The Bible takes on a large objective in achieving its purposes to tell the contextual story of mankind’s beginnings, (both physical in nature and spiritual in need of relationship with God); of life personally (beginning with Adam and Eve) and socially (beginning with family); of life experience related to solving problems personally (education, faith/redemption, work and wisdom for life); and, of a culture for the good life that accepts the mysteries of life/death (sufferings/blessings related to nature, and the hope of Christian promises related to immortality). This lengthy sentence is a summary in the oft repeated statement that the Bible is the story of redemption, not only for spiritual salvation but for effective way of life in nature. The approach is to escape negative influences and possibilities, so to focus on affirmative ones. The issues relate to righteous life (what is positive that moves forward to humble and full life), against the carnal life (what is negative that leads to ends that omit God’s meaning for life). The first is perceived as heaven: the second is perceived as hell. With so large a context and important in the major themes, how does one find concern for presumed small factors of life to be important to human relationship with God and mankind? There are many persons affirming Christian culture who say that spiritual life is so separated from the natural world that natural factors of an individual’s life have no important meaning for the spiritual context. This is the thought of the criminal who can play godfather to a child while having his competitor murdered on the other side of town – presuming no judgment. At the other end of the consideration, some groups (as in Amish communities) interpret even life styles legalistically – to assist in keeping standards.
Scripture has something to say about clothing styles (summarized in modesty) – and modesty is a subdivision of humility in the meaning of the text from Timothy noted above. The modern casual and freedom loving (casual) person may play on the edges of carnality without much concern for its dangers. Modesty has been compromised in modern styles. Even the ancients recognized the problem. The priests of Israel were warned about their public grooming so to be sure private parts of the body were not exposed. God gave clothing to Adam and Eve on their recognition that innocence had been lost. Violation of modesty is to throw back to God that he did not know what he was doing when he took pains to defuse temptation so to avoid other serious problems that would emerge when appropriate modesty is overlooked.
Language, a gift to mankind, was to be protected by wise use of it. The Scripture warns of improper uses of language. The worst violation is that which swears in the name of God, but the teaching widens from there. Language, from Scripture, can escape anger, hatred, lies and other negatives when it is used as it ought to be used, with meaning that solves problems, lifts hearts, educates. Violations relate to immodesty of the mind and soul that permits to casual substitutions for that which ought to adorn thought, love, communication, and the story of mankind’s journey and future. With the newly found public freedoms for all, even some women have adopted the language of some proverbial dock workers. It is ugliness.
Family is to be respected for itself, in that it was, and is, designed for mankind for the fellowship of a man and a woman, for the birth and nurture of children to their own guided (educated) decisions about adult life. Hating divorce, God grants it partly because abuse, perhaps murder, of a mate is worse than break-up. For many persons, murder becomes the only way out for presumed inescapable social relationships.
Diets (moderation), disposition of garbage, relationship to government, usefulness of education, contributions to other persons, forgiveness of offenses, drying a tear, care of children, offering a cup of water, treatment of a stranger, and scores of other factors, some small and others large, that might be listed – all suggest that the Christian way of life is found in a culture that is all that a person is and can do in the course of a lifetime that honors God (and humankind on earth), even in life details. There is a biblical Christian culture to be learned and practiced. The breakdown in humility/modesty is achieved at great loss to society and the church. There is too great distraction from righteous modeling. *Mark W. Lee, Sr. — 2016, 2020