Can Christian Women Wear Makeup and Jewelry?
Inspired by the Holy Spirit, Peter gave these instructions to women in the Church:
3Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as elaborate hairstyles and the wearing of gold jewelry or fine clothes. 4Rather, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God’s sight.
1 Peter 3:3-4
The encouragement was for women to not focus on “outward adornment,” but rather on the true attractiveness of her “inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God’s sight.”
He wasn’t saying that female believers can’t wear attractive clothing, makeup or jewelry in a moderate and modest sense, just that their focus should be on the true beauty that stems from a spiritual heart, which Paul also stressed in 1 Timothy 2:9-10. This is what attracted me to Carol, my wife, when I first met her. Of course I found her physically attractive, but she didn’t dress like a courtesan and didn’t need to. It was her gentle, quiet, godly spirit that shown like the midday sun and captured my attention.
This was in contrast to some women of Zion in Isaiah’s day. The prophet denounced them for their haughtiness (Isaiah 3:16-24). Hence their focus on outward ornamentation was the byproduct of vain, snobbish hearts. Keep in mind that pride is sin numero uno (Proverbs 8:13 & 16:18). Lucifer’s insurgency in Heaven was due to pride and can be observed in his five “I will” statements, which reveal Satan’s arrogance (Isaiah 14:13-14). This was the first sin ever committed. You’ll notice that sin is traced to what’s going on in one’s heart, which is corroborated by Christ in the New Testament (Mark 7:20-23). No wonder Jesus emphasized this in the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5:21-22, 27-28).
At the end of the day female believers are to be led of the Holy Spirit (John 16:13, John 14:26, John 16:17 & 1 Peter 1:2) and make their own decisions on apparel, makeup and jewelry as they grow spiritually. Obviously the wisdom of moderation will be at play as they mature in the LORD. Please be careful of rashly reprimanding ladies in the Church on such things unless she is dressed & acting like a brazen prostitute and, even then, it’s important to correct in a sensitive way so that she will receive it.
Religionists go awry with their “holiness” teachings because they lose sight of what the Bible itself calls worldly. Worldliness is any sin that springs from three things: the lust of the eyes, the lust of the flesh and the pride of life (1 John 2:15-17). With this understanding, a lot of activities or behaviors are only worldly depending upon the intent of the person’s heart. For example, two females might wear the exact same scanty apparel, but one does so merely because it’s the style she grew up with and she is comfortable with it while the other does so to incite lust. I’m not saying that the former girl shouldn’t learn to dress more modestly, which is a matter of wisdom, but she’s not guilty of worldliness if her intentions are pure and she simply doesn’t know any better. The intent of the heart makes all the difference.
Speaking of which, even something considered good can be worldly if the intent of the heart is fleshly. Giving a sermon is good, but what if the pastor uses the occasion to brag on himself and tear down others (2 Corinthians 13:10)? Ministering at a revival is good, but what if the evangelist’s main interest is fleecing the flock and making a lot of moolah from the gig (Luke 12:15)? Both the pastor and the evangelist are guilty of worldliness even though they’re doing something good.
Elaboration on “a Gentle and Quiet Spirit”
By praising “the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit” Peter wasn’t encouraging women to be shy pushovers, but rather admonishing against being obnoxious loudmouths, like odious LIEberals and their opinionated falsities & slander (the hosts on The View is a relevant example). There’s a pleasantness to a gentle, quiet spirit that doesn’t constantly bloviate and isn’t rash with jumping to conclusions.
While Carol has a palpable gentle and quiet spirit in this manner, she has no qualms about wisely holding me accountable to the Word of God; and I do the same with her, which is a form of tough love. This kind of love doesn’t fail to correct others when necessary, in love and led of the Spirit. Yet the Scriptures don’t just encourage women to be gentle and quiet as these are positive attributes for both men and women. For instance:
- Paul said to all the believers at Philippi: “Let your gentleness be evident to all” (Philippians 4:5).
- James instructed “Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry” (James 1:19).
- And the book of Proverbs says “The one who has knowledge uses words with restraint, and whoever has understanding is even-tempered” (Proverbs 17:27).
In short, the Scriptures exhort both men and women to not be loathsome loudmouths. Yet this doesn’t mean there isn’t a time & place for righteous reprimand and Holy Ghost-inspired preaching.
Related Topics:
Women of the Bible / Women in Ministry
Hermeneutics — Proper Bible Interpretation
How to Walk FREE OF THE FLESH by being Spirit-Controlled
Legalism — Understanding its Many Forms
Does Walking in AGAPE LOVE Mean You should be a DOORMAT to Abuse?
Should Women Cover Their Heads When They Pray & Prophesy?
Understanding the Religion of LIEberalism
Spiritual Growth is Like Climbing a Mountain
Satan (the Devil) — Liar, Slanderer, Thief, Murderer
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