Modesty in Church Meetings

Personally I think there is a difference between presenting oneself well and presenting oneself in a way that is likely to create sexual attraction. It is good to dress nicely, and nice clothes don't cost the earth these days. I personally think that there is nothing wrong with a little make-up is your face is flawed and you want to cover that up. But young women especially need to be careful how they dress these days. We need to be honest and recognise that most men, and especially young men, find a woman of beautiful form very desirable and attractive. Its easy for sexual lust to be stirred up, or at the very least men can be distracted by the presence of a woman whose attire leaves little to the imagination. This is unhelpful, and possibly even DANGEROUS. 

My wife tells me it is actually quite difficult to buy contemporary clothing that is DECENT. Apparently you have to work harder in shopping to find clothes that don't reveal too much. But ladies, its worth the effort for two reasons. Firstly, you don't want to be guilty of causing a brother to sin. Secondly, if you are smart you probably do not want to attract a man primarily with your body. If you do, you might get used or taken advantage of. If there is an ungodly sexual conquest that takes place, YOU, the woman, are likely to be the long term loser. Let a single man rather be attracted to your spirit if you are a single woman, then to your personality and soul – and if its God's will for marriage afterwards you will come together in sexual union and enjoy that part of the relationship fully with a clear conscience! Many women come to regret the relationships they have with men they have effectively seduced earlier on. And many men end up hating the women who they once thought were so desirable. Better to build on a righteous foundation.

To me it goes without saying that married women should dress modestly in church, but I'll say it anyway. The Bible also teaches this – even if some church leaders avoid the subject.

"in like manner also, that the women adorn themselves in modest apparel, with propriety and moderation, not with braided hair or gold or pearls or costly clothing," (1 Timothy 2:9)

I have been avoiding churches where being sexy is part of the culture, but I have in my younger years been to churches where it IS part of the culture, and scandals are fairly routine. Many people go to these churches today, where the pastor and his wife won't talk about this issue. They may say they leave this to the Holy Spirit, but Peter didn't "leave it to the Holy Spirit" when he penned those words of Scripture which are given for our instruction. I guess the choice could be between pleasing God and pleasing yourself. Unless you are the senior pastor of one of these churches, you are unlikely to change the culture. You will only get judged as being "religious" if you seriously try to. Best is to vote with your feet if this is a problem. If you are a single man God is able to give you a wonderful and attractive wife in any event if you pursue God's plan for your life. I personally am proof of that. I'm also proud of my wife that she always dresses modestly when she is in public.

The other thing that Peter was referring to in the verse quoted above is the kind of ostentatious display of wealth and social status that some might engage in in order to elevate themselves or be snobbish. People – even preachers – who brag about the quality and expense of their clothes seem very carnal. I think it is wiser to draw attention to Jesus than the designer label you hope people will notice. The gospel is about deeper issues than the fashion and material obsessions of our culture. So lets keep the emphasis where it belongs.