated this subject, we can judge how they would treat light and truth upon other points.” PH 123, 66. “Those who have had the light upon the subjects of eating and dressing with simplicity in obedience to physical and moral laws, and who turn from the light which points out their duty, will shun duty in other things. If they blunt their consciences to avoid the cross which they will have to take up to be in harmony with natural law, they will, in order to shun reproach, violate the Ten Commandments.”  3T 51.

            Obedience to man’s customs rather than God’s principles now, will lead to repetition of a similar course later. “The time is not far distant when the test will come to every soul. The mark of the beast will be urged upon us. Those who have step by step yielded to worldly demands and conformed to worldly customs will not find it a hard matter to yield to the powers that be, rather than subject themselves to derision, insult, threatened imprisonment, and death. The contest is between the commandments of God and the commandments of men. In this time the gold will be separated from the dross in the church. True godliness will be clearly distinguished from the appearance and tinsel of it.” 5T 81.

            If we choose to dress in conformity to the world, we are preparing ourselves to side with the enemy during the last great crisis.

            We need to take a hard look at where our conforming tendencies are leading us. “The heart is divided, the carnal mind craves conformity, similarity to the world in so many ways, that the mark of distinction from the world is scarcely distinguishable.” HP 167. 

“I was shown that some of the people of God imitate the fashions of the world, and are fast losing their peculiar, holy character, which should distinguish them as God's people. I was pointed back to God's ancient people, and then was led to compare their apparel with the mode of dress in these last days. What a difference! What a change!... In these last days fashions are shameful and immodest. They are noticed in prophecy. They were first brought in by a class over whom Satan has entire control…. If God's professed people had not departed greatly from him, there would now be a marked difference between their dress and that of the world…. The inhabitants of earth are growing more and more corrupt, and the line of distinction must be more plain between them and the Israel of God, or the curse which falls upon worldlings will fall upon God's professed people.”  2SG 227, 228.

“When I study the Scriptures, I am alarmed for the Israel of God in these last days. They are exhorted to flee from idolatry. I fear that they are asleep and so conformed to the world that it would be difficult to discern between him that serveth God and him that serveth Him not. The distance is widening between Christ and His people, and lessening between them and the world. The marks of distinction between Christ's professed people and the world have almost disappeared. Like ancient Israel, they follow after the abominations of the nations around them.” 1T 277.

Have the marks of distinction almost disappeared from our lives as well? Are we recognized as Christians as soon as we are seen, or is it impossible to tell us from those around us?

            “It is conformity to the world that is causing our people to lose their bearings. The perversion of right principles has not been brought about suddenly. The angel of the Lord presented this matter to me in symbols. It seemed as if a thief were stealthily moving closer and still closer and gradually but surely stealing away the identity of God's work by leading our brethren to conform to worldly policies.”  2MCP 558.

The morality of the world is at an all-time low, as are its dress standards. These trends of increasing indecency have progressed steadily over time, and sadly, most Christians have kept pace, perhaps a few steps behind, yet still following the fashions of the world. Thus, what is worn today by Christians would have been shocking to Christians of a hundred years ago. The changes have been gradual, but they have nevertheless succeeded in conforming most professed followers of Christ to the world.

What should be done about this problem of Christians conforming to the world in dress? Should we stand by while the marks of distinction between us and the world have almost disappeared? Should we be content when we are fast losing our peculiar, holy character, when the curse which is to fall upon worldlings is in danger of falling on God’s professed people?

“Let every one, for Christ's sake and for his own soul's sake, shun conformity to the world, to its customs, vanities, and fashions….

“Will the professed followers of Christ aim high, and reach the standard of holiness? Better be a worldling than a common, cheap, professed Christian. Dare to come out from the world and be separate. Dare to be singular because you love Jesus better than the world, and righteousness with persecution better than disobedience with worldly prosperity. Holy and entire obedience through dependence upon the Lord Jesus Christ will strengthen the soul to be steadfast in the faith and hope of the gospel.”  TMK 318.

This work of laying off conformity to the world must be not only an individual, but a collective, work. As a church we must take a stand against the world’s inroads in our midst.

“The Lord expects us to make most diligent efforts to free ourselves of the worldly spirit that has come in among us…. The Lord calls for a reformation. In every place where believers have adopted worldly principles, He desires a voice of warning to be raised. ‘Cry aloud,’ He says, ‘spare not, lift up thy voice like a trumpet, and shew my people their transgression, and the house of Jacob their sins’ (Isa. 58:1).” UL 202.

History’s silent voice cries out to us what the results will be if we fail, as a body, to move into line with God’s standards. “Human reasoning has ever sought to evade or set aside the simple, direct instructions of the word of God. In every age, a majority of the professed followers of Christ have disregarded those precepts which enjoin self-denial and humility, which require modesty and simplicity of conversation, deportment, and apparel. The result has ever been the same,-- departure from the teachings of the gospel leads to the adoption of the fashions, customs, and principles of the world. Vital godliness gives place to a dead formalism. The presence and power of God, withdrawn from those world-loving circles, are found with a class of humbler worshipers, who are willing to obey the teachings of the Sacred Word. Through successive generations, this course has been pursued. One after another, different denominations have risen, and, yielding their simplicity, have lost, in a great measure, their early power.

“As we see the love of fashion and display among those who profess to believe present truth, we sadly ask, Will the people of God learn nothing from the history of the past?” RH, December 6, 1881. 

            Now, as Jesus’ coming is imminent, is not the time to be in a state of powerless-ness, but this is the sure result to all who lay aside the simple teachings of God’s Word and conform to the world. Let us learn the lessons of the past. Let us be among that class of humble worshippers who are willing to obey the Bible. Let us free ourselves from every article of clothing which does not meet up to the Bible standard, and turn our attention to preparing earnestly to stand faithful in the days ahead.