The Adornment That Attracts

10 But (which becometh women professing godliness) with good works.

I'm not going to speak about what unsaved women are wearing these days, that is not the context of this passage but I do have something to say about how many Christian women are dressing these days and what I observed concerns me a great deal. I believe that there ought to be a difference in the way Christian women dress especially when they come into the house of the Lord. Call me old fashioned but when you come to God's house have some respect for the place you are in (the Lord's), in whose presence you are in (the Lord's) and whose you are (the Lords)! What we are witnessing today can be described best in one word. It is the word "too." We are seeing too much of the female anatomy! Too much leg and thigh, too many see through fabrics that leaves no doubt about what lingerie you have on, too low cut that reveals too much cleavage, too tight that is designed to accentuate every curve...and I could go on. Let me tell you ladies something. It is more difficult now for men to keep a pure thought life than it ever has been before and some Christian women, by the way they dress aren't helping the cause at all.

c. The purity of her mouth

Again, you can call me old fashioned but I can remember a day when there was a difference in the way that women talked compared to men. And I'm not just speaking about vulgar language either. What comes to mind when we talk about a meek and a quiet spirit? Here's what one commentary (Jameson, Fausset and Brown) says:

(meek and quiet) -- meek, not creating disturbances: quiet, bearing with tranquillity the disturbances caused by others. Meek in affections and feelings; quiet in words, countenance, and actions [Bengel].

Does that describe you tonight or not?

(Psa 147:6) The LORD lifteth up the meek: he casteth the wicked down to the ground.

(Mat 5:5) Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth.

III. Adorn yourself with serenity-peace

a. The person of peace

There is a reason that some folks don't have peace. Either they don't know the Prince of Peace of they have sin in their lives which has robbed them of their peace!

Psalms 51:12 Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation; and uphold me with thy free spirit.

ILL - In the NT, the word for peace means "to reconcile or join." Some missionary Bible translators were working very hard to find a word for peace in a particular tribal language. At last, a native who was working with them found a combination of words that captured the concept--"a heart that sits down." When the heart sits down with Jesus--when we join with God through his Son--there is peace.

b. The producer of peace

Galatians 5:22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,

ILL - "One day a young minister was being escorted through a coal mine. At the entrance of one of the dim passageways, he spied a beautiful white flower growing out of the black earth. 'How can it blossom in such purity and radiance in this dirty mine?' the preached asked. 'Throw some coal dust on it and see for yourself,' his guide replied. When he did, he was surprised that the fine, sooty particles slid right off the snowy petals, leaving the plant just a lovely and unstained as before. Its surface was so smooth that the grit and grime could not adhere to it." [--Bible Illustrator Deluxe 3.0, CD-ROM, "Clean in a Dirty Place." Omaha, Nebraska (Omaha: Quick Verse, July, 1986, number 23.].