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Whose adorning let it not be that outward adorning of plaiting the hair, and of wearing of gold, or of putting on of apparel;
But let it be the hidden man of the heart, in that which is not corruptible, even the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God of great price.
1 Peter 3:3,4
In like manner also, that women adorn themselves in modest apparel, with shamefacedness and sobriety; not with broided hair, or gold, or pearls, or costly array;
But (which becometh women professing godliness) with good works.
1 Timothy 2:9,10

 

 

 

Does Jesus Really Love Jeans?

 

Jesus loves Jeans! Or so the flyers and banners declare announcing the youth evangelistic meetings. Jesus loves Jeans! Really? Oh, I know, the slogan is designed to portray the reality that Jesus loves young people, and most every young person wears jeans, guys and girls alike. What this catch-phrase really does is bring home the fact that jeans are the most prevalent choice of clothing for young people. EVERYBODY wears jeans! Or do they? And should they?

God's Word tells us clearly—Jesus does love everyone! He loves every jean-clad guy and girl. Of course He does. He also loves the prostitutes and the glamour girls who pose in the nude for magazines, doesn't He? But He doesn't love their immodest clothing, or approve of the lack thereof. What we are going to consider in this article is, does Jesus approve of tight jeans on the girls whom He loves dearly?

We can all see that denim jeans are everywhere. If you gather together a huge group of young people in any casual setting, the majority will be wearing jeans. In this article, we won't be discussing whether jeans are appropriate attire for Christians in general. There is a baggy style of jeans for girls designed to have a masculine look, which are dubbed “boyfriend” jeans. Other articles address the problem with baggy jeans on women, so we won't be discussing that here.

As we consider the fashionably snug jeans commonly worn by girls and women, we need to ask ourselves, Does Jesus care if Christian women wear tight jeans? Or could it actually be that this worldly practice deeply grieves the heart of Jesus?

It is obvious that girls love wearing jeans. Everywhere you look, you see them, clearly revealing the form of the wearer. Do the men like to have the girls wear them? If we could interview a large group of men, and ask them what they think about women in tight jeans, what would we discover? Well, we don't have to interview them. They've provided the answers loud and clear on the Internet, but I wouldn't recommend that you read them. In doing some research for this article, in just a very few minutes of Internet searching, I became appalled and sickened by the revolting statements made by men regarding how they feel about women in tight jeans. And this was just on the results page for the search, not on the actual web pages themselves. Most woman have no idea what vile thoughts these garments stir up in the men.

One thing is clear—the men all agree. Ask any man; if they're honest, they'll tell you. And we're not just talking about carnal reprobates, we're talking about Christian pastors, teachers, elders and deacons. They all agree that tight jeans on girls are sexy. Sexy is another word for provocative or seductive. What does it mean to be seductive? Internet dictionary definitions for seduce include: To arouse sexual desire or interest. To beguile, entice, lure, deceive. To induce to engage in sexual intercourse. To tempt, to lead astray, to corrupt. It also means to lead or draw away, as from principles, faith, or allegiance.

Wow! This is what tight jeans on women can do to the men! A country-western song that was popular a few years ago drives this point home. The lyrics go like this:

Down on the corner, by the traffic light, everybody's lookin', as she goes by, they turn their heads and they, watch her till she's gone. Lord have mercy, Baby's got her blue jeans on!

Up by the bus stop, and across the street, open up their windows, to take a peek, while she goes walking, rockin' like a rollin' stone. Heaven help us, baby's got her blue jeans on!

Well up on main street, by the taxi stand, there's a crowd of people, and a traffic jam, she don't look back, she ain't doin' nothing' wrong, Lord have mercy, baby's got her blue jeans on!

How tragic to realize that some of these "babes" are members of the Seventh-day Adventist Church, professing to love Jesus, while they are tempting the men to lust after them!

Now, just because someone is tempted doesn't mean that they have to give in to the temptation. Praise God! He is able to give us victory over temptation, so we don't need to sin. But, if a man isn't connected to God, chances are, he will give in to the lustful thoughts brought about by seeing women in tight jeans. He will dwell on the desire to engage in the sexual act, even though the opportunity isn't available to him.

And the young girl in tight jeans, hopefully, is blissfully unaware of the fire she ignites in the men she passes by. I say, hopefully she is unaware, because if she is purposefully flaunting her body, she is indeed working on behalf of the devil to stir up a multitude of evil passions. But if she has been previously unaware of this fact, by the time she reads this article, she will no longer be able to claim ignorance.

Since we are talking about Jesus and jeans, it is clear that we are addressing Christian women. The worldly girls are under the spell of the fashions of the world, which are inspired by the arch enemy of the Lord we claim to worship. To be a Christian means that we have turned from the world, and have chosen to follow Jesus.

Has the devil put blinders on us, so that we cannot see the most obvious truth about this matter? Young Christian girls put on the popular style—tight jeans—and seem to have no clue as to the effect it has on men. I would hope that if they realized what depraved, disgusting thoughts were running through the minds of many men who observe them, they would be horrified! They would feel dirty, used, violated. Considering this, shouldn't tight jeans be the last thing a Christian young woman would want to wear?

Shouldn't we be grieved at what Satan is accomplishing among our youth? Instead, it seems that the older generation is smiling with approval at the way the young Christian women dress. The pictures of ladies are shown in church periodicals as they build churches on mission trips, wearing tight jeans or shorts. Jean-clad teen girls are taken out to “witness” for the Lord. As they walk along, and the unconverted men look, for whom are those girls truly witnessing? Teen girls in tight jeans have stood in front of church during the divine worship service on Sabbath, sharing their “witnessing” experiences! While we rejoice at their desire to witness for Jesus, the youth leaders need to provide instruction and guidance about how our appearance affects our witness. Uplifting Christ and stirring up lust are incompatible!

Maybe you haven't thought about this before. But if you stop and think about where we are in the stream of history, being irrefutably in the last days, wouldn't it stand to reason that the devil would trick us in a fashion trap? After all, he's controlling fashion, and fashion demands that young women wear tight jeans, and tight jeans on women strongly tempts every man that sees her. As in the days of Noah, man's thoughts are evil continually. And wearing tight jeans has a whole lot to do with generating these evil thoughts! And if a young woman is willing to wear tight jeans, she is likely to follow the fashion of wearing tight, revealing tops as well.

Perhaps you're thinking that I'm making all men out to be evil, lustful creatures who are being constantly stirred up by the sight of girls in tight jeans and other immodest clothing. Thankfully, not all men are evil-minded! There are some godly, pure-minded men in this world who have made a covenant with their eyes not to look on a maid. (See Job 31:1) They are in continual connection with God. I would hope this would be true of all our pastors and spiritual leaders in our church. But while they may not look, they need to have their eyes opened to the effect that women's immodest clothing is having on the rest of the heterosexual male population. Let's make sure the young ladies we send on mission trips, whether around town or around the world, are truly representing Jesus!

Whatever our role in the church, we all have a part to play in this. We can choose to ignore the problem, or we can do whatever we can to make sure that Satan's tactics are not carried out on our watch. As parents, teachers, pastors, or friends of the young girls in our church who are wearing these immodest garments, we have a responsibility to exert our influence against this worldly practice. Youth leaders have a tremendous amount of influence, and silence on this subject means approval.

While all of the jeans that are being worn by Christian ladies among us may not be skin tight, the example tends downward. When a young lady sees her female teacher/leader in jeans, she feels justified in wearing them, only she wears them a little tighter. Her friend may follow her example, and wear them tighter yet. As the world's jeans get tighter and tighter, so also among the church. While skirt lengths can be measured, jean tightness is more difficult to control. It seems that anything goes.

Tight jeans may not be very common in the church you attend—yet—but they're coming. Just look at the young people on a Sabbath afternoon hike, or the Pathfinders, or the mission trip participants, the youth group, or a church campout. Chances are, you'll see tight jeans on the girls at these events. This is only going to increase, not decrease. New styles are coming, such as pajama jeans, that will put skin tight jeans on even more women.

What can be done? How do we redeem the time? How do we put a check on the trend toward increasing immodesty coming into our church?

First of all, our leaders need to be willing to speak out against this unholy practice. The female members need instruction on how to dress appropriately, especially for the church service and other church activities. The older spiritual ladies should admonish the young ladies to dress so that their brothers can regard them as “sisters, with all purity.” (1 Timothy 5:2) Some Christian schools require that the female students wear non-clingy mid-thigh tunics over all pants. That would definitely be a step in the right direction.

This is not about making legalistic rules; this is about preparing the hearts of our people to see Jesus! What does God require of us? Purity of heart! (See Matthew 5:8) Only those who are fervently pleading for purity of heart will be saved. A woman cannot pray a genuine prayer for purity of heart while she is causing impure thoughts in her brothers. A man cannot pray sincerely for victory over lustful thoughts while condoning and excusing immodest attire on the young women over whom he has an influence.

The blessed hope is a purifying hope. As we prepare to meet our Lord, let us lay off the filthy garments of the world, and seek to become pure, even as He is pure. May God's grace empower us to overcome, so we may rejoice in His holiness.

In closing, consider these inspired statements:

"In the epistle of Paul to Titus [chap. 2:13, 14], we read, "Looking for that blessed hope and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people zealous of good works." This great work is to be performed for those only who are willing to be purified, willing to be peculiar, and who manifest a zeal in good works. How many shrink from the purifying process! They are unwilling to live out the truth, unwilling to appear singular or peculiar in the eyes of the world. It is this mixing up with the world which destroys our spirituality, pureness and zeal. Satan's power is constantly exercised to stupefy the sensibilities of God's people, that their consciences may not be sensitive to wrong, and that the sign of distinction between them and the world may be destroyed." {RH, June 25, 1861 par. 1}

"I speak plainly. I do not think this will discourage a true Christian; and I do not want any of you to come up to the time of trouble without a well-grounded hope in your Redeemer. Determine to know the worst of your case. Ascertain if you have an inheritance on high. Deal truly with your own soul. Remember that a church without spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing, will Jesus present to His Father.

How are you to know that you are accepted of God? Study His word prayerfully. Lay it not aside for any other book. This Book convinces of sin. It plainly reveals the way of salvation. It brings to view a bright and glorious reward. It reveals to you a complete Saviour, and teaches you that through His boundless mercy alone can you expect salvation.

Do not neglect secret prayer, for it is the soul of religion. With earnest, fervent prayer, plead for purity of soul. Plead as earnestly, as eagerly, as you would for your mortal life, were it at stake. Remain before God until unutterable longings are begotten within you for salvation, and the and the sweet evidence is obtained of pardoned sin.

The hope of eternal life is not to be received upon slight grounds. It is a subject to be settled between God and your own soul--settled for eternity. A supposed hope, and nothing more, will prove your ruin. Since you are to stand or fall by the word of God, it is to that word you must look for testimony in your case. There you can see what is required of you to become a Christian. Do not lay off your armor, or leave the battlefield until you have obtained the victory, and triumph in your Redeemer." {1T 163}

"In the time when his wrath shall go forth in judgments, the humble, devoted followers of Christ will be distinguished from the rest of the world by their soul anguish, which will be expressed in lamentation and weeping, reproofs and warnings. While others try to throw a cloak over the existing evil, and excuse the great wickedness everywhere prevalent, those who have a zeal for God's honor and a love for souls will not hold their peace to obtain favor of any. Their righteous souls will be vexed day by day with the unholy works and conversation of the unrighteous. They will be powerless to stop the rushing torrent of iniquity, and hence they will be filled with grief and alarm. They will mourn before God to see religion despised in the very homes of those who have had great light. They will lament and afflict their souls because pride, avarice, selfishness, and deception of almost every kind are in the church." {RH, January 11, 1887 par. 10}