Christians do not think too much about their physical appearance. In our day and age, it is almost impossible to tell those who profess to be Christians from those who do not. They all look the same outwardly. Is there to be a difference between the Christian and the unbeliever with regard to our physical appearance? We know that one is born again and sanctified inwardly as Romans 2:28-29 expresses, "For he is not a Jew, which is one outwardly; neither is that circumcision, which is outward in the flesh: 29But he is a Jew, which is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit, and not in the letter; whose praise is not of men, but of God." This inward change will have an outworking element. The inward will effect the outward. Because one has crossed over from spiritual death to spiritual life, there will be a change also in the physical appearance from one of death, to one of life. Likes always beget likes.
Application
To properly understand the Bible, we need to use what is known as applied theology.
Leviticus 19:27 reads, "Ye shall not round the corners of your heads, neither shalt thou mar the corners of thy beard." These prohibited practices were those of the idolatrous Egypt and possibly of those in the land of Canaan. This law is dealing with the forbidding in the physical appearance. In other words, the Christian’s physical appearance is to be different from the world’s standards.
This is the message of 1 Peter 2:9, "But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should show forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light." We are God’s special people and as such we are to show forth that we belong to Him by being different in our physical demeanor than that of the world. The way that we wear our hair says something about the condition of our heart.
Most Christians act as if these are trivial matters. They make stupid statements like, "God does not care what I look like or what I wear." Are they so sure? Obviously, they have not searched His word to see if these things be so. God said this about His ministers in Ezekiel 44:20, "Neither shall they shave their heads, nor suffer their locks to grow long; they shall only poll their heads." The Amplified Bible render this verse as, "Neither shall they shave their heads, or allow their locks to grow long; they shall only cut short or trim the hair of their heads." The Jewish men were known for their short hair, while the Greeks were known for their long hair. Once again, it is either Jerusalem or Athens.
Most Christians of today act as if 1 Corinthians 11:3-16 is not in the Bible, "But I would have you know, that the head of every man is Christ; and the head of the woman is the man; and the head of Christ is God. 4Every man praying or prophesying, having his head covered, dishonoureth his head. 5But every woman that prayeth or prophesieth with her head uncovered dishonoureth her head: for that is even all one as if she were shaven. 6For if the woman be not covered, let her also be shorn: but if it be a shame for a woman to be shorn or shaven, let her be covered. 7For a man indeed ought not to cover his head, forasmuch as he is the image and glory of God: but the woman is the glory of the man. 8For the man is not of the woman; but the woman of the man. 9Neither was the man created for the woman; but the woman for the man. 10For this cause ought the woman to have power on her head because of the angels. 11Nevertheless neither is the man without the woman, neither the woman without the man, in the Lord. 12For as the woman is of the man, even so is the man also by the woman; but all things of God. 13Judge in yourselves: is it comely that a woman pray unto God uncovered? 14Doth not even nature itself teach you, that, if a man have long hair, it is a shame unto him? 15But if a woman have long hair, it is a glory to her: for her hair is given her for a covering. 16But if any man seem to be contentious, we have no such custom, neither the churches of God." This is because it goes against their belief that God does not care about their physical appearance.
1 Corinthians 11:14-16 is in the Amplified Bible, "Does not the native sense of propriety (experience, common sense, reason) itself teach you that for a man to wear long hair is a dishonor (humiliating, and degrading) to him. But if a woman has long hair, it is her ornament and glory? For her hair is given to her for a covering. Now if anyone is disposed to be argumentative and contentious about this, we hold to and recognize no other custom (in worship) than this, nor do the churches of God generally." This can be simply stated that men are to have short hair and women are to have long hair. Is this what we see in our day and time? We see men looking like women with long hair and women looking like men with short hair. This is an obvious confusion which is at root of a homosexual nature. God has given us His law concerning our hair design. To ignore this is to show how depraved the heart has become against our natural sense of correctness.
Conclusion
In our day, when we see a supposed picture of the Lord Jesus Christ, He has long hair. Is this accurate with scripture? The Bible does not give a physical description of our Lord. We can be assured of this though, since He was not a Nazarite, He did not have long hair. When Nazarites vow ended, they cut their long hair as in Numbers 6:18, "And the Nazarite shall shave the head of his separation at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, and shall take the hair of the head of his separation, and put it in the fire which is under the sacrifice of the peace offerings." They would now obviously have short hair. The Hebrew men wore beards. It was not considered to be a banned thing as in our Holiness Churches today. These Hebrews were scriptural. Our Holiness churches have made up their own law in this regard.
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