This is a topic that I have swayed with for some time now. I may be repetitive as I have mentioned similar things in my Messianic Exposé, Sinless Perfection Exposé, as well as my Makeup, Jewelry, Head-Covering articles. Mostly because I will be talking about women's superficial spirituality... Those who are legalistic Pharisees.
Now, of course I have been called, "legalistic" by lukewarm Christians who do not want to give up their sin, those of you modern-day Pharisees reading this will make the same point that I am lukewarm because I call you a legalist. Allow me to make my case as I know I have sought God's Face on these matters and can now be strong in saying that. I've given this testimony before, as I stated I may be repetitive, but I want to give you the full testimony.
July 25th, 2012 I accepted Jesus as my Lord and Savior. Spring of 2013 I accepted the narrow road realizing I had to forsake sin; mostly idolatry at the time. My husband and I got married July 7th, 2013. We were long-distance when he proposed to me, he sent me a necklace instead of an engagement ring. I was never materialistic so it didn't matter at all to me to not have a ring.
Spring of 2014, The Lord convicted me of submission to my husband first, secondly convicting me of modesty (skirts/dresses past the knee) and thirdly convicting me of covering my head for prayer and prophesying. Even after dressing modestly all Spring and Summer I was surprised to have men coming up to me and asking me out. One man in a Wal-mart I remember, because it was the last time a man tried to pick me up.
I was looking at Sunglasses and he walked over from the Jewelry section. At first, I thought he was an employee the way he asked me, "Can I help you find something."
I politely discarded him and walked away to the next section of glasses. He followed. Now my small-town country self thought he was just a downright creep. Here I am in a flowly, ankle-length skirt with a modest blouse, hair in a messy bun, and yet he's following me when there's plenty of dolled-up, immodest women over in the Apparel section across from me. He asked me, "Are you Russian?"
I looked up into this tall man's eyes annoyed, "No, Irish."
He replied, "I've never met an Irish woman before."
I just smiled. Holding my tongue from saying that I had never met someone so creepily persistent. I was learning to hold my tongue at the time as I can be too quick-witted for my own good sometimes. The man then pushed me by asking, "Can I buy you something?"
I wittily replied, "Are you willing to buy my husband something, too?"
His facial expression changed drastically to disappointment and I walked away over to the Apparel section. Waiting by the elevator for my husband to come back from the bathroom. I told my husband as it was quite scary, annoying and funny. After this, as it wasn't long before our First Wedding Anniversary, my husband decided to get me a ring. I have not had someone ask me out on a date since.
In our culture, the wedding ring is a symbol that you are married. Not all men respect that a woman is taken, but the majority do and it prevents those who are seeking a single woman. I looked single to these men when they look at my ring finger and nothing is there. So instantly I was convicted of leading men to lust by not wearing a symbol of marriage in my culture. I was dressing modestly, but this wasn't enough because I presented myself as single by not wearing a ring.
Matthew 5:28 ~ "But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her in his heart."
Fall of 2014, a sister joined my church and I honestly got close to her, we talked a lot and I admired her a bit as she was the first sister I met who also dressed modestly, covered her head, etc. She also wore no jewelry or makeup. I never wore much makeup since getting saved, but I stopped in order to show willingness to the Lord that I would give up anything for His glory. I always prayed for clarity directly from God, as I started to see self-righteousness in this sister who made me question makeup being sinful. She corrected the brothers, nit-picked to not bring our purses or wallets when evangelizing, told the other sisters that we should not be shaving our body hair because it is vanity, and she finally rebuked me directly for wearing a pagan wedding ring.
Yes, I realize that wearing a wedding ring has spiritual pagan origin. As well as makeup. Many of the things we have are made by non-believers... Should I throw out my Apple Laptop because the logo is Satanic to represent the fall of Adam and Eve? Should I throw out my Persian rug? Should I no longer go by the Gregorian calendar? The list goes on and on to get a bit ridiculous.
At the time even after this sister stopped talking to me in January of 2015, I still didn't wear makeup and sought God. I knew just because she was a Pharisee didn't mean she was wrong completely as I knew she was right about modesty, head-covering, etc. Which makes me bring up another point... Do you know that Pagans cover their heads? Yep! I was once a Wiccan so I'm quite familiar with it that many women feel led by the Divine Feminine to cover their head. So does that mean us as Christian women shouldn't cover our heads now? Of course not! We are part of the spiritual realm so there is spiritual symbolism... What matters is the Spirit we serve... Jesus Christ or satan.
Back to my timeline, I was quite hurt to lose this sister and grew cynical of ever having a trusted friend in the Lord. Not long, only a few weeks later there came a new sister into my life... I kept my walls up, so to speak. She and I became the best of friends though. She didn't wear makeup or jewelry so I continued to have an open heart before the Lord if this was the next step He needed to convict me in. I never felt convicted by God... I only questioned my heart before the Lord because of these women's convictions about makeup and jewelry. I wanted the Lord to confirm it for me as He did with submission, modesty, head-covering. He never really did so I deeply studied The Bible on the topic and from my study wrote my conclusion in my articles on makeup and jewelry in early 2016.
This sister wasn't nearly as much as a Pharisee as the first sister; she allowed the Holy Spirit to work in my life, she respected me and I really respected her. We talked everyday for hours sharing, studying, praying, crying, laughing. I truly thought I had a best friend forever, but as of recent she has not talked to me. I do not know why and it bothers me almost everyday. She has dropped off the edge of the earth. I checked with her mom, she's physically okay... She just started ignoring my messages. She was engaged and I believe she just wanted a clean slate. As much as I love her and forgive her for the hurt she has caused me... She has been unrighteous towards me to not go about this in the Matthew 18:15 order. If I have even offended her, I honestly do not know. God strike me dead if I'm lying.
Getting a little sidetracked at this point, but in the last few months of solitude from any sistren... The Lord has taught me to stand by what I wrote about makeup and jewelry in early 2016. He has taken it a step further though to wake me up to spiritual superficiality. I questioned myself with always having this sister making me feel inferior, but now, her fruit bears witness. Looking back on it, as I see now, as I see with many women now... They lose focus on the modest spirit and focus on looking modest/spiritual on the outside. The Lord has opened my eyes to this recently so allow me to explain deeper.
The heart condition is a key factor. The heart intent. Now if you wear skulls and wickedness that reflects your heart of death... If you wear a bikini that reflect your heart of no self-respect for your body and the seeking of attention. Women are called to be modest and I will not move on this Biblical standard. Let's dive into four main topics I notice...
Hair cutting... Click here for full study
I touched on mentioning this in my Messianic article, but didn't dive into the topic because that article was long enough as is and as well I was just starting to have solitude with the Lord when He was showing me women's spiritual superficiality. All of these matters honestly are putting oneself under The Law... Under spiritual signs that are to symbolize a virtue. People focus more on the sign than they do on the virtue.
Many women as the weaker vessel fall into the trap of placing themselves back under The Law when it comes to not cutting their hair, (Leviticus 19:27) not even a trim of the dead ends. Women also use 1 Corinthians 11:15 that a woman's hair shouldn't be cut because it is her glory. Many women claim it's bad for hair to be trimmed... I respect your experience, testimony, personal conviction, but don't belittle sisters over this. It's superficial. Not a salvation issue.
Head-covering... Click here for full study
Whether you cover full time or part time... I respect you if you understand the symbolism of the head-covering. Time and time again I see women who come to the narrow road and get convicted about covering full time... Their husbands not understanding and missing being able to see their wife's hair throughout the day. These husbands request and/or prefer their wives not cover full time... And the women do not submit.
This deeply bothers me and confuses me. So here you are wearing a head-covering that is a SYMBOL that you accept and respect your husband as your headship, yet you aren't submitting to him as your headship. What's the point of covering if you are not obedient to your husband? You veil your head in vain. You are a hypocrite. It's superficial. Not a salvation issue. The salvation issue for you as a wife is submitting to your husband in everything, (Ephesians 5:24) even if your husband himself is disobedient to God, (1 Peter 3:1-2).
Makeup... Click here for full study
I know I could completely deny myself of wearing makeup and feel no need to wear it ever again. So why do I wear it? To be feminine and pleasing to my husband's eyes. Many of you will say... "We blaspheme God by wearing makeup because we are telling Him that His original artwork (our face/body) isn't good enough."
I'm beautiful without makeup. I do not feel insecure without makeup. I don't want to look sexy, I want to look elegant, modest and pretty. If it's vanity to wear a little makeup of natural coloring than it must also be vanity to shower, put perfume on, shave, cut nails because we shouldn't be altering the way our bodies naturally are.
Now don't get me wrong, physical superficiality is an obsession women need to repent of, but let's not go to the other extreme of still focusing on appearance. God cares about your heart condition. Too much focus on looking sexy or looking holy isn't good, we need to BE holy. Stop focusing on makeup either way. It's superficial. Not a salvation issue.
1 Samuel 16:7 ~ "But the Lord said unto Samuel, Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature; because I have refused him: for the Lord seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord looketh on the heart."
Jewelry... Click here for full study
As I opened up with my personal experience of my wedding ring being a preventative with men lusting after me. So here is the choice before me... Be in sin by wearing a piece of metal around my finger or be in sin by being a stumbling-block for a man to lust? I choose the metal around my finger. It is a symbol and my heart condition is to honor my husband that I am his and his alone. A sign to the world to not try and take me as your wife as I already belong to someone. Again, it's superficial. Not a salvation issue. My heart intent is pure before God. I focus on my heart rather than looking righteous.
Matthew 23:27 ~ "Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are like unto whited sepulchres, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men's bones, and of all uncleanness."
Conclusion...
Now I'm not going to up and rebuke you just because you are personally convicted to not wear makeup, jewelry, perfume, etc. head-cover full time and not cut your hair whether it be all of these things, a few or one of these personal convictions. By all means, power to you. To me though, these things are not sin in moderation and pureness of heart.
James 4:17 ~ "Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin."
So don't let me see you going around rebuking other women when you have no Biblical basis. Many of you are operating out of deep insecurities to try and make yourself feel superior to other Christian women. I deeply sympathize, but please repent now and stop being a modern-day Pharisee with your religiosity.
There are so many women who hide their rebellion behind religiosity of modest dress, no makeup, full time head-coverings, etc. but will not submit to their husband. Not being modest at heart, a meek and quiet spirit that God is most pleased with, (1 Peter 3:4).
I will stand in support of a woman who wears pants that has a submitted modest heart towards her husband and I will stand against a woman who wears skirts and is rebellious towards her husband. As there are MANY women who are modern-day Pharisees where the outside looks holy, but the inside is dead, (Matthew 23:27).
These rebellious women are led by their emotions, doing as Eve did and making decisions without headship. Listening to the voice of rebellion (Satan) that disguises as an angel of light, (2 Corinthians 11:14). These women think they are hearing from the Holy Spirit and can come out from under their husband's headship because of their "spirituality" which in truth, is superficiality. So many women have ruined their marriages by obeying their emotional convictions and rebelling against their husbands.
Submission to God-ordained order is priority. We need more women who acknowledge they are the weaker vessel, joyfully being led by their husbands regardless of the stage he is in with his walk with the Lord, (1 Peter 3:1-7). I'm not at all saying submitting to sin, but many women need to learn that not doing superficial things is not sin... What is sin is not submitting to your husband and blaspheming the Word of God, (Titus 2:5).
I fear becoming a Pharisee because I fear God... My hair is kept long, I cover for prayer, my makeup is minimal, as well as perfume and jewelry. My priority is being a meek and quiet spirit, (1 Peter 3:4). Please pray for me as I honestly keep a heart open to the Lord to convict me in all things always, but as I said, I know He is the one who has taught me and opened my eyes to spiritual superficiality. I invite your prayers nonetheless as I pray for you.
Be blessed & stay sanctified,
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