Modesty and the Lack Thereof

Dear Sisters in Christ,

It is with a heavy heart that I put my pen to paper, but I feel that the LORD is leading me to write to you on this subject. I have wrestled in my spirit for the right words to say, and know that I will offend many of you. Many will call me legalistic. Many will say that I am taking away their Christian liberty. Still, I must write. I am trying to “speak the truth in love.” Ephesians 4:15

“Who is she to tell us what to do?”, some of you might ask. I will tell you that I am your sister in Christ, concerned for the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. I am also a wife who is jealous for her husband’s affections, and a mother trying to raise Godly sons. These tasks are hard enough in this world that we live in, and I do not believe that it should be even harder because of the church.

Yes, I am writing to you women who are in the church. I do realize that sanctification is a process, and that the church is made up of sinners, of who I am the chief. I am in no way claiming to be perfect, even in this area.

Ladies, I have spent many years observing the dress of the women in the church. I have tried to look the other way. I feel that God is calling me to be silent no longer. I have seen bare midriffs. No, not midriff baring tops, but women reaching upward to expose their stomachs. I have seen, pardon my bluntness, butt cracks of at LEAST four different women in the church. Were they shown intentionally? Maybe not. But due to a poor choice of clothing, I have seen them none the less. I have seen bare backs. Again, bending over, stooping down, etc. exposes much more than you may think. Or then again, maybe you do know, but don’t care. I have seen thongs and black lace panties sticking out of the tops of jeans. I have seen skirts so short than when a person sits it exposes her crotch, no matter how she positions her legs. Gauchos are all the rage, but have you seen how they creep up the butt leaving nothing to the imagination for the men standing behind you? Again, I am not telling you what I saw when I was out about the town, but what I have seen in churches!

What are we thinking? Oh, yes. We need to be “cute, and trendy. In style. Sexy.” And what are our husbands/fathers thinking to allow us out of the house dressed like this? I can assure you that our Heavenly Father does not condone such attire as we have been parading around in.

Paul admonishes the women in 1Timothy 2:9-10, “likewise, also that women should adorn themselves in respectable apparel, with modesty and self-control, not with braided hair and gold or pearls or costly attire, but with what is proper for women who profess godliness - with good works.” Italics, mine.

According to the 1828 American Dictionary of the English Language,
Respectable means :
1. Possessing the worth or qualities which deserve or command respect; worthy of esteem and honor .
Modesty : 4. In females modesty has the like character as in males; but the word is used
also as synonymous with chastity, or purity of manners. In this sense, modesty results from purity of mind, or from the fear of disgrace and ignominy fortified by education and principle. Unaffected modesty is the sweetest charm of female excellence, the richest gem in the diadem of their honor.
Self-Control: soberness; habitual freedom from enthusiasm, inordinate passion, or over-heated imagination; calmness; coolness; “as applied to women it definitely had a sexual nuance”, J.N.D. Kelly, The Pastoral Epistles

We can understand why the women of the world want to wear these items of clothing. They want to attract the attention of men. And they do. But what kind of attention? Ladies, even our godly, Christian husbands and sons are not immune to a scantily clad woman. Do not be fooled!

Jeff Pollard in Christian Modesty and the Public Undressing of America says, “Compare what is preached as ‘liberty‘ today with questions 137 through 139 of the Westminster Assembly’s Larger Catechism :

Q. 137: Which is the seventh commandment? A. The seventh commandment is, Thou shalt not commit adultery.

Q. 138: What are the duties required in the seventh commandment? A. The duties required in the seventh commandment are chastity in body, mind, affections, words and behavior; and the preservation of it in ourselves and others; watchfulness over the eyes and all the senses, temperance, keeping of chaste company, modesty in apparel, marriage by those who have not the gift of continency, conjugal love, and cohabitation; diligent labor in our callings; shunning all occasions of uncleanness, and resisting temptations thereunto.

Q. 139: What are the sins forbidden in the seventh commandment? A. The sins forbidden in the seventh commandment, besides the neglect of the duties required, are adultery, fornication, rape, incest, sodomy, and all unnatural lusts; all unclean imaginations, thoughts, purposes and affections; all corrupt or filthy communications, or listening thereunto; wanton looks, impudent or light behavior, immodest apparel; prohibiting of lawful marriages; allowing, tolerating, or keeping of stews, and resorting to them; entangling vows of single life, undue delay of marriage; having more wives or husbands than one at the same time; unjust divorce, or desertion; idleness, gluttony, and drunkenness, unchaste company; lascivious songs, books, pictures, stage plays; and all other provocations to, or acts of uncleanness, either in ourselves or others. (Emphasis added)

Ladies, please, I implore you to do a wardrobe check. Stand in front of a full length mirror. Bend. Stretch, crouch down. Examine your self from EVERY angle. If you do not have a long mirror, have your husband/ mother look at you. If you are showing ANY skin between your shirt and pants/skirt, it is too much. Some clothes just should not be worn.

God did not cover Adam and Eve with a fig leaf, but sewed skins together so that they would be fully covered. God is not silent on this subject. As Christians, our attire should match our profession. Do you look like you should be in church, or on the street?

Please, give our men and boys an atmosphere where they can worship the righteous and holy God that we serve. Do not let church be another place of temptation.

It would be wise for every woman to read the results of the modesty survey at http://www.therebelution.com/blog/

You may find the entire Westminster Catechism at http://www.apuritansmind.com/WCF/WestminsterLargerCatechism.htm

For further reading: http://www.albertmohler.com/documents/ModelingModesty.pdf