Modest Apparel
A. THE NEED AND SHOULD DESIRE TO BE RIGHT WITH GOD.
B. 2 Cor. 5:10. GOD WILL JUDGE.
1. 2 Cor. 5:9. Whatever we do, we want to go to heaven.
2. 1 Pet. 1:15-16 -- We must purify ourselves from all sin to glorify God.
C. NO SUCH THING AS A LITTLE SIN( Jas. 2:10 ).
1. Danger demands constant evaluation( 2 Cor. 13:5 ).
2. Rom. 12:1-2. The Christian wants to do what's right out of appreciation.
(Why are women singled out? Because of the attraction of beauty. But in principle,
men are equally responsible to follow these instructions.)
A. DRESS MODESTLY. Vine's: "orderly, well-arranged, decent...one of the
qualifications essential for a bishop or overseer" in regard to his life ( 1 Tim. 3:2 ).
Kittel says, "respectable, honorable."
B. WITH SHAMEFASTNESS. Vine's: "a sense of shame, modesty...which is 'fast'
or rooted in the character... having regard to others."( Prov. 11:22 ).
C. WITH SOBRIETY. Vine's: "sound judgment,...that habitual inner self-
government, with its constant rein on all the passions and desires...."
D. AS A WOMAN PROFESSING GODLINESS( Eph. 4:1; 1 Pet. 2:12-13 ).
A. LASCIVIOUSNESS IS A BIG PROBLEM( Gal. 5:19 ).
1. Lasciviousness - Vine's: "excess, indecency, absence of restraint"
Thayer's: "unbridled lust, shamelessness, excess, wantonness"
Webster's: "lacking legal or moral restraints; especially disregarding sexual
restraints"
2. Immodest dress is treated as a Human right -- the right of men to look with
pleasurable lust on a woman's figure (and vice versa), and the right of
women to entice a man's lust by displaying her body (and vice versa).
3. In our society men and women go as bare as they can go without being
completely naked. BUT IS THAT RIGHT?
B. FASHIONABLE CLOTHING.
1. Low neck lines 6. Short-shorts
2. "Short" dresses or skirts 7. Swimwear
3. Slit-leg skirts (a "strip-tease" view) 8. Men wearing no shirts
4. Strapless evening dresses 9. Some athletic attire
5. Tight-pants, blouses, sweaters, etc. 10. Transparent clothes
A. IT CONTRIBUTES TO LUST, WHICH IS A SIN.
1. 1 John 2:16 - "the lust of the eyes" -- evil desires are awakened by sight.
The nakedness of a person's body excites lust in the opposite sex.
2. 2 Sam. 11:2-4 - David looked on Bathsheba washing herself and lusted.
3. Prov. 6:25 -- "Lust not after her beauty in thine heart."
B. MANY FUTILE ATTEMPTS ARE MADE TO JUSTIFY IMMODESTY.
1. "If somebody lusts after me, it's their problem. I'm not responsible for
someone's depraved attitudes."
2. "Some people will lust no matter what you wear."
3. "Such clothing is fashionable. Everyone dresses like this, so who will notice?"
4. "Wearing shorts or going shirtless is necessary in these hot summer months."
C. THE BIBLE INDICATES A STANDARD TO GO BY.
1. God clothed Adam and Eve with skins that suited His tastes ( Gen. 3:21 ).
2. God specifically designed garments for the priests so that holiness would
prevail ( Exodus 28:42-43 ).
3. Peter felt the need to clothe himself in the presence of Jesus, though he
was not completely naked ( John 21:7 ).
4. Paul gave specific instructions to Timothy ( 1 Timothy 2:9-10 ).
A. BECAUSE OF IGNORACE OF GOD'S WORD.
1. We cannot do what we do not know( Eph. 4:15 ).
2. Parents, are we failing here?( Phil. 1:9-11; 1 Tim.. 5:8; Eph. 6:4 ).
B. THE DESIRE TO ATTRACT THE OPPOSITE SEX ( 1 Tim.2:10; 1 Pet.3:3-4 ).
C. BECAUSE OF CONFORMITY OR PEER PRESSURE.
1. "Everybody else is doing it and I will look odd if I do not conform."
2. Rom. 12:1-2
D. CARELESSNESS. WE NEED TO BE MORE CAREFUL.
1. For ourselves( Eph. 5:15-16 ).
1. For the welfare of others( Matt. 18:6-7 ).
E. REBELLION( 2 Pet. 2:9-12 ).
A. HOW WE DRESS MAKES A STATEMENT ABOUT US( Matt. 7:16 ).
B. WE NEED TO BE MORE CAREFUL IN THIS TIME OF TEMPTATION
( Heb. 5:14 )
Jerry Crolius - crolius@msn.com
