The Lost Virtue of Modest Dressing in Modern Churches

The preaching and practice of modest dressing has all but been lost in the modern church. If anything, it is highly frowned upon, looked down on, and criticized. The lines between the Church and the world no longer exist. Christians, who were supposed to be set apart and different from the world, are now competing with the world in worldliness, both in dressing and lifestyle. This is no doubt a sign of the times and the last days’ apostasy.

How does the culture of extravagant, flashy, and celebrity-type dressing and lifestyles of most modern prosperity-type churches affect the relationship of these churches with the poor or those less fortunate in their midst, or even outside observers? What impact does it have on those who cannot afford these things that they see from their leaders and celebrity Christians? What impression does it give of Christianity and the gospel? Would a poor woman from the slum or off the streets feel at home in these churches? Would she be welcome, and even if she was, would she feel comfortable? Is the Church supposed to create an atmosphere of opulence and extravagance, which naturally ends up breeding classism?

The issue of modesty goes deeper than we often think. It is not just about an individual’s choice of dressing! The gospel of Jesus created a state of being where all believers become ONE in Christ. Believers no longer live for or to please themselves, but to please their Lord, and seek the common good and edification of all. This inevitably involves self-denial. There is a culture for Christians laid out by Jesus and his apostles in the Word of God, but it is not one of opulence and extravagance. It is one of lowliness, meekness, and love, which seeks the good of the brethren above oneself.

In this article, I mainly want to focus on how extravagant, opulent, and immodest dressing among Christians can do more harm to the cause of Christ and injustice to the poor, and why it is something the early church took seriously and the apostles taught and inferred in many passages in the Word of God.

Modern Christian Dressing and the ‘Celebrity’ Christian

One of the shocking things (at least to me) about the modern church culture, especially in the more prosperity- and celebrity-centered churches, is how women dress. I don’t keep up with modern worship music or celebrity church happenings because it usually ends up more of a grievance because of the showmanship and manner of dressing and ostentatious makeup these days, especially in women. It never used to be this way, even fifteen years ago.

It seems as if every public gospel artist or ‘popular’ woman preacher, especially in Africa, must be adorned with fake hair, fake eyebrows, fake eyes and lips (via heavy lipstick and eyeliner), fake eyelashes, fake nails, fake skin (foundation), high heels, and very expensive and flashy clothes. The appearance ends up being more becoming of a celebrity influencer or actress than a servant of the Lord Jesus. I am not condemning them; they shall have to give account for their lives to God, but it is a concern because it affects the Church, the gospel, and future generations. The excessive adornment and extravagance in dressing seem to bring more attention to the person and a particular lifestyle than the ministry they are offering to the Lord.

As if that is not enough, most of these types of people’s social media is all about glam, glamour, and their lifestyles. This creates a sort of celebrity-type status and lifestyle, which is no different from the world. This brings focus not to the Lord Jesus and his sacrifice on the cross, but on the person, their money, fame, and glamour. The young people following them or unbelievers then erroneously believe that’s what being a Christian is all about, which is far from the truth. The common argument from such women is often, “God only cares about the heart, not the outside; God wants us to look good; Christians are not supposed to look shabby,” etc. This is a shallow excuse, however, because what is inside must manifest outwardly. Modesty within, modesty without.

Dressing of Early Christians Up to the 1900s

Christians for centuries have had a general appearance about them. Christians were known for their simplicity in dress and lifestyle. Not because they didn’t have money or were trying to look shabby. But it was a result of the change in nature Christ produces in the born-again believer, and the fruit of the sanctification of the Holy Spirit. Paul alludes to this in Galatians 2:20, “I have been crucified with Christ, and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me.”

The result of the cultivation of virtues of the Spirit, like temperance, meekness, humility, love, concern for others, changed priorities, and obeying the Lord’s call to self-denial, resulted in the believers dressing in a manner that did not draw attention to themselves. Instead, they used their resources on more godly pursuits. They preferred to use their money to help the poor in their midst and further missionary work.

“If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me.” Matthew 16:24

Of course, Christians should always be neat and smart and decent-looking but should avoid showmanship, extravagance, and expensive apparel. The apostle Paul mentions this in 1 Timothy 2:9: “Likewise, I want the women to adorn themselves with respectable apparel, with modesty (shamefacedness), and with self-control (sobriety), not with braided hair or gold or pearls or expensive clothes, but with good deeds, as is proper for women who profess to worship God.”

The very spirit of the gospel and the life in Christ is opposed to extravagance, immodesty, and showmanship in dressing. Instead, it calls for modesty, sobriety, and temperance. We can look decent without going to the extreme of competing with and keeping up with the world. Looking at the modern dressing in churches, one can hardly tell the Christian apart from the world. The church is competing to keep up with the world’s fashions to the extent of corrupting the image of God. When a Christian woman’s entire face is “fake,” I just cannot believe that brings glory to God. Why hide what God made and replace it with a mask?

Laying Up Treasures in Heaven

One of the things Christians were known for for hundreds of years was their simplicity of lifestyle and dress. Learning from the master himself and his apostles, Christians lived lives of self-denial, simplicity, modesty, and humility, and avoided extravagant displays of wealth and classism among themselves as much as possible. Many even took vows of poverty to serve the Lord in complete self-denial of material things.

Money was seen as a resource for which one would give an account on judgment day, and so Christians did not spend large sums of money on beauty, clothes, and adorning the body—things that are fading away. As wise investors, they took the Lord’s command to “store up treasures in heaven” (Matthew 6:19-21) literally. They did not lay up treasures on earth but in heaven by giving towards what the Lord commanded to give to, especially alms to the poor.

“Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal;but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal.For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” Matthew 6:19-21

Concern for the Poor

The early Christians shared personal wealth, with the rich selling lands and properties and distributing what they had in excess to the poor. Such was the depth of their otherworldliness. We see this in the book of Acts 4:32-37 and also in many early church records. Justin Martyr (c. 114–c. 165), an early church father, in one of his writings, describes the activities involved in the weekly worship of the early Church community as follows: “And they who are well to do, and willing, give what each thinks fit; and what is collected is deposited with the president, who succours (helps) the orphans and widows and those who, through sickness or any other cause, are in want, and those who are in bonds and the strangers sojourning among us, and in a word takes care of all who are in need.”

“Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.For all that is in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not of the Father but is of the world. And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever.” 1 John 2:15-17

In 1 Corinthians 11:22, Paul rebukes the Corinthians about their manner of eating the Lord’s Supper, which was usually part of a larger meal. It seems there were divisions among them based on class, and the rich were eating more than the poor, possibly because they had contributed more, and Paul rebukes them for humiliating/shaming the poor and despising the church of God.

“Don’t you have your own homes in which to eat and drink? Or do you despise the church of God and humiliate those who have nothing? What can I say to you? Shall I praise you for this? No, I will not!” 1 Corinthians 11:22

Dressing and the Danger of Classism in the Church

It was very important to the Lord and apostles that the church of God have an equal place for any member of society. And that the believers practice Christian love by considering others better than themselves. Jesus in Matthew 23 pronounced woes to the Pharisees because of their desire to be seen and noticed, their extravagant clothes, and wanting the best seats in the temples. Everything was a show for them.

“But all their works they do to be seen by men. They make their phylacteries broad and enlarge the borders of their garments. They love the best places at feasts, the best seats in the synagogues, greetings in the marketplaces, and to be called by men, ‘Rabbi, Rabbi.’” Matthew 23:5-7

“Do nothing out of selfish ambition or empty pride, but in humility consider others more important than yourselves.” Philippians 2:3

In James chapter 2, the apostle James, the Lord’s brother, warns against showing favoritism in the church based on dressing and social status. He warns against treating those who have wealth or are well-dressed better than the poor man in filthy clothes in the church. He commands love and equal treatment. Yet how many churches do this today?

I once was part of a church where the street kids I brought in were cast out because they were dirty, smelled, and did not have the same level of etiquette as others in the church. They were despised. Would these modern opulent churches welcome the poor from the slums and street kids to sit at the front in the best seats and show them equal honor? Of course not; it may chase away the opulent and rich in the Church. It’s very easy to talk about love when you love those who are like you, but to do what the Bible says is not easy for many. James’s warning speaks for itself.

“My brethren, do not hold the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, with partiality. For if there should come into your assembly a man with gold rings, in fine apparel, and there should also come in a poor man in filthy clothes,and you pay attention to the one wearing the fine clothes and say to him, “You sit here in a good place,” and say to the poor man, “You stand there,” or, “Sit here at my footstool,” have you not shown partiality among yourselves, and become judges with evil thoughts?Listen, my beloved brethren: Has God not chosen the poor of this world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom which He promised to those who love Him? But you have dishonored the poor man. Do not the rich oppress you and drag you into the courts? Do they not blaspheme that noble name by which you are called?If you really fulfill the royal law according to the Scripture, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself,” you do well;but if you show partiality, you commit sin, and are convicted by the law as transgressors.” James 2:1-9

Christians are Called to Be Separate

Christians are called-out ones. We are meant to be separate from the world and be, and even look and dress, different. We are not to be conformed to this world and its passions.

Paul’s instructions on modest dressing in 1 Timothy 2:9-10 are not meant to oppress women. Of course, men should be modest too, but it is often women who are most prone to immodesty because of the nature of their bodies. The spirit behind Paul’s instructions is always brotherly love. It is to avoid drawing attention to oneself as a believer and to avoid exulting in the flesh, pride, greed, and sensuality. To avoid causing others to stumble. To reflect holiness and godly character and to live a lifestyle that honors God and others and does not exalt oneself above others, both within and outside the Church.

Christians gather together not to show off their attire and possessions but to glorify and worship God. Anything that would hinder this bond of unity and genuine love should be avoided. This does not mean we dress shabbily or dress the same, but that we have the spirit of modesty and sobriety as our guide. We are citizens of a higher holy kingdom. We are the light of the world.

“And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.” Romans 12:2

“Therefore, ‘Come out from among them and be separate,’ says the Lord. Do not touch what is unclean, and I will receive you.” 2 Corinthians 6:17

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