Holiness part c
What is holiness?
A. Holy = Free from sin, immaculate, consecrated, sacred.
B. Holiness is internal conviction with spiritual and physical results.
Modesty and how it applies to the Christian.
A. Modest = Restrained by a sense of propriety: bashful; different;
chaste; moderate; not excessive.
1. Modesty applied to the Christians life is in a sense, restraint
and or moderation in the way we act, think, dress, and live.
2. Excess in any area of the Christians life can be potentially
harmful.
a. There are many areas where excess can be harmful.
b. A few of these areas are, social, physical, recreational,
and even religious.
c. As an example, social events can cause someone to put
events before God. Excessive physical activity, over
eating, being more concerned of the flesh than the spirit.
Also being unbalanced in our devotion of time,
recreationally or even in our time given to the church.
d. The key is balance in all areas of our life.
"Modesty, in a classical sense, means living within limits." Mark Rutland Hanging by a thread, Page 85
1. If modesty means "living within limits", who defines the limits?
2. If "limits" are defined by the individual then wouldn't there be confusion as to how every individual applies "limits"? Therefore there would be as many diverse applications of limits as there are no two people who have fingerprints alike.
3. I believe scriptural principles should be the source of our
convictions.
4. "Limits" can be applied through respect of an adherence to the Word of God.
5. Personal interpretation, or understanding can be dangerous. We
should seek Godly counsel and direction in these areas.
It wasn't until the mid and late 1900'S, that women's and men's clothing, and hairstyles were challenged by society. Up until that time there was no real desire in society to narrow the differences. I believe these differences were magnified by the rebellious "sixties" generation of "hippies". Or in other words, the sixties generation challenged all authority, and rarely submitted to authority.
What about fashions?
A. Care should be given to cautiously considering the "fads" and "fashions" that affect us.
1. Popularity drives fads. The desire to look like others is sometimes overwhelming.
2. At times fashions come from popular secular movies, musical groups, TV shows, etc..
3. Caution should be given to acceptance of these fashions.
B. Balance is important when deciding what is good and bad, and how we apply these things to our lives.
Holiness found in "Genesis".
A. Gen. 1:11, God spoke to the earth and created plants and trees, etc.
B. Gen. 1:20, God spoke to the waters and they brought forth fish of every kind.
C. Gen. 1:26, God spoke and said "Let us make man in our image, after our likeness, etc.
D. Take the plants out of the earth and they die.
Take the fish out of the sea and they also die.
Take man out of the image of God and they also die.
E. If for no other reason, we need to live holy because He is holy.
The issue of submission is one of gross misunderstanding. Submission is not slavery, it is an act of preferring another before one-self.
A. A perfect act of submission is found in the life of John the Baptist. He said "He must increase, I must decrease". John understood submission. He placed himself in subjection to one greater than himself.
B. Another act of submission can be found in the life of Jesus, He submitted to the cross even though He could have called ten
thousand angels.
1 Peter 3:3-5
A. Sarah obeyed Abraham. She seems to have lead a quiet, submissive life. She adorned herself with her husband in mind.
B. The church is the bride of Christ, shouldn't she adorn herself for her husband?
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