Contending For Modesty
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 regard for modesty, and its products often
project a look that is 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 a 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 animal skins for them, He confirmed that they indeed needed modest clothing, but
He also revealed that 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).
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.
Proverbs 7:10 speaks of a woman with the attire associated with sin and not suitable for godly
people to wear.
The principle that God wants His people to reflect His holiness applies to the New Testament
church (I 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 an unspoken witness of the transforming power of
Christ.
I Timothy 2:9 admonishes "that women adorn themselves in modest apparel, with
shamefacedness and sobriety; not with broided hair, or gold, or pearls, or costly array." I
Peter 3:3 gives similar instructions.
I Corinthians 11:1-16 teaches that a woman should have long hair, for it is her glory, and that
a man should not have 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 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 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's 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 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 corporation 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 goodness and 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 the flesh, the lust
of the eyes, and the pride of life, which the Bible condemns (I John 2:16). If we are 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 women he commits adultery in his heart (Matthew 5:28). 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 9:24-27; II Timothy 2:4-5; I John 2:3-6.)
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 fashions is an
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.
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 regard for modesty, and its products often
project a look that is 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 a 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 animal skins for them, He confirmed that they indeed needed modest clothing, but
He also revealed that 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).
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.
Proverbs 7:10 speaks of a woman with the attire associated with sin and not suitable for godly
people to wear.
The principle that God wants His people to reflect His holiness applies to the New Testament
church (I 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 an unspoken witness of the transforming power of
Christ.
I Timothy 2:9 admonishes "that women adorn themselves in modest apparel, with
shamefacedness and sobriety; not with broided hair, or gold, or pearls, or costly array." I
Peter 3:3 gives similar instructions.
I Corinthians 11:1-16 teaches that a woman should have long hair, for it is her glory, and that
a man should not have 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 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 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's 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 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 corporation 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 goodness and 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 the flesh, the lust
of the eyes, and the pride of life, which the Bible condemns (I John 2:16). If we are 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 women he commits adultery in his heart (Matthew 5:28). 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 9:24-27; II Timothy 2:4-5; I John 2:3-6.)
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 fashions is an
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.
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