How do we deal with modesty issues? Our young people today are inundated with sensual and worldly influences, and it is important that we respond to such persuasiveness effectively. How do we equip our children, that they might know how to please God in their dress and demeanor?
This is a question that all Christian parents should ask and seek to answer, as well as gospel preachers, and elders in local congregations. I am concerned with the approach being taken by many.
I recently read an article discussing the topic of modest dress that I thought had much good teaching on the subject. Passages such as Proverbs 7:10, 1 Timothy 2:9-10, Isaiah 3:16-24, 1 Timothy 3:2 and 1 Peter 3:3-5 were appealed to in establishing the premise that Christians should be modest, and dress appropriately. But, that article also contained the following phrases, “If the lines between what is appropriate and what is extreme are not always easily defined, they exist…”, “There may be a ‘gray area’ between how far one can lean over the side of a high cliff and yet be safe… but most of us seem to know how to remain on the safe side of that line without claiming that we have found its exact location…” and, “While there may be some disagreement as to the exact point at which the line is crossed…”
The unintended use of such language is a mixed message. We are to dress modestly. Yet, it is acknowledged that there are “gray areas”, that modest dress is not “easily defined”, and that there is “some disagreement” as to what constitutes modest dress. I contend that the Bible clearly defines what modest dress is, and the fact that there is disagreement is less a function of scriptural ambiguity and more a function of worldliness among believers. The way is hard for a Christian in the matter of modest dress. Dressing modestly requires sacrifice, and often leaves a Christian vulnerable to ridicule. Many are either too worldly to acknowledge this fact, or too weak to stand up for the principles of righteousness.
Sermons that advocate an undefined principle of modesty serve to convict the hearts of the righteous, but do little to bring a worldly member to repentance. If we can’t definitively say that a skirt is too short, or a top is too tight, then the wearer can appeal to their own subjective view on the matter and rationalize their dress as acceptable.
How many times have you heard a one piece bathing suit described as modest, in contrast to a bikini? Both suits are made of Lycra, hug the body, expose the thigh, and reveal cleavage, but one bares the midriff and the other doesn’t. So, one is modest (in the eyes of men), and the other isn’t. Example after example could be given.
I daresay that in most congregations where the ambiguous “principle of modesty” approach is taken, members are not disciplined for immodest dress. After all, though we might believe a certain dress or pair of shorts to be immodest, God only left a principle, open to interpretation. If the individual considers himself adequately dressed, we must leave the question up to God!
I daresay that in most families where parents take the ambiguous “principle of modesty” approach, children disagree and contend with their parents view of modesty. The parents are considered old fashioned. Since the child’s shorts are longer than those of their classmates, they should allowed to wear them. A “little skin” is deemed to be acceptable to the younger generation.
But scriptures can be cited that clearly teach the following.
- It is wrong to wear clothes that expose the upper thigh.
- It is wrong to expose cleavage.
- It is wrong for men to go shirtless.
- It is wrong to wear close fitting clothes that accentuate the figure.
- It is wrong to wear clothes that are partially or completely transparent.
- It is wrong to wear clothes that are “sexy.”
Read the following scriptures, and see for yourself: (1 Timothy 2:8-10; Isaiah 5:20-21; 1 Peter 3:3-4; Jeremiah 8:12; Galatians 5:19-21; Genesis 3:7, 9-10; Exodus 28:42; Isaiah 47:2-3; Proverbs 5:1-4, 16-20; Hebrews 13:4; 2 Corinthians 6:17-18).
So, the gray area is not so gray after all, is it? The lines are well defined, and it is simple to teach our children what is and what is not modest dress. Elders can and should admonish the worldly member for immodest dress. Preachers can and should teach the truth without equivocation. It simply remains to submit ourselves to the commands of God. Will we?
