This is a sensitive topic. There are few subjects that seem to get as strong
a negative reaction as this one. People resent being told how to dress, and
they resent being told how to dress their children. But regardless of how the
world goes, and regardless of the reaction of worldly brethren, modesty never
goes out of style for the child of God. Immodesty is always wrong, and modesty
is always right in the eyes of our maker.
Let us notice three passages that teach about modesty and warn about immodesty.
1 Timothy 2:9-10, “In like manner also, that women adorn themselves in
modest apparel, with shamefacedness and sobriety; not with broided hair, or
gold, or pearls, or costly array; But (which becometh women professing godliness)
with good works.”
This passage contains three words which help us with this issue.
Modest. This word identifies that which is orderly, seemly, appropriate. It
deals with more than just what is modest and what is not. It urges Christian
women (and by extension men also) to refrain from shocking fads in dress and
appearance. It condemns ostentation and dressing to attract attention. But let
us not forget that dress which is orderly, seemly, and appropriate, would also
have to be dress that is modest. We can attract attention by wearing outlandish
clothing, but we can also attract attention by what we do not cover/conceal.
The word modest demands that we do not wear that which is too short, too low,
too thin or too tight. How much is ‘too’ much in these things? That
which says ‘look at me’, ‘notice my body.’ It does not
matter whether we are trying to draw attention to ourselves or not, if we wear
that which draws attention, causes others to look and gaze, then we are immodest.
Shamefacedness. This word refers to shame which is rooted fast in one’s
character (see Vines). The natural question is, of what are we supposed to be
ashamed? At the end of Genesis chapter 2, Adam and his new bride were both naked,
but not ashamed. In chapter 3, the woman and the man sinned by eating the forbidden
fruit. Suddenly they were aware of their nakedness and were ashamed. They tried
to cover and hide themselves (vs.7- 10). God did not say to them, “Don’t
worry. I created you naked. Nakedness is natural. Covering yourselves would
be unnatural.” God even made them coats (garments) of skins so they would
be clothed. The word for “coats” is kethoneth. It is defined as
a tunic, under garment, robe, a long shirt-like garment usually of linen, generally
with sleeves, coming down to the knees.
This truth is evident: in a world with sin, nakedness is not appropriate. Where
sin exists, men and women should be ashamed of displaying themselves. It is
a sad state of affairs that we let boys and girls grow up with no sense of shame
in this matter.
Sobriety. This word refers to sober-mindedness and self-control. In Titus 2:2
it is translated temperate, and in Titus 2:5 it is translated discreet.
With these words in mind, and given the over-sexualized nature of our society,
these questions seem natural:
Does it represent temperance to wear clothing several inches above the knee?
Is it appropriate to wear low-cut clothing that attracts attention and invites
the eyes?
Is it modest to wear clothing so thin your underwear can be seen through it?
Where is the sense of shame? Galatians 5:19-21 says, “Now the works of
the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness,
lasciviousness, Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife,
seditions, heresies, Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like:
of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they
which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.” This passage
speaks plainly to these matters. Immodest dress is uncleanness. It is lascivious
which has to do with indecency, wantonness, suggestive. How can it be classed
as anything else?
The power of this passage is also that it does not allow for ‘loopholes’
based on technicalities. Even if someone is able to convince themselves that
tight, revealing clothing is not precisely found in the definition of words
like uncleanness or lasciviousness (which is ridiculous), surely we must admit
that such shamelessness is in the category of ‘such like’ as stated
in verse 21. Paul didn’t have to specifically mention clothing that was
revealing and immodest. The Holy Spirit saw to it that ‘such like’
was also condemned.
Matthew 5:28 says, “But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman
to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart.”
It is wrong to watch women (and men for that matter). It is wrong to cast our
gaze and lust. Jesus said our eyes are the light of the body (Matt. 6:22). We
must keep our hearts (mind) pure (Matt. 5:8).
Since lustful looks are wrong (sinful), then that which promotes those looks
is also wrong (sinful). Many women have intentionally dressed to cause a man
to stumble (fall, sin) through his eyes. How many women and girls who think
of themselves as Christians have unintentionally set the same stumbling block
before others? It may be done without intention and without thought, but it
is not done without sin.
Consider these reasoning problems:
Some say that culture is the only factor in deciding what is modest. The account
of Adam and Eve and their shame proves this is not so. Moreover, society does
not teach us that the revealing modern clothing trends are pure and without
sexual overtones. Just the opposite. Advertisers sell the clothing as sexual.
They promote it for the purpose of grabbing attention. Short shorts/skirts,
see-through and/or low-cut attire, are not ok because that is the fashion. Such
worldly fashion is sinful. We are to be as different from the world as light
is from darkness (Matt. 5:14-16). Certainly culture has something to do with
how we dress. We want to become all things to all men to save some (1 Cor. 9:27)
and we don’t want to cause any to stumble (1 Cor. 10:32). If we find ourselves
in a culture that requires women to cover their ankles or their faces, Christians
should comply with that, but fashions and fads and culture cannot make it ok
for us to exchange that which is orderly, self- controlled and discreet, for
that which is lustful, unclean, and lascivious.
Some dress modestly in most settings, but then lose all shame when it comes
to certain situations. Warm weather does not make it ok to reveal or expose
ourselves. Sporting activities do not make skin-tight, thigh-exposing volleyball
shorts or any other sports wear suddenly become less lustful and lascivious.
Fill in other activities or situations as you will: swimming, public workout
places and spas where others can see when we expose ourselves. Situations do
not make a wrong thing right.
Would you wear, or want your daughters (and sons) to wear revealing clothing
when a sexual pervert is near? Would you feel comfortable in doing so? Would
you claim it’s your own business what you wear? Logic and reason and decency
dictate that you would ‘cover up’ and in ‘no way’ expose
yourself to longing and craving eyes. You know this is true. Why then would
you wear such in public for the whole world to see?
What a shame that the god of this world has blinded the minds of many in this
matter.
What a shame that Christian minds and hearts have been influenced and at times
even overrun by worldly trends.
What a shame when we are without shame and cannot blush (Jer. 6:15).
What a shame when parents teach their children it is more important to be fashionable
with the world than to be acceptable to God.
By Rusty Stark
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