Sunday Sermons

Modesty

Mark Dunagan
06/09/02 - Sunday Morning

1 Timothy 2:9

“Likewise, I want women to adorn themselves with proper clothing, modesty and discreetly, not with braided and gold or pearls or costly garments”

“Proper”: That which is “well-arranged, seemly and modest; of a man living with decorum, a well-ordered life (1 Timothy 3:2) (Thayer p. 356). “It describes one who disciplines himself and who may thus be regarded as genuinely moral and respectable”(Kittel, III: 895-896). This term “proper” infers that there is such a thing as improper clothing. “Modesty”: That is a sense of shame. Modesty that is rooted in character. It is a sense of honor that prevents one from doing something indecent. It is the modesty in the heart that precedes and prevents a shameful act. This infers of course that there is clothing that is immodest or that is worn because a person does not have a sense of inward modesty. “Discreetly”: Soundness of mind, self-control, sound-judgment. Such discretion would prevent a person from wearing what is designed to be “sexy”, “revealing”, “eye-catching”, “hot”, and “provocative”. Such “discretion” is the inner self-government that would hinder the temptation to overstep the limits of womanly reserve.

Trying to Learn

We always need a lesson on modesty for we live in a world that can be very immodest. In this congregation we are surrounded by a Northwest culture that really does not have much use for modesty. Or, as writer Wendy Shalit noted, we live in a culture and time when modesty is outright under attack. Some Christians are tempted to dress immodestly because they do not care, but I believe that others might dress immodestly, not because they intend to be evil, but because they are simply following modern trends and have been careless in conforming to the world (Romans 12:1-2). In this area those of us who have come out of the world should have the attitude of simply seeking to find out what pleases God, (Ephesians 5:8-11 “for you were formerly darkness, but now you are Light in the Lord; walk as children of Light (for the fruit of the Light consists in all goodness and righteousness and truth), trying to learn what is pleasing to the Lord. Do not participate in the unfruitful deeds of darkness, but instead even expose them”).

Our World has a Problem with Lust

This should be obvious to anyone who is alive, even the world of the First Century had the same problem (1 John 2:15-17 “For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes…is not from the Father, but is from the world”; 1 Peter 4:2-3 “having pursued a course of sensuality”; Galatians 5:19). I believe that many would admit that the problem that the world has with lust is completely out of control. We cannot accept the argument that our world has become so corrupt that no one notices immodest clothing, for the experts in advertising clearly understand that the “lust of flesh” and the “lust of the eyes” still captivate mankind, “they entice by fleshly desires, by sensuality” (2 Peter 3:18).

Refreshing Topic

While some voices in the religious world might claim that such a topic will turn off potential converts or the young people, I am persuaded that God’s truth will always attract good and honest hearts (Luke 8:15; Romans 1:16). Even in the immoral city of Corinth, the gospel message that contained definite moral standards attracted a good number of people (Acts 18:8-10; 1 Corinthians 6:9-11). There are non-Christians and young people in our world that are tired of the constant barrage of sensuality. I believe there are many woman who are tired of feeling inadequate or unattractive because they are constantly confronted with what our society thinks is the ideal body type. I believe there are men who are equally tired of the constant bombardment of temptation that comes from observing one scantily clad woman after another. When Paul was in Athens his spirit was provoked within him as he witnessed the idolatry of that city (Acts 17:16), Lot was also vexed by the immoral behavior of the people in Sodom (2 Peter 2:7). In fact, God notes that Lot was oppressed and tormented by the sensual conduct of others. Godly men get tired of being tempted for they realize that sensual flirtation is not a harmless game, but is something that can destroy their relationship with God (Matthew 5:28; James 4:1). In her research Wendy Shalit was fascinated to discover how many secular women are returning to modesty because they found, simply as a practical matter, that immodesty was not working for them. In short, they were not successful in finding the right men, for the right men have made a covenant with their eyes (Job 31:1).

Immune?

Years ago Sewell Hall wrote, “It is not uncommon for Christians today to argue their right to practice questionable conduct because they are strong and not affected by it. They can go into a bar, they say, and sit with those who are drinking and never be tempted. They can dance and never have lustful thoughts. They can attend the raunchiest movies and not be affected by the profanity, violence, and lasciviousness portrayed on the screen. They can listen to the most obscene music and pay no attention to the words. They can go to the beach and be surrounded by people who are almost entirely nude and not even notice. They can take all kind of liberties with their hands on dates and experience no temptation to fornication. So they say”(Christianity Magazine, May 1992, p. 5). My response is, “But what does the Bible say?” Timothy, who was about the most spiritual Christian that Paul knew, “For I have no one else of kindred spirit who will genuinely be concerned for your welfare” (Philippians 2:20), was commanded, “Now flee from youthful lusts” (2 Timothy 2:22). Both David and Solomon were captivated and led astray by lust (2 Samuel 11; Nehemiah 13:26), yet both of these men had been very spiritual and godly. The attitude that Christian men should simply put their minds on other things and not be affected by immodest clothing that even a sister in Christ may be wearing is not realistic. Even Jesus did not appreciate temptation coming from His own disciples (Matthew 16:23 “You are a stumbling-block to Me”). And even the apostle Paul noted that he had to buffet his body and bring it into subjection(1 Corinthians 9:27). Being tempted by sensual clothing is not so much a sign a spiritual immaturity as it is a reality to the power of temptation for any Christian. The very fact that Timothy was commanded to “flee” proves that the Christian man never reaches a spiritual level where they can safely stay within the realm of a temptation and not be affected by it.

Even the World Can Recognize Immodesty

When it comes to this topic at times Christians can appear to be somewhat dense or as Jesus noted, “for the sons of this age are more shrewd in relation to their own kind than the sons of light” (Luke 16:8). It was noted in the late 60’s that the designer behind the mini-shirt had purposely designed it “in order to seduce a man” (Newsweek, Nov. 13, 1967, p. 76). We should not be surprised if some modern designs have the same purpose. This means that even if a woman has no intention of seducing a man with a short shirt, she needs to understand that designers created such apparel for that very purpose, and that such attire will cause lust, whether worn for that purpose or not. A pure motive on the part of a woman does not cancel out the influence of the clothing itself. The following is from a flyer entitled “Dress Standards for Visitors” which is distributed to the visitors for the Twin Rivers Correctional Center, a prison in Monroe, Washington: Clothing Not Allowed: Low-cut (exposing undergarments, cleavage, back). Sheer, transparent or mesh fabrics (other than hosiery). Tight fitting clothing (spandex, lycra or other rubberized or elasticized). Clothing that refers to obscenity, alcohol, drugs or sex in any form. Shorts, cut-offs, and halter tops. While not all shorts are immodest, even the above non-Christians realized that many shorts do incite lust. When it comes to that which incites lust, the world is sometimes more aware and honest that we are. Compare with Genesis 20:9.

The Importance of Our Influence

1 Corinthians 10:31 “do all to the glory of God. Give no offense either to Jews or to Greeks or to the church of God”; 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 “Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own? For you have been bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body”; 1 Peter 2:12 “Keep your behavior excellent among the Gentiles”; Luke 17:1 “It is inevitable that stumbling blocks come, but woe to him through whom they come!”; Matthew 5:16 “Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven”.

1 Peter 3:2 “Chaste”

The term “chaste” means: “Pure from carnality” (Vine p. 183). In the area of clothing a carnal or worldly attitude can be expressed by either overdressing (materialism) or by under dressing (sensuality). Our attitude is so important in this area. Christian men and women should be free of the desire to publicly impress the opposite sex with the form of their body. That is a carnal attitude and expresses a love for those things that God hates (1 John 2:15-17).

Modesty Myths

Modesty is Legalism: Actually, the grace of God teaches us to “deny ungodliness and worldly desires and to live sensibly, righteously and godly in this present age” (Titus 2:12). There is nothing legalistic about wanting to glorify God in your body (1 Corinthians 6:19-20), and about not wanting to cause another to stumble because of a lack of clothing (Romans 14:13 “determine this—not to put an obstacle or a stumbling-block in a brother’s way”). Modesty is Victorian: Actually, the Bible teaches the need to be modest long before the Victorian area (1 Timothy 2:9). Modesty equals no exposed ankles or radical Islam: The women in Bible times did not wear a covering that covered their entire bodies and yet they were considered to be dressed modesty.

Modesty is synonymous with prudery: This was the point of the dreadful movie Pleasantville, the premise of which was that nobody in the 1950’s had fun or experienced love because of high moral standards. Shalit notes, “In truth, modesty is nearly the opposite of prudery. Paradoxically, prudish people have more in common with the promiscuous. A prudish and the promiscuous share a disposition against allowing themselves to be moved by others, or to fall in love. Modesty, on the other hand, invites and protects the evocation of real love”. She is right. The modest person many times does not have sexual hang-ups, but rather they understand the power of the unclothed human body and are saving that power for that one special person in the marriage relationship. Modesty is not natural: When one lives in a world with sin, modesty is very natural (Genesis 3:7). The final myth is that modesty is only for women, for consider the above passages on influence that apply to all Christians (1 Thessalonians 4:4). Closing thought: Wear in public what you want to be wearing when Christ returns.