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What Is Modesty?
By Dr. Lee Roberson
(1909—2007) Sermon from Lee Roberson's brilliant book, "Disturbing Questions...Solid Answers: Bible Answers to Vital Questions"; Chapter Two, Pg. 21-33:
Also read Proverbs 31:25-31. I remind you of something in Genesis 39:9, that Joseph, enticed by a wicked woman, did not answer, "I'm afraid I might get caught." Instead he said, "I cannot sin against God." This matter of your life, your action, your appearance are either for God or against God; for righteousness or against righteousness; for good or for evil. We come to the text: "Whether ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God." "...whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God." That little text is big enough for everything you want to say, big enough fro any message to Christians everywhere. "...whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God." Everything, everything to the glory of God. What is modesty? Webster says the following:
Modesty concerns behavior. Behavior concerns dress, speech and action. The Christian is to be modest. He is to do all to the glory of
God--men and women, young and old alike. The Christian is to so live that
Christ will be seen in him. This concerns every bit of his life--Sunday,
Monday, Tuesday; business, social life, school life--whatever it may be. The
Christian should consider three questions: How can I glorify God? How can I
help others? How can I grow in grace? Three things that should be for us. I. KEEP YOUR LIFE ON THE POSITIVE SIDE Show forth Christ. Your intention always should be to let others see Jesus in you. There are some words that we must consider. The first is "rebellion." Rebellion against God, against God's rules and the rules of decency. Men rebel against these things, and turn away from them. Satan causes Christians to rebel. We have set definite rules for Tennessee Temple Schools on the matter of dress, appearance, action; where you can go, where you cannot go. If you come to Tennessee Temple Schools, you need to know what we stand for. If you don't want that you shouldn't come. There's no use griping and complaining after you get here. Those rules were set a long time before you got here in 1946--and we hold to them, you ought to go where they let you do as you please, but don't come here. Satan causes Christians to rebel. He'll cause some to rebel in the service, like this tonight. Some of the church members of our church--will rebel against what I am going to say. They'll say, "Well, I'm not sure that I agree." You may not agree, and you may be wrong, too. Satan causes young people to rebel against the rules and wishes of parents. They turn away from here. The second word is "conforming." Conforming to present-day society. Now, the Apostle Paul said, "...be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind..." "...be not conformed...but be ye transformed...." The tragedy of this day is that many feel they must conform. Girls and women are afraid that others will laugh at them if they do not conform to the fashions of this day. Therefore, they go for the short skirts and for men's apparel because they are simply conforming. It's not a matter of just something nice and easy. It is not the matter of just saying, "Well, this is so much better than anything else." No, it's a matter of conforming. You are falling in line with what other people do, and what other people say, what other people wear. You conform to the things of this world. My convictions are steadfast. I've never change them! I'm not making anything up tonight. I've had them the same all the way through. I'm against women wearing men's apparel. You understand that. If I'm not very gracious to you women when I meet you out somewhere and you are wearing pants, you'll understand why. It would be far better if you didn't see me at all. I have watched some women sit in cars until they were sure I was gone before they got out--at hospitals, and so forth, because they are ashamed. Why are they ashamed? I don't say much about it here, but they simply know what I stand for, and what we as a church stand for. Now ladies, you know what is right and wrong, whether it be in the matter of man's apparel, which is contrary to the Word of God or, whether it be in the matter of abbreviated clothing that displays the body. You know. But your danger is that you want to conform to the ideas of this world. Then men and boys are afraid others will laugh at them. I was sitting in a barber's chair the other day and the barber said to me: "I had a fine young man in here to get his hair cut. I never saw such a head of hair upon the boy. here is what the young man said: 'Sir, I want you to trim my hair just a little if you will, please.' Then he said, 'I'll be so glad when the style changes so that I can get a decent haircut again!" The barber said, "I'll cut it right now, it you want me to." "Oh," he said, "no! no! This is the style. I've got to wear it this way!" I don't think that true. I can show you quite a few young men who are not wearing it that way. The barber said, "A fine lad, but he felt that he had to conform to this present world, that others might not laugh at him because of his stand." I had a group of young people around me in Toledo, Ohio, the other day in meetings, asking questions about Tennessee Temple Schools. They were standing in a circle. They were from another church. One young fellow was leading the questioning, a college graduate who was thinking about coming to out Seminary. But his hair was way too long. I never said a word about hair. But all of a sudden he stopped me and said, "Dr. Roberson, don't you worry. I'm getting my hair cut tomorrow like a man." I said, "Sir, why did you say it?" He said, "I felt self-conscious, like you were looking at me and wondering what I was going to do." The rest of his friends stood around him as the conversation went on. Now, what was he doing? Conforming. He was self-conscious about his conformation to the things of this world. This you have to watch. A lady came to my office sometime ago. My office is open to the street. I can see the folks going up and down, people going their ways around the offices. When she sat down, she was pulling at her skirt. She said, "Pastor, forgive me. I should not wear clothes of this kind." I said, "Why do you wear them?" She said, "Well, other people do. I know it's wrong and I know it's embarrassing to you and to others around." I hadn't said a word about short skirts. But she spoke up right away: "I want to apologize for wearing clothes like this." Now, my friends, your clothes reveal what you are--a man or a mouse; a lady or a compromiser. The third word is "indifference." Indifference or carelessness towards others and what they think. I'm sure we have some; just indifferent. The Christian has to remember that he has to face his life. The judgment seat is coming. If you are a child of God, you have got to face your life. You had better think about that. The forth word is, "pride." A desire to be noticed, a desire to be up-to-date. "...vanity of vanities; all is vanity," saith the Lord. There are so many like this. Keep your life on the positive side. Let there be no question mark about your life, none whatsoever, so that people can see and know exactly what you are without explanation. They know what you are. If there be any doubt about what you are doing, then you say, "I'm not going to do it." On television the other day, on the newscast, they showed the ordination of a young married woman to the Presbyterian ministry. I am opposed to the ordination of women. It's not scriptural. It's not right. Whether it be done by the Presbyterians or somebody else, it's wrong! She was being ordained. It showed portions of the beautiful service as the ordination. And, of course, robes were used in the ordination by the men who were doing the ordaining. Then, the next thing it showed something about the woman. She had taken off the robe and put slacks and was sitting at a table with a smoking crowd, and shuffling cards. It showed her sitting at the table playing cards. My dear friend, that's not positive living. That's negative. I don't think I would want to ask her advice about something of this world. I know nothing about her. I don't even know what they said her name is. I'm just reporting what I saw on the newscast. Be positive in appearance, in cleanliness, in speech, in
actions--in all ways. Keep your life on the positive said. II. BUILD AN INFLUENCE FOR RIGHTEOUSNESS Don't be blind to the power of influence. Don't be stubborn about your way. You have an influence. Lady, you've got an influence! Mother, you have an influence! Young people, you have an influence! You may disregard all that and say, "So who cares? What's the difference? I don't care." You can't do that. Build an influence for righteousness until people know you are living for God, that you are on God's side. No one has to explain it. You don't have to say a word. They know what you are. Don't be stubborn about your way. Now, consider the matter of modesty in your influence. Which way do you direct people? Towards Heaven or toward Hell? No one lives to himself, and no one dies to himself. All people have an influence. Every man, woman and child had an influence. You have an influence of some kind, so you have to exercise care. Consider modesty and your influence. It is showing forth Christ? Do people see Jesus in you as you daily walk and talk among men? Consider this matter. Build an influence for righteousness. Again, consider modesty and peace of mind. You say, "But Brother Roberson. I have no questions about this." Yes, you do have questions. That's the reason you dodge me, and I'm just a little insignificant Baptist preacher. That's the reason you have come to the office and apologized when you sit before my desk and say, "I shouldn't wear clothes like this." That's the reason you are self-conscious. Build peace of heart and righteousness in your life. Consider modesty and peace of mind. To be carnally minded is death. To be fleshly minded is death. This is the Word of God. Have an untroubled mind about it. Live in such a way that you are untroubled. Some of you dear women here tonight, you wouldn't wear pants to church, but you wear them outside. What's wrong? Do you see what I'm getting at? You say, "Well, I don't know. I don't wear them on Sunday. I wouldn't wear them to church." Why? Why not? It they are decent for Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, they would be decent on Sunday, too. You see, you confess that it's wrong when you have a troubled mind about it. Have peace of mind and heart about the way you dress, the way you act, the way you talk. In Luke 8 is the story of the insane man. He was wild, and the Bible says he wore no clothing. Jesus met with him and gave healing to him and sanity to his mind. And the Bible says very plainly that he out on clothes, that he was clothed and in his right mind. Interesting statement, isn't it? Clothed and in his right mind is the account given in Luke 8. Modesty and peace of mind. Then again, consider modesty and soul winning. You waited for me to get to that, didn't you? "...Destroy not him with thy meat, for whom Christ died" (Romans 14:15). Modesty and soul winning! Your life must be right to be a soul winner. A Christian is a failure who does not try to win souls, and to win souls the appearance and actions must be right. Not many souls are won, excuse me, by a smoking man or woman, and I'm not on that theme tonight. Not many. Not many souls are won dance floors. Have you ever heard of one? No. Yet, some Christians say, "There's nothing wrong in dancing." But try to win a soul on a dance floor. Try to win a soul when you compromise the matter of modesty and turn away from that which is right and honest in the sight of God. I do not want someone to fall into Hell because of my life. I would rather be somewhat strange to the world outside if I could just make sure that I was not causing someone to got to the wrong direction. This should be true of all of you mothers here tonight, all you housewives, all you people in business offices. With your children, with young people around you, with all people around you, it should be true that you are living so none of them would be sent to Hell or caused to go to Hell because of stumbling over you. You cannot help others and walk in the world. The direction of this world is down. When you follow the world, you are going down. Live so that you can take others with you into the presence of the eternal God. Immodesty affects the consecration of life. Immodesty affects the
prayer life. Immodesty affects the witnessing power of the individual. Build
up your faith in Christ. Build it by your walk with Him day by day. Paul kept
talking about the walk, the Christian walk. Walk so that others may see Christ
in you. III. EXALT THE CHRIST WHO DIED FOR YOU The saved person desires to please Christ. Now, you can easily find out what it is. There's no question about that. You can know the thing that would please Him. We are citizens of another world, and we must exalt the Christ who saved us. We are followers of the Son of God, and we shouldn't want anything that might take away from His glory, that might cause someone to doubt our sincerity, our profession of faith and our position as a Christian in this world. We have got to avoid it all. This is for young men as well as young ladies; this is for men and women--all people. You have to determine, "This is the life that I want to live." Exalt the Christ who died for you, avoiding everything that tends to exalt Satan. First, discipline your life. Many temptations all around us, but we can overcome. Control this life. By the indwelling Spirit of God, do that which is right. By the Word of God, by the instruction of this Book, do that which God would have you do. Discipline your life. Don't expect someone else to tell you. I don't have to. It's not necessary for a pastor to do it. And I haven't done it up to now. I've said very, very little about the things I'm saying tonight, but you have known my position. Discipline your life! Secondly, refuse to follow the world's fashion. Be decent. Be clean. Live a separated life. Don't be afraid to be different from the world. It will help you. If you get identified as being a "goodie goodie," that's not going to be bad. That's better then what some people might say about you. If somebody says, "Your just an old-fashioned mother," that's not too bad. As they say to our young people here, "Oh, your too straight-laced. You kids of Highland Park and Tennessee Temple are so and so." You stand your ground and take it. I love folks who have something inside that will make them stand. Young people, get it! You hold on to what we teach your for four years at Tennessee Temple Schools to the end of your life. A young lady finished up here last spring. She had spent four years with us. We had the graduation exercise downtown in the City Auditorium. She came by car out of her dormitory, changed the clothing that she had been wearing at the school, (the kind that young people should wear) changed to a dirty pair of men's pants. At Sambo's restaurant a number of students saw her. "Well, I've finished! I've graduated! I can live as I please!" Do you know what happened to us? We threw away four years on that girl. We lost it! We didn't help her a bit! You young people who walk out of here and go back to your home and go back to the same old way of living--we haven't done a thing for you. We've hurt you. We've given you a weakness of character. God help you! Be strong. I don't care what they believe at home! I don't care how they act at home! You are to be righteous in the sight of God and you must refuse to follow the world's fashions. I dress a certain way, and I've done it all my life for certain reasons. First of all, it pleases me. Second, it doesn't cost much. Third, I'm safe in doing it. So i don't vary much. I just dress the same way all the time. Refuse to follow the world's fashions, but say, "O God, let me live a separate life, a life that will show forth Christ." Then, number three, sell out to God. Complete dedication. Everything for the glory of God. "For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps:" --1st Peter 2:21 Life is not made up of just big things. It is made up of little things too. In fact, life is made up of a series of small things, of habits, of decisions, or actions, of words spoken from time to time. So you have got to say, "O God help me to so live that I'm walking after Christ and selling out to God; that God has full control in my life; that He is in full control of all that I have." Sell out to God. I was reading a beautiful story the other day about Arturo Toscanini. On his 8th birthday someone said to his son, "On this auspicious day, tell me, what do you think your father would consider the biggest thing he had ever done? His greatest accomplishment, his greatest achievement--what do you think that might be?" The son quickly answered, "My father considers the greatest thing that he has ever done, what he is doing right now. If he is directing a symphony, that's the greatest thing. If he is pealing an orange, he does it the best he can. He will do his best at anything he starts out to do." Did you know that there's virtue to that? Every single day do you best in the thing that God has given you: in your talk, by the way you walk, by the way you dress, by the way you appear before others. There's something of consistency, something of a solid foundation that exemplifies Christ. Big things, little things--all things. A young lady said to me, "Being a Christian has nothing to do with how I dress." But, my friend, it does have something to do with how you dress. Now, you are a child of God by faith in Christ. You are saved by faith. You are saved by the grace of God. That is settled. But letting people on the outside know what you have in inside is important. They have got to see Christ in you day by day. Being a Christian calls for a man's best. Everything he does should glorify God--how he walks, how he talks, how he dresses, how he appears to every man. The wearing of correct things, the doing of correct things, the exemplifying of Christ in the life of both young and old should be a definite thing. You should want to do your best. Paul says, "If meat causes my brother to offend or stumble, I will not eat no meat. I will give up those things in my life that might hinder. I will be what God would have me be. I want my life to show forth Jesus Christ." What is modesty? I gave the definition a moment ago. We have tried to enlarge somewhat upon this so we can see and understand what God wants for us. I'm not trying to make you into something strange according to the world and according to man. Not at all. I'm trying to make you what God wants you to be--a quite, dedicated, consecrated, separated Christian so that others can see and know what you are and understand it without explanation. So they will know you are not joining with the world's crowd. So they will know you are walking with God's crowd. So many strange, interesting things happen. A preacher the other day was embarrassed that his wife was wearing pants. But, he should have been man enough to make her wear what she ought to wear. I blame you men for half of it. Do you know what he did? he got on the airplane ahead of her. Then, she got on later like she was stranger. Huh? She was wearing the wrong kind of clothing and he didn't want me to see it. That's a strange thing. My friend, God sees and knows all of it. God understands these lives of ours, and he wants to help us be what he wants us to be. Time is short. God says this is the time to live for Him. This is the time to say, "O God, I surrender my life to Thee." This is the time, young people, to say, "Once and for all, for the rest of my days, I care not what may happen or where I may go, Christ will have first place. All of my days, as long as I live, I'll be on the side of Jesus. I'll not change at vacation time, in school time, at home, or away. I'll be the same everywhere. I'll be a consistent child of God living for Christ, for the time is short." We know not what a day may bring forth. You don't know what is going to happen tomorrow. Do what God says tonight. I don't know what is going to happen in the morning. Do what God says right now. You are here right now. You are in this spot when you can respond and say, "O God, I give myself to Thee." Sinner friend, will you say, "I come to Christ. I take Him as my Saviour"? Those who should come by letter or statement, and those who should come for rededication of life should come now. Give yourself to the Lord now. This is the time. God's time is now. Nancy Wilkey was swimming in a swimming pool. She decided to go toward the deep end of the pool. She got to the rope that was separating the shallow, safe portion of the pool from the deep portion. When she came to the rope she grabbed hold of it. She was not a very good swimmer, so she grabbed hold of the rope, expecting it to hold her up, even in the deep water. But when she touched the rope, it gave way. Down it went, and she went down deep into the water. She came up screaming for help and waving her arms, asking for help, screaming for it. But her fiends on the other side of the pool looked and said, "She's having fun. She is making fun of us. She's just cutting up." But the woman lifeguard was was standing nearby discovered she wasn't, so she jumped in and grabbed the girl and pulled her out to safety. When she got her back to the bank, the girl was almost dead. They began using artificial respiration. For an hour and a half they worked. Her breathing stopped altogether seven times. Finally after a long hour and a half of just pressing and working doing all they could, she began to breathe normally. A little latter little Nancy Wilkey was sitting at the table with some of her friends and drinking a glass of milk. As she sat there, she said, "Boy, it sure doesn't take very long to die, does it?" My friend, it doesn't. David said, "...There is but a step between me and death." There's less than a step--just the beat of your heart and it's all over. I know that and you know that. Then I beseech you tonight to do what God says and to take your stand for Christ tonight. If God has spoken to your heart by this message, I want you to come to Christ. Sinner friend, come to Christ. Christian friend, come to Christ. What about tomorrow? Just a flash and it's all over. "What is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away." Do what God says, and do it now. Amen. |
