I am a Baptist youth. I grew up in a SBC but I am now going to an Independent Baptist Church. There are many differences in the two churches including the way we dress. Is it wrong for me to choose to wear skirts and dresses? Is it still ok to wear pants? Should I stop cutting my hair? I am looking for biblical documentation and guidance. Can anyone help me?
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Modest Clothing
- Thread starter Gabi
- Start date
NaasPreacher (C4K)
Well-Known Member
Your style of dress, as long as it is modest, is an abiblical issue.
If you have a brother who you can trust to be honest ask him if what you are wearing is modest.
Oh yeah, welcome to the board
. Though I have been living in Ireland for 20 years Alabama was home for most of my life.1 Timothy 2:9 tells us "likewise also that women should adorn themselves in respectable apparel, with modesty and self-control, not with braided hair and gold or pearls or costly attire,"
2 Corinthians 5:12 "We are not commending ourselves to you again but giving you cause to boast about us, so that you may be able to answer those who boast about outward appearance and not about what is in the heart."
The key is not so much what you wear but your heart. You could be in the most modest clothing ever, have your hair to your waist and yet be a completely immodest woman in your heart and actions. Work on the inside, not so much on the outside. Cutting hair is absolutely fine (there is NOTHING in Scripture that says to not cut your hair and honestly, so many women do need to keep their hair trimmed to a decent length in order for it to be healthy - care for what God has given you!). I personally have my hair long but it is cut into a stylish cut and it is really healthy considering I color it (I'm 49 so am getting a bit of grey and my husband prefers that I color for now - as do I) and I would cut it shorter if I desired that. I'd not go to a crew cut, although in this heat it's tempting! LOL I don't want to be known as the woman who dresses overly modestly yet has a heart that is far from God, nor do I want to be known as the woman who dresses immodestly yet has a heart for God. I just want to be known as the woman who has a heart for God.
2 Corinthians 5:12 "We are not commending ourselves to you again but giving you cause to boast about us, so that you may be able to answer those who boast about outward appearance and not about what is in the heart."
The key is not so much what you wear but your heart. You could be in the most modest clothing ever, have your hair to your waist and yet be a completely immodest woman in your heart and actions. Work on the inside, not so much on the outside. Cutting hair is absolutely fine (there is NOTHING in Scripture that says to not cut your hair and honestly, so many women do need to keep their hair trimmed to a decent length in order for it to be healthy - care for what God has given you!). I personally have my hair long but it is cut into a stylish cut and it is really healthy considering I color it (I'm 49 so am getting a bit of grey and my husband prefers that I color for now - as do I) and I would cut it shorter if I desired that. I'd not go to a crew cut, although in this heat it's tempting! LOL I don't want to be known as the woman who dresses overly modestly yet has a heart that is far from God, nor do I want to be known as the woman who dresses immodestly yet has a heart for God. I just want to be known as the woman who has a heart for God.
evenifigoalone
Well-Known Member
All I can say is if your church has any rules in place on acceptable clothing during and at church, I'd respect them.
I grew up in an independent baptist church and wore dresses to church as long as I attended there because it was the mindset they had. When I got back home I'd go back into my preferred clothing style.
I grew up in an independent baptist church and wore dresses to church as long as I attended there because it was the mindset they had. When I got back home I'd go back into my preferred clothing style.
My daughter was about 16 when she wanted to buy a pair of EXTREMELY form-fitting jeans. Her parents objected, but then her brother, 14, talked to her how a guys would view such attire.
To this day we have no idea of the content of that conversation, but she dropped the idea REAL quick and we never had a problem with her choice of clothing after that.
Gabi,
Your desire to be modest is very biblical and God-honoring, and honoring to the young men around you.
As a far as pant vs. dresses...the Bible simply does not address it. In Biblical days everyone wore robes, men and women...but there were definitely differences between the two. The Bible does speak in the old testament about women not dressing like men, but we simply don't know what that meant back then. The point for today would simply be:
There is no biblical restriction against pants, or even modest-length shorts for women...as long as you look like a woman wearing pants, not a man wearing pants.
In Scotland, men may wear kilts occasionally (hundreds of years ago they wore them all the time)...but no one would confuse a man in a kilt for a woman in a skirt.
Just be sure that you respect the sufficiency of Scripture enough that you don't make lists of sins that God did not call sins. If God wanted to forbid women wearing pants, he could have, but he didn't. It is dangerous to start calling things sins that God doesn't.
Your desire to be modest is very biblical and God-honoring, and honoring to the young men around you.
As a far as pant vs. dresses...the Bible simply does not address it. In Biblical days everyone wore robes, men and women...but there were definitely differences between the two. The Bible does speak in the old testament about women not dressing like men, but we simply don't know what that meant back then. The point for today would simply be:
There is no biblical restriction against pants, or even modest-length shorts for women...as long as you look like a woman wearing pants, not a man wearing pants.
In Scotland, men may wear kilts occasionally (hundreds of years ago they wore them all the time)...but no one would confuse a man in a kilt for a woman in a skirt.
Just be sure that you respect the sufficiency of Scripture enough that you don't make lists of sins that God did not call sins. If God wanted to forbid women wearing pants, he could have, but he didn't. It is dangerous to start calling things sins that God doesn't.
If you are a Christian woman, then you are free in Christ to wear the clothes of your conviction without anyone pestering you about it or condemning your convictions. However, if you are measuring your internal spirituality by your outward choice of pants vs. dresses, then that is NOT liberty in Christ – that is bondage.
Neither the pair of pants nor the skirt/dress will contribute anything to your justification or sanctification or your walk with Christ or your testimony to others.
It’s just a personal choice or personal conviction.
As far as Biblical support, here we go:
Wear what you choose. Be cognizant of those around you, but dress for YOUR OWN self-respect and spiritual success.
Should you cut your hair?
If you like. The length of your hair has nothing to do with your justification, sanctification, or spiritual status.
So, cut your hair or don’t. Wear pants or skirts. Make sure you are doing whatever you do for the glory of God and to declare that you are a self-respecting female maintaining a personal and holy dignity and embrace that.
You should think about your Christian brothers when choosing clothing, but I much strongly assert that this is NEVER, EVER the primary motivation for your choice of hair style or dress.
The glory of God is your primary motivation. If you are behaving, dressing, and living in a manner pleasing to God FIRST, then you are alright just like you are.
Some men who do not live under sexual strongholds could see you in a bathing suit or on the operating table and never sin in their hearts. Some men who struggle with sin issues of their own will struggle no matter what you wear or how you behave. And that is NOT your burden to bear as a woman.
Pleasing God - that's really the only issue you need to be concerned with.
Neither the pair of pants nor the skirt/dress will contribute anything to your justification or sanctification or your walk with Christ or your testimony to others.
It’s just a personal choice or personal conviction.
As far as Biblical support, here we go:
- “The woman shall not wear that which pertaineth unto a man, neither shall a man put on a woman's garment: for all that do so are abomination unto the LORD thy God.” - Deut. 22:5.
- Without going into a lengthy Hebrew lesson on certain words here, I’ll just tell you that “that which pertaineth” IN the Hebrew is “keliy” and is not talking about pants. It’s talking about vessels and utensils. And the word “man” is the Hebrew “gerber” which is intimating a strong man or warrior. This passage is talking about men looking/behaving manly and women looking/behaving like women. It's talking about fulfilling your gender role.
[*]God made clothes for Adam and Eve after they failed to provide for themselves. The Bible says in Genesis 3:21 that God made “coats” for them. The same identical garment. He didn’t make pants for Adam and blue jean skirts for Eve. The word “coat” is the word kethoneth and it refers to “long shirt-like apparel.”
[*]"I also want women to dress modestly, with decency and propriety, not with braided hair or gold or pearls or expensive clothes, but with good deeds, appropriate for women who profess to worship God" 1 Timothy 2:9-10
- I’m in the minority here, but after years of studying this over and over, I do not believe that Paul is directing what specific kind of clothes women should be wearing. He does say to avoid the flashy things such as excessive jewelry, fancy hairstyles that would distract people, and expensive things that contribute to pride. But the “garments” that he is talking about women “wearing” is sobriety, good works, decent behavior and the INWARD apparel. If a women does this, her outward apparel will follow suit.
Wear what you choose. Be cognizant of those around you, but dress for YOUR OWN self-respect and spiritual success.
Should you cut your hair?
If you like. The length of your hair has nothing to do with your justification, sanctification, or spiritual status.
- "But if a woman has long hair, it is a glory to her; for her hair is given to her for a covering." 1 Corinthians 11:15
- The length of the hair is not what is in question here. It’s that she should look like a woman. Honestly, how long is long? How short is short? If a little child can look at a woman with shoulder-length hair or short and know that she is “female”, it’s really not rocket science.
- A woman’s hair length isn’t the proof of her inward heart. The way that she cuts and styles her hair in order to portray herself as a female – the way God intended – is what is appropriate.
So, cut your hair or don’t. Wear pants or skirts. Make sure you are doing whatever you do for the glory of God and to declare that you are a self-respecting female maintaining a personal and holy dignity and embrace that.
You should think about your Christian brothers when choosing clothing, but I much strongly assert that this is NEVER, EVER the primary motivation for your choice of hair style or dress.
The glory of God is your primary motivation. If you are behaving, dressing, and living in a manner pleasing to God FIRST, then you are alright just like you are.
Some men who do not live under sexual strongholds could see you in a bathing suit or on the operating table and never sin in their hearts. Some men who struggle with sin issues of their own will struggle no matter what you wear or how you behave. And that is NOT your burden to bear as a woman.
Pleasing God - that's really the only issue you need to be concerned with.