True Woman - Affirming our Faith

Affirming Our Faith

You don’t leave the house with your clothes on inside out, but when it comes to modesty, that’s what you need to do. First, work on the inside—on your heart—then let that be reflected on the outside.*

• Your appearance, actions, and attitudes will never make you a Christian. But if you are a Christian, you absolutely will have an appearance, attitudes, and actions that confirm your profession of faith.
• We are not to be in any way that is unbecoming of us as believers—not in disarray; not as exhibitionists; not extreme.
• We need be filled with the Spirit and grounded in the Word of God so that our hearts, emotions, and minds will be well-ordered; then it will be reflected in our outward appearances.

And so we continue study about becoming better women for God. :) Nancy's whole lesson can be found here.

1 Timothy 2 reads as follows, I have highlighted verses 9-10:

1First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, 2 for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way. 3This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior, 4who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. 5For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, 6 who gave himself as a ransom for all, which is the testimony given at the proper time. 7 For this I was appointed a preacher and an apostle ( I am telling the truth, I am not lying), a teacher of the Gentiles in faith and truth.

8I desire then that in every place the men should pray, lifting holy hands without anger or quarreling; 9likewise also that women should adorn themselves in respectable apparel, with modesty and self-control, not with braided hair and gold or pearls or costly attire, 10 but with what is proper for women who profess godliness—with good works. 11Let a woman learn quietly with all submissiveness. 12 I do not permit a woman to teach or to exercise authority over a man; rather, she is to remain quiet. 13 For Adam was formed first, then Eve; 14and Adam was not deceived, but the woman was deceived and became a transgressor. 15Yet she will be saved through childbearing—if they continue in faith and love and holiness, with self-control.

Nancy goes into the word meanings of some of the original words used here.

The word adorn, kosmeo, is a word that means "to put in proper order." It's used of decorating a house, of arranging furniture, of trimming oil lamps in the New Testament culture: "to put in proper order, to arrange, to decorate." It means "to make ready."

and then later..

Now, that word apparel is the word katastole. It is a word that speaks of loose-draped garments. Without belaboring the point here, I think it goes along with the concept of what is modest dress. That's dress that is not form-fitting or tight-fitting on us as women. This is a word that speaks of something that is loosely-fitted.

and then:

We are to be in respectable apparel, to adorn ourselves in respectable apparel. That's the word kosmios. It's a word that means "orderly" or "decent." John MacArthur says that word is the opposite of chaos.

Now doesn't that give a better idea about how we are to be dressed for church worship? Giving thought to our appearance and how it reflects on us and God?

When you go to be with the people of God, when you go to church, are you prepared? Are you appropriately attired? Have you arranged yourself in a way that reflects well on the Lord?