The Bible’s Teaching on Modesty

1. Read: Genesis 3:7-10

2. About the Text:

1) After they ate of the tree, they were naked and used fig leaves to cover themselves.

2) Yet, they still thought they were naked and hid from God.

3) They experienced guilt from being immodestly dressed.

3. We still live in that immodest world today.

1) Immodesty dominates much of what is watched on TV in our country today.

2) Years ago, at the Super bowl, Janet Jackson had her famous wardrobe malfunction.

3) She was acting immodestly long before that point by her attire and lewd movements.

4) Commercials with men and women wearing nearly nothing are commonplace on TV.

5) The porn industry makes up to $97B/year because of the sin of immodesty.

a. LA passed a law requiring ID to view porn and it cut it by 80%.

b. Texas is trying to do the same thing now.

6) Many evils and crimes would vanish if only people would pursue modesty.

4. Ref. to S, T, P, O, and A.

1. How do we know such a standard? God’s word reveals it to us if we will study.

2. After God cursed Adam and Eve he made “coats” for them. Genesis 3:21

1) Why would God do this if it wasn’t necessary?

2) The clothing that they made was insufficient and better clothing was needed.

3) God fitted them with “coats of skins.”

4) The word for “coat” indicates that they were covered from shoulders to their knees.

3. God communicated modesty standards to the Israelites.

1) Exodus 20:26 states, “And you shall not go up by steps to my altar, that your nakedness be not exposed on it.” (ESV)

2) In Exodus 28:40-42 we read, “And for Aaron’s sons thou shalt make coats, and thou shalt make for them girdles, and bonnets shalt thou make for them, for glory and for beauty. And thou shalt put them upon Aaron thy brother, and his sons with him; and shalt anoint them, and consecrate them, and sanctify them, that they may minister unto me in the priest’s office. And thou shalt make them linen breeches to cover their nakedness; from the loins even unto the thighs they shall reach.”

3) To not cover themselves was an offence to God’s holiness and punishable by death. In the next verse we read, “And they shall be upon Aaron, and upon his sons, when they come in unto the tabernacle of the congregation, or when they come near unto the altar to minister in the holy place; that they bear not iniquity, and die: it shall be a statute for ever unto him and his seed after him.” (Exodus 28:43).

4. In the New Testament . . .

1) Christians are all priests of God. “But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light.” (1 Peter 2:9).

2) We have no more right to serve God immodestly than the priests under the Old Law.

3) Christians and in particular, women are exhorted to be modest.

4) 1 Timothy 2:9, 10 states: “In like manner, that women adorn themselves in modest apparel, with shamefastness and sobriety; not with braided hair, and gold or pearls or costly raiment; but (which becometh women professing godliness) through good works.”

5) The standard here is not to draw attention to oneself due to apparel whether from the lack of it or from its abundance.

6) We can know what modesty is by looking at the examples under the Old Testament.

7) Let us understand that God’s standard for modesty is . . .

a. To cover our body from our shoulders to our knees.

b. To cover our body in a way that we won’t be exposed.

c. To cover our body in a way that won’t draw attention to ourselves.

5. In the church

1) God expects our attire in the church to be modest attire.

2) This does not mean that we judge someone who is poor.

3) “For if there should come into your assembly a man with gold rings, in fine apparel, and there should also come in a poor man in filthy clothes, and you pay attention to the one wearing the fine clothes and say to him, “You sit here in a good place,” and say to the poor man, “You stand there,” or, “Sit here at my footstool,” have you not shown partiality among yourselves, and become judges with evil thoughts?” (James 2:2-3).

4) Our attire must respect our authorities – 1 Corinthians 11:2-16.

5) Proverbs 7:10 – “with the attire of a harlot.”

1. Direct Consequences

1) Incites Sexual Lust – “but I say unto you, that every one that looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart” (Matthew 5:28).

2) Pornography – “For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the vain glory of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world” (1 John 2:16).

3) Incites undesired sexual advances (sexual harassment) – “nor filthiness, nor foolish talking, or jesting, which are not befitting: but rather giving of thanks” (Eph.5:4).

4) Lasciviousness – “Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness” (Galatians 5:19).

5) Fornication – “But fornication, and all uncleanness, or covetousness, let it not even be named among you, as becometh saints” (Ephesians 5:3)

6) Homosexuality – “Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind,” (1 Corinthians 6:9).

7) Adultery – Hebrews 13:4 “Let marriage be had in honor among all, and let the bed be undefiled: for fornicators and adulterers God will judge.”

8) Rape – 1 Corinthians 6:9

2. Secondary consequences (consider David and Bathsheba)

1) Sexual Disease

2) Illegitimate Pregnancy

3) Murder

4) Drug Abuse

3. The ultimate consequence – eternal damnation.

1) We sin.

2) We forfeit our good relationship with God by offending his holiness.

3) We lose our souls for all eternity.

4. Immodesty is the root of much evil in this world; how much could be averted if we simply dressed modestly?

1. We should dress in a way that does not create a stumbling block for others.

1) “He who loves his brother abides in the light, and there is no cause for stumbling in him” (1 John 2:10).

2) “Therefore let us not judge one another anymore, but rather resolve this, not to put a stumbling block or a cause to fall in our brother’s way” (Romans 14:13).

3) “that ye may become blameless and harmless, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom ye are seen as lights in the world” (Philippians 2:15).

2. We should not go to places known for immodesty – “wherein they think it strange that ye run not with them into the same excess of riot, speaking evil of you” (1 Peter 4:4).

3. We should not attend events or look at things that glorify immodesty.

4. We should talk to each other about what is appropriate and not appropriate dress.

5. We should support efforts that promote modesty.

6. 1 Peter 3:10-12 “For, He that would love life, And see good days, Let him refrain his tongue from evil, And his lips that they speak no guile: And let him turn away from evil, and do good; Let him seek peace, and pursue it. For the eyes of the Lord are upon the righteous, And his ears unto their supplication: But the face of the Lord is upon them that do evil.”

1. What is the Bible’s teaching on modesty?

1) God has a standard.

2) There are consequences.

3) We must uphold modesty and eschew immodesty.

2. Don’t forget the lesson that God taught Adam and Eve about modesty.

3. Invitation