“Wherefore we receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved, let us have grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear:” Hebrews 12:28

I have numerous concerns about the changes the modern church has undergone over the past 50 years. For example, the architecture has undergone a significant transformation. Isn’t it interesting that on our Christmas cards, we still prefer images of old-fashioned churches? I’m not against the new look. I’m just saying that things have changed. Technology has also advanced. Most churches today are equipped with technology to enhance the engagement of their worship services. The music has drastically changed, and the Bibles most churches use are constantly being revised.

I can imagine if my granddad came back and visited one of our modern churches, he would be in a state of shock. It might be hard to predict what would shock him the most, but one of the things he would immediately notice is the change in what people wear. I don’t just mean the natural changes in style over 70 years. What I mean is that for many people, there is no difference between how they dress at church and how they dress any place else. Additionally, even if someone has to wear a suit or uniform to work, they often don’t dress up when they go to church.

There was once something called your “Sunday best,” and these were your special clothes that you kept reserved for special occasions, like going to church. Today, tank tops, tights, and flip flops are not uncommon at many churches. How should one dress for church? The modern answer is to dress the way you want to. Dress cool, comfortable, and casual, regardless of the occasion. A typical response is that God doesn’t care what clothes you wear, as He looks into the heart, and that’s what’s important. The heart is indeed essential, but the idea that God does not care about how you dress for worship is not entirely accurate. In this old man’s opinion, the growing trend of dressing down for church is not a good one.

First, let me remind you that it is a tremendous privilege of divine grace that we can begin each week by attending church to worship our Lord. What an incredible gift it is to enter into His presence. To truly appreciate our worship, however, it helps to understand a bit of its background and history. After God freed His people from Egyptian bondage, Israel was excited to meet God at Mount Sinai. But before they could come into His presence, God commanded that they consecrate themselves, wash their clothes, and stay away from the mountain. This demonstrated that God was holy and deserved respect and fear. It also showed that it mattered to Him how His people appeared before Him.

He demanded consecration. This was meant to be a break from their usual routine. We don’t have many details about exactly how this consecration was to be carried out, but clothing is mentioned. They didn’t have to wear different clothes, since many of them only had one set, but they did have to wash them. Since they were appearing before God, He requires holiness and respect, and this must be visible in their clothing.

This divine concern for how one appeared before God was also evident in the worship at the tabernacle and temple. There were graded levels of holiness surrounding these sanctuaries. The priests could enter the Holy Place, but only the High Priest was allowed to go into the Holy of Holies. To approach God, they had to dress according to God’s dress code. This was very detailed for the high priest (Exodus 28:1-39). The ordinary priests were required to wear linen clothes that, like the high priest’s, were made for “glory and beauty” (Exodus 28:2).

The point is, that the clothes were meant to reflect the fact that the priests were in God’s presence. The importance of proper dress is emphasized by the fact that even if a priest was doing something as simple as cleaning out the ashes of the burnt offering, he had to wear the clothes that the Lord had specified for this task (Leviticus 6:10-11). All of this is relevant today as we recognize the new dispensation we’re in. God has now freed His people from the law. You are now also a priest, and when you worship in spirit and in truth, you join with the worship of angels and the saints of old. You come to church to join thousands upon thousands in a joyful gathering. The angels are clothed in radiant glory, the saints are dressed in white apparel, and you, well, you have on your Jack Daniels T-shirt.

But it gets even better. Because of the sprinkled blood of Christ, we as priests to God are permitted to do what only the high priest in the Old Testament could do. As we worship and call on the Lord’s name, we can enter the Most Holy Place! (Hebrews 10:19-22). Who can fully understand and appreciate what this means? This vital truth influences the clothes we choose to wear when attending church to worship in God’s presence. If God cared about how the priests approached Him in the Old Testament, would He be less concerned today when the priestly privileges of the Most Holy Place are available to all believers? Our God remains the same. He expects us to approach Him with awe, reverence, and in our most respectful attire.

In line with the age we live in, the age of grace, God leaves the details of our dress up to us. We shouldn’t need to create rules for how to dress for worship, because the Lord our God has already given us the ability to make those decisions. Most of us know how to dress for a formal wedding or funeral. Every leader in the world except Zelenskyy knows how to dress when meeting the President at the White House. We should be able to figure this out.

I know it is very easy to become unwittingly influenced by the pagan culture around us. We have this desire to fit in. But the Bible says we are to: “Keep thy foot when thou goest to the house of God” (Ecclesiastes 5:1). When we enter a church, we are entering a space specifically set apart for worship. We step into the special presence of God, and the clothes we wear must reflect this profound reality. We sometimes wonder why the world has lost its respect for God; could it be that to the world, it looks like we have lost our respect for God?

It may be understandable for an unchurched person to attend without being respectfully dressed, but not for us. When we consider that even our current worldly culture values dress codes to ensure proper attire for all kinds of occasions, even playing golf at some courses requires a particular form of dress. Let us not lose our sense of awe and wonder at being in God’s presence. It is a privilege we must not take for granted. While the condition of your heart will always be more important than your outward appearance, your outward appearance still makes a statement about what is in your heart. You have been taught that God communicates His word to you in many different ways, and each of those ways is protected.

He usually communicates through the Bible, through the Holy Spirit, through His prophets, and through types and illustrations. We also communicate through various forms. We might do it with our words, our writing, the places we visit, and our general attitudes and ethics. However, we also communicate through our appearance. Our Sunday best was often a reflection, a physical sign of the inner preparation we had made before entering worship. It also showed respect for God and reverence for the sacredness of the worship service. I understand that we must avoid legalism. We also need to create a welcoming environment where everyone can feel comfortable, regardless of their attire. However, we can also go too far in the wrong direction.

Some might remind us that the Bible teaches us that during this dispensation, every day is holy. We are taught that we should honor God every day. Sunday is no more sacred than Monday or Tuesday. The New Testament also teaches us that every place is holy (John 4:21, 23-24). So, if every day, every place, and even every hour is sacred to the Christian, does that mean being at church is no different from being at a ball game? No, I don’t think it is at all. In fact, I believe for most of us, the hours we spend at church are the most holy moments of the week.

First, it is a command to attend church (Hebrews 10:25). God didn’t command you to go to school or to the restaurant after church. He doesn’t command you to go to Disney World, but He does command you to be at church.

Second, the church is the best place to surround yourself with champions. It is a powerful environment filled with influential people. I dress up out of respect for God, but also out of respect for other people I wish to honor.

Third, this is a place where Jesus has promised to join us in a most profound way.

So, if this is the most holy hour of the week, then do you suppose God has some guidelines for our behavior while we are here? I think so. Acceptable worship is accompanied by reverence and fear, with respect and awe. Our modern generation has lost the heart that aligns with what this sacred hour deserves. We see this in our church leaders, the very ones who should be setting the example. They know what the Scripture says, and they understand the meaning of the words. They just don’t apply them. I believe church leaders should set the tone and guide the church away from casual worship toward something more honoring and fitting for the holiest hour of the week.

This cannot be fixed simply by creating rules; it should be addressed by awakening internal, heartfelt reverence. We don’t outlaw the atmosphere of super-casual, entertainment-based gatherings; we just gently steer in that direction. Leaders initiated this downward spiral, and leaders must now correct it. Pastors must approach this hour with a total Godward focus. This is a moment of God-centered seriousness. People come to hear a man share a message that our souls, when not deadened by human emotions, has been craving for. Most of our people don’t realize this because they’ve never experienced the real thing. Something deeply stabilizing, strengthening, refining, and fulfilling at the core of our being, that’s what people yearn for. They have tried to fill that need with casual entertainment. They won’t understand what they’re missing until they are shown it over time.

Some of our readers remember the old-time Pentecostal Holiness churches. Most of them have changed now, but back then, they were known for emphasizing modesty, humility, and the clear distinction between men and women in their dress. Although not an infallible guide, they knew that outward appearance was often a reflection of an individual’s respect for God and of their inward spiritual state. Part of the problem is that pastors may be amazed at what God does, but they are no longer amazed at who He is. Everything else is secondary. He’s the ultimate treasure, the primary value, the brightest hope, the one they are all willing to live for and die for.

God’s grace will never seem as incredible as it should be if our people do not tremble at God’s purity and holy wrath against sin. Did it bother you how Zelenskyy dressed when he met with the President? It bothered me. If it does bother you, you might consider the implications at every church service, when your Pastor tries to take you into the presence of the King of Kings. Church leaders should remind God’s people that they are supernatural beings. Church is not a place for ordinary folks to gather for business or entertainment. Instead, it is a place where blood-washed, supernatural beings come together to worship the King. Once we grasp this, I believe God’s people will be eager to encounter Him in a way that makes flip-flops seem a bit out of place.

Dr. Worthington has been in the ministry nearly fifty years and serves as President of Pathway Ministries and Christian Bible College.