The Secrets Your Closet Reveals
This is a very sensitive area and what I am about to tell you may not go over well. But it is scriptural. I STRONGLY recommend that before you read any further, you get on your knees and ask God to open your eyes to the Bible verses quoted, your ears to the voice of the Holy Spirit speaking to you, and your heart to receive what God wants for you in this area of your life. If you can get up off your knees willing to do this then please continue. If not, then stay down until you can or you might as well skip this topic all together.
As you read through this section, keep this in mind, that the outer appearance of a person is usually a pretty good indicator of what is in the heart of that person.
Matthew 12:34-35 makes this quite clear: "O generation of vipers, how can ye, being evil, speak good things? for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh. A good man out of the good treasure of the heart bringeth forth good things: and an evil man out of the evil treasure bringeth forth evil things."
I'm not going to tell you what to wear; I'm going to tell you what God says not to wear.
Don't wear pants.
Period. You say, "The Bible doesn't say that!" Doesn't it?
Turn to Deuteronomy 22:5 "The woman shall not wear that which pertaineth unto a man, neither shall a man put on a woman's garment: for all that do so are abomination unto the LORD thy God."
Let's read it again. "The woman shall not wear that which pertaineth unto a man for all that do so are abomination unto the Lord thy God." Read it again and again until it sinks in. A woman is not to wear men's clothing.
I know that you are saying, "Don't read into this what is not there." To you I say, "Don't ignore or excuse away what is written here."
What do men wear? Do they wear skirts, dresses, and jumpers? No, they wear pants! Pants are men's apparel.
Study the following verses carefully:
(Exodus 28:42) - "And thou shalt make them linen breeches to cover their nakedness; from the loins even unto the thighs they shall reach:"
(Exodus 39:28) - "And a mitre of fine linen, and goodly bonnets of fine linen, and linen breeches of fine twined linen,"
(Leviticus 6:10) - "And the priest shall put on his linen garment, and his linen breeches shall he put upon his flesh, and take up the ashes which the fire hath consumed with the burnt offering on the altar, and he shall put them beside the altar."
(Leviticus 16:4) - "He shall put on the holy linen coat, and he shall have the linen breeches upon his flesh, and shall be girded with a linen girdle, and with the linen mitre shall he be attired: these are holy garments; therefore shall he wash his flesh in water, and so put them on."
(Ezekiel 44:18) - "They shall have linen bonnets upon their heads, and shall have linen breeches upon their loins; they shall not gird themselves with any thing that causeth sweat."
These verses are referring to the clothing the priests were to wear during Old Testament times. The Levitical priesthood was comprised of men. The word, breeches, is mentioned five times in the King James Bible and each time it is in reference to men's clothing. Breeches, ladies, are pants.
Here is an interesting Note: In chapter 15 of his 1937 novel, TO HAVE AND HAVE NOT, in order to show how wicked a woman was, perverted writer Ernest Hemingway wrote that, "The woman with him had her blonde curly hair cut short like a man's...she wore shorts, too." He was trying to get across the point that this woman's rebellion could be seen in the way she dressed.
Look at what the Lord says about rebellion in 1 Samuel 15:23 "For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. Because thou hast rejected the word of the LORD, he hath also rejected thee from being king."
By the way, the same restrictions apply to men. I mean, can you imagine a man wearing, oh say, a long black dress or robe or gown? (Bless me, father, are there men who would do that?) A man who wears women's clothes is an abomination in the eyes of God also.
Don't wear anything that exposes your thigh.
Turn to Isaiah 47:2-3 "Take the millstones, and grind meal: uncover thy locks, make bare the leg, uncover the thigh, pass over the rivers. Thy nakedness shall be uncovered, yea, thy shame shall be seen: I will take vengeance, and I will not meet thee as a man."
Uh, oh!! Look carefully at what the Lord has to say about this. The thigh goes from the loins (crotch) to just above the knee. You say, "Says who?" (Haven't you figured out by now that I can read your mind?)
Let's go back to Exodus 28:42 "And thou shalt make them linen breeches to cover their nakedness; from the loins even unto the thighs they shall reach:"
God commanded that the loins (hips and buttocks) and the thighs (from the loins to the knees) were to be covered. If your thigh is uncovered God considers you exposed and naked. This command was given to the priests and the priests were men. How much more important it is for women to obey this command since women wear skirts.
You say, "But my skirts and dresses go well below my knee, why they almost go to the floor." That's great, wonderful, terrific, you're starting to make progress BUT let me as you one little question if I may. How high up the leg does the slit go? Ouch! If the slit in the long dress or skirt exposes the thigh when you stand, sit or walk, then it is just as bad. Sorry, you are still naked in God's sight!
Read and study Leviticus 18:6-17. It talks about uncovering the nakedness of various family members. At the very end of dealing with the subject of nakedness, God says, "IT IS WICKEDNESS."
Don't dress provocatively.
Around your father, brothers, or any other male member of your family. Cover yourself. Be modest and discreet in your dress.
Any garment that exposes the thigh is considered wrong in God's sight. That includes dresses, skirts, shorts, and bathing suits (which expose a lot more than just the thigh). Now some people would argue that bathing suits are fine as long as girls swim alone or with other girls and no men are present.
Let me ask you a question. Is it all right to lie or cheat or steal as long as only other women are present or is it wrong all the time? Are you going to tell me that lying, cheating and stealing are fine as long as you don't get caught? That is ridiculous, you say! So is your point.
What makes something wrong is the FACT that it is wrong and not where you do it or who is around to see you. The Bible is the Word of God whether you choose to believe it or not. God's commandments are His laws whether you choose to obey them or not. AMEN??? It's getting very quiet out there! Sin is still sin, disobedience is still disobedience, and rebellion and stubbornness are still rebellion and stubbornness whether we like it or not. The issue is not what we like, approve or accept, it is, "THUS SAITH THE LORD." Get that straight before you go on.
Don't wear suggestive clothing.
(Proverbs 7:10) - "And, behold, there met him a woman with the attire of an harlot, and subtle of heart."
Quite simply, a harlot wears clothing that purposely draws attention to her body, especially certain areas of her body (breasts, legs, buttocks).
The first thing the Bible admonishes us to be as women is modest in our appearance.
Turn to 1 Timothy 2:9-10 "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; But (which becometh women professing godliness) with good works."
- Tight dresses and skirts are not modest. If the lines of your under garments can be seen through your clothes, I mean you could take your finger and trace them, that is a pretty clear indication that your outer garments are too tight.
- Tight tops, blouses and sweaters that show the figure are not modest. If the buttons on your blouse or sweater are threatening to pop off because they are barely able to stay in the buttonholes then your blouses or sweaters are too tight.
- Sheer clothing, that you can see through and exposes your under garments, no matter how much flesh it covers, is not modest. You may think you have the sexiest underwear in town but nobody else has a right to see it on you, except your husband if you are married and only in the privacy of the bedroom.
- A plunging neckline is not modest. Contrary to popular opinion, cleavage is not sexy, especially when it is wrinkled!
The dress or skirt with a slit that exposes the thigh is not modest. We've already talked about this.
Don't wear padding. Be yourself.
(Proverbs 12:17) - "He that speaketh truth showeth forth righteousness: but a false witness deceit."
The Lord wants us to be truthful and honest. A man does not want to be deceived about what you have, especially if this man turns out to be our husband. If he is disillusioned then he will be disappointed. And a disappointed man will never be satisfied. If you lie to him about one thing then he will question your truthfulness about other things. Misrepresentation and dishonesty are not good ways to begin a relationship.
Don't let the fashion "world" dictate what you should wear.
(1 Corinthians 7:31) - "And they that use this world, as not abusing it: for the fashion of this world passeth away."
(2 Corinthians 4:18) - "While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal."
(James 4:4) - "Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God."
Just because we have to live in this world doesn't mean we have to act worldly.
(John 16:33) - "These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world."
(Romans 12:2) - "And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God."
(2 Peter 1:4) - "Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust."
(1 John 2:15-16) - "Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world."
(1 John 4:4) - "Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world."
Get the picture. God has a lot to say about the world. You had better take notice. I can hear the arguments now, "I don't want to look out of place. I don't want to look frumpy. All my friends have nice clothes and if I dress "funny" they won't like me anymore. I have a very important position at work and I must maintain a certain image." Vanity and Pride!!! Just whom are you trying to please? Consider these verses:
(Deuteronomy 14:2) - "For thou art an holy people unto the LORD thy God, and the LORD hath chosen thee to be a peculiar people unto himself, above all the nations that are upon the earth."
(Deuteronomy 26:18) - "And the LORD hath avouched thee this day to be his peculiar people, as he hath promised thee, and that thou shouldest keep all his commandments;"
(1 Peter 2:9) - "But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should show forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light:"
(John 15:19) - "If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you."
God has set us apart and we are to be different, act different, look different AND dress different from the rest of the world.
There is no sin in wearing pretty clothes. But it is a sin to be a slave to fashion. God wants us to be beautiful, especially for our husbands. But above all he wants us to be modest in our dress.
The second thing that God admonishes us to be in our appearance is shamefaced.
Go back to 1 Timothy 2:9-10 "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; But (which becometh women professing godliness) with good works."
What does that mean? It means to dress so as not to draw attention to yourself.
Let's go back and look at what Rebekah did when she met Isaac for the first time. What did Rebekah do? Did she lean against her camel seductively, twirl her hair around her fingers, wet her lips, bat her eyelids, thrust her breasts forward or shoot out one hip and say, "Hey good lookin', what's cookin'?"
NO! She most certainly did not.
Turn to Genesis 24:65 and she what her response was: "For she had said unto the servant, What man is this that walketh in the field to meet us? And the servant had said, It is my master: therefore she took a veil, and covered herself."
Let's read it again so you don't miss it, "she took a veil, and covered herself." That's shamefacedness in action! Rebekah did not put herself on display so to speak. Rather she drew back in humility and submission.
What then is our motivation to dress modestly and with shamefacedness? We should want to dress the way God wants us to dress in order to keep our testimony as Christian women pure. We are children of a King, but not just any king, we are the daughters of the King of Kings. Therefore, we should not dress like paupers. We should dress in a way that brings honor and glory to our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.
Another reason for Christian women to dress properly is illustrated in Matthew 5:28. Jesus told the men of his day: "But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart." YOU may not realize this but men are stimulated by sight.
The wicked thought is as bad as the actual deed. The first look is usually an accident, but the second look is sin. Do you want to be guilty of causing someone to sin?
While it is wrong for a man to look and lust, it is equally wrong for a woman to intentionally dress in such a provoking manner that she inspires that lust.
A woman who emphasizes sex and purposely provokes men by the way she dresses and walks may be guilty of leading them into sin, and on into Hell if they are lost.
(1 Corinthians 8:13) - "Wherefore, if meat make my brother to offend, I will eat no flesh while the world standeth, lest I make my brother to offend."
God has given women these guidelines for dress so that they will not stimulate men by their appearance. They are also designed to protect the woman from the lusts of the man. Ungodly men who are "turned on" by the enticing look of an immodestly dressed woman may fulfill their sexual desires in the form of rape. Modesty in our dress and appearance is for our protection.
The third motivation for dressing and looking properly is strictly a selfish one. It is solely for the benefit of our husbands.
(1 Corinthians 7:4) - "The wife hath not power of her own body, but the husband: and likewise also the husband hath not power of his own body, but the wife."
My husband owns me. I am my husband's property. (Oops, I just lost the women's libbers.) As his property I have no right to give what belongs to him to another man, even if it is only in that man's mind, via lust. There is only one man in the world that has a right to lust after me and that man is my husband.
Don't show or allow another man to see what by rights belongs only to your husband through the benefit of marriage. If you are not married, then don't take away from your future husband what he is rightfully entitled to.
I can hear some of you saying, "But I have to show off what I have in order to get a husband, don't I?" With that kind of thinking, there is a good chance that you will end up with the wrong kind of husband and you will be sorry for the rest of your life. Be a godly, modest, humble woman and let God find the perfect mate for you.
(James 1:17) - "Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning."
Your next argument more than likely will be, "Why can't I wear what I want. That's my choice. He doesn't have to look to me. That's his choice." Yes, of course, dear, that's just the kind of response I was expecting from someone who doesn't want to take responsibility for her own actions.
Sure he has a choice. He can walk in front of a bus, drive his car off the road into a ditch, fall off a scaffold or down an open manhole, all because he was too busy craning his neck to look at you to pay attention to what he was supposed to be doing. Just what choice do you think that you are giving him?
Ask yourself these questions the next time you are tempted to wear something suggestive or inappropriate: Would my Lord, my Saviour, my Father, my King be pleased at my appearance? Would I want to be wearing this when Jesus comes? Am I bringing honor and glory to Jesus Christ whom I represent by the clothes I am wearing?
Your clothes are talking, ladies. What are they saying?
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