How Should a Christian Dress?

How should a Christian dress? The Bible says: “in modest apparel.” The phrase appears in 1 Timothy 2:9 and deals specifically with women’s attire. It seems the apostle thought women were more vulnerable in this area, but the concept of modesty applies to both men and women. In the previous verse, Paul instructed men to “pray everywhere, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and doubting” (1 Tim. 2:8). Does that mean women do not need to pray? Of course not. It means the apostle deemed men more susceptible to brawling rather than praying. Once more, modesty—like prayer—applies to both men and women, so this article speaks to all. The word modest means: “restrained by a sense of propriety and decency; not loose; not lustful.” It is coupled with the word shamefacedness, which simply means: “restrained by a sense of shame.” In other words, having the capacity to feel ashamed or embarrassed. The word modest certainly allows room for differences of opinion when it comes to doubtful details. In this case, we are instructed to “let every man be fully persuaded in his own mind” (Romans 14:1, 5). So putting debatable points aside, we are going to look at some of the unchanging principles of the God’s word.

Gender Distinction

The first guideline is gender distinction. In the beginning, God made them “male and female,” (Genesis 1:27). While the words masculine or feminine are never found in the Bible, the concept of masculinity and femininity is. Even the length of hair is to distinguish a man from a woman—a portion of 1 Corinthians 11 being dedicated to this very topic. Despite the popular notion today that God is only concerned with the heart, God is in fact concerned with how a man and a woman look. The inside is most important, of course (1 Peter 3:1-4). But the concept of appearance is still addressed in the New Testament scriptures (1 Corinthians 11:3-16; 1 Timothy 2:9-10). As Christians, what is on the outside should properly convey what is on the inside. Our society is desperately trying to tear down the wall of partition between a man and a woman.

Deuteronomy 22:5 goes so far as to say that there is clothing that pertains to a man, and that there is a woman’s garment. While we are not under the law, we don’t want to discard the morally relevant lessons of the law for us today. For instance, nine of the Ten Commandments are still valid in this present age and are repeated in the New Testament. Why? Because they are moral issues. And while “Be ye holy; for I am holy” comes from the ritualistic book of Leviticus, the apostle Peter quotes this phrase, applying it to New Testament Christianity (1 Peter 1:16). While Old Testament formalities have been abolished, holiness and morality are never thrown out. To come to the point: Deuteronomy 22:5 is not of a ceremonial or ritual nature. It is a moral issue involving cross-dressing and transvestitism. It reveals God’s viewpoint regarding gender distinction that is transferred to the New Testament (1 Corinthians 11:3-16). God’s stance regarding something that he calls abomination does not change over the ages. So while we do not want to formulate a legalistic doctrine regarding dress, we need to maintain some sort of gender distinction. Especially in light of today’s deliberate effort to tear down God’s design.

Nakedness

The second guideline concerns nakedness. When Adam and Eve sinned, they became acutely aware of their nakedness (Genesis 3). Their innocence was no longer, and their nakedness would now convey their shame as recent sinners. They sewed fig leaves together to make aprons in their ineffective endeavor to clothe themselves—a fit depiction of man’s useless attempts at saving himself. However, God deemed the aprons unacceptable and instead made them coats of skins to properly clothe them (Genesis 3:21). The act necessitated the death of an animal, which presented the first vivid picture of redemption. Christ died for us so that we could “be clothed upon with our house which is from heaven: if so be that being clothed we shall not be found naked” (2 Corinthians 5:2-3). Accordingly, the wearing of proper clothing is symbolic of salvation, representing the covering of our shame and our redemption in Christ. When professed Christians indecently expose themselves, they are virtually saying, “Christ has supplied me with an insufficient salvation. His shed blood is not enough to cover my shame.”

Exodus 28:42 (KJV) reveals that men’s slacks (“breeches”; also “britches”) were “to cover their nakedness, from the loins even unto the thigh.” In Isaiah 47:1-5, God personifies Babylon as being “the lady of kingdoms.” As part of the illustrative judgment for her sins, she was to “uncover the thigh.”  As a result, God said, “Thy nakedness shall be uncovered, yea, thy shame shall be seen”—like a person taken into captivity. In view of this, men and women should make an honest effort to keep the private portions of their body covered despite any trends in society. It is sad that Christians are allowing societal pressure and the commercial industry to formulate their outlook on nakedness. Our culture is blatantly violating decency and propriety, and it seems the fashion industry has even sexualized many professed believers. While we do not want to enforce a pharisaical doctrine regarding how much skin should be covered, Romans 12:1-2 does prompt us to ask some relevant questions. How am I presenting my body—as a living sacrifice to God, or in conformity to this world? It is important to look inward and honestly ask ourselves: What is the motivation behind what I am wearing?

A Matter of the Heart

The key element in proper clothing is the heart. In 1 Peter 3:3-4, God says the way a woman adorns herself should highlight “the hidden man of the heart”—also known as “the inner man” or “new man” (Ephesians 3:16, 4:24). It is a biblical expression which has to do with the new nature in Christ Jesus, regardless of gender. For a lady, her appearance should highlight her inner beauty and purity in Christ. The “putting on of apparel” or “costly array” is not sinful in of itself, but it is to be balanced with the proper motive and appeal. Believers should ask: Am I preoccupied with fashion and less concerned about my heart for God? Or worse, am I showcasing my body to convey sexual appeal? While God emphasizes the inner beauty and purity of an individual, a man or woman’s appearance should be a demonstration of that internal adornment. Believers should not be purposely enticing others to satisfy their own vanity. Once more, it is important to look inward and honestly ask ourselves: Is there pride or lust in my heart?

Becoming a Stumbling Block

The last guideline involves the concept of Christian love. The simple truth is the Christian life is not about another person’s responsibility—it’s about our own obligation before the Lord. Christian love is the very basic element of the Christian life. If we miss that, we’ve missed everything. Without Christian love, we are nothing, regardless of what we imagine ourselves to be (1 Corinthians 13). Simply put, Christian love doesn’t behave itself inappropriately. Christian love does not seek her own but looks out for her neighbor’s wellbeing. Christian love doesn’t entertain sinful thoughts but would be mortified if she had been a hindrance to another person’s spiritual growth. In many cases inappropriate attire and indecent exposure can be classified as a “stumblingblock” or “an occasion to fall” (Romans 14:13). While space will not permit us to expound on the following verses of scripture, they still drive home a vital principle: The Christian life is not about me; it’s about others. “Love worketh no ill to his neighbor: therefore love is the fulfilling of the law” (Romans 13:10). “Let us not therefore judge one another any more: but judge this rather, that no man put a stumblingblock or an occasion to fall in his brother’s way” (Romans 14:13). “Let every one of us please his neighbor for his good to edification. For even Christ pleased not himself” (Romans 15:2-3).

An Effective Formula

It is important to note that modesty is a doctrine of the Christian life. It is not a legalistic concept or a manmade construct. It is stated in the New Testament. So are we going to pretend it doesn’t matter in today’s world? While there are varying degrees of standards or preferences concerning dress, the concept of modesty is not a standard or preference. It is a doctrine that God thought important enough to put in his word. Regardless of our differences of opinion, the following questions are derived from the Bible and can help us identify proper Christian attire regardless of the everchanging culture.

1. Does my clothing highlight the distinction between a man and a woman?
2. Does my fashion portray my heart for Christ, or is it a distraction?
3. Is what I wear in public being driven by sexual motives?
4. Is my outfit and attire a stumbling block to someone else’s spiritual growth?

A Word of Caution

There seems to be some confusion today about what legalism is when it comes to modesty. Legalism is simply the strict adherence to a rule that God himself did not authorize. It is the binding of conscience in an area where God has not bound. It is worth repeating, however, that the concept of modesty is not a form of legalism at all—it is a stated doctrine for the church (1 Timothy 2:9). It comes from God. A pastor who preaches to his congregation the importance of Christian modesty is simply being faithful to “preach the word”—even when the topic is “out of season” or no longer popular (2 Tim. 4:2). Regardless of the poor opinion that some may have of such a pastor, he remains “a good minister” for putting his people “in remembrance of these things” (1 Timothy 4:6). One of “these things” happens to be the topic of modesty.

So who gets to decide if ear piercings are okay, but a septum piercing is not? Who gets to decide if a skirt should be two inches above the knee or two inches below the buttocks? Since there are gray areas and differences of opinion when it comes to modesty—be it clothing, hairstyles, piercings, tattoos—lines are inevitably drawn by those in position of authority. This is not legalism! It is the way God has arranged order within each jurisdiction in life. Parents will draw any lines in the home. Employers will draw any lines on the job. Pastors will draw any lines in the church. Does that mean a law enforcement or healthcare agency is legalistic for banning certain tattoos or requiring them to be covered up? Does that mean a hairdressing salon is legalistic for banning tight-fitting, stretchable garments? Not at all. It is the prerogative of the manager or executive. It is important to understand that a pastor is not being legalistic for having platform standards or requirements for his staff. One may not like a rule that the pastor has implemented for singing in the choir or teaching in Sunday school, but it is the pastor’s prerogative to make the rule and enforce the rule. If a person cannot bring himself or herself to abide by the pastor’s rule (or the rule of the person the pastor has appointed), then he or she needs to respectfully resign from that position in the church. When a person defies the pastor because he or she thinks a particular rule is preposterous, that person is sending a message to the next generation that it is acceptable to disobey authority when one does not agree with something. That may be the spirit of the age, but it is not the Spirit of God.