Part 1

I Timothy 2:9-10 "I want women to dress modestly, with decency and propriety, not with braided hair or gold or pearls or expensive clothes, but with good deeds appropriate for women who profess to worship God."

Modesty is a New Testament commandment. It is God's will that Christian women dress modestly and discreetly. This means properly covering rather than sensually exposing the body.

#1 Modesty involves dressing in such a way as not to draw attention to the body or to cross the boundaries of the proper reserve. The source of modesty is one's inner character. Modesty is the outward expression of inner purity!

#2 Dressing in such a way as to stimulate impure thoughts and desires in others is as wrong as the lust it provokes. No activity justifies the wearing of immodest clothes that would expose the body in such a way as to create lust in someone else.

Galatians 5:13 "Do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature, rather, serve one another in love."

Titus 2:12 "Denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in this present world."

#3 The fashion industry designs some clothing deliberately to expose the body sensually and sexually. It is tragic that the church ignores the biblical standards for modest dress and instead embraces the world's fashions.

#4 In a day of rampant sexual immorality, the church should act and dress differently from a corrupt culture that ridicules the Holy Spirit's desire for modesty, purity, and godly self-control.

Romans 12:2 "Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind." 

The pressure to follow the immodest fashion designs of this world must be firmly resisted by true believers in Christ. Modesty and sexual purity go hand in hand! Today being "sexy" is equated with female empowerment. Our teenage girls and women have been bombarded with this "girl power" mantra that associates their empowerment with a no rules attitude in regard to clothes. The cultural powers that be know that sexiness sells. The bottom line is to make the sale of clothing that show way too much skin. This kind of immodest clothing is offensive to God! This is not female empowerment but "cultural enslavement". This degrades instead of dignifies women. They then become objects of lust. We need godly standards of modest dress in today's Church. Real boundaries should be established not just for church but everywhere. All of life is to testify that we follow Christ and not this sinful culture. 

                                                            Modesty matters!

Immodest dress includes any type of clothing that exposes the nakedness of the body - transparent fabrics, plunging necklines, sweaters and blouses that are too tight and emphasize the bustline, skirts/shorts that are not long enough, and skin tight form fitting clothes that reveal the exact shape of the female figure. These types of clothing are not modest. You're getting attention, but the wrong kind of attention. Modesty means clothing that provides enough coverage of the body so that others are not tempted.

Christians are new creatures in Christ. They should be distinctive from the world both in heart, attitude, and appearance. How we dress is a significant part of that distinction. The Bride of Christ is allowing itself to be dragged through the "cultural mud" of immodest fashion. Instead of modesty, we have daring and indecent designs produced by a sexually immoral culture. Who will dare to raise their voice against immodesty?

Part 2

Job made a covenant with his eyes to avoid stimulating lustful desires that come from gazing at a woman (Job 31:1). Job knew that lustful thoughts and sexual sin greatly displease the Lord.

Matthew 5:28 "Anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart." THE INNER DESIRE FOR ILLICIT SEXUAL PLEASURE, IF CONTEMPLATED AND NOT RESISTED, IS SIN! 

Many sincere men have made covenants with their eyes like Job. They want to be pure. Sadly, many are breaking this covenant because of the immodesty that prevails in our culture and churches!

There is nothing innocent or wholesome about immodesty. It is a serious sin against God and men. Immodesty can wreck havoc in a man's soul causing him to sin and burn with lust.

I Timothy 2:9-10 "I want women to be modest in their appearance. They should wear decent and appropriate clothing and not draw attention to themselves by the way they fix their hair or by wearing gold or pearls or expensive clothes. For women who claim to be devoted to God should make themselves attractive by the good things they do." 

Modesty is a commandment from God. If you're serious about your relationship with Jesus you will obey His commands. Many will dismiss this Modesty Commandment as unimportant or a trivial matter. Obedience is an expression of our relationship with Jesus as Lord. Obedience is not legalism!

With the passing of each year, fashions dictate less and less for the covering of the body. Dresses and shorts are becoming shorter, necklines lower, and clothes tighter. This uncovering and showing off of the female body is deliberate, God-dishonoring, and sinful. The fashion industry doesn't believe that the main purpose of clothing is to cover the body. It believes that the main purpose is "sexual attraction". This is the very opposite of Christian modesty.

Confessions of Pastors, Youth and Worship Leaders:

#1 "It's tough to focus on worship when there's a girl in a mini skirt on the third row. I have to close my eyes to keep from getting distracted. People think I'm worshipping when I'm actually having a major internal struggle."

#2 "As far as leading worship goes, girls are definitely a distraction. The only remedy is to close my eyes."

#3 "The pastor of a church actually had to make a girl move because of how she was dressed. Her immodesty was a hindrance to his ministry."

#4 "I've deeply struggled with my thought life over scantily clad girls in my church."

#5 "My wife just started a girl's group to help them look at the way they dress. She called it the Navel Academy"

#6 "Maybe your purity pledge should start to include where you shop." (A purity ring on a girl who dresses sexy and immodest is a joke to most guys.)

#7 "It's hard to speak to your hearts when all I see is your parts."

#8 "She looked as if she had been poured into her clothes." (Some are busting out of their clothes, they are so skin tight and reveal everything. Instead of holiness and humility, immodest women are bold and brash and "have no sense of shame.)

Women who were not Christians in the 1950's were more modest and decent than "Christian" women in 2009. Something is seriously wrong. The Bible command is to "dress with decency." Immodesty is indecent. 

A. Synonyms for indecent: improper, offensive, unbecoming, immodest, shocking, immoral, lewd, course, and shameless

Do these words describe how you dress? Do they describe how the women dress in your church or youth group?

B. Antonyms for indecent: decent, chaste, pure, courteous, respectful, virtuous, and modest

Do these words describe your heart, motives, thoughts, and the way you dress?

Proverbs 31:10 "Who can find a virtuous woman? For her price is far above rubies?"

Matthew 5:28 "Anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart."

#1 The Christian must be very careful to abstain from taking pleasure in scenes of immorality or nudity as shown in movies, videos, TV, books, magazines, and on certain internet sites.

#2 In maintaining sexual purity, the woman, as well as the man, have responsibility. The Christian woman must be careful not to dress in a way that attracts attention to her body, thereby creating a temptation for men.

Dressing immodestly or sensually is associated with lust and should be seriously avoided by all Christian women.

Immodesty is so common in today's church. Many have become desensitized to it.

Questions:

#1 - Can there be purity without modesty?

#2 - Have you witnessed examples of immodest clothing in your church?

#3 - What are some examples of clothing that you have seen recently that sends the message "be sexy"?

#4 - Do you personally feel the battle for modesty is a battle worth fighting?

#5 - Have you established standards in your own personal life?

#6 - Are you more focused on wearing the latest fashions, or are you focused on godly deeds?

Article by David Cooke