First Timothy for the life..

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com. That's cornerstonerbc.com. So welcome to our Wednesday night Bible study. We're continuing in the book of 1 Timothy, Paul's letter to his son in the Lord, Timothy.

And we're in chapter 2. So let's open our Bibles and we'll read chapter 2. Our verse this evening that we'll be concentrating our efforts on and meditating upon will be actually verse 9. It'll only be the first portion of verse 9, and by the grace of God, we'll continue the end of 9 and probably even 10 next week. But this week, we'll concentrate on the first part of verse 9.

But we'll read from verses 1 through the end of the chapter for context. and then may the Lord bless his word for us this evening. So if you have your Bibles open, 1 Timothy 2 1. First of all then, I urge that supplication, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people, for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way. This is good and it is pleasing in the sight of God, our Saviour, who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.

For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all, which is the testimony given at the proper time. 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. I desire that in every place the men should pray, lifting up holy hands without anger or quarrelling Likewise, also, that women should adorn themselves in respectable apparel, with modesty and self-control, not with braided hair and gold and pearls or costly attire, but with what is proper for women who profess godliness with good works. Let a woman learn quietly, with all submissiveness, I do not permit a woman to teach or to exercise authority over a man, rather she is to remain quiet.

For Adam was formed first, then Eve, and Adam was not deceived, but the woman was deceived and became a transgressor. Yet she will be saved through childbearing if they continue in faith. and in love and holiness with self control. Amen. And this is the word of the Lord.

Well, this evening we have a very, very interesting topic before us, and it is going to be the topic of modesty. And it is directed mainly, Paul directs this topic mainly at the women of the church. Providentially we're at this verse and so we'll go into it and we'll explain it by the grace of God. We trust the Lord. We bless His word to our to our gathering, but it is a topic that can be somewhat uncomfortable to listen to, and it may be even uncomfortable to speak of.

It's not something you're always comfortable speaking of. Modesty, and what is modesty? What is biblical modesty? And so I trust that the ladies among us, the women among us, our sisters, would take this from a gentle heart and trust that the Lord will bless us. this evening and please know from the very beginning that this is not directed at anyone or any person in our congregation.

I am grateful to God that from what I can see that we don't have a concern as of yet with this but if the Lord wills and we do grow it is important that now as we address this passage and especially that the recording it's been recorded that the Lord will use this for us and bless us and it would be a resource to us so we'll attack this passage biblically and we'll trust that the Lord will But I'm going to make a statement. I'm going to start the evening with a statement. I'm fairly certain that everyone in this room would be in agreeance to this statement, and that is that we live in a time and an age and in a world that is completely confused when it comes to gender. and gender roles. The confusion is so deep that people in our day, in our age, in the contemporary world we live in, are asking this question.

Is there really a difference between males and females? This is rank confusion. But that's what you get. That's what you get when you take the objective truth giver out of the equation and you replace him with man's own wisdom or as the Bible would call it, man's folly. This is why in our day and age that we find that people are pushing towards bringing in something they call a gender-neutral society, a civilization that knows nothing of the inherent essential distinctions between male and female.

Beloved, this is a rebellion. It's an assault at God's Word, and it's an assault at God Himself. The Bible tells us in Genesis chapter 1, He made them. God created male and female. He created them.

These categories, and these categories must never be blurred. God made male and female. distinct and yet different, yet He made them equal in His eyes. To acknowledge this is good and upright, and if the world doesn't acknowledge it, that's one thing, but this truth must be upheld in the Church of Jesus Christ. Beloved, contrary to the egalitarian culture, and that just means that it's a belief that everyone believes that everyone is equal, all roles are equal, they're all neutral.

The Bible teaches that we are not the same, but one complements the other. the other. So the distinctions and the differences between males and females is something to be celebrated in the Lord and it is good. And the Apostle Paul in 1st Timothy acknowledges this as he gives exclusive instruction first to the men and then to the women informing them of their roles and responsibilities within the church. Last week, our brother explained for us verse 8, and this week we'll concentrate our efforts on the first part of verse 9, where the Apostle Paul turns his attention from the brothers in Christ to the women, the sisters in Christ.

and to tell them and explain to them what is proper and good conduct for them in the public worship of God's people. Remember, this passage is best understood in light of chapter 3 verse 14. And if you remember our brother Nelson last week, he also he explained that to us. He took us there and this is what it reads. I hope, this is Paul speaking, I hope to come to you soon, but I am writing these things, what things?

The things that we're explaining today, the things that are in chapter 1, 2, and 3. I'm writing these things so that if I delay, you may know how one ought to behave in the household of God, which is the church of the living God, a pillar and a buttress of truth." A buttress. If you don't know what a buttress is, you might not know. But what it is, it's a concrete pillar on an angle that supports the outer wall of a structure.

So the structure, the concrete, or the brick wall stands up. But this pillar holds it in place. And Paul's saying that these are pillars of truth. This is what holds up the integrity and the purity of the church. And it must be held up by God's Word, because Jesus is the head of His church.

And He's the one who gives the instruction. So Paul says, men, Men are to pray lifting up holy hands in every place they gather as the people of God. That's verse 8. The men of the church are to be known as men of prayer. Men who take a leading role in supplicating on behalf of God's people.

And as our brother explained for us last week, the lifting up of holy hands is not the emphasis on the posture itself, but the purity of heart. Or said another way, it's not whether you stand up, or you sit down, or lie down, or anything else you do with your body when you come to the Lord in prayer that is the main concern of Paul. Although, when we do come to the Lord in prayer, we come in a posture of reverence and respect. But that's not Paul's main concern. Rather, his main concern is the condition of a man's heart when he comes before the Lord.

Lifting up holy hands, he says. It makes no sense. It makes no sense for us men to come before a holy God while holding on to the sin that so entraps us and sin that he so detests. It's not good to come before the Lord and pray if you're harboring iniquity in your heart. The psalmist knows this all too well when he writes, if I cherished iniquity in my heart, hear these words, the Lord would not have listened.

Men, examine your hearts. Confess your sins. Don't play games with God. He knows what's in your heart. He knows if you're hiding anything.

He sees all things. Be concerned. Be concerned with the spiritual condition of your soul. Have the purity of your heart and your mind as a priority. This is your duty as men.

And if you allow yourself to live in sin and to be continually corrupted by the flesh, your sin and your iniquity will affect not only yourself, Not only your worship between you and God, but it will affect your brothers and sisters also. Beloved, the unity that we have in the body of Christ means that we live for one another and we must be concerned for one another. And it starts with personal holiness. You see another point. In verse 8, there is another point I think that Paul makes.

It's subtle, but I believe it's there. Men, you are not to be haphazard, but intentional with what you do in public worship. Paul is communicating something very profound here, I believe. You see, when he says you are to lift up holy hands, the hands are a representation of the heart. We just said that before.

It's not something that you do in 30 seconds before you pray with your brothers and sisters in the assembly. It's something you do in private. It's something you do in the private place of your own home in your own time. You ought to be concerned, of course, with the spiritual purity always, but Paul is saying you ought to be specially concerned when it comes to prayer among God's people. In other words, us men need to prepare our hearts for worship.

We need to be intentional, making whatever necessary preparations beforehand for what should be the climax of our week. We mustn't do church as a routine, but be mindful of the occasion. coming with pure and expectant hearts that have been conditioned before the Lord, even before we step foot in the venue to worship with God's people. We ought to be intentional. As we come and think about gathering with our brothers and sisters, we ought to be thinking about the purity of our hearts.

And it shouldn't be something we think about on the spot, but it ought to be something that's continually on our minds. And so, now Paul diverts his attention in the same spirit, and he turns from men to women, to the sisters in the church. He reminds them how their pursuit of holiness ought to be evident, especially before they come to public worship. Paul writes in verse 9, likewise, also that women should adorn themselves in respectable apparel. I can never say that word properly.

Apparel. Apparel. That's it. Apparel with modesty and self-control, not with braided hair and gold or pearls or costly attire, but with a proper, what is proper for women to profess godliness with good works. You see, many in history have accused Paul of being a chauvinist in this passage, especially what he says in verses 11 and 12.

They accuse him of being controlling and oppressive of women. But this is only because of a lack of understanding concerning this passage. There's distinct roles and responsibilities for both men and women, and each ought to complement each other for the richness of the body of Christ. In fact, the words Paul admonishes the women with are for their own dignity and respect. And it's to bring an awareness and a sensitivity to the struggle of sin that the brothers are all too familiar with.

So, that's what we do as Christians. I think I've gone too far. Yes. Yes, what we brothers all struggle with and familiar sin that we're all familiar with, and that is the sin of sexual sin, the sin of lust. And so we ought to be, or women ought to be always, always in the back of their mind, they ought to be concerned for the brothers in Christ with what they wear.

And one thing we need to note before we get any further into this text is this, that the Apostle Paul is no way forbidding that women adorn themselves. That word adorn simply means to put in order or to make ready. It connotes a sense of enhancing a woman's beauty And it's important to note that nowhere in Scripture is it even suggested that a woman is to neglect her appearance or hide her natural beauty. In other words, it's not incumbent upon a woman in Christ to intentionally shop for clothing that make her look unattractive or drab. There's nothing wrong with wearing nice clothing, but women are to be intentional with what they wear, and Paul gives specific qualifications as to what is deemed appropriate and what should be considered when making wardrobe decisions.

There are a number of elements to consider, and we'll be looking at one today. Modesty. Basically, you don't want to be dressed to impress the members of the opposite sex. unless it's your husband, of course, and unless you're alone. Sisters, you know in your heart that there is a difference between clothing where you can look respectable, lovely, and beautiful, and clothing that is seductive and attractive in the wrong way.

Just like you know the difference, so do your brothers know the difference. Wearing inappropriate or revealing clothing anywhere is sin, but especially, especially in the public gathering of the saints, because there it can be a stumbling block to your own brothers in Christ. And this is something, this is something you will have to give an account for before the Lord. And let's not forget that it's very achievable to have good taste in clothing, yet to be modest. And Paul summarizes this point in verse 10 when he writes, a woman must do what is proper for a woman who confess godliness.

In other words, the concern for a Christian woman is not to attract others to her outward beauty, but her inward beauty. that shows itself in true godliness with the fruit of good works. It is her inner holiness, it is her inner righteousness and Christian virtue that is the true treasure and the very thing that she should be known for, not her outward beauty which is here today. and passing tomorrow. Paul makes this point clear as he reminds us of the fleeting nature of the body when he says, So we do not lose heart.

Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. Sisters, this flies in the face of the secular world. We're bombarded daily with advertisement that wants to persuade women and young girls alike into thinking that their identity is found in their outward beauty. This is just not true. Your identity is found in Jesus Christ.

Your value is found in Him and in Him alone and don't let anyone tell you otherwise. So what does it mean that Paul says a woman is to adorn herself in respectable apparel or clothing? Well, we need to consider these things. We need to consider that when we come to a passage like this, providentially, by the grace of God, that we need to unpack it in detail. But as I said before, it can be a little sensitive, and it can get a little uncomfortable, especially because it's directed at the women of the church.

But we trust, as I said before also, that this is in God's Word, and we take it from the hands of the Lord, and we trust it to be a blessing for us. Now as I said before, Paul is speaking of what is appropriate in public worship. But sisters, you know that these principles apply for the rest of life also. A Christian does not act one way on Sunday and another during the rest of the week. That's called hypocrisy.

Now, of course, it's very possible because we are speaking about clothing and we're speaking about the wardrobe and how you wear your clothes, that you may have a set of clothes that you wear only on the Lord's day and not through the week, and that's fine. but I'm speaking principally. The principles that apply to Sunday or the Lord's Day and when you gather, and this is in particular what Paul is speaking to, are the same principles that apply when you're out in public also. And those standards don't change because standards are predicated, they're built and they're rooted in God's Word and the rest is open to Christian liberty. This means if the principle is biblical, And then the practice should be whole of life.

And there are many liberties within the principles. So verse 9 and 10 gives us four practical principles that Paul gives to the Christian women. I want to briefly flesh them out over the next two weeks. And we said this before, modesty is one, the second is self-control, the third is the avoidance of extravagance, and the fourth is good works steaming or stemming from inner godliness. Modesty.

What does it mean? Well, in a sense, or in the sense that it's used here, the Greek word translated modesty is to be free from shame. In the KGB, in the King James Bible, the word is translated, shamefacedness. It signifies the idea that if modesty is violated, the activity will bring disgrace. It will bring humiliation, embarrassment.

It will bring a sense of shame. Now, if modesty is to be free from shame, we need to understand what shame is in order to get a better understanding of how Paul is using the word modesty. We can do a word study, but a word study won't help us much because this word is only found once in the New Testament and it's found in our passage. And to be honest, the word modesty and even shame, they're fairly difficult concepts to explain. Because sisters, I'm fairly confident that you all have experienced the following situation.

You may have been walking around somewhere in a public place and seen another young lady or a woman wearing something that in your mind you deemed as immodest. And then you thought to yourself, I would be ashamed to wear something like that. And at that point you may have thought also, how is it that I would be ashamed But that person who's actually wearing that clothing, or lack thereof, is unashamed. You already know the answer to this question, and although it is sin to wear something that is immodest, and it's sin for those who know it, and it's sin for those who don't, but if she doesn't recognize that sin, she'll experience no shame. And therefore she will deny her dress to be immodest.

Being made aware of sin brings the awareness of shame. They're intrinsically tied to one another. The best example of this, and I reckon you probably all know where I'm going to go, is to Genesis. Adam and Eve in the garden. Before they sinned, the Bible tells us in the last verse of chapter 2 that they were both naked and unashamed.

naked and unashamed. But in the very next chapter, chapter 3, after Eve was deceived and ate of the fruit, giving some to Adam, the Lord calls on Adam and Adam is what? Hiding. Why? The Bible tells us he recognized himself to be naked and he hid himself from God.

Beloved, Adam was ashamed for the first time. Before he had the knowledge of sin, he experienced no shame. But upon acknowledging sin for what sin is, transgression against God's law, he broke God's command. Adam was filled with a sense of shame. So without any further instruction, Adam and Eve, they go about and cover themselves with fig leaves until the Lord sacrifices an animal and gives them more permanent garments of skin.

Therefore, to cover shame and because of sexual lust, to cover one's nakedness is right before the Lord in a fallen world. And this is evident throughout scripture. So sisters, this is why other women or the other woman that we were referring to before, who may have been wearing immodest clothing and you may have asked yourself the question, why is she so unconcerned? It's because she doesn't know what she does. But you do.

As sisters in Christ, as sisters, as women who know and understand the Word of God, you understand what sin is. You can call sin, sin. And now if you violate that sin, you violate your conscience and you feel immodest. You feel shame. That's because, to some degree, some people in the world can actually sear their conscience.

I mean, their upbringing has a lot to do with it. Their parents may have taught them, this is wrong. But as they grow old and they continue to rebel, they can sear their consciences. They can deaden their conscience. But our worldview is predicated and built upon the Word of God.

And our conscience is informed and formed by Scripture itself. And therefore we know what sin is, and we know what right is, and we know what wrong is, we know what good is, and we know what evil is, and we know what modesty is, and we know what immodesty is. And we know also that Jesus says these words in Matthew 5, But I say to you that everyone who looks upon a woman with lustful intent has already committed adultery in his heart. So sisters, for a woman to provoke a man to lust in his heart, she is no doubt also guilty of sin. So from our understanding of God's Word, we derive what sin is, and we define what it is to be modest and what it is to be immodest, because our consciences have been formed by Scripture.

And now Paul is saying to the sisters of the church, don't violate your conscience. Don't violate your conscience by wearing something shameful, something immodest. And although there may be different nuances from one person to another about what is modest dress, and we'll touch on that this evening, I think we can all agree at least this much, that to wear something that is seductive, and attracts the attention to the body with the purpose of arousing lust in another is certainly immodest. Any clothing a woman wears that has an arousing effect on someone in public is immodest. In other words, if a woman is in a public place and the eyes of the men around her are attracted to her body anywhere apart from her face, then it's very likely that she's wearing something immodest.

And provoking people into sin is a serious matter in the eyes of the Lord. These are the things that we ought to be thinking about. We ought to think about how short one's skirt is, or how low the dress cut is, how low the necklines are. Buttons on blouses, tight-fitting clothing, top and bottom, that accentuates the body shape, can be seductive. If something's too tight, can be seductive.

Long slits down a skirt, they can be seductive. and inappropriate. Another horrible fad today is the very short shorts. And there's a number of other outfits that you know of, that you're aware of, that can be provoking or seductive, and they should not be worn in the church. And by matter of principle, as Christian women, you should not wear them outside the church either.

If what you wear, sisters, if what you wear makes your brothers uncomfortable, then it's probably inappropriate. Sisters, that means the assessment of modesty is not only made when you stand in front of a mirror before you leave home. You see, that's what Paul was saying before, that when men lift up holy hands, they ought to be concerned with their holiness, the condition of their heart, the purity, the righteousness of their heart, because they're going to come and Paul says you must come and pray lifting up holy. You don't become holy on the spot. It's a practice of life.

You think about the occasion, you think about the time you come and spend with your brothers and sisters in Christ. And it's the same for our sisters. When you're thinking about coming to church, when you're thinking about these things, you're examining all things, not only the holiness of the heart, but you're examining the things you wear as well. And so you need to be thinking about, is what I'm wearing, can it be provoking? Can it be seductive?

Can I cause my brothers in Christ to stumble or to fall? Think about the movements you are likely to make throughout the day. Is the dress appropriate when you sit down or bend over, or when you bend over to pick up a child or something off the floor? What are the activities that you're going to do? And wear something appropriate for those activities.

And once again, this is not a rebuke. This is just teaching on the passage, but this is not a rebuke to anyone. And the Lord knows that as I was preparing this, I had no one in mind. But it's important that when we come providentially to God's Word, we ought to deal with it faithfully. Brothers and sisters, you know, as well as I do, that modest dress is not a virtue of our modern day culture.

And it was obviously a problem also in the first century. Big enough problem. We don't know how big a problem it was, but big enough problem that Paul would find it necessary to write to the Ephesian church these words. In fact, we know that the issue of modesty has plagued society in all times and everywhere. In my study in Nicodemus and the first century Pharisees as I'm preparing for our series in John on the Lord's Day, I came across a term I thought was rather interesting.

I'm not sure about the historical reliability of this term, but it was interesting nonetheless, and I wanted to share it with you. It's been suggested that the Pharisees had a negative nickname for the Pharisees, ones that probably didn't see the Pharisees in such a high light, a name people used to use to make fun of the Pharisees. Translated into English, it sounds something like head knocker. head knocker or head banger. And this was because they were so concerned, these religious people were so concerned with personal holiness.

Now hear this, they would walk around Jerusalem with their heads down to avoid possibly looking up and looking upon a woman with lust in their eyes. So they hit their heads against trees. And so came the saying, headbanger or headknocker. Now, I'm not for the legalism of the Pharisees, but judging by the frayed and the torn moral fabric of our society, especially in respect to immodest clothing or lack of clothing, I don't think that that is a bad idea. I don't think it's a bad idea for us to do the same, even if we would knock our heads every once in a while.

Because at the end of the day, everyone is culpable. Everyone is responsible. Everyone is blameworthy of their own sin. The circumstances may be conducive to being seduced, but men, that sin is on you. It's not on anyone else.

It's on you. I pray that we would all be like Job. Job says in Job 31 that he made a covenant with his eyes to keep them pure from sexual sin. But beloved, may it be not that our brothers our brother's eyes are provoked in the church. Now we understand in our society, we understand when we go out there that people live and they live as they please and they dress immodestly or immodestly and may that never be in the church.

The church ought to be a safe haven from the world. It's a place that we truly long to be with our brothers and sisters. It's a place that we rest, rest for our soul, because among our brothers and sisters, our brethren, is where we can truly experience the love and the purity of heaven itself. Sisters, the Lord knows that tonight I'm not rebuking anyone at all. But nonetheless, we need to be vigilant and continually vigilant because error creeps in.

People don't fall into sin, they slip slowly into sin. And we always need to be vigilant and aware of these things, because these things, although external, although they are from the outside, they affect our hearts and the hearts of others. Now don't get me wrong, the purity of our men The purity of our eyes is our responsibility. We must take charge before the Lord of what we allow our eyes to see in public and in private. And even what thoughts we allow our minds to entertain in private.

It's a battle with the flesh and it's a continual battle. But we are, like our brother said last week, to be concerned with our own spiritual holiness. Slaying any sin, slaying any thought, anything that tries to hold us captive, we bring it to the Lord and we crucify it before God. And sexual sin is one of those things. You see, Martin Luther once said, that he broke the seventh commandment, thou shalt not commit adultery.

He broke the seventh commandment more times in the solitude of his own monastery cell than when he was outside. It's because, as Jesus says, it's not what goes in a man. that makes him unclean of what comes out. We battle with the flesh. That is our responsibility to keep our eyes pure.

The sin of lust is real and it's pervasive. But may it not be, as I said before, that we have to battle this sin among our brothers and sisters in the sacred place that we call church. And it's important that our sisters remember these things and are mindful of them, especially when you're thinking about what you're going to wear to the assembly of God. So when you're choosing what to wear, you need to be actively asking yourself these questions. Can what I am wearing be a stumbling block to my brother in Christ?

You know, it's really hard to know where you draw the line. So it's always a good idea to ask if you're not sure. Wives, always ask the opinions of your husbands. Husbands and fathers, as the heads of your home, these things are your responsibility. lovingly and graciously, take control of the matter.

If you think it's seductive, then it most likely is. I know fathers can be accused of being old-fashioned, and certainly we don't want to oppress our loved ones, so be gracious and wise, seeking God in all things. But remember that you will be held accountable. because you are the head of your home. And it is in my view that Christian men all over the world have let the ball drop on this one.

And this is why we find the consequence in our world that we see so much immodesty in the so-called church all over the world. But may that not be here. Wanting to look nice and respectable for the Lord's Day service is actually a noble thing. What we wear is respectful of the occasion, and that's good. But if that dress is borderline, don't wear it.

Sisters, don't cross the boundary even if it looks great on you. There's too much at stake. And it's also very important to acknowledge that not everyone has the same definition of modesty. And one should show charity and give the benefit of the doubt towards sisters and not accusing them of purposefully being immodest, if that's what you think. It's really possible that some of our sisters legitimately don't know that their wardrobes are a cause of stumbling for others.

And it's being humble at this point that sisters in Christ need to be on the lookout for one another. It's the concept of Titus chapter 2 when older women come alongside the younger women in love and share their wise counsel in Christ. not out of selfish ambition, or from conceit or pride to show, look what I know, not at all, but from a heart of love and genuine concern for the other. Now this privilege is not only reserved for older women in the faith, but for all who are in Christ and love their brothers and sisters. This is the beauty of having a diverse group of Christians with different strengths and different weaknesses.

We bond with each other and we grow with one another. We all have spiritual gifts that ought to be used for the edification of the church, for the common good Paul uses that language in 1 Corinthians. So sisters, what I'm saying is that a healthy church is a church that knows how to communicate in love. And if there is a concern on your mind, especially in the area of modesty, we need to be able to conjure up enough courage, and in love, and in grace, and with much care to come and convey your concerns. But before you do, you need to think hard.

You need to examine your own heart to make sure that you are not doing it for the wrong reasons. And this is a really, really important point. It must be a matter that you believe is crossing the line of modesty and not the fashion that runs against your preference. If it's a matter of preference, you have absolutely no right to speak. But if your sister's dress is causing, or maybe a cause, or you believe it's a cause, or of a stumbling block to your brothers in Christ, then you need to commit that matter in prayer.

and by wisdom or by the wisdom of the Lord and with due diligence and care examine your heart then lovingly and gently with grace and care come to your sister and say something. Sisters if you are on the receiving end of admonition receiver in love. Don't be proud or instantly dismissive as our nature tends for us to do. Rather, thank your sister because it takes a great deal of love and courage to do what she's done. And now bring that concern to the Lord.

And if you're convicted in your heart of being immodest, then repent and correct your ways and be grateful to God that your sister has opened your eyes in this matter. See, the purity of the church is not solely in the hands of the elders. We must all have the zeal for holiness and purity of the bride of Jesus Christ. See, by sitting on a concern like this, unaddressed and unprayed for, is unhealthy for the body. Our main concern ought to be the edification of our brothers and sisters in the Lord.

and to see each other grow in Christlikeness and this means that even if sacrifices need to be made for our brothers and sisters, then we should be glad to make them. Next week we'll continue with the rest of Paul's exhortation to women. And while acknowledging that women are the fairer gender, as the Bible does in fact recognize women's beauty, it's not primarily her beauty or her physical beauty that is her greatest virtue. Sisters, your inner beauty that manifests from good fruits of righteousness, that's your greatest virtue. as Christian women the affection of your hearts ought to be beyond the physical appearance and on that which is of spiritual value that which is eternal when your heart recognizes these things you will be far you will be more than happy to adjust whatever needs to be adjusted even if your wall even if that's your wardrobe for the sake of your brothers and sisters in Christ whom you love And sisters, may you see that godliness is indeed your greatest virtue.

because I want to end with the words of Proverbs, Proverbs 31, which in Proverbs 31 is most notably known as the excellent wife, the proverb of the excellent wife. And listen to what he says in verse 30. He says, charm and deceit. Sorry, my apology. Charm is deceitful and beauty is vain.

But a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised. Amen.