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Modesty

Discussion in 'General Baptist Discussions' started by gerald285, Dec 30, 2006.

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  1. gerald285

    gerald285 New Member

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    modesty, what ever happened to it! Even at church we attack others with the lack of modest clothing. Why is this happening?:(
     
  2. Scott J

    Scott J Active Member
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    For the sake of their own opinions on modesty, some attempt a standard that isn't supported by scripture.

    BTW, in context, the most commonly cited NT scripture condemns dressing too fancy rather than underdressing. Apparently, it was better thought of in the early church to wear common, every day clothes rather than your "Sunday best".
     
  3. gerald285

    gerald285 New Member

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    Hello Scott,
    I think that we are seeing the dead church in all this. SAD! The issue of dressing fancy is another subject, but also one much needed in comfronting.

     
  4. menageriekeeper

    menageriekeeper Active Member

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  5. gerald285

    gerald285 New Member

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    Thank you for the links, but I am afraid that little was accomplished. The root evil here is lost souls claiming a salvation that they lack. The lack of modesty is simply the evidence or a much bigger problem. If I run into 100 people who claim to be saved I seriously doubt that two of them show the signs of conversion. We need to wake up and see whhat is happening.

     
  6. PastorSBC1303

    PastorSBC1303 Active Member

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    So you judge salvation by clothing?
     
  7. gb93433

    gb93433 Active Member
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    More preachers are fired over preaching the book of James than any other book. That should tell us something about the state of the church. Nothing has changed since the beginning if man. Man still practices sin.

    Churches that judge and condemn are filled with people who feel secure in having a system of rights and wrong and are not secure with just having the Holy Spirit. They want a junior Holy Spirit too. Often their lives are not structured and they have a sense of needing someone who can structure it for them.
     
  8. Martin

    Martin Active Member

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    Modesty is very important and, you are correct, it is really missing in many churches. This is mainly due to the ignorance of most Christians on this. Pastors don't preach on this because they don't wish to offend (etc) and those who do many times go too far and become legalistic. There is a proper Biblical balance. I would also say that we have to allow for some "room" on this because modesty is sometimes in the eye of the beholder. I know people who think a woman who wears pants is evil and that any dress that does not go down to the feet is too short. I think such a view is unBiblical and legalistic. So there will never be "one" set standard.
     
  9. gb93433

    gb93433 Active Member
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    When my eyes are focus on Christ I see Him and not so much of the other things. Years ago I had a blind roommate and he taught me a few lessons. I saw how he conversed with a person who was not dressed very well and had hair that was quite long. He did not know it because he could not see. All he saw was visible to him. Looks were not important to him. How people cared was probably the most important thing.
     
  10. Scarlett O.

    Scarlett O. Moderator
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    Yes, that's true Gerald. And I am afraid that your bringing it up again isn't going to be any different....although you do most certainly have the right to bring it up.


    I will agree that lack of modesty comes from a deeper problem. I am going to have to disagree with you, however, and state that lack of modesty is not evidence that someone is lost.

    Especially when the lack of modesty is so undefined by christians. Or maybe not undefined, but without a unanimous concensus of what modesty means. For example, if a womans wears pants to church, is she lost? If a man mowing the church property wear shorts and goes shirtless, is he lost?

    If a woman turns her back and breastfeeds her child in the corner of a restaurant, is she lost? Are the men on the championship swim team lost when they compete in the Olympics in those tiny little Speedos?

    What about someone who is dressed modestly, but is spreading discourse in the church or coveting his neighbor's wife who is also dressed very modestly.


    That's a depressing statistic. What are the signs of conversion, in your opinion?

    :godisgood:
     
  11. Joe

    Joe New Member

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    I wouldn't be a bit concerned upon the dress attire of anyone at my church. Upon conversion, the holy spirit usually convicts people into dressing a bit more modestly. The clothing designers create clothes that cling, and are snug in all of the right places.


    When my wife was baptized (not in the baptist denomination) a few yrs ago. The modesty issue came up very abruptly. The Pastor asked her to wear something conservative at her baptism, meaning not a mini skirt. She agreed. She then went back to wearing a mini skirt, not thinking a whole lot about it. Immediately people began talking to her about it. The older women were relentless. She was then asked by the Pastor not to dress that way. This all happened the following Sunday of her baptism. Pastor told her three people complained. She learned one complainer was someone she considered a friend. This person had never mentioned it to her, except small comments that went over her head. She was humiliated. She fears people were making fun of her all along. Needless to say, we left that church. I still have to drag her to church on Sunday, she has this fear she is going to be humiliated. No one is "really" her friend. She dresses modestly now, but at a price. We need to be careful with our words concerning unimportant matters.
     
    #11 Joe, Dec 30, 2006
    Last edited by a moderator: Dec 30, 2006
  12. Scarlett O.

    Scarlett O. Moderator
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    Well, you just keep on dragging your wife to church. My parents drug me to church and I have a dear friend who drags her husband to church, so you just keep on dragging her! :laugh:

    Keep on encouraging her to dress modestly by telling her how nice she looks and how proud you are to have her for a wife.

     
  13. Shiloh

    Shiloh New Member

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    I have a problem with someone who has to be "dragged" to church. I wonder if she has to be dragged to the table to eat.
     
  14. HankD

    HankD Well-Known Member
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    I think that would depend upon what kind of critters were waiting there at the table and if they were going to have her for lunch.

    HankD
     
  15. Amy.G

    Amy.G New Member

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    Excellent point. Sometimes Christians can be Christianity's worst enemies.
     
  16. donnA

    donnA Active Member

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    salvation has nothing to do with clothes, :BangHead: talk about works based salvation:tonofbricks:
     
  17. Joe

    Joe New Member

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    Not sure what you mean, would you elaborate?
     
  18. Scarlett O.

    Scarlett O. Moderator
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    Well, Shiloh, we can't all be on a spiritual mountain top all the time.

    I am grateful for the times in my life that I was dragged to church. And I have people in my church who are quite active now and have their hearts right with God because someone made the effort to get them there.

    Perhaps Joe's wife is still embarrassed by the chastisement of her clothing and is struggling with feeling like church members are judging her still.

    It does happen you know......christians making other christians feel that they are not welcome in the church.

    That why people in our lives that love us need to encourage our continued church attendance and bible reading and prayer life and not let us sit home having a pity party.
     
  19. blackbird

    blackbird Active Member

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    I tell ya why the word "modesty" is taboo and I'll tell you why we have such a hard time defining it in Baptist circles

    We say this as an excuse

    "Well!!! I'll just rely on the Holy Spirit to tell me how to dress---don't need the preacher or a bunch of gossipin' "ole biddies" tellin' me I can't wear mini and that I've got to wear denim skirts that drag in the dirt!!!"

    etc, etc

    Alright----we'll just let the Holy Spirit lead us as what to wear---His Spirit will bear witness with our spirit and we are led by the Spirit to wear such and such

    but I'm tellin' ya before we let the Holy Spirit get good and set to lead our spirit---- our weak flesh takes over----yes, the spirit indeed is willing but the flesh is weak!!

    Thats why we have so much trouble dressing the flesh ---- its because our fleshly minds are weak and we wind up dressing "down" instead of "up"
     
  20. LeBuick

    LeBuick New Member

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    I don't understand, does this thread imply Jesus or even the Apostles had traveling clothe and also Sunday go to meeting attire?

    Remember, here is how he sent his Disciples;

    Matthew 10:9 Provide neither gold, nor silver, nor brass in your purses,
    10 Nor scrip for your journey, neither two coats, neither shoes, nor yet staves: for the workman is worthy of his meat.

    I don't know what a man looks like once he's traveled 30 or 50 miles on dusty roads but I don't think Modest is a word we'd use to describe their dress. So what could we mean by Modest? I believe it's inward more than outward...
     
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