Chapter 7: Does Your Barn Need a Coat of Paint?
The Bible and Make-up.

Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you, and will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.
--2 Corinthians 6:17,18

What about makeup and perfume? Well, once again, the Bible says a woman is supposed to dress with moderation and with sobriety. The Bible says, "Let your moderation be known unto all men" (Philippians 4:5). There is nothing in the Bible that says makeup and perfume are wicked. In fact, in the book of Esther, after she had bathed, she anointed her body (Esther 2:9). More than likely, she put on perfume. Granted, some who would oppose the use of cosmetics and perfume would point out verses in the Bible such as Isaiah 57:9, Jeremiah 4:30, II Kings 9:30, Ezekiel 23:40, Revelation 18:12-13, where wicked women wore perfume or wore makeup. They point out that Jezebel wore makeup, and the whore of Revelation wore makeup, therefore it is a sin to wear makeup. But we also see that in Bible days, amongst Jewish women, that the use of cosmetics and facial lubricants was common. We read several references where perfumes and cosmetics were used by godly women who loved the Lord (Proverbs 27:9, Song of Solomon 1:3; 3:6; 4:10, Esther 2:12).

Not only did women who were godly and loved the Lord, wear makeup and perfume, not only did God never say it was a sin, the Bible describes God adorning His bride Israel and it says He adorned her with jewels, with pretty clothes and with perfume. So if God would adorn His bride that way, then there is nothing wrong with a man adorning his wife that way.

One time a UPC preacher came to me and said that he wished that the Bible did not prohibit a woman from wearing makeup and jewelry because, "A lot of women in our church look terrible." I told this to a United Pentecostal preacher (a guy who had some common sense, because he agreed with me), that the Bible says the woman is not to adorn herself in these things. But the Bible also says the woman ought not to have power over her own body, but that it belongs to her husband. The Bible does not say that a man could not adorn his wife. And when God adorned His wife, He adorned her with jewels, pretty clothes and perfume. So if a man wants to adorn his wife, he is at liberty to do so. This Pentecostal preacher got excited. He went out and got his wife a makeup kit, some perfume and earrings. People in his church thought he had flipped his lid, but he just opened up his Bible and preached it like I told him to. I do not know if they accepted it or not, but they did not throw him out of the pastorate (of course, his wife only wore these things at home).

God wants His bride to be adorned. You find that in the book of Revelation, that Christ's bride is adorned for Him. God adorned His bride, Israel. And a man should adorn his wife. A man should want his wife to be beautiful and a woman should want to be beautiful for her husband.

Dr. Bob Jones Sr. used to always say this, whenever he was asked about wearing makeup. "Well, if the barn needs a coat of paint, give it one." I knew one preacher who used to say, "Some women wear too much makeup. And it is probably sinful. There are other women, they do not wear enough and that is sinful too." Once again, the Bible says "Let your moderation be known unto all men." Women are to dress with sobriety, with moderation. Obviously, the Tammy Faye Bakker look would not be appropriate.