Chapter 8: Dressed up for the King.
Modesty and Moderation.

Let your moderation be known unto all men. The Lord is at hand.
--Philippians 4:5

What should be the motivation for modesty? Well, we should want to dress the way God wants us to dress, we should want to look the way God tells us to look, both men and women, because God tells us to. We should need no further motivation than that. Just the fact that the Bible says we should do it, that is all the motivation we should need. But there are some reasons we should be motivated. One is our testimony. We find God commanded Israel to be a "peculiar people" (Exodus 19:5, Deuteronomy 14:2 & 26:18, Psalm 135:4, Ecclesiastes 2:8). And you read later in the New Testament that God wants those who belong to the New Testament Churches to be a peculiar people (Titus 2:14, I Peter 2:9). He wants us to be different from the world. That is why God told the Israelites to dress a certain way, because when an Israelite walked down the street, God wanted the people should say, "There is a Jew. There is one of God's people."

When the Israelites came marching through a town, God wanted all the pagan societies around to know. "Hey, the Israelites are marching into our town. Those are the people for whom God parted the Red Sea and drowned the entire Egyptian host. We better get out of the way and just let them have our land. We will move on down the road." That was what God wanted. God wanted the world to be able to spot an Israelite a mile away. They were a peculiar people. And God wants the Christians in the local New Testament Churches to be a peculiar people. The Bible tells us so. We are to be living epistles, a peculiar people, a chosen priesthood. People ought to be able to look at you and to know you are a Christian. They should not have to ask. And by the way, if they have to ask, chances are you are not going to have much of a testimony with them anyway, and you are not going to be very successful in leading them to Christ. They are going to say, "If you are a Christian, and you are just like me, why do I need to become a Christian, go to church and give my money?" It is not going to do anything for them. It has not changed you, and you are just like them. You just have less money than they do. You just have less free time.

Here are some things to consider. You are in the store, and you are thinking, "Okay, I'm going to buy some clothes." The first question you ask yourself, "Is this garment gender appropriate?" And men, I hope you are not in the skirt section. And women, I hope you are not in the britches section. So you ask if the garment is gender appropriate.

Here are some other questions a woman could ask, if she is shopping for a garment:

Question #1. Is this garment going to please my Heavenly Father? As a daughter of the King you must represent Him always. The Goal of your Christian Life is to grow closer and more intimate with your Father the King. As you do this you will inherently without any effort at all become more like Him. Just by seeking His Face and immersing yourself in His Word which He gave you to reveal Himself to you. If you focus on Him and turn your back on the World, the Holy Spirit will transform you more into the image of your Father everyday.

Question #2. Is this garment something that only a lady would wear? In other words, is it unisex? Is it a man's garment? Your Father in His Word revealed to you that you will be an abomination if you wear anything which pertains to a man. You should want to stay as far away from being an abomination as you can get. If there is any question, if you have any doubt, then stay away from it and the doubt is resolved.

Question #3. Does this garment in any way reveal the thigh? Remember, if a woman shows her thigh, she is naked. Does the garment reveal the thigh? In other words, does it come up above the knee?

Question #4. Is the garment modest? Remember, long and flowing. Does the garment go below the knee and does it flow? Is it shamefaced? Will it in any way draw attention to your form or figure? Of course, if it does, then you should know not to purchase the garment.

Question #5. What if Jesus comes and catches me in this outfit? Would you want to be wearing this garment when Jesus comes? If not, then there is no need to buy it at all.