The Case For Modesty
Why is sexual modesty in public depreciating in America?
When mankind was first created, we moved about naked, and God said it was good (Gen.1:31). We are brought into this world naked. Our spirits had no clothing. God places our spirits into this “vehicle” known as a body, made of flesh and bone and blood, and breathes into it His breath-of-life so that we might “touch” this world around us that He created.
We were naked, but we were unaware & unashamed (Gen.2:25). So what has changed between then and now?? The answer is, Awareness! Not just of our nakedness, but awareness of good & evil. Before eating the fruit, we were still “innocent” in our thought-processes concerning our bodies. But afterwards, we became aware of the bad things that could be done with this body & this nakedness. And therefore new choices also became available to mankind, such as irresponsibility, disobedience, and complicity. So before that type of behavior could become a permanent situation in God’s “perfect world,” He put mankind out on his own, AND God clothed them!
Yes, God clothed mankind (Gen.3:21), even as Adam & Eve first attempted to do on their own (Gen.3:7). And don’t forget, this was a united couple -- married -- created exclusively for each other. Yet they felt the need to cover up in each other’s presence, and in the presence of their Creator (Gen. 3:10).
Webster’s Dictionary defines modesty as “appropriateness in dress, speech, or conduct; the observance of the customs & manners of polite society concerning dress and behavior.” Many instances in the Bible speak to the shame of PUBLIC NAKEDNESS: