CLOTHING AS `LEGALISM'
                      ----------------------


    The type of clothing worn today by those who claim The Name of
Christ has been a matter of discussion by `elders' and `pastors'
in various churches for a long time now.  Many of these elders and
pastors (which should be able to discern truth) are leading (have
led) their congregations into a mindset bordering on idolotry and
have wrested the scriptures concerning clothing which is correct
in the Christian life.  The `wear as I wear' mentality of these
pastors, beyond bordering on idolotry and leading people to `major
in minors' so to speak, also `hinder the gospel' and erects a wall
which has the effect of excluding those most in need, and often
most desirous of the true gospel message. To these men I say `woe
to you'; not as a form of accusation.... but as a warning. Their
stubborness in this cannot be bible based, it needs be `man' based
and indicates a `worldliness' which although is one of man's
faults, must not go without reproach; particularly considering the
immensity of the problem. Men who purport to be `pastors of the
flock' need to be reminded from time to time that they are not to
be `lords over the flock', but that they are to `feed' them.

    I Peter 5:3 Neither as being lords over [God's] heritage, but
    being ensamples to the flock.

    Acts 20:28  Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all
    the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you
    overseers, to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased
    with his own blood.

    I Peter 5:2 Feed the flock of God which is among you, taking
    the oversight [thereof], not by constraint, but willingly; not
    for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind;

    If these men want to wear suits and ties, or sweatshirts and
tennis shoes the bible has nothing against that. The duty of a
pastor is to `feed the flock' with the word of God, not to burden
them with rules and regulations or `suggestions' which have no
bearing on the Christian's walk with God.  The Pharisees were good
examples of those which wanted to `control' or `lord over' the
flock of God; There is nothing new under the sun.

    Matthew 15:2 Why do thy disciples transgress the tradition of
    the elders? for they wash not their hands when they eat bread.

    Mark 7:8 For laying aside the commandment of God, ye hold the
    tradition of men, [as] the washing of pots and cups: and many
    other such like things ye do.

    Colossians 2:8 Beware lest any man spoil you through
    philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after
    the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ.

    I Peter 1:18 Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed
    with corruptible things, [as] silver and gold, from your vain
    conversation [received] by tradition from your fathers;

    I want it known to all men that this is written in Christian
love for all people that it might affect.  It is written and
distributed in the fashion that it is ONLY after having these
things rejected wholesale by those which purport to be pastors in
otherwise doctrinally sound churches. There is a blight in our own
churches, a blight which needs be corrected.  `Pastors' need to
get back to their first love and to work diligently to erase this
blight of `legalism' from our midst which is hindering the gospel.
It is not their `option'....it is their `duty'.  In Christian
love, and as one brother to another, and as to a father, please
examine yourselves in this and purge this evil from your heart.

    I Timothy 5:1 Rebuke not an elder, but intreat [him] as a
    father; [and] the younger men as brethren;

    Romans 14:10 But why dost thou judge thy brother? or why dost
    thou set at nought thy brother? for we shall all stand before
    the judgment seat of Christ.

    Romans 14:13 Let us not therefore judge one another any more:
    but judge this rather, that no man put a stumblingblock or an
    occasion to fall in [his] brother's way.

    Romans 14:14 I know, and am persuaded by the Lord Jesus, that
    [there is] nothing unclean of itself: but to him that
    esteemeth any thing to be unclean, to him [it is] unclean.

    I Corinthians 10:29 Conscience, I say, not thine own, but of
    the other: for why is my liberty judged of another [man's]
    conscience?

    If these men want to truly feed the flock of God then they
should be teaching men to `NOT" look on the outward appearance,
and to teach them to look at things which truly matter in the eyes
of God. Instead they teach men to mind carnal things like the
`kind' of clothes one wears or how they participate in `social
events' that have NOTHING to do with righteousness.

    Instead of kow-towing to `tradition' and `church polity' which
often is no more than Pharisaical nonsense to begin with. They
should be setting an example in areas which really matter and
actually `FEEDING' the flock of God instead of BABYSITTING it.
They set sound doctrine aside so that they may build their
churches with ignorant Christians (?) that have very little
discernment in order to keep the status quo from changing; then
accuse and condemn those that rock the boat with the truth.

    I Timothy 3:2 A bishop then must be blameless, the husband of
    one wife, vigilant, sober, of good behaviour, given to
    hospitality, apt to teach;

    Titus 1:7 For a bishop must be blameless, as the steward of
    God; not selfwilled, not soon angry, not given to wine, no
    striker, not given to filthy lucre;

    I Peter 5:3 Neither as being lords over [God's] heritage, but
    being ensamples to the flock.

    Instead of `feeding' the flock of God they `fleece' them as
often as they can and bring shame on the church.  Instead of
instructing them in sound doctrine....which goes MUCH further than
tithing, they simply take it easy and revamp old speeches by other
preachers, often quoting almost verbatim the entire sermon.  I
cannot tell you HOW many times I have heard some of these
`sermons' preached.  After a while it's simply a matter of reading
some `religiously correct' magazine or newsletter on Friday or
Saturday and picking out one of their prior sermons that they
practiced while they were younger and adding a few new `zingers'
to it.  After a while I guess it becomes `simpler' to major in
`traditions' than to expend the effort in trying to `feed' the
sheep with something besides canned dogfood.

    Isaiah 56:10 His watchmen [are] blind: they are all ignorant,
    they [are] all dumb dogs, they cannot bark; sleeping, lying
    down, loving to slumber. Yea, [they are] greedy dogs [which]
    can never have enough, and they [are] shepherds [that] cannot
    understand: they all look to their own way, every one for his
    gain, from his quarter.

    Jeremiah 2:8 The priests said not, Where [is] the LORD? and
    they that handle the law knew me not: the pastors also
    transgressed against me, and the prophets prophesied by Baal,
    and walked after [things that] do not profit.

    All in all these men have learned well how to `build churches'
and to `fleece the flock' and how to gender and promote the minors
while neglecting the majors...all the while giving the illusion
of the opposite.

    Of one of the most damnable things that preachers do today, in
otherwise doctrinally sound churches is to promote the carnality
of the sheep in their fold by placing emphasis on a `religiously
correct' dress code which has nothing whatsoever to do with
righteousness.

    In closing, so that I may be able to stop some mouths before
they begin to bray, this has NOTHING WHATSOEVER to do with
clothing that by it's very nature is immoral such as see through
tops or skirts slitted up to the waist.  It has nothing whatsoever
to do with tank tops with profanities emblazened across the front
or pictures of people with immoral lifestyles or of other such
things.  It has to do with bluejeans and flannel shirts, with
tennis shoes and sweatshirts, with suits and ties, with sandals
and shorts, with sweaty work clothes and stained socks.  The
`religiously correct' crowd have their reward; pastors have even
more.

    James 3:1 My brethren, be not many masters, knowing that we
    shall receive the greater condemnation.

    If you have any comments, suggestions, rantings or ravings
concerning this article you may send them to:

        Free Gospel Outreach
        P.O. Box 8155
        Toledo, Ohio 43605