"A person may think their own ways are right, but the LORD weighs the heart" (Prov. 21:2, NIV).
"... The LORD does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart" (1 Sam. 16:7, NIV).
Paul seemed dogmatic that it is a shame for a man to have "long hair," (this begs the question as to why it's a shame for a woman not to have hair as a covering), but what does that mean to us in our enlightened age? Note that it's not a condemnation or sin! Are ponytails evil per se because someone deems them to be long hair? Does the converse hold true, that it's an honor to have short or no hair? Hair should not be the issue! But still being bald for a man is also a shame or embarrassment, but it's not sinning. Note that what's long hair is relative and subjective too!
Actually, standards of right and wrong don't evolve with time (but styles and conventions do!), but we must understand that what was wrong then is still wrong, and God never sanctions the right to do what is wrong--neither in our eyes nor the eyes of others, but awareness of right an wrong in society's standards and norms do change with the times as to what is accepted as "normal". When I was young The Beatles transformed the image of where hairlines were appropriate, it was now okay to have hair over the ears, and bangs were "in." This was considered to be "long hair" by some and the phrase and song went, "Long-haired, freaky people need not apply!' Who claims the divine right to judge the actual length at which hair is too long for a believer? And it should not be an issue at all for the infidel! Actually, there was a time when having hair over your ears was too long for some critics. They told The Beatles to get haircuts, and they said, they had just got one!
What we have is a difference of opinion and a disputable matter, and Christians are not to quarrel over questionable matters, per Romans 14:1, but leave room for a person's own conscience, to decide for himself what his convictions are, as his faith is between him and God--knowing he will be judged by God (this applies to areas where the Bible is silent and gray areas). (Note that the Bible also says women should cover their heads in worship services, and no one enforces that convention today.) So much of our dress code is according to custom and style of the age, which does change. It used to be shocking to see a woman in a pantsuit or wear jeans! We have no right to look down on a brother who has what we consider to be long hair, for he is God's servant and is accountable to Him, not us. The Bible nowhere condemns boys or children from having long hair, and also bear in mind that men of the Nazarite vow never had a razor touch their head (e.g., Samson, Samuel, and John the Baptist).
When we judge a man by appearance we are being like men who look on the outward appearance and not the heart--what really matters is where his heart is, not his looks. Unbelievers who have long hair need Christ, not a haircut! God doesn't hold their hair against them, but that they need to repent of sin (singular or in general), not sins (a certain one in particular) and receive Christ as Lord and Savior. Legalists see sins, not sin. Men are in a state of rebellion against God and long hair is only a symptom of their alienation. Remember, we are not in Moses' seat and able to judge a man by his outward dress or looks, but leave room for God's justice.
If the Word is faithfully taught, the person in question will someday see the light and his eyes will be opened, and he will not dress or wear his hair to please the girls or the culture, but God. In other words, the cure or panacea is to preach the Word and let it do its transforming work in all of us as works-in-progress. As an application, whenever men act or appear effeminate in anything they are an abomination unto God and as men grow in the Lord they do become more manly and conformed to the image of Christ. We need not get caught up in machismo or thinking that Christianity is all about how much a man we are, a true man is a gentleman for number one, and all men are manly in some way or manifestation--we have no right to compare ourselves in this manner and should be the man or woman God made us be. The heart of the matter is that it's a matter of the heart! What the Bible does adumbrate is that when we lose our godliness, we also lose our manliness, and a true man is a gentleman, not a strongman or bully.
In the final analysis, if a brother's only apparent or visible flaw lies in his hairline, I wouldn't press him on it, but give him the benefit of the doubt. All in all, hair is not the measure of a man, though it's given as glory to a woman. Caveat: We have no business looking down on our brother; it's wrong to label our brethren, such as referring to one as being the long-haired one or in need of spiritual guidance by virtue of the fact. In sum, let's not be like a Supreme Court jurist of Christianity over our brethren and merely utter superficially, when we get our eyes off Jesus: "I may not be able to define long hair, but I sure know it when I see it!" Soli Deo Gloria!
"... The LORD does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart" (1 Sam. 16:7, NIV).
Paul seemed dogmatic that it is a shame for a man to have "long hair," (this begs the question as to why it's a shame for a woman not to have hair as a covering), but what does that mean to us in our enlightened age? Note that it's not a condemnation or sin! Are ponytails evil per se because someone deems them to be long hair? Does the converse hold true, that it's an honor to have short or no hair? Hair should not be the issue! But still being bald for a man is also a shame or embarrassment, but it's not sinning. Note that what's long hair is relative and subjective too!
Actually, standards of right and wrong don't evolve with time (but styles and conventions do!), but we must understand that what was wrong then is still wrong, and God never sanctions the right to do what is wrong--neither in our eyes nor the eyes of others, but awareness of right an wrong in society's standards and norms do change with the times as to what is accepted as "normal". When I was young The Beatles transformed the image of where hairlines were appropriate, it was now okay to have hair over the ears, and bangs were "in." This was considered to be "long hair" by some and the phrase and song went, "Long-haired, freaky people need not apply!' Who claims the divine right to judge the actual length at which hair is too long for a believer? And it should not be an issue at all for the infidel! Actually, there was a time when having hair over your ears was too long for some critics. They told The Beatles to get haircuts, and they said, they had just got one!
What we have is a difference of opinion and a disputable matter, and Christians are not to quarrel over questionable matters, per Romans 14:1, but leave room for a person's own conscience, to decide for himself what his convictions are, as his faith is between him and God--knowing he will be judged by God (this applies to areas where the Bible is silent and gray areas). (Note that the Bible also says women should cover their heads in worship services, and no one enforces that convention today.) So much of our dress code is according to custom and style of the age, which does change. It used to be shocking to see a woman in a pantsuit or wear jeans! We have no right to look down on a brother who has what we consider to be long hair, for he is God's servant and is accountable to Him, not us. The Bible nowhere condemns boys or children from having long hair, and also bear in mind that men of the Nazarite vow never had a razor touch their head (e.g., Samson, Samuel, and John the Baptist).
When we judge a man by appearance we are being like men who look on the outward appearance and not the heart--what really matters is where his heart is, not his looks. Unbelievers who have long hair need Christ, not a haircut! God doesn't hold their hair against them, but that they need to repent of sin (singular or in general), not sins (a certain one in particular) and receive Christ as Lord and Savior. Legalists see sins, not sin. Men are in a state of rebellion against God and long hair is only a symptom of their alienation. Remember, we are not in Moses' seat and able to judge a man by his outward dress or looks, but leave room for God's justice.
If the Word is faithfully taught, the person in question will someday see the light and his eyes will be opened, and he will not dress or wear his hair to please the girls or the culture, but God. In other words, the cure or panacea is to preach the Word and let it do its transforming work in all of us as works-in-progress. As an application, whenever men act or appear effeminate in anything they are an abomination unto God and as men grow in the Lord they do become more manly and conformed to the image of Christ. We need not get caught up in machismo or thinking that Christianity is all about how much a man we are, a true man is a gentleman for number one, and all men are manly in some way or manifestation--we have no right to compare ourselves in this manner and should be the man or woman God made us be. The heart of the matter is that it's a matter of the heart! What the Bible does adumbrate is that when we lose our godliness, we also lose our manliness, and a true man is a gentleman, not a strongman or bully.
In the final analysis, if a brother's only apparent or visible flaw lies in his hairline, I wouldn't press him on it, but give him the benefit of the doubt. All in all, hair is not the measure of a man, though it's given as glory to a woman. Caveat: We have no business looking down on our brother; it's wrong to label our brethren, such as referring to one as being the long-haired one or in need of spiritual guidance by virtue of the fact. In sum, let's not be like a Supreme Court jurist of Christianity over our brethren and merely utter superficially, when we get our eyes off Jesus: "I may not be able to define long hair, but I sure know it when I see it!" Soli Deo Gloria!