The Bible clearly states that a Christian woman should not dress in immodest or revealing clothing. Christian women should dress modestly and decently so as not to glorify the outer person. Their main focus is to cultivate and beautify the inner woman, through the Holy Spirit, which is pleasing to God and to glorify the Lord in all that she does, whether she is single or married.
1 Timothy 2:9-10 (NIV) – I also want the women to dress modestly, with decency and propriety, adorning themselves, not with elaborate hairstyles or gold or pearls or expensive clothes, but with good deeds, appropriate for women who profess to worship God.
1 Timothy 2:9-10 (NLT) – And I want women to be modest in their appearance. They should wear decent and appropriate clothing and not draw attention to themselves by the way they fix their hair or by wearing gold or pearls or expensive clothes. For women who claim to be devoted to God should make themselves attractive by the good things they do.
1 Timothy 2:9-10 (ESV) – 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, but with what is proper for women who profess godliness—with good works.
True Christian women should not be concerned with expensive jewelry, brand name clothing or the latest trends in fashion. They should not be preoccupied or concerned with hair coloring, perming, highlights, layers or elaborate hairstyles either. Paying extra attention to superficial things, is not becoming of anyone who claims to be a child of God. No true Christian woman cares about these external things. She rather focuses on her inner beauty and not the outer beauty, which fades away with each day.
1 Peter 3:3-6 – Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as elaborate hairstyles and the wearing of gold jewelry or fine clothes. 4 Rather, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God’s sight. 5 For this is the way the holy women of the past who put their hope in God used to adorn themselves. They submitted themselves to their own husbands, 6 like Sarah, who obeyed Abraham and called him her lord. You are her daughters if you do what is right and do not give way to fear.
According to God’s word, a beautiful woman is one who puts herself in subjection to her husband if she is married or directly to God, if she is single. A Christian woman should be concerned about her inner spiritual beauty.
1 Timothy 3:11 – In the same way, the women are to be worthy of respect, not malicious talkers but temperate and trustworthy in everything.
1 Timothy 5:9-10 – No widow may be put on the list of widows unless she is over sixty, has been faithful to her husband, 10 and is well known for her good deeds, such as bringing up children, showing hospitality, washing the feet of the Lord’s people, helping those in trouble and devoting herself to all kinds of good deeds.
1 Timothy 5:11-15 – As for younger widows, do not put them on such a list. For when their sensual desires overcome their dedication to Christ, they want to marry. 12 Thus they bring judgment on themselves, because they have broken their first pledge. 13 Besides, they get into the habit of being idle and going about from house to house. And not only do they become idlers, but also busybodies who talk nonsense, saying things they ought not to. 14 So I counsel younger widows to marry, to have children, to manage their homes and to give the enemy no opportunity for slander. 15 Some have in fact already turned away to follow Satan.
Titus 2:4-5 – Then they can urge the younger women to love their husbands and children, 5 to be self-controlled and pure, to be busy at home, to be kind, and to be subject to their husbands, so that no one will malign the word of God.
She should adorn herself with a quiet spirit, humble and gentle; not brash, quick tempered and selfish. Women in the Bible who were unruly, defiant and contrary in nature, are frowned upon.
Proverbs 11:22 – Like a gold ring in a pig’s snout is a beautiful woman who shows no discretion.
Proverbs 9:13 – Folly is an unruly woman; she is simple and knows nothing.
Proverbs 7:5-11 – She is unruly and defiant, her feet never stay at home;
Proverbs 31:30 – Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting; but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised.
The Bible states that immodest clothing is the clothing of a harlot (prostitute, promiscuous woman). Whenever God is angry with the children of Israel for going wayward, he speaks about stripping these things away from them so that they will return to Him: anklets, headbands, crescents; pendants, bracelets, scarves; headdresses, armlets, sashes, perfume boxes, amulets; signet rings and nose rings; robes, mantles, cloaks, and handbags; mirrors, linen garments, turbans, and veils. Isaiah 3:18-23
Then He calls them ‘prostitutes’ because this is how harlots adorn themselves so that they can be noticed and entice men. A promiscuous woman makes all her decisions towards gaining the attention of men, whether she is single, married, divorced or a young widow.
A married woman of God on the other hand, only wishes to gain the attention and pleasure of her husband. A woman of God who is single, only concerns herself with the Lord’s affairs.
1 Corinthians 7:34 – .. An unmarried woman or virgin is concerned about the Lord’s affairs: Her aim is to be devoted to the Lord in both body and spirit. But a married woman is concerned about the affairs of this world—how she can please her husband.
A flirtatious woman is also immodest and adulterous in her speech.
Proverbs 7:5-27 – 5 to keep you from the forbidden woman, from the adulteress with her smooth words.
NIV – 5 They will keep you from the adulterous woman, from the wayward woman with her seductive words.
NLT – 5 Let them protect you from an affair with an immoral woman, from listening to the flattery of a promiscuous woman.
6 For at the window of my house I have looked out through my lattice, 7 and I have seen among the simple, I have perceived among the youths, a young man lacking sense, 8 passing along the street near her corner, taking the road to her house 9 in the twilight, in the evening, at the time of night and darkness.
10 And behold, the woman meets him, dressed as a prostitute, wily of heart.
NLT – 10 The woman approached him, seductively dressed and sly of heart. She dresses provocatively and is deceitful in her intentions. 11 She is loud and wayward; her feet do not stay at home;
NIV – 11 She is unruly and defiant, her feet never stay at home;
NLT – 11 She was the brash, rebellious type, never content to stay at home.
Brash definition: self assertive in a rude, noisy or overbearing way.
12 now in the street, now in the market, and at every corner she lies in wait.13 She seizes him and kisses him, and with bold face she says to him, 14 “I had to offer sacrifices, and today I have paid my vows; 15 so now I have come out to meet you, to seek you eagerly, and I have found you. 16 I have spread my couch with coverings, colored linens from Egyptian linen; 17 I have perfumed my bed with myrrh, aloes, and cinnamon. 18 Come, let us take our fill of love till morning; let us delight ourselves with love. 19 For my husband is not at home; he has gone on a long journey; 20 he took a bag of money with him; at full moon he will come home.” 21 With much seductive speech she persuades him; with her smooth talk she compels him.
An adulterous woman is flirtatious.
22 All at once he follows her, as an ox goes to the slaughter, or as a stag is caught fast 23 till an arrow pierces its liver; as a bird rushes into a snare; he does not know that it will cost him his life.
Sleeping with a married woman, even if she is divorced, is death. Sleeping with a married woman is even more dangerous than sleeping with a prostitute.
Proverbs 6:26 – For a prostitute can be had for a loaf of bread, but another man’s wife preys on your very life.
It is completely unbiblical for a married woman to speak flirtatiously or seductively to anyone but her husband.
Continued Proverbs 7:24 – And now, O sons, listen to me, and be attentive to the words of my mouth. 25 Let not your heart turn aside to her ways; do not stray into her paths, 26 for many a victim has she laid low, and all her slain are a mighty throng. 27 Her house is the way to Sheol, going down to the chambers of death.
Any man who encourages or entertains flirtatious seductive words from a married woman is playing with his very eternal salvation.
Dressing in an immodest fashion is against God’s word. A woman who dresses in a seductive, sexually suggestive fashion is not a woman of God and neither is a flirtatious woman. She does not glorify the Lord in all she does.
1 Corinthians 10:31 – So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.
1 Corinthians 6:19-20 – Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; 20 you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies.
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