There is a deep-seated hatred for God and His law in the heart of every lost man. It is for this reason that “those who are in the flesh cannot please God. ” In the religious man this enmity is often well hidden, but under the right circumstances it will lash out viciously.
– Charles Leiter
Christ Alone Wyoming 
I am looking for an old friend named Nate Bingham. We were once associated with the Navigators. Can you help me find him. I see he may have contributed to this site.
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Scott, have you tried here? http://nwbingham.com/
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Very good article overall. I would add that the younger women are no longer being taught by the older women how to be modest. It is not the job of men to teach their daughters or wives how to dress. Rather this is a sacred duty that should be passed down from godly women to other godly women.
In addition, I have noticed how dressing casually, and immodestly in many cases, has crept into the Evangelical Protestant churches. This past Lord’s Day I first went to worship in the Divine Liturgy at my Orthodox parish. Both the men and women of the parish recognize the sacredness of worship as the Body of Christ gathers corporately. I don’t see jeans, t-shirts, sandals, shorts, or any common clothing that would be worn around the house or garden. The attitude I have as an Orthdox Christian, and that which most Orthodox Christians are taught, is that the gathering of the Church in worship is to be done with awe, honor and respect toward God and the brothers and sisters present there. We are to dress as if we were going to visit a dignitary or viceroy or ambassador, because in reality, we are meeting with and worshipping the King of Kings, Jesus Christ. My/our dress should be modest and conservative, not flashy, and not something that would cause others to focus on me rather than Christ.
After attending Divine Liturgy, I went to meet my husband at his church, an Evangelical Free denomination. As I walked into the worship area, with head covered and wearing conservative clothing, I felt out of place. The theme of the day was to be casual, as if one were going to a picnic. Women in shorts, men and women in jeans, t-shirts, whatever would be acceptable for a barbeque. It seems the Evangelical ethos is, “God looks upon the heart and therefore He doesn’t care about my clothing. If you do, that’s YOUR problem.” I just don’t understand this kind of mindset.
Sad to say, I think immorality will only continue to flourish and those who do not go along with the latest trends will be perceived as weirdos. Perhaps we really are in the last part of the Last Days. Of course, there have been very wicked societies in the past that flagrantly practiced licentiousness and debauchery. Then there were the Victorian Eras in which modesty was imprinted into the particular view of that society. Who can really say how close we are to the Eschaton?
One thing all committed Christians should be convinced of and that is Christ our Lord wants us to be conformed into His image. We are to live inwardly and outwardly as icons of Christ so that His light shines through us in the midst of the darkness that surrounds us. As partakers of the divine nature, we are to escape the corruption that is in the world. Being “in Christ” means that there is really and truly an inward change within the heart. That inward change produces a transformation in our thinking, in our manner of living, in all aspects of our lives. In presenting our bodies as living sacrifices, we are to become mindful that holy entails a transformation in the complete person. Ascesis, of which mortification of the flesh is a part, should be part of our worship toward God. Many of the Puritans of old, such as John Owen, understood this practice.
The rallying cry among so many Christians today is FREEDOM, but it is a false freedom in which there is little to no sacrifice for Christ, and where doing anything to work out one’s salvation with fear and trembling is considered “works” and unnecessary. Salvation is a done deal and therefore nothing needs to be done to live in holiness for even holiness is a done deal and not something that one must practice and LIVE each day. Holy Scripture teaches us that there are, in fact, things that we must DO to confirm our call and election. “Since we have these promiises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from every defilement of body and spirit, and make holiness perfect in the fear of God.” “Strive for peace with all men, and for the holiness without which no one will see the Lord.”
And in case I become too puffed up with pride, Lord Jesus, have mercy on me, a sinner!
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Dear Darlene:
I think you intended for this comment to be on a different post. You may want to copy and paste it on the post you intended. Once done, one of the editors can delete your comment from this post.
– Pilgrim
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