Got Questions? - Week 5

What Does the Bible Say About Modesty?

Today’s question that we are answering is a good one, because it has been a topic of much debate for many years within the Body of Christ. But it is also an important question to answer because it involves how we live in obedience to God.

I want to begin by saying that this issue is not only for the girls, but also for the boys. The standard of modesty is not only for one gender.

If you are looking for a specific list of things a person can and cannot wear, the Bible is not going to give you that, and therefore, Im not going to give you that either. Instead, what the Bible gives us is some principles that we can shape our convictions on what we allow ourselves to wear.

If we want to live like the Lord wants us to live, that must naturally include how we present ourselves in our daily lives. Let us look at 3 main principles that God gives us when dealing with the issue of modesty

I. It Is a Matter of the Heart

1 Timothy 2:9–10 KJV 1900

9 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; 10 But (which becometh women professing godliness) with good works.

Paul here is addressing behavior in the house of God. In these verses, Paul says that we ought to stress Spiritual Beauty more than Physical Beauty.

Paul is NOT saying that women are not allowed to do anything with their physical appearance. There is nothing here to suggest Paul is against Makeup, doing your hair, looking nice, etc. Instead what he is saying is that outward appearance should not be the emphasis of your Christian life.

Modest = seemly, or of good behavior

But this definition is still too vague. What does dressing “Seemly/modestly” look like?

The following 2 words help us understand further Paul’s meaning: shamefacedness and sobriety

Shamefacedness asks the question “Is it appropriate for the occasion? Is it over-dressed or under-dressed? Is it going to call inappropriate attention to myself?”

Sobriety asks the question “Is it in moderation? Is it too much - or too little?” and looks for a middle ground.

The point of what Paul is saying is how you dress reflects what is in your heart

If you dress casually, it says something about your heart/attitude. Likewise, if you dress immodestly, it says something about your heart/attitude.

Example: If you showed up to a wedding wearing basketball shorts and a t-shirt, you would be showing the Bride and Groom what is in your heart, that you don’t care.

Lets look now in verse 10. Paul says that true godly beauty is not in what you WEAR, but in what you DO.

1 Peter 3:3–4 KJV 1900

3 Whose adorning let it not be that outward adorning of plaiting the hair, and of wearing of gold, or of putting on of apparel; 4 But let it be the hidden man of the heart, in that which is not corruptible, even the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God of great price.

Peter is saying essentially the same thing as Paul. Dont let your adornment be ONLY outward. Dont put all your focus and attention only on your outward appearance, but also on your inner man.

Real beauty comes from the “hidden man of the heart”. The part of you that noone can physically see.

True Beauty in the sight of God is not what you wear, but what you ARE

II. It is a Matter of Apparel

While the heart is the most important aspect of Modesty, it is not the only part. Modesty does have to do with what we wear.

There are certain types of clothing that make it very clear what a person’s job/intentions are

Proverbs 7:10 “10 And, behold, there met him a woman With the attire of an harlot, and subtil of heart.”

Genesis 38:14–15 “14 And she put her widow’s garments off from her, and covered her with a vail, and wrapped herself, and sat in an open place, which is by the way to Timnath; for she saw that Shelah was grown, and she was not given unto him to wife. 15 When Judah saw her, he thought her to be an harlot; because she had covered her face.”

Priests had certain clothing they were to wear when ministering (Exodus 28)

Modern Examples: Brides typically wear dresses, Judges typically wear long black robes, police officers wear a uniform

These are all extreme examples, but it goes to show that it DOES matter to some extent what we wear

1 Corinthians 6:19–20 “19 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? 20 For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s.”

We also have a duty as Believers to treat our bodies like Temples of the Holy Spirit. Therefore, we must dress our Temples appropriately.

Will this thing that I am wanting to wear bring glory to the Lord Jesus Christ?

Romans 12:1–2 “1 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. 2 And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.”

Notice that Scripture does not dive into specifics. When it comes to certain types of shirts, shorts, dresses, pants, etc. you have to come to your own conclusion about what you believe is appropriate for a Christian to wear.

III. It Is a Matter of Occasion

John 21:1–7 KJV 1900

1 After these things Jesus shewed himself again to the disciples at the sea of Tiberias; and on this wise shewed he himself. 2 There were together Simon Peter, and Thomas called Didymus, and Nathanael of Cana in Galilee, and the sons of Zebedee, and two other of his disciples. 3 Simon Peter saith unto them, I go a fishing. They say unto him, We also go with thee. They went forth, and entered into a ship immediately; and that night they caught nothing. 4 But when the morning was now come, Jesus stood on the shore: but the disciples knew not that it was Jesus. 5 Then Jesus saith unto them, Children, have ye any meat? They answered him, No. 6 And he said unto them, Cast the net on the right side of the ship, and ye shall find. They cast therefore, and now they were not able to draw it for the multitude of fishes. 7 Therefore that disciple whom Jesus loved saith unto Peter, It is the Lord. Now when Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he girt his fisher’s coat unto him, (for he was naked,) and did cast himself into the sea.

Notice that Peter, when he was fishing on the boat with the other disciples, he was fishing without his outer garments on.

But when John realized that the man speaking was the Lord, Peter’s immediate response was what? To put on his outer garment and then jump into the water to get to Christ.

Peter’s sense of modesty depended on 3 things: What he was doing, whom he was with, and whom he was going to see

You’re going to dress differently at home than you would at church, that much is obvious, but that principle applies for modesty as a whole.

What am I planning on doing? Is what im going to wear appropriate for that?

Who am I with? Is what im wearing appropriate to wear around that certain person/persons

Who/what am I going to see? Is what Im wearing appropriate to do so?

Exodus 28:42–43 “42 And thou shalt make them linen breeches to cover their nakedness; from the loins even unto the thighs they shall reach: 43 And they shall be upon Aaron, and upon his sons, when they come in unto the tabernacle of the congregation, or when they come near unto the altar to minister in the holy place; that they bear not iniquity, and die: it shall be a statute for ever unto him and his seed after him.”

The Priests were instructed to wear certain clothing, but they only had to wear it when they were ministering in the tabernacle.

Genesis 24:9 “9 And the servant put his hand under the thigh of Abraham his master, and sware to him concerning that matter.”

In the Old Testament, when you would swear an oath, you would put your hand under the thigh of the person you swore to. This was not an inappropriate action, it was almost like swearing on your children’s lives (not a perfect example).

So in many cases, Modesty depended on the circumstances or occasion.

Conclusion

When it comes to modesty, for the Christian it is a matter of the heart: the emphasis is on the inner man, not outward appearance. It is a matter of apparel: what we wear does matter to an extent. It is a matter of occasion: not every type of clothing is appropriate for every occasion.

Ultimately, this ties in to what we talked about last week in Romans 14 about standards. You will have to come to your own conclusion and convictions about the specifics of what is appropriate for you to wear.