Modesty and Purity.

As Christians, we are ambassadors. We represent a foreign land. This is extremely important for us to remember in our day to day life. Our conduct before the world could literally determine whether or not someone will be exposed to the Gospel of Jesus Christ. We declare hope to a lost and dying world, that is God’s will. Sometimes what we see as the most trivial of matters (such as clothing and dress standards) can have a tremendous impact on those around us. I do not write this as if modesty and purity are simple matters -- for they are not. But they are indeed worthwhile and Godly pursuits.

Reasons not to dress modestly:

To show those that are lost how holy you are.
We as a whole are a fallen people. Our natural tendencies are to be prideful and arrogant. As Christian ladies, we must defend against pride. If we dress differently simply for the sake of being different, we are in vain. If we want to dress differently merely to stand out, we are not humble. If anything for God is done out of show for others, we have our reward. If public notice is our goal, we may as well wear nothing.

To impress other Christians.
Dressing modestly and desiring to lead a pure life is a conviction given from God to those that are born again. Nothing should be done simply because a certain preachers wife wrote about it, or because a fellow church member does it, or even because of this article. All things we do for God should be lead by Him, and impressed upon us by Him. The goal of modesty and purity is to please God, not other Christians.

To have a better standing with God.
It is extremely easy to try and show God lists of all of the good things we do. We try to make ourselves feel better by showing Him all of our accomplishments and our standards… But God sees the whole of our hearts. He knows our darkest secrets and our most disgusting sins. A pure life is pursued out of love and humility towards God. If we try to have high standards simply to impress God, it will not do. All of our righteousness is all together vanity to Him.


Reasons to dress modestly:

For those around you.
We as Christians have an obligation to express to those around us that we are saved by the grace of God. It needs to be obvious which team we are on. When a lost person looks at a Christian lady, they should know that something is different. They should see Jesus Christ, and not the world. In many situations, we are the only “Jesus” a person may see. The witness and Godly influence that is cast on others by a modest and chaste lifestyle is an overwhelming reason to be such. Be modest for the sake of others.

For your future spouse:
To be immodest and unchaste in your daily life leaves you overexposed, lewd, and with little respect from others. This robs marriage of it’s sanctification and beauty. Your future spouse is worth a sacrifice. If your body is shared with everyone, you are left with very little that is special and reserved for your husband. Marriage is beautiful, it is holy, and it is one of the sweetest things this life can offer…It should not be undermined by a lack of virtue.

Mainly, above all, for God:
Jesus Christ loves His children with a love that is beyond all comprehension. He cares deeply for His own, and He knows what we need to be told and reminded. God’s word commands that women dress modestly, and not without reason. God knows our innermost heart and He knows what will cause us to stumble and fall to sin. The God who saved you is worth every last sacrifice you can offer Him. Be willing to be different for His sake. To fight against God and to see how far you can skew His word is a grave error. Hold nothing of yourself back from God.


Modesty and purity can be intimidating subjects for the Christian lady to think about. They are not traits found in us naturally. Purity is the opposite of what our flesh seeks out. But with God nothing is impossible -- nothing. He can take the lowest of women and dress her in jewels. The most polluted can wear a white robe. The Blood of Jesus Christ allows us to be pure and holy women of God…let’s embrace it.

-Deborah Newby