For over 35 years of preaching on modesty, I have always struggled to understand why so many Christians have no problem wearing revealing clothing. Perhaps I have found the answer. While recently discussing this subject, I said I would love to survey all my sisters in the Lord to know how they define the “immodest apparel” Paul referenced in I Timothy 2:9.

During this conversation, I was given an answer I had not thought about. I do not presume that this one answer represents the thinking of all my sisters in Christ. I only share this to spur thinking about the subject. As always, we shall examine this issue from God’s point of view.

Again, how do people define “immodest apparel?” I was told that “Immodest apparel is simply having an improper heart. It all has to do with one’s attitude. If a woman dresses provocatively for the purpose of wanting to create lust, then it is wrong.” Upon hearing this, I could see where this woman and perhaps others were coming from. From this point of view, it is entirely possible for a woman’s intentions to be innocent and for the man to be in error for his lust.

I can see the reasoning with idea, and it certainly answers why some Christian women feel at ease wearing very little clothing when it is hot or when they are dressed up. But is this true in God’s eyes? Can Christian women (and men too) have a proper heart when their clothing is revealing? Let’s look to God’s word to understand His will on this subject.

First of all, let’s not confuse a sincere heart with a pure heart. One who is sincere could possibly be just naïve – lacking knowledge or life experience, they simply may not have given the matter much thought. Such a person may very well be upset if someone was lusting after them. But ignorance is not bliss. People can be sincerely wrong on any issue, especially dress. A pure heart is found in someone who is seeking to be holy by following the teachings of our Lord.

So how does God define “immodest apparel?” In Proverbs 6:10, Solomon spoke about the attire of a harlot. According to the argument I was given, this would mean that you can only have the attire of a harlot if you have the heart of harlot. Solomon went on to state that the harlot followed up her attire with other actions to seduce (verses 11-23). The dress was just part of the plan. This begs a question – can you dress like a harlot and not entice? You cannot.

Without question, people can have impure thoughts no matter how a person dresses. You can read about Amnon and Tamar (II Sam. 13). Tamar was not trying to entice Amnon, but that did not stop him from lusting after her. The presence of people like Amnon does not mean that immodest dress does not exist though. I will also interject that men are not justified in having unlawful thoughts no matter what they see (Matt. 5:27-28). This is where such passages as “flee youthful lusts” comes into play (II Tim. 2:22). There are times we must simply leave a situation and not dwell on it to avoid sinning.

Getting back to our original text about modest apparel, Paul did not tell Timothy to warn the sisters, “remember to avoid having evil intentions when you dress.” No, they were told how to dress. The word “modest” means well-ordered, decorum, seemly. He was not addressing the heart here. Does a Christian’s heart play a role in how they decide what to wear? Of course it does. If we do not care about what God thinks or what dress does to men, then there is a demonstrated heart problem.

The scriptures speak a lot about the dangers of causing a brother to sin (Matt. 18:6; Rom. 16:17; II Tim. 3:6, etc.). We all know that we cannot make someone sin, but we also know that those who even tempt others to sin will be held accountable. This is true with the way a person dresses.

To be frank, men are stimulated by sight. This tendency is what got David into trouble (II Sam. 11). This tendency also led to the beheading of John the Baptist. When Herod saw his step-daughter dance before him and others, he ended up making a promise to her that he regretted (Matt. 14:1-11). It is a mistake to think immodest dress is not connected with dancing as both are linked with the concept of lasciviousness or lewdness (Gal. 5:19; I Pet. 4:3).

Let’s go back to the Garden of Eden. After Adam and Eve covered themselves with fig leaves (Gen. 3:7), why did God clothe them (verse 21)? Because they were not sufficiently covered yet. Was nakedness wrong for Adam and Eve even if they had a pure heart? This might seem ridiculous to ask, but it is worth thinking about. Why would it be wrong to walk around without any clothes on? If the sin has to do with those who look rather than those who are unclothed, it should be possible to have no cloths on and still be righteous. Some people are perfectly comfortable in nudist colonies, but God still wants us to clothed (James 2:15). Also note that Jesus made the obvious point that nakedness should bring shame (Rev. 3:18).

When Christians (men and women) want to let their lights shine, they obviously must be mindful of the “toos.” We must ask themselves, “Is this too low to wear?”  “Is this too tight to wear?” Is this too high to wear?” Christians are called to strive to be modest, not sexy. Our sisters have a tremendous task of trying to buy modest clothing that is designed by worldly people who largely do not value modesty.

Brethren, be wary of creating double standards in your home. Are you comfortable with your sons wearing the same length of shorts as your daughters? If not, why not? We know how the world thinks. Whether talking about dress or any other worldly act, saints are considered strange if they follow God rather than man (I Pet. 4:4). Beware of the wiles of the devil and do not conform to the world (Rom. 12:1-2).

Chuck                                                                                       

I was pleased with all the interest people expressed after we set up our Bible booth at the farmers market last Saturday. Friends called, emailed and texted me to ask how things went. As far as I was concerned, it was a great success. But what do I mean, “As far as I am concerned”? I say that because I know the goals of this effort. What should our attitude be during outreach efforts? Here are some things we must never lose sight of:

Spreading the Word

As both individual Christians and collectively as a church, we need to get the gospel out (Mark 16:15). If people are going to be converted to Christ, it has to come from preaching His gospel (Rom. 1:16). Whether it be from the pulpit, a personal Bible study, TV or radio program, or even a Bible booth, the focus musty be on teaching God’s word with its power to save (James 1:21). Our efforts at the farmer’s market and the county fair are not anything flashy. If our goal is not to simply plant and water and have God give the increase (I Cor. 3:6-9), then we have lost our proper focus.

Exposing Error

Effective teaching will provoke thought, and sometimes conflict. After all, light exposes darkness (Rom. 2:19). The word of truth will not mix with variation or compromise. It should never be the goal of any evangelistic effort to be non-controversial as if we were ashamed of the gospel. Not only that, you are not actually helping if you are afraid to expose false doctrine (I John 4:1). You cannot stand for something without standing against something else. Again, if we are more concerned with not offending anyone, our evangelistic efforts will not be successful.

Defending our Faith

The church is to be the pillar and ground of truth (I Tim. 3:15). The church has always been under attack and frequently been falsely accused. As long as there are false teachers, there will always need to defend ourselves (I Pet. 3:15-16). Soldiers of Christ will put on the whole armor of God (Eph. 6:10-16) and doing everything possible to stand for what is right. There will be temptations to not study and thus not be able to give an answer. This is not a solution – it is a problem. Those who do not want to be asked questions will not be able to defend the faith.

Helping the Seekers

There are people in this world that are looking for the truth. They want answers and need to know where to go to find them. Providing opportunities for the lost allows the Lord to use us to help others (Matt. 7:7). When a man was asked if he understood what he was reading in the scriptures, he replied by saying, “How can I unless someone guides me?” (Acts 8:30-31). It is true that everyone can know the truth (John 8:32), but Christians can provide avenues for others to learn. However, if there isn’t that desire to provide help, then this effort should not be done.

Developing our Talents

If you want to create courage and learn how to talk to people, reaching out with the gospel is a way to do that. You cannot help but grow when you find yourself engaged in various Bible discussions (I Pet. 2:2; Matt. 25:15-28). Learning what to say to people is great, but never underestimate the need to know how to talk to people (Eph. 4:15). Learning to be swift to hear and slow to speak is vital in reaching people with the gospel (James 1:19).  Those not interested in growing need not put forth this effort.

Chuck

Lord willing, this coming Saturday will be our annual singing. Brethren from many congregations have been invited, as have members of the local community. But what is the value in having a singing? Let’s take a closer look at this as we prepare for our coming event.

I think James put it best when he wrote, “Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing psalms,” (5:13). The idea of singing is to voice what we know to be true. The Corinthian brethren were told, “What is the conclusion then? I will pray with the spirit, and I will also pray with understanding. I will sing with the spirit, and I will also sing with the understanding,” (I Cor. 14:15).

It is a glorious time when children of God gather to blend voices together in praise. The Proverb writer stated, “By transgression an evil man is snared, but the righteous sings and rejoices,” (29:6). Saints praise God to acknowledge the greatness of the Creator. There is no lack of things to be grateful for in song. When there is joy in the heart, our lips will flow with songs of praise.

Even though our opening text mentioned that the cheerful sing, those who are facing difficulties in life can find strength and comfort in singing too. Paul and Silas, after they were beaten and cast into prison, prayed and sang hymns to God (Acts 16:25). Even at midnight, the other prisoners heard them singing. These servants of the Lord were unashamed of praising in song and you can be sure it helped them through this very difficult time in their lives.

We are specifically told what kind of singing our Father is pleased with. We know that singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs is acceptable (Eph. 5:19; Col. 3:16). Psalms and hymns and spiritual songs can also help us teach and admonish each other. Coming together to sing praises is far from a waste of time. All who can attend our singing will leave strengthened. We hope to see you there.

Chuck

Romans 13:1 states “and do this, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep; for now our salvation is nearer than when we first believed.” Paul’s concerned about the brethren’s “sleep” was also made clear to the Corinthians: “Awake to righteousness, and do not sin” (I Cor. 15:34). If we want eternal rest, we first need to wake up and walk faithfully (Heb. 4:1).

Those who sleep have let their guard down. Consider I Thessalonians 5:6: “Therefore let us not sleep, as others do, but let us watch and be sober.” Obviously, these warnings are not talking about physical rest. Every child of God must be alert to the wiles of the devil, which is why we need to be awake until the very end (Rev. 2:10).

How do you wake someone who would rather sleep? We all know how difficult it can be to wake someone who is physically sleeping. If someone does not want to get up, you can really just try to stir them. They might rise, but they might also drift back to sleep. Without the desire (ambition), there is not much you can do to force them awake.

Regarding spiritual sleep, man must somehow see the danger of spiritual slumber. They must be told the hard facts to build their own desire to awaken. If someone is spiritually asleep, they should understand that…

1. They are not working (Phil. 2:12).
2. They are wasting time (Rom. 13:11).
3. They are not alert to danger (I Thess. 5:6).
4. They are not a help to others (Gal. 6:1).
5. They are not accomplishing anything (Mark 14:21).
6. They are not going to be rewarded with that which they would like (II Cor. 5:10).
7. They are lazy (Prov. 6:6).

Is it time for you to spiritually wake up? Heed these warnings and rise! If you are already awake, do not fall asleep now lest you miss your promised eternal rest!

Chuck 

Nothing can be more frustrating and confusing to a Christian than when bad things happen and they want to know why. They might wonder if God is trying to teach them something.

• Is our God responsible for everything in our lives?
• Is there a reason for everything?
• Has everything been predetermined?

Let’s see what answers God’s word contains about these ideas.

Consider what Jesus said in Luke 13:4. “Or those eighteen on whom the tower in Siloam fell and killed them, do you think that they were worse sinners than all other men who dwelt in Jerusalem?”  The Savior brought this up because some incorrectly argued that the tower fell on certain people as a punishment for their actions. That was not the case, and accidents can happen.

Let’s stop and think about the families of those eighteen that died. Imagine their hardships. What if they held to the same notions as those Jesus was talking to? They would be trying to find a deeper meaning to this event and might wonder why God did it to them.

However, our Father is not responsible for any temptations that we face. “Let no one say when he is tempted, ‘I am tempted by God’; for God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He Himself tempt anyone,” (James 1:13). However, this does not mean that our Creator is not in control. Because God has total control, he can allow certain things to happen. Jesus’ earthly life is the best example of this.

Jesus told Pilate that he could do nothing unless it had been given to Him from above (John 19:11). So was the Father responsible for the death of His Son? Of course not. There is a big difference in what God allows and what He approves of or makes happen.

Our world includes elements of chance. For example, tornados sometimes occur due to weather patterns. If a family loses a loved one, it was not anyone’s fault. It certainly was not God’s fault either – sometimes things just happen. Consider also when people sin and face hardships because of it. If a man loses his job because of a drinking problem, he might also lose his home. His family might even fall apart. Whose fault is it? We could say it was the result of someone sinning.  If he is married and has children, they should not say, “Why is God doing this to us?” God did not do anything to them.

This leads us to a very important lesson: God can help us cope with any and every temptation that comes our way. As Paul told the Corinthians, “No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it,” (I Cor. 10:13).

To be clear, this passage is not teaching that God will take away the pain and hardships. The “escape” that was mentioned is God providing a way to not to give in to the temptation. Therefore, it is not a sin to suffer or hurt (unless you are guilty of sinning). If someone uses drugs, is arrested and is put in jail, they are suffering due to their own sinful actions. If that person turns to the Lord while in prison, the Lord can help that person stay the course.

Still, hardship are not immovable. Our adversary (I Pet. 5:8) will continually try to get us to resist God, but those who draw near to God can resist the devil (James. 4:7-8). God’s people can pray for help (James 5:16). By trusting in the providence of God and allowing His will to be done (Matt. 26:39), we can know that the Lord will help us handle whatever comes our way (Phil. 4:13).

Chuck