Tag Archives: Idolatry

A Violent Assault Against the Majesty and Glory of God

01 Wednesday Oct 2014

Posted by in Edification, Repentance, The Believing 21st Centruy American Woman, The Glory of God, The Nature of God, The Wrath of God

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , , , ,

“The LORD is a jealous and avenging God; the LORD is avenging and wrathful; the LORD takes vengeance on his adversaries and keeps wrath for his enemies” Nahum 1:2

“God does not take kindly to people who ignore Him; actually, He hates them (Psalm 5:5; 11:5). Ignoring God is a violent assault against the majesty and glory of who God is. It is wrong to pretend that God does not exist (Romans 1:18-32). It is an affront to God to pay no heed to His glorious holiness. It is a hostile thing in the eyes of God that men prefer to drown in the sewage pipes of human sin; rather than swim in the clean, refreshing ocean of the glory of God. For, God is jealous for His people; God is jealous for His glory (Exodus 20:5; 34:14). Truly, God hates all sin, and God is wrathful towards all sinners. As Nahum 1:2 says, “The LORD is a jealous and avenging God; the LORD is avenging and wrathful; the LORD takes vengeance on his adversaries and keeps wrath for his enemies” (Nahum 1:2).”

Walking in Newness of Life: Experiencing the Power of God in Resurrection by Identifying with Christ in His Death and Burial p. 41

Video

If It Is Soul-Destroying… It Is also Heart-Breaking.

20 Wednesday Aug 2014

Posted by in Boasting in Weaknesses, Edification, Encouragement, Exhortation, False Teachers, Reformed Theology, The Believing 21st Centruy American Woman

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , , , , , , , , ,

Wretched: Matt Chandler: Maybe this is why you are depressed.

I never thought about it – quite like this before – but, it is sooooo true: bad theology is really depressing. After all, anything that is soul-destroying is also heart-breaking. Todd Friel with his usual insightful candor, really powerful preaching from Matt Chandler, and a diagnostic for any Christian struggling with depression- this is a sound word about one of the many problems that result in the life of a  Christian that holds to bad doctrine (like the prosperity gospel), or listens to false teachers. Well worth the 5 minutes and 38 seconds needed to watch. .

WARNING: Some of the images on this clip are graphic and not recommended for the eyes of young children or weak stomached Arminian women.

10 Ways that Modesty Fulfills the Law of Love

21 Monday Jul 2014

Posted by in Boasting in Weaknesses, Chastity, Edification, Encouragement, Exhortation, The Believing 21st Centruy American Woman

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , , , , , , ,

10 Ways that Modesty Fulfills the Law of Love

Jesus said, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets” (Matthew 22:37-39). And, the Apostle James wrote, “If you really fulfill the royal law according to the Scripture, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself,” you are doing well” (James 2:8). This week we have been focusing on the issue of immodesty. It, therefore, seems only fitting to me to end the week focused on how being modest fulfills the royal law of love. But, before we can do that we need to know the definition of modesty. According to the Merriam Webster’s Online Dictionary, the definition of modesty is the quality of not being too proud or confident about yourself or your abilities: the quality of behaving and especially dressing in ways that do not attract sexual attention.With that in mind, here are 10 ways that practicing modesty fulfills the Royal Law of Love.

Also, I have listed supporting Scriptures after each statement. I have done this so that you can check them against the truth of God’s Word. If you feel as though I have gone beyond what is written please feel free to share that with me through the “What readers say about Boasting In Weakness” section of this blog.

1. It is loving towards God when we believe and obey His Word, in which He has clearly called us to practice humbleness of mind and humility’s subsequent fruit of modesty (Heb. 11:6; 2 Tim. 3:16-17; Phil. 2:1-5).

2. It is loving towards our sisters in Christ to practice modesty because it is a way that we communicate to them that we are their allies in life, not their rivals in life (Philippians 2:3; Colossians 3:12; See also the trial that living with a “rival” was for Hannah 1 Samuel 1: 1-11).

3. It is loving towards your brothers in Christ to practice modesty because it is a way that we aid them in their battle for holiness of heart and purity of thought life (1 Timothy 6:11; Hebrews 12:14; Romans 14:13).

4. It is loving towards your little sisters (daughters and other young girls) in Christ to practice modesty because it sets a Christ-like example for them to follow (Titus 2:3-6).

5. It is loving towards our little brothers (sons and other young boys) in Christ to practice modesty because it aids them in their godly pursuit to “…flee youthful passions and pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace, along with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart” (2 Timothy 2:22).

6. It is loving towards our husbands to practice modesty because it is one way that we keep our vows of faithfulness to them; honoring them with exclusive viewing rights to our bodies by not wearing clothes in public that are, by design, meant  to communicate a subtle invitation to bed. We should always remember that our vows to our husbands were oaths and promises that we made before God (Ecclesiastes 5:4-6).

7. It is loving towards our parents (where this applies) to practice modesty because it is one way that we honor them and show them respect (Proverbs 20:11; Exodus 20:12; Ephesians 6:1-2).

8. It is loving towards the lost world (the unregenerate) to practice modesty because it is one way that we use our outward behavior to substantiate the truth of the Word of God (Titus 2:5, 10).

9. It is loving towards ourselves to practice modesty because it is one way we can prepare our souls for a pleasant experience on judgment day when we give an account to God for all that we have done in our bodies, and said with our lips (Romans 2: 6-11; Hebrews 4:13; Revelation 20:11-15).

10. Most importantly, modesty is in and of itself an expression of love for the glory of God’s redeeming grace, which was shown to us in the cross of Christ:

a. Modesty of thought (i.e., a humble opinion of ourselves) results from a right understanding of how ugly the pride of our hearts really is that Christ had to endure the horrors of Roman crucifixion to atone for it (Matthew 27:32-56; 1 Corinthians 15:3-5).

b. Modesty in our behavior (i.e., a humble demeanor towards our family in Christ) results from understanding how incomprehensibly valuable the bride of Christ is to Him (1 Peter 1:17-21; 1 Timothy 3:15; Revelation 21:9-27).

c. Modesty in our dress (i.e., the humble beauty of an appropriate level of adornment) is the ‘wrapping paper’ of our souls. It is the first thing people see when they meet us; the last word on what we really think is valuable in our appearance, and we can use our clothing as a means to reveal our love for the glory of God’s redeeming grace if we want to use our clothes in this manner. Finally, we can use our clothing as a tool which draws the eyes of men to look away from our temporal, quickly fading physical beauty, and towards the eternal Christ-exalting meek and humble behavior of women who have been forever changed by God’s glorious grace as expressed in the cross of Christ (Proverbs 31:30; 1Corinthians 1:18; Ephesians 4:17-24; Titus 3:4-8). Therefore, in the words of Paul, “Whether, then, you eat or drink or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God” (1 Corinthians 10:31).

 

 

 

Destroying the Idolatry of Immodesty in Our Own Lives

17 Thursday Jul 2014

Posted by in Chastity, Edification, Encouragement, Exhortation, The Believing 21st Centruy American Woman

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , , , , ,

Proverbs 11:22 says, “Like a gold ring in a pig’s snout is a beautiful woman who shows no discretion.” It is from the plat-form of this verse that I share the following small compilation of web-based resources that can be helpful in destroying the practice of the idolatry of immodesty in our own lives.

More than any other modern theologian, I trust Dr. John Piper’s counsel, wisdom, and teaching, so it is only natural that I start with him. Here is a good article on the issue of Biblical modesty. Published in its written format November 19, 2007, this article is a good and appropriate word to help us think about this issue of Biblical modesty, and unbiblical immodesty in a God-honoring, Christ exalting way: Is Modesty an Issue in the Church Today? http://www.desiringgod.org/interviews/is-modesty-an-issue-in-the-church-today

Not to over do it on referencing Dr. Piper, but here is a link to a more recent Pod Cast from May 15, 2014.  Entitled Bikinis and Modesty this podcast addresses the heart of the issue of modesty; that is, it addresses how our modesty must be an outworking of our love for and understanding of God. I post this Ask Pastor John audio link because I think it is important to understand that Christian modesty must be a result of good theology. If it is not, it is just legalistic, self-righteous pharisaism, which God hates. And, based on the Lord’s interaction with the pharisees of His own earthly ministry, I  am pretty sure that He hates the attitude of pharisaism, at least as much, as He hates the immodesty of our American culture seeping into His church.Listen to Bikinis and Modesty http://www.desiringgod.org/interviews/bikinis-and-modesty.

The following is a link to Nancy Lee Demoss’s web sight Revive our Hearts. Here you will find multiple helpful resources on the topic of modesty. I love that Nancy Lee Demoss tells it like it is, and also, tells it like it should be. If you want to hear a word spoken in truth and in love to women- for women- from another woman, check this out. The summary paragraph for the web page that this link connects to reads:

“If you’ve got it, flaunt it.” is a familiar phrase to women these days. The world has some confused ideas about what it means to be a beautiful woman. As Christian women, our goal is to think, act, and dress to please God and to reflect His glory. We hope that these resources will help you understand that God’s first concern is not about your clothing, but about your relationship with Him. Read on to discover the beautiful sketch that the Master Designer had in mind when He made you.”

Good stuff, right? Here is the link to the Revive Our Hearts library page on Modesty: https://www.reviveourhearts.com/resource-library/topics/modesty/.

On the other hand, if you want a man’s mans word on the topic of modesty, here is a beautifully disturbing message by Pastor Al Martin of Trinity Baptist Church of Montville, New Jersey (now retired).  This sermon is a strong, clear, direct, convicting, and powerful word on the particulars of modesty in the house of God among professing Christian women. It was originally preached in a Sunday School class in February 2008, and since then, it was edited and uploaded to YouTube. I blushed my way through this sermon, and in truth , if trusted friends had not recommended it to me, I probably would not have finished watching it. But, in the end, I was glad I did. Before seeing this, I had never been moved to tears over the issue of immodest dress. Perhaps, this is because, before I saw this sermon- I had never truly caught a glimpse of the depths of the unholiness of immodest clothing, or the profound lack of Christian love that a woman of God displays when she dresses inappropriately for church. This is a good strong exhortation to do the right thing and honor God by dressing appropriately, and especially at church.

FYI: Brother Martin uses strong words; words I would not and do not use my self. No less, this is an honest and purifying sermon; one that can both disturb and refine the heart of any man or woman who takes the time to listen to it. I say that it will affect the consciences of men for two reasons. First, I say this because Brother Martin puts the burden of proof on men owning the reality that how a woman dresses does effect a man’s thought life. Secondly, I say this because he gives a call to the men of God to “man-up” (so to speak- my words, not his) and set the standard of purity high in his own home: with his own wife and his own daughters.  In truth, I think that if this video was played in most modern American evangelical churches this Sunday, there would be an “early harvest sorting between the wheat and the tares” (Matthew 13:24-30). This video is emphatically not for the light stomached, easily offended type; but for the earnest, humble hearted believer that senses God calling her to a deeper expression of Biblical modesty .

 

 

The Idolatry of Immodesty

15 Tuesday Jul 2014

Posted by in Chastity, Edification, Exhortation, The Believing 21st Centruy American Woman

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , , , , , , ,

The practice of immodesty is a form of modern American idolatry. However, it is so ingrained in our culture that we may not realize the spiritual ramifications of immodesty. Typically when I think of immodesty I think of issues regarding a “fabric to skin ratio” (if you know what I mean), but strictly speaking immodesty is having or showing an inflated opinion of oneself. With this concept in mind, it is easy to see that immodesty is not standard practice for the blood-bought, spirit-filled lover of Jesus. Obviously, the Biblical call for all believers is a call to modesty, lowliness of mind, and humility. But to say that immodesty is a form of idolatry? I mean isn’t that a little extreme?

I don’t think it’s over the top to say that immodesty is a form of idolatry. After all, idolatry- in its most distilled form- is nothing more than image worship; and through the medium of immodesty, the image being worshipped is self. The flashy ‘showing off’ of our possessions, the excessive efforts we make to look hot, and our obsession with beauty are all the daily sacrifices that we make at the altar of self-importance. Of course, we don’t call these practices sacrificial worship- we call them self-esteem, having a good self-image, and loving ourselves; all three of which are standard American ideals. None the less, whether we call our life-styles of immodesty self-worship or self-esteem, we reveal an attitude of excessive and unbiblical self-preoccupation.

It is likely that some people reading this do not agree with me. I mean, is it really morally wrong to have a good self-esteem? Well, obviously not- if our self-esteem is based on our union with Christ and rooted in our submission to the Gospel. But more practically speaking, is it wrong to like leopard prints, sequins, high-heels, and hoop earrings? Or, is ‘big hair’ ungodly? No, these things are not intrinsically wrong. We know this because the Lord Himself created the leopard with his spots and the lion with his fearsome golden mane. And we also know that ear-piercing is used in the Bible to symbolize the love that a bond-servant can have for his master; i.e., the love that believers have for God (Exodus 25:6). I totally understand why some people would not agree with me, why they think that I was a little over the top to say that immodesty is idolatrous. But, I would challenge those who do disagree with me, to think about the practice of immodesty in terms of motive, not so much in terms of manifestation. Perhaps then, they will see what I mean when I say that immodesty is a form of idolatry.

What makes immodesty idolatrous is our desire to turn the eyes of man, to gain the approval and affections of people, to divert the attention of our fellow creatures from God- to ourselves. Bottom line: what makes immodesty so bad is our obsession with our own glory; our passion for receiving praise for ourselves. As followers of Christ we are called to flee idolatry (1 Corinthians 10:14), this includes self-worship. We are called to hate even the clothes that are stained by the corrupted flesh (Jude 1:23); we are called to “…flee youthful passions and pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace, along with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart” (2 Timothy 2:22). Believers are commanded to do all things for the glory of God (1 Corinthians 10:31). We are called to humble ourselves; we are called to practice modesty (1 Timothy 2:9, 1 Peter 3:8, 5:6; James 4:10). Therefore, let us flee the idolatry of immodesty and, let us remember the exhortation of Scripture, which says, “Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body” (1 Corinthians 6: 19-20).

Later this week on the topic of Immodesty:
Wednesday Jackie’s Testimony: The Wonder Working Power of the Blood. One woman shares her story of the power of God to deliver her from her soul-destroying addiction to “getting the attention of others” by dressing and living with intentional immodestly.
Thursday  A compilation of web-based resources that can be helpful in destroying the idolatry of immodesty in our own lives.
Friday  My review of a helpful resource regarding modesty and purity of appearance.
Saturday The Charity of Chastity: How practicing modesty and chastity in our appearance is a way to fulfill the royal law of love.