Text: Genesis 3:7-10

PROPOSITION: God expects Christians to dress modestly.

INTRODUCTION:

1. Read text – This is the “2^nd Sin” in the Bible.

2. When we read about the fall of Adam and Eve in the garden, we think about the sin of disobeying God, but do we think about the second sin?

3. What was Adam and Eve's second sin? It was immodesty.

4. Soon after they ate of the tree, they knew they were naked and used fig leaves to cover themselves.

5. Yet, for all of their efforts, when God came in the garden, they still thought they were naked and hid.

6. Having eaten of the fruit of knowledge, they now experienced guilt from being immodestly dressed.

7. Due to their sin, they now lived in a world where nakedness was immodest.

8. We still live in that immodest world today.

   1. Immodesty dominates TV, movies, music

   2. Even Super Bowl - Janet Jackson had her famous wardrobe malfunction.

   3. Huge Porn industry in America, on the Internet

   4. Internet porn takes in more revenue each year than NFL, NBA and Major League Baseball - COMBINED

How does the Christian remain modest in an immodest world?

By knowing God's standard for modest dress in the OT

1. How do we know such a standard? God's word reveals it to us if we will study.

2. After God cursed Adam and Eve he made "coats" for them. Genesis 3:21

   1. Why would God do this if it wasn't necessary?

   2. The clothing that they made for themselves was insufficient.

   3. Better clothing was needed.

   4. God fitted them with "coats of skins."

   5. The word for "coat" in this passage indicates that they were "covered" from their shoulders on down.

   6. God's standard for clothing, thus, includes both the upper and lower portions of our torso.

3. God made sure that the Israelites understood what needed to be covered.

   1. Exodus 20:26 states, "And you shall not go up by steps to my altar, that your nakedness be not exposed on it.'" (ESV)

   2. In Exodus 28:40-42 we read, "And for Aaron's sons thou shalt make coats, and thou shalt make for them girdles, and bonnets shalt thou make for them, for glory and for beauty. And thou shalt put them upon Aaron thy brother, and his sons with him; and shalt anoint them, and consecrate them, and sanctify them, that they may minister unto me in the priest's office. And thou shalt make them linen breeches to cover their nakedness; from the loins even unto the thighs they shall reach."

   3. They were to be covered to the degree that their nakedness was not exposed.

   4. To not do so was an offence to God's holiness and punishable by death. In the next verse we read, "And they shall be upon Aaron, and upon his sons, when they come in unto the tabernacle of the congregation, or when they come near unto the altar to minister in the holy place; that they bear not iniquity, and die: it shall be a statute for ever unto him and his seed after him." ( Exodus 28:43).

Learn God's standard in the New Testament

1. Basic morality has not changed from Old Covenant to the New.

2. Christians are all priests of God. "But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light." ( 1 Peter 2:9).

3. We have no more right to serve God immodestly today than did the priests under the Old Covenant.

4. Moreover, Christians and in particular, women are exhorted to be modest.

5. 1 Timothy 2:9, 10 states: "In like manner, that women adorn themselves in modest apparel, with shamefastness and sobriety; not with braided hair, and gold or pearls or costly raiment; but (which becometh women professing godliness) through good works."

6. The standard here is not to draw attention to oneself due to apparel whether from the lack of it or from its abundance.

7. We can know what modesty is by looking at the examples under the Old Testament.

8. Let us understand that God's standard for modesty is . . .

   1. To cover our body from our shoulders to below our thighs.

   2. To cover our body in a way that we won't be exposed (either through no clothing or inappropriately tight clothing).

   3. To cover our body in a way that won't draw unnecessary attention to ourselves.

Understand the consequences of immodesty

1. Direct Consequences

   1. Sexual Lust - "but I say unto you, that every one that looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart" ( Matthew 5:28).

   2. Pornography - "For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the vain glory of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world" ( 1 John 2:16).

   3. Undesired sexual advances (sexual harassment) - "nor filthiness, nor foolish talking, or jesting, which are not befitting: but rather giving of thanks" ( Ephesians 5:4)

   4. Lasciviousness - "Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness" ( Galatians 5:19).

   5. Fornication - "But fornication, and all uncleanness, or covetousness, let it not even be named among you, as becometh saints" ( Ephesians 5:3)

   6. Homosexuality - "Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind," ( 1 Corinthians 6:9).

   7. Adultery - Hebrews 13:4 "Let marriage be had in honor among all, and let the bed be undefiled: for fornicators and adulterers God will judge."

   8. Rape - 1 Corinthians 6:9

2. Secondary consequences (consider David and Bathsheba)

   1. Sexual Disease

   2. Illegitimate Pregnancy

   3. Murder

   4. Drug Abuse

3. The ultimate consequence - eternal damnation.

   1. We sin.

   2. We forfeit our good relationship with God by offending his holiness.

   3. We lose our souls for all eternity.

4. Immodesty is the root of much evil in this world; how much could be averted if we simply dressed modestly?

By taking a stand for modesty and not tolerating immodesty.

1. We should not dress in a way with which others would find fault in our modesty. "that ye may become blameless and harmless, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom ye are seen as lights in the world" ( Philippians 2:15).

2. We should not go to places that are known for public immodesty. "wherein they think it strange that ye run not with them into the same excess of riot, speaking evil of you" ( 1 Peter 4:4).

3. We should not attend events that glorify immodesty. (Garbage in, garbage out).

4. We should not watch television programs, movies, or listen to radio stations that glorify immodesty. (Garbage in, garbage out).

5. We should tell our friends and family what is appropriate and not appropriate dress.

6. 1 Peter 3:10-12 "For, He that would love life, And see good days, Let him refrain his tongue from evil, And his lips that they speak no guile: And let him turn away from evil, and do good; Let him seek peace, and pursue it. For the eyes of the Lord are upon the righteous, And his ears unto their supplication: But the face of the Lord is upon them that do evil."

CONCLUSION:

1. How does the Christian remain modest in an immodest world?

   1. Knowing God's standard and the consequences of not following it.

   2. Taking a stand for modesty and opposing immodesty.

2. Don't forget the lesson that God taught Adam and Eve about modesty.

NOTE: The outline is from Kevin Cauley.