Evident in many religions and cultures is the value placed on appropriate dress. In the Old Testament, before Adam and Eve chose to disobey God's single restriction, they were covered in "the garment of innocence." Afterward, that "garment of innocence" disappeared, "and they realized they were naked; so they sewed fig leaves together and made coverings for themselves" (Genesis 3:7). After their embarrassing fig-leaf encounter with God, it must have come as a horrible shock to realize that the life of their animal companions had been sacrificed in order for God to provide new garments of skin (Genesis 3:21).

In the New Testament, Jesus' parable of the "Lost Son" confirms the idea that God provides one's garment. When the son returned, stripped of his dignity and covered with the filth of his rebellion, "his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him. The son said to him, 'Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.' But the father said to his servants, 'Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him'" (Luke 15:20, 22). The father's answer to his declaration of unworthiness was to give him the best robe, declaring him to be his son. What an amazing picture of grace!

The parable of "The Wedding Banquet," in Matthew 22, portrays a scene where the king notices one of the guests is not wearing a wedding garment. "'Friend,' he asked, 'how did you get in here without wedding clothes?' The man was speechless" (Matthew 22:12). The man was speechless because there was no excuse. The garment had been generously supplied, yet he had refused to put it on.

What do these three scenes teach us about dress? In each case, the garment, the robe and the covering was provided by God. Adam and Eve offered fig leaves. The lost son came in rags and filth. The guest came into the wedding banquet without wedding clothes—possibly, without clothes at all.

The garments provided were symbols of innocence, of belonging, of righteousness. The garments were a metaphor for the character of Christ. Peter suggests we often fall into the trap of trying to make up for our lack of character by depending on extravagant externals to bring us value and worth. Rather, we should present ourselves with Christ-like character (1 Peter 3).

Though often incongruent, we have learned to give and receive external signals of communication to help establish identity and contextualize message. The wardrobe and makeup departments on any studio lot play a vital role in telling the story. Those artists who know their craft well can help the actors speak volumes without uttering a word. The same is true in the Christian life. Those who understand the art of representing Christ well can extend the reach of the gospel.

Some years ago, our daughter gave us a cruise to the Bahamas. Once settled on board, we casually strolled about the ship enjoying our gift-vacation. We were humbly surprised when a complete stranger smiled and declared, "I know you are Seventh-day Adventists!" We learned that she was taken often as a child, by her grandmother, to an Adventist church. Though she chose not to practice Adventism, she remained respectful of the modesty and simplicity of outward appearance she had observed. We have often reflected what a huge disappointment we might have been to this dear child of God had we chosen not to dress and act as "persons belonging to God."

The joy and peace that come as we allow our heavenly Father to cover us with His garment of righteousness and grace is bound to effect how we present ourselves to others—which is often the first component of an effective witness for Christ.

Cynthia and J.W. Warren co-founded Spring Hope Ministries to celebrate and promote the joys and benefits of the Adventist lifestyle. They have three adult children and reside in Berrien Springs, Michigan.