Wrapping things up!
We are getting ready finish up our discussions on modesty for the time being, but much of the principles we discussed previously will still apply as we continue with our next topic, whatever that may be. That is because we will always need to reject worldly wisdom and motivations if we desire to please the Lord.
Here is another scripture that applies to this discussion, and beyond.
In this discussion, we have recognized and maintained that God is primarily concerned with our hearts, and because right actions must spring from our hearts to really please the Lord, you could practically say that is the only thing he is concerned with. I haven't really investigated that fully, but I would ask is there a thing that God has told us to do that we can do apart from a heart of love and a desire to please him, and merely doing, even without right motives, it would be good enough for God? ( I am mostly thinking of 1 Corinthians 13 here -- what do you think?)
However.... so it's heart, heart, heart. But even so, it would be wrong to conclude that there will be no outward demonstration of what is in our hearts. James is speaking of living our religion. James tells us "Faith without works is dead."
We have seen the scriptural warnings about worldliness and loving the world, and here in James we see the need to keep ourselves "unspotted from the world." As disciples of the Lord, it is up to us to understand and obey this command. In every area of life, our growing desire must be to press on and know the mind of the Lord, not merely be content to let things stay static in our understanding.
How instructive and useful Paul's aspirations are to us in this discussion,
Learning from Paul, we see that our desire for ourselves as disciples, and for our children as well, is to never rest content in our relationship with him. Not that we perpetually seek to earn our salvation, but as Paul said, we know there is more to attain in our knowledge of him, and that he has granted us the ability to grow in our knowledge of him, finding out what pleases the Lord (Eph 5:10, 17).
We must never be content, for example, to just "become Amish" and follow human rules and traditions (which is what most Amish actually do, for all their apparent modesty; ask one!), but to press on in Christ, to keep hungering and thirsting for righteousness and holiness "without which no man will see the Lord," motivated by faith, for "when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?"
So the root of what we have to learn about modesty is fairly entwined with every other area of christian growth. And all of these areas have corresponding lies from the world which have been pounded into our minds, seeking to "spot" us (James 1:27).
May this discussion encourage us all to seek the Lord in his word, be transformed by the renewing of our minds in his word, and demonstrate the fruit of the gospel at work in our hearts.
Here is another scripture that applies to this discussion, and beyond.
Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world. James 1:27
In this discussion, we have recognized and maintained that God is primarily concerned with our hearts, and because right actions must spring from our hearts to really please the Lord, you could practically say that is the only thing he is concerned with. I haven't really investigated that fully, but I would ask is there a thing that God has told us to do that we can do apart from a heart of love and a desire to please him, and merely doing, even without right motives, it would be good enough for God? ( I am mostly thinking of 1 Corinthians 13 here -- what do you think?)
However.... so it's heart, heart, heart. But even so, it would be wrong to conclude that there will be no outward demonstration of what is in our hearts. James is speaking of living our religion. James tells us "Faith without works is dead."
We have seen the scriptural warnings about worldliness and loving the world, and here in James we see the need to keep ourselves "unspotted from the world." As disciples of the Lord, it is up to us to understand and obey this command. In every area of life, our growing desire must be to press on and know the mind of the Lord, not merely be content to let things stay static in our understanding.
How instructive and useful Paul's aspirations are to us in this discussion,
But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ.
Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss
for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord:
for whom I have suffered the loss of all things,
and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ,
And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness,
which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ,
the righteousness which is of God by faith:
That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection,
and the fellowship of his sufferings,
being made conformable unto his death;
If by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead.
Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect:
but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that
for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus.
Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended:
but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind,
and reaching forth unto those things which are before,
I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.
Let us therefore, as many as be perfect, be thus minded:
and if in any thing ye be otherwise minded,
God shall reveal even this unto you.
Phil 3:7:15
Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss
for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord:
for whom I have suffered the loss of all things,
and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ,
And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness,
which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ,
the righteousness which is of God by faith:
That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection,
and the fellowship of his sufferings,
being made conformable unto his death;
If by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead.
Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect:
but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that
for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus.
Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended:
but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind,
and reaching forth unto those things which are before,
I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.
Let us therefore, as many as be perfect, be thus minded:
and if in any thing ye be otherwise minded,
God shall reveal even this unto you.
Phil 3:7:15
Learning from Paul, we see that our desire for ourselves as disciples, and for our children as well, is to never rest content in our relationship with him. Not that we perpetually seek to earn our salvation, but as Paul said, we know there is more to attain in our knowledge of him, and that he has granted us the ability to grow in our knowledge of him, finding out what pleases the Lord (Eph 5:10, 17).
We must never be content, for example, to just "become Amish" and follow human rules and traditions (which is what most Amish actually do, for all their apparent modesty; ask one!), but to press on in Christ, to keep hungering and thirsting for righteousness and holiness "without which no man will see the Lord," motivated by faith, for "when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?"
So the root of what we have to learn about modesty is fairly entwined with every other area of christian growth. And all of these areas have corresponding lies from the world which have been pounded into our minds, seeking to "spot" us (James 1:27).
May this discussion encourage us all to seek the Lord in his word, be transformed by the renewing of our minds in his word, and demonstrate the fruit of the gospel at work in our hearts.
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