Modesty 100 years ago
21 Jun 2011 8 Comments
in Marriage, Men, Women, Youth Tags: jersey shore photo 1908, modesty
Romans 12:1; Ephesians 4:17-19; I Peter 3:1-5; 1 Peter 4:3 – For the time that is past suffices for doing what the Gentiles want to do, living in sensuality, passions, drunkenness, orgies, drinking parties, and lawless idolatry.
A beach on the New Jersey shore in 1908 (via 22 words):
Because it is very relevant to the topic in this post, I am adding this article by Kevin DeYoung titled:
Glory of God: The Price of Purity Posted: 08 Jul 2011 here on his blog
1 Corinthians 6:12-20
…for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body. (v. 20)
Christians are not dualists. Dualism teaches that physical stuff is bad and spiritual stuff is good, but as Christians we believe in the resurrection of the body and the creation of a good physical world. The body is good. Food is good. Even sex is good.
But sex must be in the right context–marriage between one man and one woman. Sexual sin is serious because our bodies are not our own. We belong to Christ, have been redeemed by Christ, and have Christ dwelling in us by the Holy Spirit. Paul’s logic is graphic and compelling. (1) Sex is an act of bodily oneness. (2) Our bodies are members of Christ. (3) Therefore, how can we think of joining Christ’s body with a prostitute? (vs. 16-17)
As Christians we are not opposed to sexual immorality because we are self-righteous prudes, but because we believe our bodies belong to Jesus. Would Jesus’ body commit adultery? Would his body look at pornography? Would his body dress suggestively to attract attention? Would his body live in promiscuity? Would his body enter a same-sex relationship? Jesus is not pleased when his body, the church, acts in ways his body, his flesh, would never act. Conversely, God gets great glory when we flee from sexual immorality.
Related articles
- How do you address modesty (in Church)?
- Modeling Modesty by Mary K. Mohler
- True Woman/Read the manifesto
- The Hole in Our Holiness by Kevin DeYoung
- Modesty and The Stanley Cup (2)
Jun 22, 2011 @ 00:56:09
Wow, now that says a lot . I think we are swimming in sin and do not even know it . Whoever says that we are not saved by grace, they should look at those pictures. I took you idea and wrote a post on CI.
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Jun 22, 2011 @ 12:40:42
If we would put two pictures side by side from 100 years ago and now, we would be left speechless and maybe understand the sad conditions of our times.
Jul 13, 2011 @ 14:06:11
I remember reading that it was scandalous to show one’s shoulders or knees at the beach in that time period. Norman Rockwell, however, showed that there was a lot of skinny dipping also going on.
Obviously, you can enjoy the water in clothing, but is there a modest middle ground?
Jul 13, 2011 @ 15:05:11
It is true that this picture is an example of the times, however, we know from American history that ‘debauchery’ as they called it back then, was going on as well. Even in this picture you can spot a man in above the knee shorts and he was probably one of the few that entered the water. Back then, beaches were used more to admire the coasts and the nature and for the fresh air benefits.
My purpose for showing it is because it is a stark contrast to what a beach is today. Even with city ordinances that ban certain beachwear that reveals nudity, there really is semi nudity being modeled at our public US beaches. Being a Christian, and taking to heart what Jesus said about “lust” in Matthew 5:27:
27 “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ 28 But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lustful intent has already committed adultery with her in his heart. 29 If your right eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away. For it is better that you lose one of your members than that your whole body be thrown into hell. 30 And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. For it is better that you lose one of your members than that your whole body go into hell.
Even without citing the statistics- showing that a large number of Christians are addicted to pornography, and the impact it has on how they view the opposite sex; the beach offers additional opportunities to lust, with the revealing fashions being worn today. It is up to each individual to decide whether they want to participate in such activities, but I have heard some preachers ask their men to stay away from the beach if they are struggling with pornography, because more images of scantily clad women will keep them in the bondage of pornography.