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Some have argued for nudity by saying, "After all, did not God create Adam and Eve in their 'birthday suits'?" Such people ignore Genesis 3:7 where Adam and Eve sinned against God. Their sin caused them so much shame that they covered themselves. When God found them hiding from Him because of their sin, "the Lord God made tunics of skin, and clothed them" (verse 21). The clothing that God made for them was of a far finer quality than the fig leaves they used. Obviously, God had intended to clothe them all along, but as long as they were alone as man and wife, there was no shame in their nakedness. Paul argues in Hebrews 13:4 that "Marriage is honorable among all, and the [marriage] bed undefiled," meaning the sexual relationship between spouses is pure and approved by God. Yet Leviticus 18 is clear that seeing another's nakedness outside the marriage bond is a perversion. When Jesus cast a legion of demons out of a man, he was later found "clothed" (Mark 5:15). Apparently, the demons had caused the man to rip off his clothes, or they had been shredded by his violent behavior. Demons are bent on defiling and degrading mankind, and lewdness is one of their methods. Satan encourages perversion in dress. For example, notice the weird clothing and adornment worn by the more perverted entertainers today. Isaiah prophesies that degenerate styles will be common among Israelites at the end time (Isaiah 3:16-23). With the constant influences from this world's styles and pornography, our society is losing its sense of decency. Many teenagers and young adults today try to copy the immodesty of the entertainers they admire. The result is that they increasingly look like prostitutes, pimps, and gang members! In contrast to this world's idea of acceptable dress—or its lack—Peter instructs us in the godly principle of modesty in dress. I Peter 3:3-4 speaks specifically to married women. "Do not let your beauty be that outward adorning of arranging the hair, of wearing gold, or of putting on fine apparel; but let it be the hidden person of the heart, with the incorruptible ornament of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is very precious in the sight of God." Paul concurs, "Women [should] adorn themselves in modest apparel, with propriety and moderation, not with braided hair or gold or pearls or costly clothing, but which is proper for women professing godliness, with good works" (I Timothy 2:9-10). The image he describes is a woman clothed in humility. No humility is found in immodest dress, lewdness, or pornography. Those who expose their bodies to the world reveal their arrogance and vanity. The principle is the same for men as for women, that is, men, too, should be clothed in humility. In the incident when Noah's sons saw him naked (Genesis 9:21-27), the lack of clothing was considered shameful. Deuteronomy 22:5 instructs that neither men nor women should wear clothing pertaining to the other sex. Even in this decadent society, the majority of people think that cross-dressing is perverted. Such a thing blurs gender roles and mocks God's creative sovereignty over us. The apostle Paul writes that we should avoid anything that even appears to be evil (I Thessalonians 5:21-22). This includes our attire. We are not our own to do with as we desire, "For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God's" (I Corinthians 6:20). Modesty in dress is an outward sign that we value God's way of life.
Martin G. Collins
The Writing of Prostitutes
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