We are living in a time of moral confusion and our generation’s
immorality is reflected in many of today’s styles.
Today’s fashion industry has little regards for modesty and its products often
projects look that are inappropriate for someone who wants to mirror Christ.
The marvelous grace of God in our hearts compels us to reflect His holiness in the
part of our being that other people see. When a person becomes a Christian, his experience
changes every facet of his life- not just the inward person but the outward person as well.
A BIBLICAL PRINCIPLE
The Bible instructs us to wear modest clothing that is, clothing with
godly appearance. Of course, our outward appearance cannot substitute for inward
holiness. Adam and Eve covered themselves with fig leaves after they sinned, but God
found their efforts inadequate. By making clothing of animals skins for them, He confirmed
that they indeed needed modest clothing, but He also revealed that the holiness in appearance
must be associated with God’s provision for our sins. Only by the death of Jesus Christ, the
Lamb of God, do we obtain the righteousness of God that we seek to reflect outwardly.
God instructed Israel’s high priest to wear holy garments, “for he
represented a holy God” (Exodus 28:2). God also ordered the priests to wear clothing
that covered their nakedness and forbade elevated altars upon which priests would walk
and thereby expose their nakedness (Exodus 20:26; 28:42).
ABOMINATION THROUGH THE WRONG USE OF
GARMENTS
Deuteronomy 22:5 enunciates the moral principle of a clear distinction
between male and female in outward appearance: one sex must not wear styles of
clothing associated with the other. It states, “The woman shall not wear that which
pertaineth unto a man, neither shall a man put on a woman’s garment: for all that
do so [are] abomination unto the LORD thy God.”
Proverbs 7:10 speaks of a woman with “the attire of an harlot.” Clearly,
certain garments are associated with sin and are not suitable for godly people to wear.
The principle that God wants His people to reflect His holiness applies to the New
Testament Church (Peter 1:15-16). We are called to be living epistles read of all
people, declaring to the world God’s holy nature and His abiding presence (II Corinthians
3:3). Our outward appearance is one way in which we are unspoken witness of the
transforming power of Christ.
I Timothy 2:9 admonishes “that women adorn themselves in modest
apparel with shamedfacedness and sobriety, not with broided hair, gold, or pearls,
or costly array.” I Peter 3:3 gives similar instructions.
I Corinthians 11: 16 teaches that a woman should have a long hair, for
it is her glory, and that a man should not have a long hair. A person’s hair serves as
an important visible symbol of his or her submission to God’s plan of authority and as a
distinguishing mark between the sexes.
Revelation 16:15 uses clothing as a symbol to instruct the church to stay close
to God: “Blessed is he that watcheth, and keepeth his garments, lest he walk naked,
and they see his shame.”
Clearly, God puts emphasis on the outward appearance of a person. To
an extent, clothing reflects the condition of the heart, and it sends a message to
others about a person’s values.
A RESPONSE TO GOD’S GRACE
Advocating modesty of dress and outward dedication does not mean advocating
salvation by works. Wearing godly dress is not a meritorious work to earn salvation rather
it is a response to the saving grace of God. The blood of Jesus is our only righteousness.
Our salvation comes from God, never from our good works. To think that we could earn His
marvelous grace by adhering to dress codes would be a terrible mistake.
But to accept the grace of God and then be indifferent to Christ’s commandment
for the holy living would discredit His mercy. If the church preaches Christ and His saving
grace without teaching biblical guidelines to live by, it leaves people open to confusion and
failure. Deliberate and continuous disobedience to God Word will lead to the loss of saving
faith.
Who can view the Cross without wanting to conform to Christ? Who would want
to continue his or her old sinful patterns of living when Jesus Christ died to bring deliverance
from those sins? When people comprehend His holiness, they desire to become holy.
While it is true that the blood of Jesus cleanses from all sins, it is also true that
genuine love for Him restrains a person from presuming upon His marvelous grace. In our
success-oriented society no one considers it odd if a company requires its employees to
conform to a dress code. Why then should a church that teaches neatness and modesty for
the purpose of honoring the holiness of God be considered narrow, restrictive, or legalistic?
If we are to honor God in our hearts, it is consistent to honor Him with an outward
dedication. I John 2:15 instructs us, “Love not the world”: surely then, we would be
foolish to mirror worldly values in our appearance.
THE PROTECTION OF MODESTY
Adhering to a modest godly standard of dress and conduct offers protection
from the surge of immorality that plagues our generation. Clothes and appearance transmit
nonverbal signals. Christians who verbalize godliness but at the same time non-verbally
declare sensuality and ungodliness destroy the effectiveness of their gospel witness.
The primary purpose of many fashion designs is to exalt the ego,
attract undue attention to the flesh, stir desires, and ignite passion in others,
thereby appealing to the lust of flesh, the lust of eyes, and the pride of life,
which the Bible condemns (I John 2:16). If we are honor to the holiness of God, we must
not dress in such styles and with such motives.
We must not naively ignore the complex causes of immorality and
marital infidelity, but neither should we ignore the influence that sensual dress
has on adultery and fornication. If a man looks with lust upon a woman he
commits adultery in his heart (Matthew 5:28). If a woman provokes a lustful look by her
appearance is she not partly responsible for the man’s sin? If people would dress in ways
that do not provoke lust, the moral fiber of our society would be strengthened.
The danger of overemphasizing any discipline in the Christian life is that some
people allow the discipline to become a legalistic code. Some people who harbor unholy
attitudes such as hatred, bitterness, envy, and strife falsely think they are spiritual because
they wear modest clothes.
Such distortions are hypocritical and wrong. But we cannot dismiss the need for
modesty in dress because some distort it. The biblical alternative to legalism is not
permissiveness or license but self discipline motivated by grace, faith, love, the Word of
God, and the Holy Spirit. (See John 14:15; I Corinthians 9:14-27; II Timothy 2:24-27; John 2:3)
For the sake of our children, we must teach them to respect the
holiness of God in all areas of life. Allowing or encouraging preteens and
teenagers to dress in many of today’s fashion is invitation to social and spiritual
problems.
A dress code will not automatically remedy the decaying moral fiber among
youth, but it does remind them of God’s commandments. We must begin somewhere to
teach children and youth moral responsibility, and standards of modesty in dress offer us
this opportunity.
When we honor God and His Word in our hearts and in our outward appearance,
He places an umbrella of protection over our families. While moral decay sweeps modern
society and many modern churches, we are able to remain relatively untouched. The
world may scoff at our modesty, but we dare not lay down our cloak of protection
and our obedience to the Word of God.
ON TATTOOS, what the Bible says about it
LEVITICUS 19:28- Ye shall not make any cuttings in your flesh for the dead, nor
print any marks upon you: I [am] the LORD.
We need to remember that our bodies, as well as our souls, have been redeemed
and belong to God. Although 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 does not directly apply to tattoos or body
piercings, yet it does give us a principle, “What? know ye not that your body is the temple
of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? For ye
are bought with a price; therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are
God’s.” This great truth should have a real bearing on what we do and where we go with
our bodies. “For whatsoever is not of faith is sin” (Romans 14:23). “Whether therefore ye
eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God” (1 Corinthians 10:31).
immorality is reflected in many of today’s styles.
Today’s fashion industry has little regards for modesty and its products often
projects look that are inappropriate for someone who wants to mirror Christ.
The marvelous grace of God in our hearts compels us to reflect His holiness in the
part of our being that other people see. When a person becomes a Christian, his experience
changes every facet of his life- not just the inward person but the outward person as well.
A BIBLICAL PRINCIPLE
The Bible instructs us to wear modest clothing that is, clothing with
godly appearance. Of course, our outward appearance cannot substitute for inward
holiness. Adam and Eve covered themselves with fig leaves after they sinned, but God
found their efforts inadequate. By making clothing of animals skins for them, He confirmed
that they indeed needed modest clothing, but He also revealed that the holiness in appearance
must be associated with God’s provision for our sins. Only by the death of Jesus Christ, the
Lamb of God, do we obtain the righteousness of God that we seek to reflect outwardly.
God instructed Israel’s high priest to wear holy garments, “for he
represented a holy God” (Exodus 28:2). God also ordered the priests to wear clothing
that covered their nakedness and forbade elevated altars upon which priests would walk
and thereby expose their nakedness (Exodus 20:26; 28:42).
ABOMINATION THROUGH THE WRONG USE OF
GARMENTS
Deuteronomy 22:5 enunciates the moral principle of a clear distinction
between male and female in outward appearance: one sex must not wear styles of
clothing associated with the other. It states, “The woman shall not wear that which
pertaineth unto a man, neither shall a man put on a woman’s garment: for all that
do so [are] abomination unto the LORD thy God.”
Proverbs 7:10 speaks of a woman with “the attire of an harlot.” Clearly,
certain garments are associated with sin and are not suitable for godly people to wear.
The principle that God wants His people to reflect His holiness applies to the New
Testament Church (Peter 1:15-16). We are called to be living epistles read of all
people, declaring to the world God’s holy nature and His abiding presence (II Corinthians
3:3). Our outward appearance is one way in which we are unspoken witness of the
transforming power of Christ.
I Timothy 2:9 admonishes “that women adorn themselves in modest
apparel with shamedfacedness and sobriety, not with broided hair, gold, or pearls,
or costly array.” I Peter 3:3 gives similar instructions.
I Corinthians 11: 16 teaches that a woman should have a long hair, for
it is her glory, and that a man should not have a long hair. A person’s hair serves as
an important visible symbol of his or her submission to God’s plan of authority and as a
distinguishing mark between the sexes.
Revelation 16:15 uses clothing as a symbol to instruct the church to stay close
to God: “Blessed is he that watcheth, and keepeth his garments, lest he walk naked,
and they see his shame.”
Clearly, God puts emphasis on the outward appearance of a person. To
an extent, clothing reflects the condition of the heart, and it sends a message to
others about a person’s values.
A RESPONSE TO GOD’S GRACE
Advocating modesty of dress and outward dedication does not mean advocating
salvation by works. Wearing godly dress is not a meritorious work to earn salvation rather
it is a response to the saving grace of God. The blood of Jesus is our only righteousness.
Our salvation comes from God, never from our good works. To think that we could earn His
marvelous grace by adhering to dress codes would be a terrible mistake.
But to accept the grace of God and then be indifferent to Christ’s commandment
for the holy living would discredit His mercy. If the church preaches Christ and His saving
grace without teaching biblical guidelines to live by, it leaves people open to confusion and
failure. Deliberate and continuous disobedience to God Word will lead to the loss of saving
faith.
Who can view the Cross without wanting to conform to Christ? Who would want
to continue his or her old sinful patterns of living when Jesus Christ died to bring deliverance
from those sins? When people comprehend His holiness, they desire to become holy.
While it is true that the blood of Jesus cleanses from all sins, it is also true that
genuine love for Him restrains a person from presuming upon His marvelous grace. In our
success-oriented society no one considers it odd if a company requires its employees to
conform to a dress code. Why then should a church that teaches neatness and modesty for
the purpose of honoring the holiness of God be considered narrow, restrictive, or legalistic?
If we are to honor God in our hearts, it is consistent to honor Him with an outward
dedication. I John 2:15 instructs us, “Love not the world”: surely then, we would be
foolish to mirror worldly values in our appearance.
THE PROTECTION OF MODESTY
Adhering to a modest godly standard of dress and conduct offers protection
from the surge of immorality that plagues our generation. Clothes and appearance transmit
nonverbal signals. Christians who verbalize godliness but at the same time non-verbally
declare sensuality and ungodliness destroy the effectiveness of their gospel witness.
The primary purpose of many fashion designs is to exalt the ego,
attract undue attention to the flesh, stir desires, and ignite passion in others,
thereby appealing to the lust of flesh, the lust of eyes, and the pride of life,
which the Bible condemns (I John 2:16). If we are honor to the holiness of God, we must
not dress in such styles and with such motives.
We must not naively ignore the complex causes of immorality and
marital infidelity, but neither should we ignore the influence that sensual dress
has on adultery and fornication. If a man looks with lust upon a woman he
commits adultery in his heart (Matthew 5:28). If a woman provokes a lustful look by her
appearance is she not partly responsible for the man’s sin? If people would dress in ways
that do not provoke lust, the moral fiber of our society would be strengthened.
The danger of overemphasizing any discipline in the Christian life is that some
people allow the discipline to become a legalistic code. Some people who harbor unholy
attitudes such as hatred, bitterness, envy, and strife falsely think they are spiritual because
they wear modest clothes.
Such distortions are hypocritical and wrong. But we cannot dismiss the need for
modesty in dress because some distort it. The biblical alternative to legalism is not
permissiveness or license but self discipline motivated by grace, faith, love, the Word of
God, and the Holy Spirit. (See John 14:15; I Corinthians 9:14-27; II Timothy 2:24-27; John 2:3)
For the sake of our children, we must teach them to respect the
holiness of God in all areas of life. Allowing or encouraging preteens and
teenagers to dress in many of today’s fashion is invitation to social and spiritual
problems.
A dress code will not automatically remedy the decaying moral fiber among
youth, but it does remind them of God’s commandments. We must begin somewhere to
teach children and youth moral responsibility, and standards of modesty in dress offer us
this opportunity.
When we honor God and His Word in our hearts and in our outward appearance,
He places an umbrella of protection over our families. While moral decay sweeps modern
society and many modern churches, we are able to remain relatively untouched. The
world may scoff at our modesty, but we dare not lay down our cloak of protection
and our obedience to the Word of God.
ON TATTOOS, what the Bible says about it
LEVITICUS 19:28- Ye shall not make any cuttings in your flesh for the dead, nor
print any marks upon you: I [am] the LORD.
We need to remember that our bodies, as well as our souls, have been redeemed
and belong to God. Although 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 does not directly apply to tattoos or body
piercings, yet it does give us a principle, “What? know ye not that your body is the temple
of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? For ye
are bought with a price; therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are
God’s.” This great truth should have a real bearing on what we do and where we go with
our bodies. “For whatsoever is not of faith is sin” (Romans 14:23). “Whether therefore ye
eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God” (1 Corinthians 10:31).
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