Please enable Javascript to play audio

Women Be Discreet By Wearing Modest Apparel

June 03, 2004

Titus 2:3-5

3 The aged women likewise, that they be in behaviour as becometh holiness, not false accusers, not given to much wine, teachers of good things;

4 That they may teach the young women to be (8 specific things) sober, to love their husbands, to love their children,

5 To be discreet, chaste, keepers at home, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God be not blasphemed.

Discreet defined

American Heritage Dictionary: Marked by, exercising, or showing prudence and wise self-restraint in speech and behavior; circumspect.

Cambridge Advance Learners Dictionary: Careful not to cause embarrassment or attract too much attention.

Word Net Dictionary: Marked by prudence or modesty and wise self-restraint.

IN Modest apparel

1 Timothy 2:7-10

7 Whereunto I am ordained a preacher, and an apostle, (I speak the truth in Christ, and lie not;) a teacher of the Gentiles in faith and verity.

8 I will therefore that men pray every where, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and doubting.

9 In like manner also, that women adorn themselves in modest apparel, with shamefacedness and sobriety; not with broided hair, or gold, or pearls, or costly array;

10 but, which is proper for women professing godliness, (adorn thyself) with good works (NKJ).

Modest defined

Merriam Webster Dictionary: Observing the proprieties of dress and behavior, decent or appropriate.

Encarta Dictionarynot large, extreme, or excessive; simple or plain - not showy, elaborate, or pretentious; not overtly sexual; not drawing attention to or discussing sexuality, and so unlikely to offend or arouse others.:Reasonable -

Info-please Dictionary: Having or showing regard for the decencies of behavior, speech, dress, etc.; decent.

Webster’s 1913: Restraining within due limits of propriety; not forward, bold, boastful, or presumptuous; rather retiring than pushing one's self forward; not obstructive.

Webster’s 1828: Moderate; not excessive or extreme; not extravagant; Not loose; not lewd. Free from anything suggestive of sexual impurity; free from indecency; showing such reserve or decorum as is associated with a chaste mind.

Vines Expository Dictionary: The Greek word is kosmios which means “orderly, well–arranged, decent.”

FOCUS ON THE CHARACTER OF FAITH NOT OUTWARD BEAUTY

1 Peter 3:3-4

3 Whose adorning let it not be that outward adorning of plaiting the hair, and of wearing of gold, or of putting on of apparel (being conformed to this world);

4 But (in contrast) let it be the hidden man of the heart (INWARD), in that which is not corruptible, even the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit (the life of faith), which is in the sight of God of great price (pleasing God).

OUTWARD BEAUTY IS VAIN

Proverbs 31:30 Favour is deceitful, and beauty is vain: but a woman that feareth the LORD, she shall be praised.

Our moderation is to be made public

Philippians 4:5 Let your moderation be known unto all men. The Lord is at hand.

Shamefacedness and sobriety

1 Timothy 2:9In like manner also, that women adorn themselves in modest apparel, with shamefacedness and sobriety; not with broided hair, or gold, or pearls, or costly array;

The attire of a harlot

Proverbs 7:10 And, behold, there met him a woman with the attire of an harlot (a prostitute or whore), and subtil of heart.

What you wear effects your character

Proverbs 7:11-13 She (the immodest woman) is loud and stubborn; her feet abide not in her house: 12 Now is she without, now in the streets, and lieth in wait at every corner. 13 So she caught him (aggressive & promiscuous), and kissed him, and with an impudent (unashamed) face said unto him,

NAKEDNESS IS ASSOCIATED WITH DEMONS

Luke 8:27 And when he went forth to land, there met him out of the city a certain man, which had devils long time, and ware no clothes, neither abode in any house, but in the tombs.

TO BE CLOTHED IS TO BE IN ONE RIGHT MIND

Luke 8:35 Then they went out to see what was done; and came to Jesus, and found the man, out of whom the devils were departed, sitting at the feet of Jesus, clothed, and in his right mind: and they were afraid.

You can be clothed but yet be naked

Job 22:6 For thou hast taken a pledge from thy brother for nought, and stripped the naked of their clothing.

ADAM WAS NAKED WHILE CLOTHED

Genesis 3:7-10 And the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together, and made themselves aprons. 8 And they heard the voice of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day: and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God amongst the trees of the garden. 9 And the LORD God called unto Adam, and said unto him, Where art thou? 10 And he said, I heard thy voice in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked; and I hid myself.

God clothed ADAM’S nakedness

Genesis 3:21 Unto Adam also and to his wife did the LORD God make coats of skins (a shirt, robe, or tunic from the shoulder to the knee), and clothed them.

Showing the thigh is considered nakedness

Isaiah 47: 2-3 Take the millstones, and grind meal: uncover thy locks, make bare the leg, uncover the thigh, pass over the rivers. 3 Thy nakedness shall be uncovered, yea, thy shame shall be seen: I will take vengeance, and I will not meet thee as a man.

THE PRIEST HAD TO COVER HIS THIGHS

Exodus 28:42 And thou shalt make them linen breeches to cover their nakedness; from the loins (hip area) even unto the thighs they shall reach:

MAN LOOKS AT THE OUTWARD APPEARANCE

1 Samuel 16:7 “…for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the LORD looketh on the heart.”

Adultery and murder started with a look

2 Samuel 11:2 And it came to pass in an eveningtide, that David arose from off his bed, and walked upon the roof of the king’s house: and from the roof he saw a woman washing herself; and the woman was very beautiful to look upon.

By your dress you can cause a man to sin

Matthew 5:27-28 Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not commit adultery: 28 But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart.

The immodest womAn takes many strong men to hell

Proverbs 7:26-27 For she (the woman that wears “the attire of the harlot,” v.10) hath cast down many wounded: yea, many strong men have been slain by her. 27 Her house is the way to hell, going down to the chambers of death.

OFFENDING A BROTHER BY YOUR DRESS

Romans 14:21 It is good neither to eat flesh, nor to drink wine, nor any thing (HOW YOU DRESS) whereby thy brother stumbleth, or is offended, or is made weak.

A WARNING AGAINST BEING AN OFFENSE

Matthew 18:6 But whoso shall offend one of these little ones which believe in me, it were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and that he were drowned in the depth of the sea.

Perverted teaching ON grace

Jude 4 For there are certain men crept in unawares, who were before of old ordained to this condemnation, ungodly men, turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness, and denying the only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ.

DON’T COPY THE MANNERS OF THE HEATHEN

Ezekiel 11:12 And ye shall know that I am the LORD: for ye have not walked in my statutes, neither executed my judgments, but have done after the manners of the heathen that are round about you.

HOW YOU DRESS MAY KEEP YOU OUT OF THE KINGDOM

Galatians 5:19,21 Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, 21 Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.

Test your appearance

1 Thessalonians 5:21-22 Prove (TEST) all things (YOUR CLOTHES); hold fast that which is good (modest or appropriate). 22 Abstain from all appearance of evil.

COVER CERTAIN BODY PARTS FROM THE EYES OF OTHERS

1 Corinthians 12:23 And the parts we regard as less honorable are those we clothe with the greatest care. So we carefully protect from the eyes of others those parts that should not be seen, 24 while other parts do not require this special care. So God has put the body together in such a way that extra honor and care are given to those parts that have less dignity.

YOUR PRIVATE BODY PARTS ARE FOR YOUR SPOUSE

1 Corinthians 7:3-4 A husband should give to his wife her sexual rights, and likewise a wife to her husband. 4 It is not the wife who has the rights to her own body, but the husband. In the same way, it is not the husband who has the rights to his own body, but the wife (NET).

PROVOKE TO LOVE AND GOOD WORKS NOT LUST

Hebrews 10:24 And let us consider one another (BY HOW YOU DRESS) to provoke unto love and to good works: