modesty part 4

This has been copied and are not my own words.

According to the Westminster Assembly´s Larger Catechism:

Q. 138. What are the duties required in the seventh commandment? A. The duties required in the seventh commandment are, chastity in body, mind, affections, words, and behavior, and the preservation of it in ourselves and others; watchfulness over the eyes and all the senses; temperance, keeping of chaste company, modesty in apparel; marriage by those that have not the gift of continency, conjugal love, and cohabitation; diligent labor in our callings; shunning all occasions of uncleanness, and resisting temptations thereunto.

Q. 139. What are the sins forbidden in the seventh commandment? A. The sins forbidden in the seventh commandment, besides the neglect of the duties required, are, adultery, fornication, rape, incest, sodomy, and all unnatural lusts; all unclean imaginations, thoughts, purposes, and affections; all corrupt or filthy communications, or listening thereunto; wanton looks, impudent or light behaviour, immodest apparel… and all other provocations to, or acts of uncleanness, either in ourselves or others.

Although immodesty and nakedness is at an all time high in our country, it is not new to sinful man. John Bunyan preached against immodesty in his day as well! Consider his words:

“Why are they for going with their…naked shoulders, and paps hanging out like a cow´s bag? Why are they for painting their faces, for stretching out their neck, and for putting of themselves unto all the formalities which proud fancy leads them to? Is it because they would honor God? Because they would adorn the gospel? Because they would beatify religion, and make sinners to fall in love with their own salvation? No, no, it is rather to please their lusts…I believe also that Satan has drawn more into the sin of uncleanness by the spangling show of fine clothes, than he could possibly have drawn unto it without them. I wonder what it was that of old was called the attire of a harlot: certainly it could not be more bewitching and tempting than are the garments of many professors this day.”

My, my, wouldn´t John Bunyan be shocked by the “bewitching and tempting” garments of today´s “professors?”

From what we have found in Scripture, long dresses, long skirts, long robes, long and loose culottes or even pants [IMHO - I have to totally disagree here about the pants ;-)]if they can be described as long, loose and flowing (and not sheer) would be modest and feminine. Can short or tight skirts be described as long and flowing? Can shorts be described as long and flowing? What about blue jeans? You might be able to describe them as loose but are you convinced they are long and flowing? Can you describe a skirt that is slit up higher than the length of a dress you could wear decently, as modest? If the dress is too tight to walk without a high slit, maybe the dress is too tight to wear!


Therefore we are certain that God commands Christian women to dress modestly, to dress like women in a feminine manner and to not dress as to cause our brother to stumble. We have also learned that Scripture is not up for individual interpretation. God´s Word is the final authority in all we believe, do and think. Don´t allow the world to set your standards of dress!