How should Christian women dress?
Is it okay to wear whatever one likes regardless of how it affects others?
Likewise, I want women to adorn themselves with proper clothing, modestly and discreetly, not with braided hair and gold or pearls or costly garments,
1 Timothy 2:9 ESV
The Bible tells Christians women to have proper clothing.
Other translations say "respectable" or "modest".
It also says "modestly and discreetly".
Other translations say "with shamefacedness and sobriety" or "with modesty and self-control".
Clearly, Christian women are not to be showing off their wealth or themselves by what they wear. They are to be known for doing good deeds (1 Timothy 2:10).
In Proverbs 7 there is warning about an adulterous woman, and guess how she is dressed?
And behold, the woman meets him, dressed as a prostitute, wily of heart.
Proverbs 7:10 ESV
Yes, there is such a thing as dressing in a seductive way.
In this case, the woman is intentionally trying to seduce the man.
Are there cases where women can be dressed seductively without trying to get a man to commit adultery?
Yes, but sadly many Christian women want to abdicate responsibility for dressing in a way that draws the wrong kind of attention to themselves.
Surely men do need to grow spiritually, but does that mean that Christian women have no responsibility?
No!
As a ring of gold in a swine's snout So is a beautiful woman who lacks discretion.
Proverbs 11:22 NASB
Let me tell you, men's eyes are drawn to where lines are.
When you have a top that shows just a little...yes, they notice.
When your shirt doesn't meet your lower clothing...they notice.
When your clothes are snug and reveal your figure...they notice.
Yes, godly men will want to look away, but you are putting temptation in their path.
If Bathsheba had gone out to take a bath intentionally for David to see her, she would be responsible for her part in being a temptation.
(Let that be a lesson to ladies to be careful.)
Christian men can be tempted.
They should look away and flee like Joseph did with Potiphar's wife, but that doesn't excuse Christian women to dress inappropriately.
Women, if you are on a diet, do you want your friends to intentionally put boxes of chocolate or your favorite food right in front of you?
Would that be sacrificial love?
Men need to pursue Christ, to flee youthful lusts, to love the Lord, to make no provision for the flesh, to be satisfied and content, but ladies ...
When Christian men tell you that certain clothing entices lust, don't callously tell them, "That's your problem!"
We are responsible to not be stumbling blocks to other believers.
We are responsible to love our brothers.
Christian women are responsible to dress modestly and discreetly.
God made men to naturally be attracted to women (which should bring about a marriage and faithfulness and possibly children), and Christian women should be the last ones to dress or act in ways which cause a man to have to battle sinful desires for a woman who is not their spouse (or entice them to lust when they are not married).
Christian men should also not dress or act in ways to sinfully entice women to sin either.
The following 1-day poll I did is not scientific, but I hope that it will give some Christian women (who actually care) a heads up on this issue.
Is it okay to wear whatever one likes regardless of how it affects others?
Likewise, I want women to adorn themselves with proper clothing, modestly and discreetly, not with braided hair and gold or pearls or costly garments,
1 Timothy 2:9 ESV
The Bible tells Christians women to have proper clothing.
Other translations say "respectable" or "modest".
It also says "modestly and discreetly".
Other translations say "with shamefacedness and sobriety" or "with modesty and self-control".
Clearly, Christian women are not to be showing off their wealth or themselves by what they wear. They are to be known for doing good deeds (1 Timothy 2:10).
In Proverbs 7 there is warning about an adulterous woman, and guess how she is dressed?
And behold, the woman meets him, dressed as a prostitute, wily of heart.
Proverbs 7:10 ESV
Yes, there is such a thing as dressing in a seductive way.
In this case, the woman is intentionally trying to seduce the man.
Are there cases where women can be dressed seductively without trying to get a man to commit adultery?
Yes, but sadly many Christian women want to abdicate responsibility for dressing in a way that draws the wrong kind of attention to themselves.
Surely men do need to grow spiritually, but does that mean that Christian women have no responsibility?
No!
As a ring of gold in a swine's snout So is a beautiful woman who lacks discretion.
Proverbs 11:22 NASB
Let me tell you, men's eyes are drawn to where lines are.
When you have a top that shows just a little...yes, they notice.
When your shirt doesn't meet your lower clothing...they notice.
When your clothes are snug and reveal your figure...they notice.
Yes, godly men will want to look away, but you are putting temptation in their path.
If Bathsheba had gone out to take a bath intentionally for David to see her, she would be responsible for her part in being a temptation.
(Let that be a lesson to ladies to be careful.)
Christian men can be tempted.
They should look away and flee like Joseph did with Potiphar's wife, but that doesn't excuse Christian women to dress inappropriately.
Women, if you are on a diet, do you want your friends to intentionally put boxes of chocolate or your favorite food right in front of you?
Would that be sacrificial love?
Men need to pursue Christ, to flee youthful lusts, to love the Lord, to make no provision for the flesh, to be satisfied and content, but ladies ...
When Christian men tell you that certain clothing entices lust, don't callously tell them, "That's your problem!"
We are responsible to not be stumbling blocks to other believers.
We are responsible to love our brothers.
Christian women are responsible to dress modestly and discreetly.
God made men to naturally be attracted to women (which should bring about a marriage and faithfulness and possibly children), and Christian women should be the last ones to dress or act in ways which cause a man to have to battle sinful desires for a woman who is not their spouse (or entice them to lust when they are not married).
Christian men should also not dress or act in ways to sinfully entice women to sin either.
The following 1-day poll I did is not scientific, but I hope that it will give some Christian women (who actually care) a heads up on this issue.
Christian men, do you struggle with temptation with the way the women from your church dress?— K T (@KTinHills) April 15, 2017
Please be honest.
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