Dressing to Profess Godliness

Posted on April 24, 2010 by Kris
Filed Under Modesty, Moral Issues | 3 Comments | Share

I’m sure that everyone else has noticed what I have noticed. The weather has been warming up and the clothing has been coming off. It has become painfully obvious that our society has regressed to be just like the Israelites. Twice Jeremiah says that the people of his day had forgotten how to blush (Jeremiah 6:15, Jeremiah 8:12). Judging from what one can see simply by walking down the street today, it can safely be said that the people of America have forgotten how to blush. There is, it seems, nothing that can be too embarrassing for a person to wear!

Quite often, we focus on the attire of women, as that seems to be where the problem usually lies. As soon as the weather warms up past freezing, the layers start coming off, until there isn’t much left to remove! This is distressing enough for one who is striving to be different, but when such immodest dress starts coming into the church, the task becomes much more difficult. Dressing in immodest attire, just like the rest of the world around us, is not what God desires. Consider what the apostle Paul had to say:

I desire therefore that the men pray everywhere, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and doubting; 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, but, which is proper for women professing godliness, with good works. (1 Timothy 2:8-10)

I know that there is always a lot of discussion about what is “modest apparel” and what is not. However, I’d like you to consider a couple of thoughts concerning what Paul was teaching in this passage.

Clothing can and does declare something about us. Paul warned Timothy to teach women to dress in a way that professes godliness. This tells us that we can profess godliness by our raiment, and that we can profess something other than godliness with our raiment. One should consider what her clothing is professing when she puts it on. Ladies, if you are thinking about how your outfit is going to draw the attention of the guys around you, then it is professing something other than godliness! If our clothing is not professing godliness, then the only other option is that it is professing worldliness.

We shouldn’t be getting as close to the world as possible. If our clothing either professes godliness or worldliness, then we should be erring on the side of godliness! Unfortunately, too many people go in the opposite direction. They want to acknowledge that there is a line in the sand there somewhere, but they want to get as close to it as they possibly can! This mentality is what spurs on discussions questioning things like:

If we were truly concerned about professing godliness, these questions would not be issues. We would not be trying to dress just like the world around us, which has no standard at all! The godly minded woman will not try to get her skirt or pants as short or as tight as she thinks she can get by with, but will be wearing clothing that depicts her modest heart. I can almost hear the complaints already. “You can’t tell me what I can and can’t wear! There are not any specific standards in the scriptures!” While doing an in depth study on the principles of modesty is beyond the scope of this article, I will point out that one should spend some more time in study before dismissing a general standard of modesty! The point here, however, is that this type of approach depicts a person who has decided to be as much like the world as they can be, rather than being separate from the world.

Having considered this idea briefly, there are a couple of other ideas that I would like you to consider in the realm of modesty. First, ladies should consider how their dress affects those around them. Many have minimized the fact that the attire that a woman wears can cause men around her to commit the sin of lusting after her. Some believe that any ungodly thoughts on the part of the man are his, and his alone–the woman wearing the immodest clothing bears no blame. This is simply not the case. If she is wearing ungodly attire, she is responsible for causing him to sin (but that does not relieve him of his guilt). Matthew 18:6-7 says:

“Whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to sin, it would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck, and he were drowned in the depth of the sea. Woe to the world because of offenses! For offenses must come, but woe to that man by whom the offense comes!

Do we really want to be among those who would cause another to sin? I should hope not! Others might argue that a man could lust after a perfectly modest woman. That may be true, but the modestly dressed woman would not be the cause of his sin. She had done nothing to cause him to transgress. Such an argument is often made in a very insincere manner. What percentage of men might lust in their hearts after a perfectly modest woman? In contrast, how many might lust after an immodest woman? Ladies, you should be considerate of the men around you. Why would you ever want to do something that would cause a brother to stumble?

Second, consider the times at which many dress immodestly. Many see nothing wrong with going to the beach and exposing themselves in less than undergarments. They wouldn’t go to answer the door for the mailman if dressed in the same amount of clothing! Such identifies a concept of “situation ethics.” It is ok to dress immodestly in certain situations. The list of acceptable situations seems to be expanding! How disappointing it is to see wedding pictures and see a bride dressed immodestly. Strapless, low cut, tight and short dresses don’t suddenly become “modest” because it is your wedding day! A man should have a better sense of modesty than to allow his wife-to-be to be paraded out in front of people in such immodest attire! Often, at least among typically moral people, a young lady will preserve her chastity for her wedding day, and then dress in anything but a chaste manner on that day!

This same type of immodest attire is stampeding into the church (it certainly hasn’t been “sneaking” in!). Several years ago, a friend of mine spoke on this topic and referenced the “Lord’s Supper peep show” to illustrate the temptations put upon young men trying to serve the Lord’s Supper to improperly dressed girls. High hemlines, and low cut blouses present quite the problem for the young man trying to serve the memorial supper. It is quite disturbing to see ladies tugging on skirts, and pulling on blouses. That is a sign that you know, in your own heart, that those garments are not modest, and you are trying to fix them! When the conscience is so seared that a person can wear immodest apparel into an assembly of the saints, we have moved past having the ability to blush.

So, what does your dress say about you? Would someone look at you, and think that you are a godly person? Or would your attire immediately cause the onlooker to think something else about you? Your attire will say something about you. It’s up to you what statement you want to make. You can make either a godly statement or a worldly statement. Which way will you go?

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Prayer: the Forgotten Blessing

Posted on April 17, 2010 by Kris
Filed Under General | 1 Comment | Share

I know of a brother who, when he prays, always thanks God for the “beautiful day” that we are having.  I have heard him say that in prayer on days that the rain was coming down in sheets, and the wind was howling so loud that it was difficult to hear.  Now, some may say that he is guilty of rogue repetition–he’s just saying what he always says.  However, I know differently, because he often elaborates on his thoughts.  He seems to always find good in whatever kind of day that we are having (weather wise) and expresses his thankfulness to God.  The snow is beautiful.  The rain makes things grow.  The sunshine warms us.  He thinks of these things, and expresses them to God.

I believe we often forget just how great of a blessing prayer is for us as the children of God.  We have the ability to go before His throne, without fear (Hebrews 4:16), and bring our petitions to Him.  Sometimes we don’t think about this blessing until we have gotten ourselves into some problem and can’t find the way out.  We think of Him only when we need something from Him.  How many people think they are strong enough to get through anything that life can throw at them, and therefore don’t need God, and don’t need to ask Him for anything?  As the children of God, we should see our open line of communication with our Father.  We can pray to Him, and He will hear us–and more importantly, He can answer us!

But, the ability to make requests of God is only a portion of what we should use this line of communication for.  How long would we keep friends in this world if we only called upon them when we needed something from them?  There is much more that can be done in prayer than just asking God for the things that we need (though that is certainly a valuable blessing!).  If we don’t use prayer for all that it is intended, we are missing out on this great blessing handed to us by our God.

What other blessings are a part of prayer?  Consider just a few…

Praise. We can use our time in prayer to praise God for who He is, and for what He has done.  This is not something that is needed by God, for He does not change whether or not I praise Him.  However, it is a great blessing for us!  Even a casual reading of the Psalms reveals need for us to praise God.  Many of the Psalms are prayers that are converted into songs for the purpose of the people praising God.  When we spend time in praise, how can we possibly forget the majesty of God?  How can we forget what He has done for us, caring for us and providing spiritual salvation for us?  We can praise Him for His creation, and for providing every spiritual blessing through His Son.  We could spend much time praising God in our prayer!

Thanksgiving. Sometimes we are quick to ask God to help us, but not so quick to remember to thank Him when He answers our prayers.  We often make requests for physical blessings, or health and then fail to thank God for answering us in abundance.  How often might we ask for the healing of one of our loved ones, and then forget to thank God when that loved one regains his health?  It is easy to become consumed by our concerns, but we never should take our answered prayers for granted.  We can also use prayer to express our general thankfulness to God for His overflowing blessings.  He provides so much to us, we should remember to be thankful for His blessing (James 1:16-18).

Sharing concerns, trials. God does not need us to tell Him what troubles us, but it is a great blessing for us to be able to share it with Him.  Sharing our troubles with God through prayer helps us to identify exactly what is going on in our lives, and will help us to turn to Him and His word for solutions.  Sometimes we may become very self centered, and think that we can find our own solutions.  However, if we are casting our burden upon Him, we will be turning to Him for answers.  That may mean asking for His help in some way, but it may simply be a way of pinpointing our own issues, and committing ourselves to solutions based upon His desires for us (as expressed in His own word).

It may be challenging, but try to offer a prayer to God without asking Him for anything.  How much have we come to look upon prayer as only a time to make requests (sometimes even selfish requests) rather than a time of talking with our Father?  Sometimes we need to just stop and consider our relationship with Him.  Have we expressed our gratitude to Him for His loving kindness?  Have we expressed thankfulness for the beauty of His creation, and His provision for our every need through it?  Have we praised Him for being our God, and the all powerful creator of our world?    Just once today, try going to God in prayer expressing only gratitude and praise.  It is good to ask God for what we need, but let’s not become consumed with only making requests.  If we do, we are definitely forgetting one of the greatest blessings that God has given to us!

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It’s Easter! Let’s All Go To Church…

Posted on April 3, 2010 by Kris
Filed Under For Further Thought... | 4 Comments | Share

Tomorrow is a day in which millions of Americans will go to houses of worship.  Many of those same people will not set foot in an assembly hall for the rest of the year.  But, because it is Easter Sunday, they will dress in their best clothes and head out to fulfill their yearly obligation to God.  The question that may be considered to be sacrilege among those claiming to be Christians is:  Should we be celebrating Easter at all?  While perusing Facebook and some blogs this morning, I was pointed to an article well worth reading by Ferrel Jenkins entitled Should Christians Observe Easter? Brother Jenkins expresses the fact that Easter is not found in the Bible (save for the insertion of the term in a mistranslation) and that true Christians celebrate the resurrection of Christ each and every Sunday in the manner that He prescribed, through the partaking of the Lord’s Supper (as described in the latter half of 1 Corinthians 11).  Those who are truly concerned about New Testament Christianity will conclude that the religious observation of Easter is simply not biblical, and that we have a far greater obligation to God than to just attend an assembly of the saints one time per year!

Perhaps, however, the discussion needs to be taken a bit further.  While many Christians will argue that we, as New Testament Christians, should not celebrate the religious holiday of Easter, they will still still participate in what is deemed the “secular holiday.”  Many see nothing wrong with the practice of celebrating Easter’s traditions including decorating Easter eggs and upholding the Easter bunny.  A bit of research will reveal the background of these traditions, and show that they are not innocent in their founding.

Nelson’s New Illustrated Bible Dictionary has this to say concerning Easter:

Easter was originally a pagan festival honoring Eostre, a Teutonic goddess of light and spring.  At the time of the vernal equinox (the day in the spring when the sun crosses the equator and day and night are of equal length), sacrifices were offered in her honor.  As early as the eighth century, the word was used to designate the annual Christian celebration of the resurrection of Christ.

Further examination shows that the customs adopted today as “secular” have actually come through a long line of religious practices.  Easter began as a celebration of Spring, worshiping the pagan goddess Eostre, or Ishtar.  Some have traced the holiday back to near the time of Noah!  From the website All About Jesus Christ:

The origin of Easter dates back to ancient times, not long after the global Flood recorded in Genesis 6-9 of the Bible. Nimrod, a grandson of Noah, had turned from following his grandfather’s God and had become a tyrannical ruler. According to the biblical record, as king, Nimrod created Babel, Nineveh, Asshur, Calla and other cities, all known for lifestyles that promoted unspeakable evil and perversion. When Nimrod died, his wife, Queen Semiramis, deified him as the Sun-god, or Life Giver. Later he would become known as Baal, and those who followed the religion Semiramis created in his name would be called Baal worshippers. They became associated with idolatry, demon worship, human sacrifice and other practices regarded as evil.

The origin of Easter involves the birth of Semiramis’ illegitimate son, Tammuz. Somehow, Semiramis convinced the people that Tammuz was actually Nimrod reborn. Since people had been looking for the promised savior since the beginning of mankind (see Genesis 3:15), they were persuaded by Semiramis to believe that Tammuz was that savior, even that he had been supernaturally conceived. Before long, in addition to worshipping Tammuz (or Nimrod reborn), the people also worshipped Semiramis herself as the goddess of fertility. In other cultures, she has been called Ishtar, Ashtur and yes, Easter.

The origin of Easter goes back to the springtime ritual instituted by Semiramis following the death of Tammuz, who, according to tradition, was killed by a wild boar. Legend has it that through the power of his mother’s tears, Tammuz was “resurrected” in the form of the new vegetation that appeared on the earth.

According to the Bible, it was in the city of Babel that the people created a tower in order to defy God. Up until that time, all the people on the earth spoke one language. The building of the tower led God, as recorded in Genesis 11:7, to confuse their tongues to keep them from being further unified in their false beliefs. As the people moved into other lands, many of them took their pagan practices with them.

Contemporary traditions such as the Easter Bunny and the Easter egg can also be traced back to the practices established by Semiramis. Because of their prolific nature, rabbits have long been associated with fertility and its goddess, Ishtar. Ancient Babylonians believed in a fable about an egg that fell into the Euphrates River from heaven and from which Queen Astarte (another name for Ishtar or Semiramis) was “hatched.”

Even the Catholic Encyclopedia confirms the pagan background of these practices, adopted later (in about 325 AD) into the Catholic Church as a way to bring pagans into their organization.  So, we have pagan worship and tradition brought into the Catholic Church as a manner to “convert” the pagans (is it really conversion if we are just adopting the same practices?).  Then we have the next step, adoption of the exact same practices as “secular tradition” and practiced in much the same way as they were practiced by the pagans, and as they are practiced by most of the religious world today.

The truth is, if we are honest with ourselves, true Christians often cannot be distinguished from any other religious people when it comes to the practices expressed on Easter Sunday.  We talk about our celebrations, and follow the exact same traditions as everyone else.  We buy special Easter clothes, we decorate Easter eggs, we have Easter baskets and Easter bunnies, and we go to what must be perceived to be special Easter Sunday assemblies.  We try to do everything that the rest of the world does, and then try to tell them that we are different, and that our only celebration of the resurrection of Christ is done every Sunday.  That may be true, but the appearance is another story!  The point here is that it is impossible (at least in the eye of the one who looks on from outside) to participate in the festivities that are historically religious, and claim that they have no religious connotation.

Is it wrong to buy a new dress?  Is it wrong to paint eggs with paint?  Is it wrong to own rabbits?  Is it wrong to attend assemblies of the saints?  Certainly not!  The problem arises when we do those things in association with a pagan or religious holiday.  Dismissing the religious connotation, or practicing in ignorance does not relieve us of our obligation to be different from the world.  While I am not naive enough to believe that this brief study will convince Christians to give up world like practices, I do hope that it will drive people on to further thought and study on the presentation they make of themselves to those around them!  When you go to worship with the saints tomorrow, will those on the outside think this is just exactly like every other Lord’s Day that you attend these assemblies, or will they think it is somehow a special Sunday, just like it is for them?


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Defeating Temptation

Posted on March 30, 2010 by Kris
Filed Under Exhortation | 1 Comment | Share

Unfortunately, it has become common practice to give in to almost every temptation that Satan is capable of throwing at mankind. Too many people have decided that giving in to temptation is not very significant…after all, everyone is doing it! However, that is not what God wants from us. He wants for us to stand and fight against the wiles of the Devil, and has provided everything that we need to be successful.  Consider just a few suggestions to help in the task of defeating temptations:

Remember that you are spiritual in nature. The apostle Paul wrote that we are to put off the old man of sin, and raise up a new man that will be a spiritual man (Romans 6:1-14).  This means that we must make the choice to not allow the physical, carnal side to have more influence over our actions than our spiritual side.  There is a constant battle that will rage between the two, but we must see to it that the spiritual side is successful (Romans 7:15-8:11).  It is possible for us to be successful, but we must be dedicated to our spiritual life, rather than being so focused on worldliness and sinful pleasures that distract us.  Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness (Matthew 6:33).

Remember that God will provide a way of escape. One of the greatest promises that God has made to us is that He will never tempt us beyond what we are able to bear, and that He will always provide a way of escape when He allows us to be tempted (1 Corinthians 10:12-13).  Sometimes, we may feel like there is no other option but to give in to temptation.  But, we can gain confidence and courage from this passage, which assures us that there will always be another option!  Perhaps we can look back on times that we have stumbled on Satan’s temptations, and see (in hindsight) the way that had been available to us to escape from the temptation.  We can use these memories to help us in the future.  We can be assured that God has provided help, if we will only look for it.  This should be one of the most encouraging passages that a Christian can consider.  If you are facing a temptation, you can know that God knows that you can withstand it!  If that is not enough to encourage you to faithfulness, then what is?

Understand the consequences of failure. James tells us the pattern that is used by Satan to entrap us as mankind (James 1:14-15).  The end result, if we give in to the temptations that are thrust upon us, is that we sin, and sin brings forth death.  The consequence of failing to stand up to temptation is that we will be separated from God.  This should be frightening to us, if we are rational thinking beings!  How can one not be frightened by the consequence of being eternally separated from God?  That is the punishment for those who physically die while spiritually separated from God (spiritually dead).  This realization should cause us to want to be faithful to God, and encourage us to defeat the temptations that Satan hurls.

Prepare to confront Satan. Jesus, when He was being tempted by Satan answered him by quoting scripture.  “It is written” is a powerful defense against any and every temptation that can affect men.  We must be prepared to confront Satan when he brings the temptations that pique our desires!  The only way to do that is to spend time in the pages of God’s word.  We must study enough to understand what God wants us to do–and how to refute the deceit of the Devil!  The apostle Paul wrote that we need to put on the whole armor of God (Ephesians 6:10-17).  A part of the armor described is the “sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.”  If we do not know how to wield the sword of the Spirit, we will not survive long in the spiritual battle!

We can defeat temptation, but only if we dedicate ourselves to the spiritual nature that is demanded of us.  We must make the decision that our spiritual well-being is what is important, forsaking the physical nature of worldliness and sin.  This is a decision that has to be made each and every day.  It is a decision that must be made each time we are faced with temptation.  We cannot ever let our guard down, as that will be the time that Satan will attack.  He is a “roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour” (1 Peter 5:8).  If we are successful, there will be a great reward.  James tells us that those who are successful in overcoming temptation have a crown of life awaiting them (James 1:12).  Every person will be tempted.  It is up to each individual to determine how he or she will deal with the temptation.  Will you overcome, and receive a crown of life?

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America’s Moral Decline

Posted on March 26, 2010 by Kris
Filed Under Moral Issues | 2 Comments | Share

Recently, it has made the news that a 15 year old girl in Washington Sate was allowed to go to an abortion clinic during school hours.  Not only was she permitted to get the abortion, but she was counseled to do so, and she was counseled to not tell her parents about it!  Here is a clip from Fox News detailing the story:

How do we get to this situation? It is symptomatic of the moral decline that we have witnessed for years in America!  It has been quite evident, to those who have been paying attention, that our young people have been molded by the public education system to disregard human life.  Immorality is held up as being proper, and righteousness is labeled as bigotry or hatred.  It is ironic that in most school systems, a child cannot even be given an aspirin without parental consent, and yet they can have an intrusive procedure, abortion, without it!  This reflects the mentality of those pushing for the legalization of abortion:  they are more concerned about their agenda than the health and well-being of a child!  It is simply ridiculous that this type of counseling is permitted to take place at all, let alone outside of the realm of parental consent!

But, what is the solution?  Some call for legislation to change the law, banning abortion and other immorality.  I believe one should vote for morality when given the opportunity, but the truth is, we cannot legislate morality.  Abortion will continue even if made illegal.  The solution has to be to capture the hearts and minds of our young people early, so that they understand the blessings of living a righteous life!  If this young girl had been instructed in the ways of the Lord, she would not have been in the position of needing an abortion!  Why can we not simply go back to teaching against the evils of pre-marital sex (fornication) and against the murder of unwanted children?  I know that it becomes increasingly more difficult to do so, with the barrage that our children receive from outside.  They hear that “everyone is doing it” and they don’t want to be left out.  They are convinced that it is normal to have sexual relations with multiple partners, even while in high school.

Unfortunately, it seems to me that these problems have even become acceptable in many churches.  Amazingly, many people today don’t even know what fornication is, because they are not being taught about it!  The humanist concept of “free love” has corrupted many churches to the point that one wonders if anything at all is considered to be immoral!  More and more “christian” teens are involving themselves in these sinful practices, and seem to have no problem in soothing their consciences.  Perhaps they are truly convinced that there is nothing wrong with their actions.  If that is the case, perhaps we have failed them in teaching the whole counsel of God!

Our young people must be taught that fornication and abortion are sinful practices.  These things do not become acceptable just because society begins to favor them.  The only way for there to be a change in the nature of the nation is to be busy sharing the gospel.  That must start at home.  Teach your children (Deuteronomy 6:6-9).  Many parents will be outraged by this problem in Washington.  But, you do not have to be worried for your children, if you do your job at home!  Teach them to keep themselves pure, and they will not find themselves faced with the counseling of this young girl.

Some will say that this is too hard.  They will fear that it is too difficult, or unrealistic to think that we can teach our kids to remain pure, and that they will listen to us.  It can be done.  Please don’t make excuses for your failure before you even start!  I was privileged to perform a wedding ceremony last weekend for two young Christians.  It is so refreshing to see young people, who have been brought up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord, doing things His way.  As long as we have good examples of parents and young people getting it right, we can have confidence that it can certainly be done.  It is not luck that gets a young lady, or a young man to his wedding day in purity.  It is a devotion to God, and fulfilling His will for us in the marital relationship.

Are you, dear parent, committed enough to teach your children?  Are you, young teenager, determined to serve God above all else?  If so, you can enjoy the blessings that God has given to us in the marital relationship.  Do you want to see America become a more moral place?  Do your part.  Live the part.  Teach the part.

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