INSIGNIFICANT SINS – DOES IT MATTER HOW WE DRESS?
1 JOHN 2:15-17
INTRODUCTION – Worldliness has always been a problem with the people of God
even in O.T. times – DEUT. 7:1-11 – God warned Israel
Note the warning of God in the N.T. – 1 JN. 2:15-17 - Is worldliness a problem that
confronts us today as the children of God? Certainly we would have to answer in the
affirmative – YES!!
The purpose of this lesson is to help us understand what the Bible teaches about
something we often view as insignificant – Does it matter how we dress?
We want to make a gentle and humble appeal to keep an open mind about this subject.
Does God care if we dress according to the standards of the world and ignore his
standards? Is this a subject that really matters? Let’s open our Bibles and open our minds
and examine the instructions we receive from God on this vital subject. We need to
always realize our attitude toward our dress could be wrong. If the bible does set some
guidelines for our dress then we could chose to deem it insignificant and violate them –
by so doing we would sin.
Who should set the standard or the guidelines for how we dress? 1 THESS. 5:21 - I.E. –
Military – Who sets the standards? One thing for sure we do not need to allow the world
to set the standards.
There are several reasons people dress immodestly like the world –
1.) Ignorant and untaught.
2.) Want to fit in.
3.) Want to be bold and turn heads.
4.) Do not know how they really look
5.) Careless – Do not stop and think or they could care less and are just going to do
what they want to do irregardless of what God says.
WORLDLY DRESS –
I. DOES GOD APPROVE? Public nakedness is viewed as sinful after the sin in
the Garden of Eden.
A. GEN. 3:6-9 – Does God approve of public nakedness? No, even Adam and
Eve sensed to be totally nude was wrong so what did they do? They sewed
aprons of fig leaves that covered their midsection. Did this action please God?
How did he still view them?
B. GEN. 3:10-11, 20-21 - One can have some clothing on and still be naked. From
verse 7 to verse 21 we can see the range from total nudity to being clothed with
a tunic – the tunic was shirt worn next to the skin the simplest from without
sleeves and reached to the knee.
C. EX. 28:40-43 – God does not approve of our nakedness being exposed. What
is our nakedness? From our waist to our thighs. Is it a sin to wear shorts? It
depends do they cover your nakedness! Exposing the thigh = exposing one’s
nakedness. For the priest to approach God with their nakedness exposed would
be sinful and they would die as a result. Nakedness according to God can be
absolute or relative. What does this say about the modern swimsuits?
D. ISA. 47:2-3 - As Babylon had humbled other nations she would now be
stripped of her glory and compared to a woman who had her nakedness
exposed. God would bring judgment upon her. What about our clothes? Are
they too short, too tight, too thin, too loose (boys with their pants on the
ground).
II. WHAT ARE THE RESULTS?
A. MATT. 5:28 – Modesty is addressed to women in the scripture while lust is
addressed to men. Women there is one thing you need to know and that is that
it is very easy for men to lust and that lust is often prompted by women who are
clothed in an immodest fashion. Women may share in the sin if they thru
sensual attire cause one to stumble – MATT. 18:6
B. ISA. 5:20 – The culture and world we live in says it fine – no problem. We
want to sound the same warning the prophet of God gave to the children of God
in that day.
C. PHIL. 3:17-19 – Would you want to be counted as an enemy of the cross of
Christ just because you chose to ignore the principles given to us in the word of
God and set your mind on earthly things.
D. 2 SAM. 11:1-5 – Example of David. What initially attracted David to
Bathsheba? What he saw? What he did not put of his mind, what he became
obsessed about resulted in adultery!!!
E. 1 PET. 4:2-3 – As Christians we should no longer live for the lusts of the flesh
but for the will of God. Do we walk in lasciviousness which tends to produce
lewd emotions “sensuality” and a sexual allurement? Mary Quaint the designer
of the mini skirt made this statement: Mini clothes are symbolic of those women
who want to seduce a man. Does God care how we are dressed? YES!!!!!!!!!!!
F. PROV. 7:10 – Women is your attire that which professes godliness? Our
clothing can be reflective of our character. 90% of police in a survey, attributed
sex crimes to indecent dress. What if by your dress you tempted someone to
sexually assault you? What about the young girl you are raising? How are you
training them to dress? Women who are Christians should not dress in the way
of the world and send the wrong message by so doing.
G. Moral impact of immodesty - Excuses offered – But no one will lust after my
body. Are you sure? Even if that is so we are to cover ourselves to please God.
i. JN. 12:48 – We disregard God by disregarding his word.
ii. 1 TIM. 4:1-2 - You can sear your own conscience.
iii. JER. 6:15 – You can lose your sense of shame.
iv. ROM. 12:1-2 – You can conform to the world
v. 2 TIM. 2:1-3 – You will likely become more immodest and move
to other forms of worldliness.
vi. ACTS 22:22 – You will come to the point where you resent
questions and teaching on this subject.
III. WHAT IS THE SOLUTION?
A. 1 TIM. 2:9-10 – Women should adorn themselves in modest apparel.
How do we define modesty? To be modest is to be reserved, humble,
respectable, decent and orderly - with:
i. JER. 8:12 – Shamefacedness (propriety NKJV) – a sense of
shame or honor, modesty, bashfulness, reverence, regard for
others, respect. Have we lost the ability to blush?
ii. Sobriety (moderation NKJV) - with good judgment – soundness
of mind – self control. How do we define modesty?
iii. Profess godliness – Does our clothing display godliness – that we
are devoted to God? Do we show that we have the proper fear and
reverence for God? Does our clothing show that we are one who is
devout and professes to worship God?
B. JAMES 1:21-22 – God’s word teaches us to lay aside all filthiness and
overflow of wickedness and receive with meekness the implanted word
which is able to save your soul. We need to listen to and appreciate what
the Bible tells us in regard to our dress. Do we want to dress in harmony
with what the Bible says?
C. Ways one can be immodest i. Too short
ii. Too low
iii. Too shear
iv. Too tight
v. Careless body positioning and movements
CONCLUSION –
Be Modest – reserved, decent, and respectable
Exhibit Shamefacedness – can blush, have shame
Show Good Judgment – common sense
Show Godliness – are devoted to God
Respect Others – opposite sex could lust
Cover our nakedness – cover from the shoulder to the knee – be chaste