What does the Bible say about wearing make-up?
Anyone who is familiar with the UPC knows that the majority of UPC churches and their affiliates teach against women wearing make-up. The official position of the UPC on make-up is this:
“Since the primary effect of makeup is to highlight sex appeal, we reject makeup as immodest1.”
However, since I spent my whole life in the movement I know from personal experience that this is not the view taught in the churches. (At least, I have never heard this view taught.) The argument against make-up that I always heard was taken from three Scriptures (2 Kings 9:30, Jer. 4:30, Eze. 23:40). The reason that it was taken from three Scriptures is because there are only three Scriptures in the entire Bible that say anything against make-up!
You see, make-up is a non-issue Biblically. Nothing was ever said about the subject positively or negatively.There are three Scriptures that make reference to make-up in passing, but none of the three even hint that make-up is a sin. Again, it’s a non-issue.
Unfortunately, the UPC takes these three Scriptures, twists them out of context, and creates a doctrine out of them. That would be bad enough of its own, but the situation is made worse because many UPC churches teach that wearing make-up is a sin. In other words, it’s not an optional doctrine in any UPC church that I’ve ever attended. (The one exception is a church that I attended for five years. The pastor–who I dearly love and respect–allows make-up as long as it does not change the base color of the skin. He is considered extremely liberal by many other pastors.)
In this article I am going to show what the Bible says about make-up, and then respond to the UPC position on the issue.
Is Wearing Make-up A Sin?
Now, if you’ve read my article on Jewelry then you read about how sin is defined. I’m not going to repeat it all here. Instead I recommend that you read the section of the article titled “Does the Bible Ever Say That Wearing Jewelry Is A Sin?” I will briefly recap the subject here by reminding you that the Old Testament Law (Exodus, Leviticus, and Deuteronomy) defines what sin is (Rom. 7:7). Everything that is a sin in the New Testament was also a sin in the Old Testament Law, but everything that was a sin in the Old Testament Law was not necessarily a sin in the New Testament.
The reason that I said that is to say this: The Bible never defines make-up as a sin. The Old Testament Law was completely silent on the issue, and the New Testament never mentions it at all!
What Does the Bible Say About Make-up?
As I mentioned at the beginning of this article, make-up is only mentioned three times in the Bible (2 Ki. 9:30, Jer. 4:30, Eze. 23:40). Here is what these three Scriptures have to say:
2Ki 9:30 NASB
(30) When Jehu came to Jezreel, Jezebel heard of it, and she painted her eyes and adorned her head and looked out the window.Jer 4:30 NASB
(30) And you, O desolate one, what will you do? Although you dress in scarlet, Although you decorate yourself with ornaments of gold, Although you enlarge your eyes with paint, In vain you make yourself beautiful. Your lovers despise you; They seek your life.Eze 23:40 NASB
(40) “Furthermore, they have even sent for men who come from afar, to whom a messenger was sent; and lo, they came–for whom you bathed, painted your eyes and decorated yourselves with ornaments.
One does not have to be a Bible scholar to see that none of these Scriptures say anything about whether or not a person should wear make-up! However, there is also a fourth Scripture that I often heard used to preach against make-up. It is 1 Tim. 2:9, which says:
1Ti 2:9 NASB
(9) Likewise, I want women to adorn themselves with proper clothing, modestly and discreetly, not with braided hair and gold or pearls or costly garments.
You might be asking at this point how 1 Tim. 2:9 has anything to do with make-up, and that’s a very valid question! The confusion seems to come from a misunderstanding of the KJV translation of the Scripture. The KJV uses the word “shamefacedness” instead of “modesty.” As near as I’ve been able to figure out, many UPC preachers assume that “shamefacedness” means that a person shouldn’t wear make-up. The logic seems to be that it has the word “face” inside of “shamefacedness” so therefore it must be talking about make-up. This is an example of the sort of shoddy Biblical study that is done by many UPC preachers and pastors.
Overwhelming Evidence?
I think anyone will agree that these four Scriptures are hardly overwhelming evidence against make-up! The fact is, the Bible just doesn’t say whether or not a woman can wear make-up! We have to assume that if it mattered at all to God then He would have mentioned it at least once, right? Why should we have to take a few Scriptures that are hidden in the depths of the Old Testament and twist them together in a convoluted fashion to form a doctrine? It seems to me that God was pretty plain about the stuff that mattered to Him! For example, look at Gal. 5:19-21:
Gal 5:19-21 NASB
(19) Now the deeds of the flesh are evident, which are: immorality, impurity, sensuality,
(20) idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, disputes, dissensions, factions,
(21) envying, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these, of which I forewarn you, just as I have forewarned you, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.
That’s pretty plain, right? I just don’t think God’s sitting up there seeing how many people He can trick into going to hell! A god who does that is the antithesis of the God of the Bible!
A Few Questions for the UPC:
Here’s a question that I have for the UPC:
If make-up is evil because it enhances our sex appeal, then what other things are we not allowed to do?
- Are we not allowed to wear deoderant?
- Are we not allowed to brush our hair?
- Are we not allowed to wear color-coordinated outfits?
- Are we not allowed to wear matching socks?
You see, I really want to enhance my sex appeal! I’m 26, and I want to get married some day! Because of that I do all sorts of stuff to enhance my sex appeal! I brush my teeth twice a day, I style my hair, I make sure my socks match, I exercise regularly enough to keep the worst of the flab off, etc. What’s wrong with doing that? Just because a woman wants to make herself attracted doesn’t mean that she’s promiscuous! Every single one of us does things every day to enhance our attractiveness to the opposite sex!
Here are a few other questions:
- If 2 Kings 9:30 is saying that make-up is evil because Jezebel used it, then doesn’t it also mean that we can’t look out the window?
- If Jer. 4:30 is saying that make-up is evil because Israel wore it while they were backslidden, then doesn’t it also mean that wearing scarlet is evil?
- If Eze. 23:40 is saying that make-up is evil because Israel wore it while they were backslidden, then doesn’t it mean that it’s also evil to take a bath?
Isn’t this all a little bit ridiculous?!
Conclusion:
You see, this is the problem with UPC theology: It’s a house of cards. The UPC has made the claim that they and their affiliates are the only ones who possess Truth. But what happens when they find out that something they taught as Truth was wrong? It throws everything else into question! If they can be wrong on one point then they can be wrong on other points as well.
I believe that this is what is happening with make-up. The UPC has been backed into a corner. More and more people are seeing that there is absolutely nothing wrong with wearing make-up. There’s no Scriptural basis for not wearing it, and there’s no logical reason for not wearing it. Now the UPC is forced to defend a doctrine that makes no sense, because if they back off this doctrine then it might cause their members to doubt other doctrines as well.
This is why I believe that the Bible should be the ultimate rule of authority. If I find that I’ve misunderstood something in the Bible then I have no problem changing my beliefs. I don’t claim to have a monopoly on Truth. I claim that Jesus is the only way to God, not any one Christian denomination!
Folks, God doesn’t care whether or not you wear make-up! If He cared then He would have put it in the Bible! If you are a woman who feels that God does not want you wearing make-up then that is between you and Him, but God never gave any organization the right to dictate a doctrine that has no Scriptural basis as being necessary for salvation!
References:
- United Pentecostal Church International, Position Paper on Modesty, Accessed 2006-12-21 20:02:31 [↩]
June 17th, 2008 at 9:19 am
I agree with this posting. I grew up in a chruch that taught these things. Pastors and preachers need to be careful that when they teach the Word of God to the congregation, that they use facts and not try to make their own opinions part of the Word. We are living the last day to be worring about if a sister in church is using makeup. We need to be preaching more about sin and things that cause christians to fall and not condeming others by what we think is “holy”.
September 2nd, 2008 at 2:16 pm
Thank you for this article. I appreciate the simple approach to the topic and I have found myself in similar discussions quoting to others what Galatians 5 says will keep people out of the Kingdom – not extra stuff. As a woman, I can say that there are practical sides to not wearing make-up and that is the cost of it and time spent. Sadly, the beauty market in America is a billion-dollar industry – women spend a lot of time and money on their looks, which we all know that time and money could be spent far better. My husband has asked me not to wear make-up so the decision is made for me. But otherwise, I would still wear a small amount like I did before he was in the picture. I do think make-up can be a problem for some women – it becomes their security – but it is still not sin.
September 9th, 2008 at 10:00 am
I couldn’t agree with you more. Why do christians fight and devour one another over irrelate issues, Jesus said I came to save the world not condemn. I strongly feel that a woman knows why she wears her makeup, and that is between her and God. If there is a conviction it will come from the word and the word only. IF GOD DOESN’T DO IT, IT CAN’T BE DONE!!!
October 15th, 2008 at 9:57 pm
I am sad as I read this, I think that most of the ppl who have posted here want to prove to themselves that there is nothing wrong with what they are doing.
So, is it okay for a woman to be a harlot? A prostitute, hooker,stripper, or whatever you want to call her?
Why not? The bible doesn’t say it’s a sin does it?
But in every scripture where make-up is referenced, it is about
a harlot, a “woman of the night”. In one reference referring to scarlet, that was the color that women of the night wore at that time. It was how men knew that they were harlots.
I think instead of saying that pastors and preachers should be careful about what they preach, that Josh, you should be careful about what you say. Why try to take things from the bible and make people think that they don’t matter, because you say so. You must be VERY bitter, and that is sad, because
bitterness in your heart is also talked about in the bible.
The truth is that I would rather be safe than sorry. If you are right, I’m still okay, because I don’t wear make-up (anymore).
But if you are wrong, well….
I know it’s popular today for women to wear make-up, it’s so common that those of us who don’t, are looked at as being strange. But the Word of God never changes, no matter how much the people of this world change. I don’t want to be guilty of trying to ignore certain parts of the bible, because it was uncomfortable for me. God is a God of rules, if you don’t believe it read the old testament.
Remember that the way to heaven is straight and narrow, and FEW there be that find it. Hell, however is going to have to increase itself in order to hold all those poor souls going there.
So, just because the majority of the world has decided that
the old paths, and the old ways are no longer important, doesn’t make them right. The majority are not going to heaven.
And remember the definition of a “Christian” is to be Christ-like.
October 15th, 2008 at 10:26 pm
Hey, thanks for putting this up Josh,
I apperciate your hard research on the blogs.. I just have to pray that people who read your blog will continued to be exposed to the truth and grace of God..
I asked a Pastor that was trying to get back to the Oneness church what God told Paul when he asked God to remove the thorn from him..
God answered him my GRACE is sufficient for thee.. 2 Cor 12…
Gods Grace is what save a person not there make-up, dress, ect..
Rebaka you will be in my prayers,…
I am happy that you choose to adhere to your convictions, but it becomes a burden to others when you try to force your conviction on them.
And we are to be free in Christ..
October 18th, 2008 at 3:12 pm
Rebekah…i love that you’d rather be safe than sorry, as you stated in your post above.
I am wondering how safe you will be, after you’ve judged and compared those who choose to wear some make up as harlots.
Gods saved and redeemed blood washed blood bought women and you so cavalierly call them prostitutes.
God winked at ignorance once…i pray he close’s both eyes to the ignorance of such bible theolgy that condemns by comparrison as you have done.
October 21st, 2008 at 5:46 pm
I’m not judging anyone, I don’t need to, I’m simply stating the facts. If you can show me a scripture where God referred to make-up and wasn’t talking about a harlot, then I would be happy to read it.
You don’t have to believe anything because I (or anyone else) says that it is so. I choose to believe the bible. I know that God is a God of mercy and love. But he also has A LOT of other parts to Him. He says that he loves the sinner and HATES the sin. He’s not only a God of love, but He’s also a God who hates, and He’s not only a God of Heaven, but is very clear about hell. Hell is the place where all will go who have not obeyed His Word. Not just a place for ppl that you are I think belong there. He is my judge, and He will judge everyone else as well. I’m not trying to force anything on anyone.. if you wanna read His word and believe it you can, if not no one will force you – not even God.
I do know that the way to heaven is straight and narrow and few there be that find it. The masses are not going to be there, only those that followed His instruction. That’s all I’m trying to do is follow what it says to do in the Word. If people who have not experienced the Holy Ghost with the evidence of speaking in tounges want to argue with me, that’s okay. I know in whom I believe, and I know what I have experienced
and what is true.
And though I don’t feel that I am judging people, the bible does not say “Don’t judge” it says Judge not, lest ye be judged. I know that I will be judged, and I want to be found pure and holy in His sight without spot or wrinkle.
October 22nd, 2008 at 12:17 am
Hi, Rebekah. I normally stay out of the comment threads on this Web site. I decided to go ahead and respond to your comments, though, because they made a direct statement to me (accusing me of bitterness) and because you asked a question or two that I would like to answer.
I sincerely appreciate your concern for me and your dedication to God. I do not say that lightly. I am not writing this response to debate with you or to challenge your beliefs. I am writing it for the sake of others reading this post.
The purpose of my response to your comments is not to debate. If a debate starts then I will temporarily lock comments on the thread. I like to provide all sides a chance to express their opinions, but this Web site is not a debate forum. I appreciate everyone understanding that.
In reference to the way being straight and narrow, I agree with you completely. I certainly do not buy into an “easy believism” sort of salvation mentality. The Bible says that we were called to be disciples of Christ and then to make disciples of Him. Easton’s Bible dictionary defines a disciple of Jesus as “one who (1) believes his doctrine, (2) rests on his sacrifice, (3) imbibes [drinks up, soaks up] his spirit, and (4) imitates his example (Matt. 10:24; Luke 14:26, 27, 33; John 6:69).” This is what we are called to be, and it is the way that I strive to live my life. The reason I abandoned holiness standards is because after months of study I decided that none of them have a basis in Scripture (although I agree that the Scriptures teach modesty, moderation, etc).
One more point on the standards: They had nothing to do with me leaving Oneness Pentecostalism. I left because I came to the conclusion that speaking in tongues was not the evidence of receiving the Holy Ghost, and that a person could be baptized in the Titles and be saved. My conclusion on the holiness standards only came after months of studying each one individually to see what the Bible taught. My goal was not to do what I wanted to do, it was to align myself as closely as possible with Scripture. If I’ve missed it, then I’ve missed it…but it won’t be for a lack of study or prayer.
I’d like to encourage you to read My Story: http://www.whyileft.org/my-story/. If you read it you will see that the trigger that caused me to leave Oneness Pentecostalism was that I started to feel a call to be a teacher. The thought of teaching someone incorrectly scared the living daylights out of me. It literally terrified me. I began to pray that God would open my eyes to anything I believed that was incorrect, because I did not want to lead people astray. At the time I was attending a UPC church and I bought into the entire holiness / Oneness Pentecostal doctrine hook, line and sinker. But I began to repeatedly pray that God would help me align myself with His Word. I began to read through the New Testament, and things started jumping out of me that I had never noticed before. I lived in terror for several months, feeling like I was being deceived. I just couldn’t understand it. Then I eventually decided that I was just going to pray and study and align myself with Scripture to the best of my ability. I decided to do my best to hold to “sound doctrine,” while trusting in God’s grace to continue to lead and guide me and ultimately to bring me safely home to His arms. Because, after all, it is God’s grace that saves us. In the end it is what we are all dependent on. I do not use grace as an excuse to sin–far from it! I just recognize that I will never be perfect, so I have determined to try my hardest while recognizing that God’s grace is sufficient for my failures.
I know that some will read what I just wrote and they will think, “Aha! He’s admitting that he can do whatever he wants because God’s grace will cover him!” If anyone thinks that, then please back up and read what I just wrote…and read it again, and again…and again…until you get it.
About the bitterness referenced in your first comment: I really am not bitter. I did struggle with bitterness right after I left Oneness Pentecostalism. It was something that I had to pray quite a bit about. You’re right in pointing out that bitterness is a sin. I appreciate you warning me about it, but I ask you to please refrain from judging my heart and motives when you do not even know me. If you have read many of the other articles on this Web site then I’m sure you’ve seen that I’ve made two things clear: 1) I am not trying to get anyone to leave Oneness Pentecostalism, and 2) I think Oneness Pentecostals can be saved. In other words, this is not an anti-Oneness Pentecostal (or anti-holiness) Web site.
I will not repeat my whole story here, I’d just like you and everyone else know that this Web site is the result of heart-rending prayer and study. It frustrates me when people accuse me of taking the easy road out, because there was nothing easy about it. It was the hardest decision I’ve ever made.
In your last post you said that if anyone could show you “a scripture where God referred to make-up and wasn’t talking about a harlot” then you would be happy to read it.
There are really only three Scriptures in the Bible that talk about make-up. They are 2 Kings 9:30 (Jezebel), Jer. 4:30 (a prophecy about the fall of Judah), and Ezekiel 23:40. Some people also think Proverbs 6:25 is referring to make-up, but that’s debatable. For the sake of this discussion, let’s assume Prov. 6:25 is talking about make-up. That would be 4 Scriptures.
Here is a break-down of the four of them:
2 Kings 9:30: Jezebel is about to die. She knows she’s about to die, and, to her credit, she’s pretty defiant about it. She paints her eyes with antimony. She almost certainly was not trying to entice Jehu like many holiness preachers claim. Many commentators think that she was preparing herself to die like a queen, and that’s probably correct. Whatever her motives, there are two reasons why she almost certainly was not trying to seduce Jehu: 1) She was old by this time; 2) She called Jehu a Zimri (traitor) when he arrived, and accused him of murdering his master (2 Kings 9:31). Certainly not a good way to get things started off on the right foot. She had to have known that Jehu was doing a “blood purge” to secure the throne, and that she was going to die no matter what she did.
Conclusion: There is nothing about harlotry, prostitution, hooking, or stripping in 2 Kings 9:30.
Proverbs 6:25: If this verse is talking about some sort of eye shadow then it is talking about harlotry. I don’t think the verse is talking about make-up, but even if it is the command in the verse is for men to not lust after adultresses and prostitutes. As a man, I can assure you that a woman’s eye shadow has nothing to do with arousing desire. I think it is more likely that Prov. 6:25 is talking about some sort of flirtatious winking or seductive looks, and quite a few commentators agree.
Conclusion: If Proverbs 6:25 is talking about make-up, then it is referring to adultresses.
Jeremiah 4:30: Personifying Judah as a prostitute. Do you were scarlet? I’m just curious. I know most Apostolic women do. Also, in verse 31 Jeremiah uses another illustration: He personifies Judah as a woman in labor. Is that also a sin? I’m being serious. We can’t just pick one word out of the passage and make THAT a sin and ignore everything else.
Ezekiel 23:40: This is an extended prophecy that is personifying Israel and Judah as “Oholah” and “Oholibah.” It accuses them of playing the harlot in Egypt (23:3). Skip down to verse 40, and it says that they “bathed, painted [their] eyes and decorated [themselves] with ornaments.”
Conclusion: If painting the eyes makes you a harlot then bathing does too. I’m not being sarcastic, I’m being dead serious. Again, we cannot take one little thing from a passage and make THAT thing a sin and allow other things in the passage to go unchallenged.
Sister, there is simply no basis for associating make-up with harlotry. Just because a harlot does something does not make what she did a sin. In other words, harlots wore clothes. Is that a sin? They took baths. Is that a sin? The Bible does not even hint that God has a problem with make-up.
Rebekah, I do not expect to change your mind. I am writing this for other people who read this article. Again, I sincerely appreciate your committment to God and your dedication to Him. I will encourage you to pray that God will continue to draw you closer to Him and to open your eyes to anything in your life that is displeasing to Him. I pray the same prayer almost every day. And you know what? He answers :).
P.S. – I was baptized in the Holy Ghost with the evidence of speaking in tongues when I was 11 years old. So I do meet the Oneness Pentecostal litmus test of being able to “know truth” or “see the truth” =). I no longer believe that tongues is the evidence of the Holy Ghost, of course, but I want to make it clear that you’re talking to someone who was baptized in Jesus’ Name and filled with the Holy Ghost UPC-style…and who preached, taught, played the drums, danced, shouted, and followed every standard there was.
God bless,
Josh Spiers
October 28th, 2008 at 10:08 pm
That was great resources again Josh, you have been a blessing to the teaching of God…
Rebeka I love that you have a desire to follow the Lord and you the bible say those that seek him will find him..
I too.. am a person that was baptised in Jesus Name and spoke in tongues..
I also know that grace is what saved me not my church..
Love ya and my prayers are with you..
November 6th, 2008 at 1:10 pm
Josh, I read your take on make-up & would like to kindly comment. In principle, I do not think that there’s a legitimate comparison of bathing/wearing scarlet & make-up. Clearly, God expects us to cover ourselves & bathe. The wearing of scarlet in Jer. 4:30 is a isolated connection w/ harlotry that we do not see elsewhere in Scripture. In fact, we see the color used in positive ways all throughout the Bible (i.e., the tabernacle, Rahab, etc.). However, never do we see God using facial paint in a positive way, but He ALWAYS uses it in very negative circumstances indicating His displeasure w/ it. Is everyone who wears make-up a harlot? Certainly not, but it does reveal God’s attitude towards it which should cause us to back up & excercise caution w/ the matter. Also, consider that we’re God’s literal temple in the NT & He consistently tells Moses (OT) not to alter His place of dwelling, as He’s very peculiar when it comes to His tabernacle/temple. In short, it’s not our house…it’s His & He’s the divine architect. We wouldn’t dare paint the Governor’s house, why should we paint God’s? Moreover, how would trees, snow, dust etc. look w/ paint on them? No one even considers such UNNATURALNESS…until it comes to humans, who have a free will & therein lies the problem. In sum, the things of nature as created by God are to remain in their natural created state as much as possible. Also would like to talk to you about tongues issue later. I, like you, have for the last 10 yrs. closely scrutinized pentecostalism since I’m a teacher/pastor who many people look to for doctrinal advice. This scares me to death, so I watch for inconsistencies & try to keep an honest heart, which is why I have an interest in your positions! Much more to say, but I don’t want to wear you out. [EDIT: Phone # removed]
January 28th, 2009 at 6:45 pm
Hello, I am from an Apostolic Church of God The Bibleway Church and we do not teach that it is a sin to wear make-up but it is correct when said that the bible do speak of it in a negative way.(But it is not a sin) For example one would think that it is a sin to be angry when in fact it is only a sin to stay angry(Ephesians 4:26). The bible speaks of being slow to anger. anyway’s the point is make-up is looked upon as something women uses to seduce men to make themselves to be fair, But I know all women do not use it for that purpose but even so, Beauty is still vain according to (Proverbs 31:30). So a God fearing women would not care to wear make-up because it is the inside that matters not the flesh. The flesh profits nothing(John 6:63) I hope that helps and May God Bless You
February 1st, 2009 at 7:58 pm
Thank you for the article Josh. It is not a sin to wear make-up.
I believe The UPC are hypocrytes. They think it’s a sin to wear make-up,
but they believe it’s okay for women to shave their legs.
What they don’t know, is that the idea of shaving the legs came from
FRENCH PROSTITUTES. Thats right everyone! After World War 2, when
we liberated France from Nazi Germany, a few of are American soldiers
stayed in France to celebrate after the war, and slept with a few of the
prostitutes these prostitute couldn’t afford stalkings. So they would
SHAVE THEIR LEGS, and sometimes even draw the seam on their leg
with a marker or pen to make the illusion seam real.
When American sodiers finanlly came homefrom France to their WIVES
they told their wives to start shaving their legs because it would save
money on buying stalkings. they were just being submittful to their
husbands and went along with it.
(you see their husbands got the idea from the
prostitutes they met in France) then it began to grow into a custom
in America. Thats why us American women shave our legs today.
So to all of you who think make-up is a sin, because it associated with
harlots, then you better stop shaving your legs. Because it really did
come from prostitutes.
April 14th, 2009 at 5:51 pm
Why do we wear make-up? What are we trying to accomplish? What is the purpose? All things in life are either bringing glory to God or not- it is black and white…so who are we glorifying when we wear make-up?
There are many individual things that the bible does not specifically refer to or direct us on. But as we live our life with the Spirit of God…His principles of purity and holiness permeate all areas of our life.
Who are we wearing make-up for? If we live our life with God and before Him, is make-up necessary? He created us in His image and although we are not perfect…we should ask ourselves if we are trying to create an image of ourselves that is not true to who we really are. God loves us just the way He created us…
Everything should be looked at with the question in mind…is this bringing me closer to Christ or distracting me from Him? If we ask ourselves this question not only regarding make-up, but everything else in our lives, then we will find ourselves much more awake and intune to Him and the path He has for us…
I found myself facing these questions on my own personal journey with Christ…I have never received instruction from a Church or pastoral influence regarding make-up…if anything it was encouraged by the lives of those who led. I do not attend a “church” of any kind, I am a girl living her life with God and making my way through this journey one moment at a time. However, I think everyone should personally walk through this type of a question with God. If we are simply honest with ourselves and Him about why we do the things that we do…this life becomes a lot easier to live, rather than avoiding and living on in the “realities” that we create for ourselves.
April 16th, 2009 at 10:11 pm
Hi
I have a question for the people here who think wearing makeup is wronge. First of all everyone I know who wears makeup wears it for themselves because it makes themselves look better and feel better. If it is still a sin to do then wouldn’t it be a sin for people to get braces or false teeth or wear a wig or toupe? ( just to name a few )I dont think makeup should be worn excesivly… like I think people should be ok with themselves in there own skin…but I dont thinks its wrong if they want to wear it to make them selves look better…like whats the difference? PS: sorry for spelling mistakes wrote this quick cause its late. God Bless :)
April 30th, 2009 at 3:48 pm
Wow! It really shouldnt surprise me at what I am reading. I have also spent many hours studying these subjects and frankly find most of what I have been reading False. The first thing someone wants to cry is that your judging me when someone wants to stand for God. Those who do have not a clue what to judge means. To judge you would mean that I could sentence you somewhere, which I cant. I can only tell you the truth. The bible says ye shall know them by their fruits. It also says to be seperate from this world. I know we have to be in this world but we do not have to conform to it. The world says its ok to wear make up and such but I dont agree with the world. Nor does society determine my right from wrong.
Heaven is a place with boundries, hell hath no boundry. You tell me why we dont have boundries. You sir are in a place I never want to be. You are speaking directly against the word of God. No one ever recieved the Holy Ghost and didnt speak with tounges. That is a lie from the pits of hell. I am not trying to debate the subject just expressing my thoughts. The problem I see evident here is worldliness. Rebekah, stand strong in your beliefs, they are right in the eyes of God. God bless..
April 30th, 2009 at 3:51 pm
Oh, just so there is no confusion, I am not UPC.
May 12th, 2009 at 1:07 pm
We can speak out about judging sin that we KNOW God is against… Fornication, adultery, murder, jealousy, etc.. If we tell people these things are wrong – it is not judgment – because the Bible clearly speaks how God is against these things.
HOWEVER, when we start making and enforcing ‘standards’ and ‘rules’ that are not clearly taught against in the Bible (or that the Bible is silent about) – we are on dangerous ground. If you do not see Jesus or the apostles clearly speaking against pants, or make-up, or jewelry, who are we to enforce such rules and regulations? Who are we to say that you are more holy if you don’t wear make-up? Holiness is a matter of the heart!
Matthew 7:2 “For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again.”
If you start judging someone for wearing make-up – you should realize that you are enforcing a rule that Jesus did not enforce. I would hope that on Judgment Day, that you would not want Jesus to hold you accountable to a ‘silent’ standard that He never advised you of.
Why are we stressing things that the apostles & Jesus didn’t stress? And then judging those who don’t feel the need to stress them?
Romans 14:1 “Accept him whose faith is weak, without passing judgment on disputable matters.”
If the UPC truly believes they are more ‘holy’ because of the seperation and outward standards, I would think they should still take to heart this verse. Even if those who aren’t following the standards really have a ‘weaker’ faith, then they should still accept them and not pass judgment on them for these disputable matters. I would think that pants / make-up / jewelry would be considered disputable matters – considering the Bible does not say much on the subject.
Praying for the UNITY for ALL believers in Jesus Christ.
May 17th, 2009 at 11:32 am
First of all, I’d like to say that this is really an amazing site. I originally came to this site through Google, to find a scripture for my sister to show her why I don’t wear make-up anymore.
I personally agree with the fact that as strong christian believers, we shouldn’t conform to the ways of the world.. I Love not wearing makeup, because it really does open up conversation about God.
I mean, we shouldn’t condemn an unbeliever, or a believer for wearing makeup, and we should let people who wear makeup, or even dress as prostitutes into our churhes.. Because they need to come as they are and be loved, and eventually, they will stop coming to church the way they are, as they begin to learn more about What God aks of them as believers.
Weather or not you wear makeup, God still loves you, and Christians will still Love you, but it is an act of obedience towards God if you don’t.
and If you really want to show that you are obedient(Sp?) towards God, then it is s good thing to just, not concern yourself with such things as wearing makeup.
The bible says somewhere about letting you’re inner beauty shine through, and I was looking for that scripture originally.. That is what we should really be concerning ourselves with, is how much God’s beauty can shine through us, without covering and hiding that natural beauty with makeup.
So, In conclusion, we shouldn’t hate those that don’t.
But, I suppose that is obvious.
May 18th, 2009 at 9:33 am
So it’s time for the Southern Baptist Evangelical is to weigh in. In our churches, we don’t teach against wearing make-up – we have bigger modesty challenges to face like short skirts and low blouse lines – assuming wearing makeup is even wrong.
I think if you’re wearing makeup to enhance natural beauty- there’s nothing wrong with that. Painting yourself up to look like a harlot is probably not such a great idea. It has a lot to do with who you are presenting yourself to be.
I’d also like to mention that some makeup is also medical. There are many products tailored to fix skin problems, and I don’t think God would be against taking care of your skin. While we are not to be a part of the world, I do think we’re supposed to be examples for the world. Since the world values good looks, I think it is just as easy to be an example for non-Christians by putting our best face forward. I cannot tell you how many times I’ve been abel to encourage someone in Christ because they’ve said to me, “You always look like you have it sooooo together.”
Lastly, I think there is a huge opportunity for makeup artists that provide the service of applying makeup and of selling makeup to share Christ. There are plenty of non-Christians who wear makeup, and it is so easy to get into a conversation about Christ with them. Esp. if you’re applying their makeup since you’re already in a place of trust (in their personal space). Christ spent a good part of His ministry on earth lifting sinners up (He spent time condemning them too, but I don’t think we have that power). I use makeup to play up a feature that is already beautiful. Satan is tearing women down by showing them what’s not good about themselves. Makeup can show them what is, and a godly makeup artist can show them how Jesus makes all things new.
May 21st, 2009 at 12:02 pm
Hi–
I just left the UPC after over a decade in. I was so scared to leave because of the horror stories I had been told of women getting cancer because they cut their hair, marriages splitting up, children being killed in car wrecks….you get the picture. But, I’m glad I left. I’m an all or nothing person. Why is it ok to dress differently when you are on vacation, be seen in a bathing suit, etc, as long as no one from your church sees you? Why is it ok to go to the movies, as long as you don’t go with people from your church? Why is it ok for women to cut/color their hair, wear make up and pants, as long as they don’t hold positions? Why is it ok for girls to wear skirts up to a certain length, but the boys can only wear pants to the ankle? Why is it ok to dress crazy for Halloween, I’ve seen men dressed as women, women wearing makeup and wigs to look like cut hair. If cutting your hair is wrong, why is it ok to wear fake hair–the ends look cut. These are only just a few of the questions I had and could never reconcile. I just grew so tired of never measuring up, no matter how hard I or my family tried. I was tired of telling my children no, not because I had a conviction, but because I was afraid of getting in trouble. I miss my friends, but I don’t miss the contridictions.
May 22nd, 2009 at 6:08 am
Good day
I really think this topic is very sensitive and it should be that we are led by the spirit of God before we can understand why God does not want us to wear make-up and pants, etc. The only time when people will really accept this and change accordingly is if they are convicted by the Holy Spirit, we always say when God speaks we should listen, but the irony is that no one actually listens the 1st time around we only start listening when He speaks hard/loud that’s when something bad happens to us.
The one thing that we must not forget as “christians” is if we call ourselves “christians” meaning christlike we cannot expect to look and act like the world because when we become born again we become new creatures in God, meaning all old things fall away and God should install the new things in our lives (and not we ourselves) than and than only will we understand what holiness/godliness means when the spirit of the Lord convicts us when we not @ the right place or doing the right thing and even wearing the right stuff on our bodies which He also says is His temple.
May 22nd, 2009 at 10:30 am
I have been a member of two different UPC churches in two different states and they both had the same problems I spoke of earlier. I’m not speaking as someone who was on the fringe– I speak as someone who was deeply involved. I gave it all up, TV-hair-makeup-pants-books-magazines-christmas tree-valentine’s day-halloween–everything. If you take a good look around, the problem is wide spread, but no one wants to talk about it.
Also, I need to clarify–when I spoke of the bad things happening to people who leave the UPC. I didn’t mean these things had been told to me by people who needed a wakeup call and it was a catalyst to get them to the alter and be saved. NO, these examples were given to me as reasons why I shouldn’t leave the UPC–that if I did, horrible things would happen to me or my family and it would all be my fault. I don’t believe that God gives people cancer as punishment for leaving the UPC–but, that was what I was told.
I would like to also say, that I haven’t missed a church service at my new church since leaving UPC. I attend a Pentecostal church that preaches and teaches the bible–not man made rules.
The UPC is full of wonderful, talented people….but, there are some serious problems that no one is really addressing. And, until they are people who were once rooted and grounded will continue to leave.
June 4th, 2009 at 2:47 pm
I have been in a UPC for the past 13 years. Most of my relatives were raised Assembly of God. I love my church and we have some wonderful people. Even the ladies who only wear dresses have told me it is not a salvation issue, but simply a modesty issue. I wear only dresses to church, which I don’t mind doing, but I also still wear pants and I do cut my hair. I wear very little make-up. I recently checked out an Assembly of God church that is closer to my home and where I am torn is this: The Assembly of God does not baptize in Jesus’ name. I do agree with baptism in Jesus’ name as we are baptized into him….he is our salvation….his name is the only name by which we are saved. Any thoughts on this?
June 4th, 2009 at 5:42 pm
Connie, you asked an excellent question, and I’m happy to answer it to the best of my ability!
I’ll answer your question in two ways. The first answer is one that deals with the very nature of God. When you read it you will see why. Here is is:
1. Jesus will not send people to hell for obeying Him. He said to be baptized in the Name of the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, yet the Book of Acts records people people being baptized in the Name of Jesus. Are the apostles going to hell for baptizing the wrong way? Of course not. Are we going to go to hell if we take Jesus’ words literally? Of course not.
This answer speaks for itself. Is God out to trick us? Are we going to get to Heaven and have Him say, “Ha! I know that I said to be baptized in the ‘name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit,’ but I didn’t really mean it!”
Jesus did not come to Earth, suffer all the pains of humanity, endure unimaginable torture, suffocate to death on a cross of shame, rise from the dead, and ascend to Heaven, just so almost all of His followers throughout history would go to hell for having the wrong words said over them. Pardon my sarcasm, but I don’t think He’s sitting up in Heaven right now kicking Himself for saying that one little sentence wrong! :)
So the first answer is just common sense. If Jesus commanded us to do something then He’s not going to send us to hell for obeying Him.
The second answer is a little bit more technical, and it goes like this:
2. In the Greek language the word that we translate “name” had many meanings. One way was the way we use it today: as an identifier. My name is Joshua Spiers, and yours is Connie. Jesus’ Name was Jesus. However, the Greek word that we translate as “name” also carries this meaning:
This second way is the way that the phrase in the “name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit” was used in Mat. 28:19 [2].
So, in other words, to baptize in the Name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit is to baptize in the Name of Jesus, and to baptize in the Name of Jesus is to baptize in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.
Perhaps I can make it even more clear by putting it this way: It is an issue of identification and authority. People were baptized in Jesus’ Name, or the Name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, to identify with Jesus and to place themselves under His authority.
This issue of authority and identification came up in the church at Corinth. Note the following passage from 1 Corinthians:
The situation was that members of the church in Corinth were identifying themselves as disciples (or followers) of various Christian leaders. One of the ways that they were doing this was, apparently, by being baptized in the name of someone other than Jesus! Paul quickly put a stop to this, but reminding the church at Corinth that they were all followers of Jesus.
I find it sad that believers today create divisions in the body of Christ by splitting over the words said during baptism! What matters is that we are baptized under the authority of Jesus Christ. And that authority is applied no matter what baptismal formula is said. [3]
I hope this helps!
God bless,
- Josh S.
1. W. E. Vine, Merrill F. Unger and William White, Vine’s Complete Expository Dictionary of Old and New Testament Words (Nashville: T. Nelson, 1996), 2:425.
2. Ibid.
3. In response to my last comment (that it is the authority that matters and not the baptismal formula) some people have asked me why the disciples of John had to be rebaptized, or if a person could be baptized in the name of Bob and still be saved if the person was really meaning Jesus, and so on. In the case of John, it was an issue of identification and authority. They were rebaptized to identify with Christ. In the case of people being baptized in the name of Bob, that’s just silly and useless to debate. Any native English speaker who started baptizing that way would either be mentally disturbed or deliberately trying to cause controversy.
June 16th, 2009 at 7:11 am
Great article…Had a disagreement with someone on this issue on yesterday and found this website while researching this matter…This confirms what I told her, that this can not be proven biblically…It is nothing more than church doctrines and not biblical doctrines…Of course being children of God we should recognize when it’s too much because we don’t want to look as though we’re apart of the secular world….But it can be tastefully worn…
Takes again for a great article
June 17th, 2009 at 12:36 pm
“the trigger that caused me to leave Oneness Pentecostalism was that I started to feel a call to be a teacher. The thought of teaching someone incorrectly scared the living daylights out of me. ”
Boy can I identify with that! I’m currently serving in leadership capacity at a wonderful UPC church that I’ve grown up in. I’ve recently begun teaching home bible studies and come to the realization that I’m not “sold” on a lot of the doctrine (especially the fringe doctrines concerning teh sinfulness of certain appearances and behavior).
I have too much integrity (I HOPE that’s what it is!) to blindly parrot these ideas to others unless I believe them with my whole heart, and in the process of my research I’ve stumbled across your blog.
I want to say something in response to a couple of the UPC commenters on here…
You’ve stated several times that we’re supposed to be Christ-like, and “separated from the world”. I agree wholeheartedly. But being different or separated just FOR THE SAKE of being different is not holiness. Going without make-up JUST because the general population wears it is not Biblical. There are a plethora of other activities we should abstain from if that were the case, and it would get ridiculous (i.e. eating, breathing, ambulating…).
However, I do believe that the New Testament church is called to be culturally sensitive (the reason Paul advised Timothy (I think it was him) to be circumsized so as to not offend the Jews).
So, for instance, if all hookers in your city are commonly identified by their wearing of fishnet stockings, it would be UNWISE for a christian woman living in that city to wear fishnet stockings. She would be sending the wrong message to the unsaved people around her that she was promiscuous.
Even so, that does not mean wearing the stockings is SIN… and only God knows that woman’s heart and motivation for her choice of apparel.
I think that the scarlet/makeup/uncovered head thing may have very well legitimately meant a woman was a whore in the cultural context in which those Old Testament scriptures were written. The culturally sensitive God-fearing woman living in that area and time would refrain from wearing red clothing and eye-makeup, or, probably, walking about at night, to avoid being mistaken for a prostitute.
Even today, I think most women, Christian or not, would admit there is a way to apply makeup that appears, in our culture, to resemble a hooker.
But is the act of simply modifying one’s appearance wrong? No. If “natural” means “unchanged” or “untouched”, then shampooing, shaving, teeth whitening, tanning, moisturizing, fingernail clipping, eyebrow tweezing, etc. would be classified as unnatural too.
Is it wrong for a woman to want to look like a hooker (or alter her appearance for THE PURPOSE of seducing a man)? Yes. Are we humans responsible for discerning each other’s motives? No.
I believe that all us women should be worried about is: the principles of modesty and feminity, submission to our husbands in this area, being culturally-sensitive, and THE MOTIVES OF OUR HEARTS. A woman can technically follow a list of rules and regs of any length but still find a way to be seductive if it’s in her heart!
Sorry this is so long… thanks for letting me think this through “out loud”, Josh. :)
July 17th, 2009 at 1:32 am
hey josh.
arent you scared? i mean..im pentecostal and everything they teach is backed up by scripture. i mean..i dont see how you could leave.
and to talk about the whole makeup thing…its DEFINETLY a heart thing. but it does say in those scripures “painting your eyes”…isnt that what makeup does? seriously. i mean mascara paints your eyes black.
and eyeliner. paints it black around the eye. its also provine that wearing makeup attracks guys to you. sexually.
just saying.
i dont wear make up anymore.
and im sorry you had to walk away from the truth.
ill be praying for you.
im thinking you have alot of questions. talk to god.
he knows.
July 30th, 2009 at 11:28 pm
I absoultly think and know that wearing makeup and jewlery is a sin because to make it easy…you dont wear makeup or jewlery for god..do you then you wear it for the man=to human.So dont think people make it up its true now if you dont believe it then thats you deal.
God Bless you all.
July 30th, 2009 at 11:36 pm
I agree with britney..watever church your going to its teching you right!
But what do you think about jewlery and pants??
I am also pentecostal..i go to monte sinai i hope that you keep your faith in jesus as you are now.
Ill be praying for you..
and whoever says that the way the bible teaches is wrong ill pray for you too.
god bless you all.
August 6th, 2009 at 10:57 am
Pants is never backed up by the bible, even make up..What is wrong when someone wears a make -up? If her intention is to seduce or attract men, then it’s a sin but if she wears it just to look beautiful, then there’s nothing wrong about it..Tell me, is applying deodorant to your stinky underarms a sin?If it’s not, then, why is wearing make-up a sin? Putting on deodorant is something you do when you do not want to smell like a dead fish when you’re in your job, just like wearing wake up. Some of the make ups or cosmetics are made of powder and then it seeps the sweats off your face just like powder or baby powder or face powder. It also covers us from the deep rays of the sun.
In UPC, it is a sin to wear make up but it is not a sin to apply powder on the face or lotion in the hands or feet..Tell me, is lotion one of the cosmetics?YES! So why is it not considered a sin in UPC?
I am not an outside believer, hence, I grew up in UPC, I am already 5 years in my music ministry, and I played the lead guitar in our church.. All I can say, is, it is not on NATURALISM but rather it is on MODERATIONALISM.. Above all is the HEART that MATTERS that only you and GOD knows!
AN example of MODERATIONALISM: take a serious look at this..
Gen 9:20 And Noah began to be an husbandman, and he planted a vineyard:
Gen 9:21 And he drank of the wine, and was drunken; and he was uncovered within his tent.
Gen 9:22 And Ham, the father of Canaan, saw the nakedness of his father, and told his two brethren without.
Gen 9:23 And Shem and Japheth took a garment, and laid it upon both their shoulders, and went backward, and covered the nakedness of their father; and their faces were backward, and they saw not their father’s nakedness.
Gen 9:24 And Noah awoke from his wine, and knew what his younger son had done unto him.
As we all know, Noah is a man of God, but he was drunken. And God did not judge him. All we know that drunkenness is a sin but drinking wine is not a sin. So if you take the wine in moderation, then you are not sinning but if you take it day by day and then you become a drunkard and becomes alcoholic or alcohol-dependent, then that’s the sin..If wearing of make-up on your face is exaggerated that it highlights everything in your face, then that’s the sin but if you take it lightly, then where is the sin? It is also a matter of the heart as what I have mentioned earlier. I hope this helps a lot.. Let us all be guided by the Holy SPirit..God bless everyone of us..
Philippians 4:5 Let your moderation be known unto all men. The Lord is at hand.
August 12th, 2009 at 8:35 pm
I am UPC of five years. I was a model before that for 4 years. Make-up and beauty was all I ever knew. I understand that people need to try to turn scripture so that you don’t feel bad for wearing makeup or cutting your hair or drinking (cause the bible says ,”drink and be merry”) but the way I see it is…the bible can be twisted anyway u want to twist it…so I want to be safe than sorry…i got scared when I read the scripture about cutting my hair, and I still get scared reading the scriptures that are provided above, cause the bible speaks down on makeup and uses only bad examples. So yes it makes me not want to wear just to please Jesus. Just in case. Who will ever be able to tell you that makeup is right or wrong..who will ever be able to tell you anythign morally is wrong..nobody until it is too late…JESUS!! and if I lived my whole life with no makeup on my face and found out that it didn’t matter to Jesus, then I would not regret it, cause he sees the sacrifice that I give to him everyday! I don’t care if it is going to send me to hell, I want to be closer to him…so whatever I have to do to get that way I will do it!! Get a personal relationship with him and he will lead you where he wants you even church wise…he did me!
September 5th, 2009 at 9:53 am
I feel it’s fine to wear make up. I don’t think it really matters. Our hearts and motives matter. I don’t think everything we do at every fleeting moment is for God or should be expected to be for God. In all honostly do you do everything in your life for God? Do you sleep for God? Eat for God? God to the bathroom for God? Let’s be realistic. We were put on this planet to live- not to put ourselves in a box or 24 hour God. I have nothing against doing things for God, but extremism doesn’t get one anywhere, neither to heaven. The problem with UPC theology and that of many Pentecostales is that your salvation isn’t secure- you feel that at any moment your salvation could be lost- by accidently cursing in a moment of rage- and poof- if you die a second after- you go to hell. Think about it honostly- that’s not realistic. Also another comment regarding wearing make up- ok we don’t do it for God- but honostly I don’t wear my clothing for God- should I run around naked? I’m not debating, but giving my opinion to what I’ve seen and heard.
September 8th, 2009 at 10:19 pm
I WAS RAISED APOSTOLIC. THEN I WENT ASTRAY BECAUSE I DEARLY LOVED MAKEUP, JEANS, ETC. RECENTLY, I WANTED TO SHOW MY HUSBAND THE KIND OF CHURCH I USE TO ATTEND. WE BOTH ARE STILL THERE AND WAS RECENTLY BAPTIZED IN JESUS NAME. I RECEIVED THE HOLY GHOST AND SPOKE IN TONGUES IN MY BED AT 14 YEARS OLD. HOWEVER, NOW WHEN I SPEAK THERE IS POWER BEHIND IT. I HAVE WONDERED HOW COME I WENT ASTRAY BEFORE. THE LORD SHOWED ME IT WAS BECAUSE I THOUGHT IF I WORE A DRESS AND WASHED MY FACE, THEN I WAS SAVED. BUT THE TRUTH, THE BITTER ROOT, WAS THAT I HADN’T DEVELOPED A RELATIONSHIP WITH HIM. NOW THAT I HAVE, I DONT CARE WHAT I NEED TO GIVE UP. JESUS GAVE HIS LIFE FOR ME AND YOU THINK I’M GOING TO COMPLAIN ABOUT MAKEUP? AND I HAVE NOTICED SOMETHING SINCE I’VE BEEN BACK HERE AT THIS APOSTOLIC PENTECOSTAL CHURCH, WHEN I PRAY, WHETHER IT IS FOR A NEED OR JUST A WANT, I GET IT. WHATEVER IT IS, I GET IT. LITERALLY. SO WORLD KEEP YOUR MAKE-UP, I’M NOT FOR SALE. EVERYONE IS ALWAYS LOOKING AT WHAT THEY CAN GET BY WITH. WHAT HAPPENED WITH GOING THE EXTRA MILE?
September 30th, 2009 at 7:50 pm
i want to commend rebbekah for standing her ground i beleive and agree 100% with you now josh on the other hand there is no reason for you to leave a upc and change the way you think about the evidence in speaking in tongues only satin has confused you for example read acts 10:44-46 there is your proof on speaking in tongues is the evidence of the holy ghost and for someone to experience such a thing and then deny it blows my mind only satin talking you into believing a lie is all that can explain this…… any way i will pray for you and hope you turn back to what you know is right. GOD BLESS
October 10th, 2009 at 7:55 am
I just had to jump in.
In an early post, Rebekah stated: “But in every scripture where make-up is referenced, it is about a harlot, a ‘woman of the night.’” In Rebecca’s next post, she claimed, “I’m simply stating the facts.”
You’ve already made an error, Rebecca. Jezebel was not an harlot or “woman of the night.” She was an idolater; she was a murderess; but, nowhere in scripture was she ever called an harlot. Her “whoredoms” were idolatry, not prostitution of her body, as you’re implying. I fear Queen Jezebel would be quite offended to know she’s now mistakenly referred to as a lowly “street walker.”
But, I’ll ask as Paul asked, “Why do you judge your brother [or sister]?” (Romans 14:10) “Let us not judge one another any more: but judge this rather, that no one put a stumblingblock or an occasion to fall in his brother’s [sister's] way. I know, and am persuaded by the Lord Yeshua, that there is nothing unlcean of itself: but to him [her] that esteems anything unclean, to him [her] it is unlcean.” (Romans 14:13-14) “Happy is the man [or woman] that condemns not himself/herself in that thing which he/she allows.” (Romans 14:22).
Romans 14, the whole chapter, is a very good scripture to study, meditate upon, and prayerfully consider when declaring what people can and cannot do.
I have some friends who introduced me to “H or H” issues and “PP” issues. That is “heaven or hell” issues or “preacher’s preference” issues.
I also like to refer back to the apostles’ teachings. In the Book of Acts, chapter 15, there was a big church uproar about circumcision. Some of the Jews were insisting that the Greeks be circumcised. (After all, it was a commandment of Moses!) Here’s a portion of what the apostles wrote in a letter. “For it seemed good to the Holy Ghost, and to us, to lay upon you no greater burden than these necessary things; That you abstain from meats offered to idols, and from blood, and from things strangled, and from fornication: from which, if you keep yourselves, you shall do well.” (Acts 15:28-29)
So, don’t try to lay upon people a greater burden of commandments than what is necessary … than what the Holy Ghost ordained through the apostles. Don’t try to squeeze from those three scriptures that God is commanding, “Thou shalt not wear makeup.”
We can get all wrapped up in commandments and miss the most important commandment that we have toward our family in Christ — that we love one another. “Owe no man [or woman] anything but to love one another: for he/she that loveth another hath fulfilled the law.” (Romans 13:8) If we simply love or brothers and sisters — no matter what they look like, smell like, no matter their heritage, place in society, or how much money they have — then we’ve kept the commandments of God toward our family.
In the same breath, I want all to remember that “God does not see as man [woman] sees; for people look on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks upon the heart.” (1 Samuel 16:7) So when preparing one’s self, we should all first adorn our hearts with what is pleasing to God. That is what is most important. Hey, I’m preaching to myself as well as anyone.
October 13th, 2009 at 10:24 am
My Lord, I never knew this was such a huge debate! I found this site because a Youtube video had mentioned a scripture in the end, one that hit me because my mother constantly asks me if I still wear the black around my eyes. I never could understand where she got this from, but should have known where. If this is an issue of being natural, then we shouldn’t as many have said where deoderant either. Deoderants are toxic and stop the toxins from coming out of the skin. This is actually worse, an absolute health issue. This is very unnatural. But boy would it be easy to detect the ones who give that up. What is the issue? I am here to try and understand this so me and my mother can put this to rest. One woman made a good point:
“I believe that all us women should be worried about is: the principles of modesty and
feminity, submission to our husbands in this area, being culturally-sensitive, and THE
MOTIVES OF OUR HEARTS. A woman can technically follow a list of rules and regs of
any length but still find a way to be seductive if it’s in her heart!”
Doesn’t God want us to be happy? Truely content? Then why give up what we enjoy if it’s not hurting anyone?
October 29th, 2009 at 1:48 am
Hi, this is a very interesting observation concerning makeup. It sure relieves some misconceptions about makeup, because the truth is all about the intentions behind the person in using the makeup that defines whether or not what he or she is doing is wrong. Great info! Thanks for having that website available.
Sincerely,
Kong
November 8th, 2009 at 12:33 pm
Katie said,
“but the way I see it is…the bible can be twisted anyway u want to twist it…so I want to be safe than sorry…i got scared when I read the scripture about cutting my hair, and I still get scared reading the scriptures that are provided above, cause the bible speaks down on makeup and uses only bad examples. So yes it makes me not want to wear just to please Jesus. Just in case. Who will ever be able to tell you that makeup is right or wrong..who will ever be able to tell you anythign morally is wrong..nobody until it is too late…JESUS!! and if I lived my whole life with no makeup on my face and found out that it didn’t matter to Jesus, then I would not regret it, cause he sees the sacrifice that I give to him everyday!”
I hear this a lot from legalistic-type folks: the “what if” or “better safe than sorry” mentality.
This kind of logic just doesn’t jive with my understanding of God and salvation. Am I to believe that it is my responsibility to interpret the minutiae of the Bible accurately or risk hellfire? I believe we should pursue Christ and pursue truth continually. But to discipline our lives to the “nth” degree out of fear of losing our salvation if we unwittingly sin?? We strive to become more godly out of a desire and love for God, not because breaking the law equals damnation. The cross took care of that.
It brings to mind the discussion in Galatians 2, particularly verse 21:
“[Therefore, I do not treat God's gracious gift as something of minor importance and defeat its very purpose]; I do not set aside and invalidate and frustrate and nullify the grace (unmerited favor) of God. For if justification (righteousness, acquittal from guilt) comes through [observing the ritual of] the Law, then Christ (the Messiah) died groundlessly and to no purpose and in vain. [His death was then wholly superfluous.]” (AMP)
Josh, I would love to see an article on your take on the “What If/Better Safe Than Sorry” defense. :)
November 9th, 2009 at 10:43 am
Anonfemale wrote,
“Josh, I would love to see an article on your take on the “What If/Better Safe Than Sorry” defense. :)”
Anonfemale, I have one planned, and it’s very high on the to-do list =)
November 10th, 2009 at 1:04 pm
Well everything I wanted to say has already been said!
I would like to commend Rebekah, Roger Perkins, Danny, LeAnne, Emily Anthony, Curt, AnonFemale, Jennifer…ETC. For standing firm on the word of God. The Holyghost will be your guide…my sister -in -law knew nothing about the word of God, she wore make-up, nail polish, and pants; but she coming to church to understand Him and His word…later she receive Christ and the next day she threw away her expensive pants, make-up and she stopped wearing nail polish. But guess what?! No one told her to do it, the Holy Spirit led her to do so. When you receive the Holyghost those things you use to do, you no longer have the desire for anymore. That’s how God works. God Bless you all!
November 12th, 2009 at 10:54 am
IM SO THANKFULL I READ THIS ARTICLE! I TOO BELONG TO A UPC CHURCH… I WASNT RAISED IN THIS RELIGION, SO U COULD IMAGINE THE STRUGGLES I HAD WITH LOOSING THE PANTS, MAKE UP, NO JEWLRY, NO CUTTING HAIR!! ITS ALWAYS BEEN HARD ESPECIALLY WHEN I WOULD ASK WHERE IN THE BIBLE DOEST IT SAY NO TO PANTS AND NO TO ECT… THE PEOPLE IN THE CHURCH NEVER REALLY ANSWER ME.. ALL THEY WOULD SAY WAS THAT GOD WHANTS US TOO LOOK DIFFERENT FROM THIS WORLD.. THAT THIS WORLD REPRESENTED EGYPT AND GOD SAID DEPART FROM EGYPT… DONT WEAR ANYTHING THAT REPRESENTS EGYPT… AND EVERYTHING ELSE U ALL READY KNOW… IM HUMAN AND PERFECTION IS OUT OF MY REACH… I NEED TO WORRY ABOUT THE COMMANDMENTS, CHANGING MY CHARACTER NOT MY IMAGE.. IVE ALWAYS BEEN VERY MODEST, AND TO THIS WORLD I DONT LOOK LIKE A HARLOT!! I TOO BELIEVE THE UPC CHURCH SOMETIMES FOCUSSES SO MUTCH ON OUTER APPEARANCE… KNOW I WANT TO KNOW WHY IS IT OK TO WEAR A WATCH? EVEN THOUGH ITS NOT JEWELRY THERE STILL ADORNING THEM SELVES!! NOW IN DAYS WHO NEEDS A FANCY WATCH WHEN WE ALL HAVE THE TIME ON OUR CELL PHONES! THESE WOMEN ARE SO FUNNY! THEY BUY THE MOST FANCIEST WATCH OR HAS CERTAIN CHARMS HANGING OUT IT LOL!…. THEY SAY PANTS REVEAL UR CURVES? YET MOST OF THE WOMEN IN CHURCH WEAR TIGHT SKIRTS!! NO MAKE UP? PLEASE MOST OF THESE WOMEN WEAR NATURAL LIGHT COLORS AND CLEAR LIP GLOSS! ISNT THAT STILL CONSIDER MAKE UP TO THIS WORLD?LOL ALL THESE RULES ARE RIDICULOUS!IN THEE END THEY SAY ITS ABOUT BEING OBEDIENT TO THE PASTOR… AND ILL BE HONEST I LOVE MY PASTOR AND I BELIEVE HE IS A MAN OF GOD! I STILL ATTEND THIS CHURCH BUT I FEEL LIKE THEIR ALWAYS JUDGING ME BECAUSE OF MY APPEARENCE I WEAR SKIRTS TO CHURCH OUT OF RESPECT TO THE PASTOR BUT I STILL WEAR MAKE UP… AND BECAUSE I WEAR MAKE UP THEY ASSUME IM NOT RIGHT WITH GOD OR IM NOT DEVOTED TO GOD!! LIES MOST OF THE PEOPLE IN THE CHURCH CAN PULL OF THE LOOK THE CHURCH WANTS YET THEIR STILL UGLY IN THE INSIDE THEY HAVENT ALLOWED GOD TO TRANSFORM THEE INSIDE!!! I PRAY I FIND THE RIGHT CHURCH OR RELIGION :-)
November 13th, 2009 at 1:02 pm
wow…i can only say
John 5:39 (King James Version)
39Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me.
December 4th, 2009 at 9:44 pm
Hey Josh, thank you for the info..Keep letting the scriptures speak. If people are not able to listen to sound doctrine then you’ve done all you can. I am reminded of the time I told someone in my family, (with many scriptures), that Jesus is God. And although the do go to church they said I don’t care what the scripture says you are wrong! Thats Sad!
December 31st, 2009 at 4:36 am
It’s an interesting topic.
The condemnation of make up based on three passages where it’s used by women of dubious character reminds me of the Jehovah Witnesses refusal to celebrate birthdays, because the only two places birthdays are celebrated in Scripture were by pagans (well one was Herod) and involved executions.
It strikes me as a sort of lunatic approach to hermaneutics.
I’m glad I belong to the Anglican Church, where even the most extreme conservatives don’t over analyse Scripture to death in this way
March 31st, 2010 at 10:34 pm
i have just started praying and believing in christianity again, well maybe for the first time in my life i really believe and know what i am believing in, this was an issue i was praying about and thought i would look up scripture on makeup, here is my thoughts
~makeup is not made by god, it is made by people, people who feel the need to cover ‘flaws’, and enhance the ‘good’
~makeup makes you spend lot’s of time in front of the mirror, in other words vanity
~the bible says let your beauty be your inner lovely spirit not your outward appearance
~the bible also says that whatever you do that is not in faith is a sin, so if you think it’s wrong then it is
~for those that say makeup doesn’t make you sexually more attractive, have you ever seen a woman in a movie tv magazine xxx movies or magazines WITHOUT makeup…nope
~for those who say makeup is ok as long as it is modestly applied, is more of an opinion
~i think the only kind of makeup they had back then was eyepaint maybe henna too for the cheeks and nails but the bible isnt going to make references to mascara and lipgloss so to say that just because it isnt in the bible means that god doesn’t care just doesnt sound right, they didn’t have guns back then or alot of stuff that we have now but i think god cares about everything that we do
~shaving/deodorant/bathing cleanliness is totally different than adornment
~makeup is worldy, women really feel like they need it to fit in and be accepted and attractive, they feel ugly without it they feel unloveable without it, makeup ruins a womens self confidence and self worth, makeup makes women more competitive with eachother based souly on looks, some women even call it ‘putting on my face’ like a mask, as if your god given natural face NEEDS to be covered up
~most makeup is made of unnatural man made stuff that god never intended to be put on our skin/lips or eyelashes more and more you read about the potential dangers of cosmetic ingredients
~who is makeup really for? you, your husband, your boyfriend, the people around you right? makeup isn’t for god, god made us in his own image, he didn’t hand eve a compact! (haha)
~I think that by not wearing makeup, you are liberated from all the makeup crazed world we live in and letting you natural face glow is just saying you dont wish to conform to this worldy makeup thing as a girl it’s nice to not even having to think about it just take care of your skin and be healthy!
i am not a pentacost just a christian who has prayed alot about this subject and i thank god for the guidance and wisdom that he has given me i hope i have helped someone with my comment love you all and god bless:)
April 11th, 2010 at 1:15 am
I just have alittle bit to say on the UPC churches. I was raised in UPC and I was told alot of things was wrong and even beaten for watching tv. Now video is ok in the UPC. I feel that it does not matter what was wrong 20 years ago is wrong now. I also believe that make up is frowned upon I think there is alot of things that had been man made for many years. Do i wear make up no do I think it is wrong well I will say that I have learned alot. You need to find things out for yourself and if you think it is wrong don’t do it. Ive known that for many years things were wrong and out of respect for my pastor and his teachings i would not do them did feel they were wrong? no. I have come to the conclusion that people change and rules change inside the church. I can argue for hours about things that i was tought that i think arent wrong. When i got married my husband and I moved away and went to another church where he was from after being in that church for a couple years i realized that they had their own man-made rules i got to the point where i stopped going to church all together but felt i was missing something. So now i got to church and i do what I feel is right and didnt do what i felt is wrong am i liberal? NO. But i do alot of things UPC used to think was wrong. I wear pants a UPC associate told me i was going to hell do you know what i told them? that if they knew the bible that they say they do than you should not judge thy brother so i kindly told them if i was going to hell they would be in line right with me. Guess what? UPC churches have video and i have a tv and i watch tv if you could please explain the difference between a video player and a tv go for it. Also remmeber there is a scripture that says no evil before your eyes. Guess what you do when you walk out your door, go to the beach, or go to an amusement park or even watch a fight out in the street my friend that all can be considered evil. The point im trying to make you can make scripture to be what you want it to be but in reality it could mean something totally different live your life the way you feel you should live in God’s eyes because if there is one thing i know about pentecostals they always have to be the best dressed and they think they are better than evryone else, trying to make up for the things they cannot do. To me that is make-up they are covering their flaws just as women covers herself in make-up.
April 29th, 2010 at 8:48 am
First off I’d like to state that I agree 100% with Rebekah, Roger Perkins, Waylon G, LeAnne, Emily Anthony, Curt, Jennifer & Stephanie, etc. This is not to judge or condemn anyone [as God is just that], but rather to simply state the truth of God’s Word. The Bible teaches us to abound in love, not just knowledge. It’s not the fact of proving anyone wrong to say that we are right…it’s just showing them the truth in the Word of God out of love for a fellow brother/sister and concern for their soul. And I know this article is mostly about make-up, but I’m going to kind of generalize the whole physical outer appearance because it all goes together.
Having said that, I’d like to put this question out there. Simply looking at history, what over the last, let’s say, 100 years has caused this outbreak of make-up and ear/body peircings and cross-dressing and total immodesty? Was it a move of the Holy Spirit? Or was it a movement of society and the world and man…an adoption of fads/fashion/Hollywood? Did God Almighty change so that now we can alter our body/physical outward appearance so as to look like the rest of the world, yet still be a peculiar people, Holy and Acceptable unto God? Nope. Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever. I’m sorry but, His moral laws, His commands, His guidelines, His way of righteousness, His Word, will never change.
Understand that I’m just focusing on these things which alter our physical outward appearance (make-up, peircings, clothes, etc.), and nothing else. We are all taught that our bodies are the temple of the Holy Ghost [1 Corinthians 6:19-20]. Well, do you think God would tell you to punch a hole, scar, or ‘cover-up’ His temple? To hide the blemishes His temple has? To make His temple more beautiful? I don’t think so. See, if we believe that God is the Creator of everything and that we are made in His image, why would we need to add to or modify His handiwork? God shaped our looks in the womb and yet we feel that we need to help God when it comes to our appearance by augmenting our bodies with big/shiny/gaudy jewelry, tattoos, and make-up.
And yes, I completely agree that God looks on your heart, but man cannot see your heart. All they see with their eyes is your outward appearance. So then how are we go be a light to this lost and dying world if we look/dress like them? Our clothing of the heart [of humility and righteouness] and our outward clothing should speak the same language.
Furthermore, in regards to your view on the Holy Ghost and it’s interpretation/evidence…that’s a whole nother topic in and of itself, but man, I pray for all those who believe that Speaking in Tongues is not the evidence of the Holy Ghost. Like Waylon said, that is a lie straight from the pit of Hell and having actually experienced this before, just goes to show the power of satan’s deception in these last days.
I believe without a shadow of a doubt that it is Satan’s plan to make the saved, Bible believing Christians to act/look more like the world…to lower their standards of righteousness. People can say that “oh, I only put a little eye liner on, or just a little cover-up to hide my impurities”, but Galatians 5:9 says, “A little leaven leaveneth the whole lump.” I would not want to do the same thing that the harlots did. See, when people have an agenda, they will use their own notions, their own emotions and feelings, and believe it or not the devil will use actual scripture(s) to twist your thoughts around to alter the truth of God’s Word and justify how you live. I’ve seen it happen with my own very eyes in my church…to good people…to my best friends and family. Things that they have believed and stood up for, for so many years, are now gone and considered foolish and not important to God anymore. It’s a sad, sad day we live in, but all we can do is pray and portray our love to everyone around us [whether friend or enemy], and try and show them the real truth in God’s Word.
This is not a matter of what if, or being more safe than sorry, or a ‘just in case’ act…it’s a matter of God’s Word and what He said in His book. The bottom line is this, when God saves you He changes your heart inwardly…and when He does this and you continue to serve God sincerely with all your heart, you will WANT to change your outward appearance, being led by the Holy Spirit. You will no longer want to look like the rest of the world, but be a light, a peculiar people, and a silent testimony of what Almighty God has done to you inside.
Finally, if you want to hear a message that will change your life…listen to this sermon. It is mostly about clothing, but it applies to your entire physical outward appearance.
http://www.biblepreaching.com/davisclothing_mp3.html
Remember, it’s easy to stand with the crowd, but it takes courage to stand alone. Count it an honor to stand alone for your reward is layed up in Heaven.
I pray that I have shown that God has spoken very definitely on this subject, and shouldn’t be taken lightly as many have suggested. For the children of God who wishes to walk in His total will and enjoy unbroken and complete fellowship with the Lord, there can only be one answer; “I will obey His Word at any cost.” It will not be easy for some people who have been caught up in this modern ‘liberal’ church world to break away from conformity with the practice of their friends/family/society. Like I said before, this will take courage. But praise God we can be assured that God will provide this courage if we simply ask Him. Remember God has spoken and His Word is final and authoritative…His “Word Is forever settled In Heaven.” (Psalms 119:89)
God richly bless you,
Martin
May 3rd, 2010 at 12:14 am
Apparently there is a scripture that a Godly man wears makeup
when I find it I will post it,
or if anyone finds it please post it for me,
It was when Joseph became King of egypt,
he wore so much eye make up that his brothers
did not recognise him!!
May 3rd, 2010 at 12:19 am
Also didnt Mary K Baxter who wrote “Divine revelation of Hell”
actually go to hell, and as a person who studies near death exp
and Heaven and Hell testimonies I did not see any that were there
because they wore cosmetics,
see http://www.spiritlessons.com
the only testimony that would be close was on women that was seen
by the colombian youths, she was vain and was pouring poisonous
perfume that was tormenting her body but her history on earth was her
vanity was so great she was stealing perfumes.
May 3rd, 2010 at 4:12 am
oh I just thought of another Godly person who wore makeup
“Queen Ester”
thank God im not from one of those extreme legalistic denominations,
Doesnt it say in the book of revelation not to add to scripture?
and Romans about disputable matters so forth,
are you all vegetarians too?
do not touch do not taste, oh these things have the apearance of Godliness,
and the good ol cup, so clean on the outside but the inside is soooo dirty
how angry was Jesus with the Pharisees that put burdunsome rules on people!!
read the whole bible and stop grabbing just 3 scriptures and manipulating them!!
its against prostituition not looking pretty.
I bring worldy people to Christ, how many of you no makeup wearers do that?
Paul said to a Jew be as a jew to a greek be as a greek so forth, dont sin but
be in the world not of it, you can wear simple makeup and still be a virgin,
it doesnt mean all us makeup wearers are prostituites.
Im im wrong I will pray to the master and ask him to show me and I pray that he humbles me and makes me teachable and then it will be confirmed to me if im wrong, I just like to take ALL scripture not just some, also it is a silent issue if the bible is silent it never said “Do not paint or colour or so forth for yourselves” so if it specifically doesnt tell you to do something and is silent than you be silent and stop putting condeming burdens on people, if you are a true child of God and lead by his spirit, and IF makeup is wrong, the holy spirit will show you, and wearing makeup is not a lie you can see it, we put things on obviously, eg how silly is a person to wear pink lipstick and you assume they are lying to you by wanting you to think that is the real colour of their lips that is foolish and an excuse for legalism.
The book of leviticus is very specific in what we can and not do,
do not tatoo for yourselves yes I agree that is specific!!
but then again it sais for the men not to shave the sides of the beard,
I guess the JEWISH are the only people who actually do what the bible tells them, Oh Jewish women wear makeup!!
that is my confirmation I think its fine.
if you want to be legalist go grow your sideburns long guys!!!
end of quote
This site just confirms to me I LOVE MY CHURCH!!!
May 3rd, 2010 at 4:44 am
People remember it’s all about the heart. God knows your heart, he knows the real reasons people put on makeup regardless of what they tell you or tell themselves. I personally know for a fact that I put on makeup to attract other men, I.E. lust. I induce lust, and im not denying it. I know what sin im committing and i will put a stop to it. It’s about your heart.
May 3rd, 2010 at 3:54 pm
I dont even wear makeup most days
with kids and and a busy home I really dont have time for it
and my husband doesnt care if i do or not.
As for making the assumption that it is for the opposite sex only
that is absolute rubbish, it can be for fun and ice breaking in other
women.
E.G i love to wear blue mascara if i get the time,
men would hate that i assume, what is attractive about blue mascara to
a man? unless he finds women who look like clowns attractive,
but to us girls its cute and im about to go get my hair done at an
old friend of mine’s salon, I have not seen her in 10 years and apparently
she is heavy into new age and just got back from a buddist retreat,
now my facebook is full of utubes on hell and envangelism so she knows
what im about, when i see her I WILL put makeup on,
I dont need to impress her, there will be no men there so forth
I just dont need to look like a dirty grub when im witnessing,
she is in the beauty industry and I want her to feel comfortable and
able to relate to me.
I do deliverance ministry and see alot of demonization in people,
alot you say you have left this particular denomiation but from most
of you are saying, it seems as though you are not free.
Start preaching Freedom in Christ.
Satan has some of you bound in legalism oh how he would love that,
all the lost souls that will be tormented in hell because you were
too legal to reach out to them because you are too busy worrying about
trivial matters in fact why am i wasting my time on this site?
so the lust comment was a sure judgement of ignorance.
sounds like abit of jelousy may be present in some women here
too that if a women wears makeup her husband my look at her,
why on earth would you assume anyone who wears makup has bad
motives, I also wear makeup because of correctional purpose,
i lost half my lips from a medical allergy, they are have pink half white and
also i have acne scarring from before i became a christian i had acne,
when i got saved i was delivered from it praise God,
in saying that I am free still i dont feel I need to wear it but dont
think its a sin if I do far from never bin convicted for wearing makeup,
some conviction comes from man made rules,
Holy spirit conviction is what we should listen to.
maybe God does want me on this site to envangelize to most of you.
You may be saved some of you but may also be stopping other people getting saved by placing religeous burden on them,
my goodness I thought my old denomination Greek orthodox was strange
but at least they are free from rules on how to look,
look i try and dress decent I dont like showing flesh ect
now this is for miss Jeannette
you made a judgment on me by saying women only wear makup
for opposite sex,
I can now say this to you as the bible sais we can judge eachother just not the
world.
You may need to seek freedom in Christ from your false assumptions.
so if you reckon im wearing make up girl to get men to look at me,
then i would go the way and wear sexy clothinig too
Paul would not want me online debating unless I could win one soul
and many christians will be in hell.
Alot of you on this site are awsome Godly people im not talking about you,
but you may all needs some emotional healing or counselling to break off the strongholds of control and manipulation of a church that bound you to law.
In the end its all about souls and salvation and to be obedient to the word and the way of Christ and not manipulate the bible to make you look holier than thou.
have some of you really left this denomiation?
I dont even know your denomination nor do i want to
I came across this site because i googled makeup in the bible out of
pure curiosity,
it came about that Queen Ester and king Joseph wore it
and thats end of story for me, its in scripture people wore it
that were Godly, so that is my answer from the word nothing more
nothing less do not add or take away it is written in the book of
revelation, I dont need any of you religeous folk to tell me otherwise
but maybe I can come here and tell you as I didnt belong to your denomination
and perhaps its refreshing to some of you to get some feedback from someone has has freedom for legalism, its up to you
God is your judge not me and i do not know what is in your heart,
i have not walked your life or live inside your body to really understand you
so who would i be? im normally kind and soft, but today I felt a need to be strong in my words and cant stop typing, I believe I am spirit lead and maybe truth needs to be told to set some of you free from these burdens.
May 3rd, 2010 at 10:50 pm
i want to apologise Jeanette if i seemed harsh in my response,
perhaps I misunderstood you,
If you are talking about yourself only fair enough
as long as you do not think all of us put on makeup just to
attract men as im happily married to a wonderful man who
loves me the way I am and have no need to impress anyone
else,
please forgive me if I said too much
as were words are many sin is present
but i just honestly had to reply to state that im not wearing
makeup for that purpose,
it is for grooming only, just as my house
is neat and tidy so is my image,
God likes clean cut not dirty.
God is everything beautiful and beauty even
in the bible was considered blessing and favour so
was wealth and gold and jewels and gifts,
the prostituite poured fragant oil on the lord and when
he was born the 3 wise men gave expensive gifts and
fragrances
May 6th, 2010 at 9:53 am
1 Peter 3
3Whose adorning let it not be that outward adorning of plaiting the hair, and of wearing of gold, or of putting on of apparel;
4But let it be the hidden man of the heart, in that which is not corruptible, even the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God of great price
Isn’t makeup also an outward adorning?
May 7th, 2010 at 7:20 pm
you gotta look at the whole bible not just that scripture
another example of scripture abuse,
did you not read the whole essay I wrote?
why waste my time with proud and unteachable people
I wont be visiting this site any more, pure waste of time,
I think God would rather I spend quality time with him
reading the word than online with useless debates
im not going to be the bate of satan
I think this is a sin and I will be the first to admit it
u can all argue and stay in bondage
or humble yourselves and get set free
bless you all x
May 19th, 2010 at 11:24 am
In my opinion make-up is A waist of time I guess I am not neat and tidy .In my opinion it makes men and women look like clowns .I think Christina has it half right proud and unteachable people. I don’t see the purpose in make-up so just because queen easter wore it I guess it makes it good and attractive. In my opinion its a waist of time and money most people that wear it still look bad or worse! I have other important thing in my life than to think about what color mascara to wear !
May 24th, 2010 at 5:39 pm
Thank you Josh, and everyone else for the commentary. This is a very sensitive subject. I am concerned for some because they think there needs to be concensus on this subject. I believe we do agree that make-up is not a matter of salvation. Wouldn’t the more prudent and wise thing to do be to allow God to speak to us personally on the subject, or freely abstain from it as a gift of gratitude to Him rather than try to convince everyone else as to its “sinfulness”? I have belonged to Jesus for many years. A few years ago my mother joined the UPC church and alienated many of her children by focusing on these types of issues–make-up, hair and the proper wording concerning baptism. What I find most sad is that many comments that were made on this site may alienate people from God simply because they don’t want to join the debate. Please, let us refrain from personal comments concerning other writer’s hearts & desire to please God. Since none knows the heart but the Master himself, we should be examples of grace, kindness and gentleness–since these are definately pleasing to Him. The Holy Spirit himself reveals to each one the sin, rebellion and argumentative spirit. He will work as needed to remove what is needed in His time. Our self-righteous spirits do more damage to baby or pre-Christians than they are helpful.
Again, my thanks to Josh for this site and for other articles on tatoos. I had originally been looking for information on that subject and found your information most helpful.
Lord God, please bless and keep Josh, build him up in all righteousness and fulfill Your promises to him. In Jesus’ name.
June 10th, 2010 at 9:31 pm
i would rather please God too much, then not enough at all. Just sayin!
June 28th, 2010 at 8:50 pm
1 Peter 3
3Whose adorning let it not be that outward adorning of plaiting the hair, and of wearing of gold, or of putting on of apparel;
I understand the issue you are trying to argue but the lord has called us to be seperated from everyone else. make up was a common practice of the Egyptians and even then the lord called his people to be seperated from them and encouraged them not to take on their traditions and ways. I am UPC and I dont believe that you will go to hell for wearing make up but disobedience is displeasing to the lord so if you are going to a church that preaches a standard and you cant obey then find somewhere else to go so that you are not being disobedient to the man of God, but, I end with this question? where was it that you first found and met the lord ? where was it that you received the holy ghost and spoke in tongues for the first time? what was it that caught your attention to the UPC church? I know for myself it was in a UPC church that I had my first experience with the lord and it was the way that they were set apart from everyone else that caught my attention.
July 17th, 2010 at 12:42 am
Are there churches that believe in the Acts 2:38 doctrine..but don’t enforce these strict outward standards?
July 17th, 2010 at 1:16 am
Robin, I’m pretty sure that Faith Tabernacle in Shreveport, LA, would meet that qualification: http://faithtabernacleshreveport.com/index.php?s=au&nid=123334.
My understanding is that the church is apostolic Pentecostal in their doctrines of the Godhead, baptism, and tongues, but they are not “holiness.” My understanding is that they were at one point UPC and are currently pastored by a former UPC pastor (or perhaps evangelist, I am not sure).
There are quite a few others out there, but Faith Tabernacle is the only one I know of off hand.
August 17th, 2010 at 1:14 am
I stand in amazement to some of the things I have read. I have been raised one god pentecostal all my life. While I do believe some of the standard issues are a little over board, I believe even more that some of your theories on here are pretty much over killl I believe god expects is to be modest at all times, and he said come out from among the world and be ye separate… If you look like the world then how are they gonna know that you are different and to say that if god don’t want us to wear makeup he don’t want us to take a bath is a little overboard with it, while I do believe that everyone needs to pray and get convictions for themselves you also have to have boundaries set in place, somethings may not start out as sin but uy opens the door for the devil to plant a seed… If harlots are all that wore it in the bible, then me personally I would rather not fall into that catagory, and I have worn makeup in the past four years but I don’t currently wear it because I believe it was opening a door for the devil to plant a seed in my heart, and anyone that truly wants to be pleasing to god will be cautious about things that may allow the devil to slip I. No offense but it sounds to me like some of you weren’t cautious enough in your walk with god, and I am not passing judgement on any of you, because I was a backslider for several years but by gods grace he saved me and redeemed me and filled me with the baptism of the holy ghost by the evidence of speaking in tongues, I pray all of you on here seeking answers find the true answer you are looking for but the best way to find it is to seek the face of god with a open heart and let him direct your path!
August 31st, 2010 at 9:37 am
@ Waylon Gordon: I don’t think he’s ” speaking against the word of God”.
I think his interpretation and understanding of the word is just different from yours. That doesn’t mean it’s wrong. Just as it doesn’t mean you’re right.
I think we are all as Children of God suppose to bring people to God.
We’re not suppose to rebuke and ridicule them.
I think it’s the most discouraging thing when someone tries to get an understanding of the bible for themselves and others believe it’s WRONG.
Experiences and Journeys with God have a way of changing completely how you look at things.
Because we often hear ” it’s the little things!”, I think we completely disregard the “big things”. Big things like our hearts! and our INDIVIDUAL relationship with God.
I’m a Seventh Day Advent and there are some things that the people of my church strongly believe and uphold that I just cannot, for the life of me, grasp! That doesn’t mean I’m going against God’s words. It simply means I think differently.
All we have to, and can, do is PRAY TO GOD! and ask him to open our eyes and HEARTS when we read the scriptures. And if you read, and your understanding is different, don’t think you’re WRONG.
I always say to myself, If I’m going to hell, I have to go because of MY follies!
We cannot let a fear of being criticized and ostracized stop us from being with God.
Just as we’re not to criticize and ostracize TO BE With God.
I’m 16 years old, and the ‘ways of the world’, at times seem so much more APPEALING…. than the way of the Word.
An Elder once told me that No where in this life, on this Earth, is there a PERFECT CHURCH! and truth be told he is right… The Devil is more at work in the church because THOSE are the hardest souls to win.
We all Love God Very Much! We Fear and Respect Him.
And WE can do that with different understandings!
If I believe Wearing make- up is NOT a Sin, Then By Golly That’s What I believe! It does NOT mean I’m flying in God’s face.
There is going to be all types of people in heaven.
Make Up Wearing, Self-Righteous, Pork Eating, Faithful,Murderes, Rapists, but the common thread that joins them all is their love for God.
Let us focus on our love for God… and Stop trying to get in his head!
August 31st, 2010 at 9:54 am
Oh! and Most of the things that aren’t explicitly stated sins but we assume and understand to be …. all depend on Intention….. The reason for doing certain things completely change its importance !
– If I wear make-up to make myself look and feel better thats different from me wearing make up to get that lady’s husband to sleep with me.!
ISN’T IT?
In a Girl’s group at my church, One of the leaders said something though that stuck out to me…. She said (not quoting) that low self esteem is like a slap-in-the-face disrespect to God. This man that made the world so Perfectly could not have messed up on you! So you are perfect the way you are (bodily appearance.)
And I guess I am a little weirdo! :)
But for those of us that wear makeup to attract men! (i Do :D) C’mon!
What happens when it comes off! And I think this kinda ties into faith, in a way.
God is the only person that knows what’s best for us….. and if he didn’t think this …. one bulging eye, lip twisted, nose crooked, ears dumbo-ish face of ours was going to find a husband_worthy husband!, he wouldn’t have BLESSED us with it!
So we kinda have to just sit back and ALLOW God to work.
Maybe the guy that is attacted to our made-up face will run away when the ‘up-make’ comes off.
But that one, approved by God, that sees God’s work as beauty, sticks like white on rice! There is no shaking him!
September 20th, 2010 at 5:21 pm
What is an anti-Christ? It is anything that goes against Christ or anyone trying to take His place. Many men take the Bible to interpret it their own way; trying to take God’s place. Most of the time, their aim is to manipulate the minds of others to infuse fear and gain control. Jesus told us many times, “do not fear”. If God wanted us to live under fear, he would have never sent His son into this world to die for us. And concerning the make-up stuff and jewelry, He clearly stated that He will judge our hearts, not our looks. Yes, it is true that we have to be Christ-like, not living an immoral lifestyle or acting in a sinful fashion. However, he made us free. If we are going to live under standards created by men who interpret the Bible their own way, we rather continue living under Moses law. Moreover, if God were to save us through deeds and looks, I think no one would be saved. Think about it…How many times do you fail God a day? Sometimes you fail Him voluntarily and other times against your will. This means that you constantly have to ask God for His forgiveness, so that His grace can cover your sins. If you think that you are saved and that you don’t sin anymore because you go to church, offer, fast, and look clean…you’ve got the wrong gospel. We are sinners saved by the Grace of God. This doesn’t mean we are going to do whatever pleases us, but we have been granted freedom, not enslaved to sin anymore. We need to stop judging one another (using the Bible, taking God’s place). The Bible never sent us to judge the world but to preach the Good News. Let God be the judge. Maybe you’ll be surprised to discover that we all need to repent on a daily basis.
September 30th, 2010 at 2:46 am
I guess make up is important because sometimes you have to MAKE UP the mistakes God made on you right? No.. deodriant, perfume, brushing your teeth, etc. is called hygiene. We don’t want to scare away the souls we want o bring them to JESUS ;) But make-up on the other hand is called adornment, there is a difference. The reason many people wear make-up and pants, which I might add pertains to a man whic hthe Bible teaches against. And if you think not then hear this: If you were to walk off a plane in an airport into a country of an unknow language, would you know which bathroom to walk into? Yes! Why? because you see a picture of a man wearing pants and a woman wearing a dress. Mmmmm. But let me continue.. Thereason I believe msot women desire make-up and these other things is because their standards of beauty are based off of hollywood and not the Word of God. Some where along the line humanity has been inflicted with many evils but as time go’s by all that evil is what most will call “normal”. Because it’s something so “common”. But we are not “common” we are a pecuilar people to be set apart and not conformed to this world! I believe the devil is a liar and that he still is. Some think it’s ok to drink a beer, smoke a cig, wear a little make-up, etc. but by whos standards? Yours or a holy God? Yes He is holy. I see that the Bible may not specifically say, “do not wear make up.” Well neither does it say, “do not do drugs.” But we do know the Word of God says,”Know ye not that your bodys are the temple of the Holy Spirit?” Therefore how can you paint it up and ingest horrible drugs into His temple? Are you not mindful that you don’t just sin, but you sin against the temple of the mighty God? Yes I’m aware that this is in regards of fornication (sinning against the temple) but isn’t painting it and destroying it not too far from it? I believe God has made us how He has made us and that is how it should be. I do not disregard hygiene because He even says when you fast you should wash your face and He even gave an example of humbleness by the practice of washing of the feet. Also JESUS Himself was anointed with a type of perfume, right? And I don’t think it’s wrong of combing of the hair because Apostle Paul points out that a man should keep his hair short, to do that you must cut it, that means it is to be altered, so I’m sure you can comb it too ;) So the Bible does point out hygiene and showing yourself presentable but it does not show one to paint themselves like clowns. The last time I checked, the pagan egyptians did that ;) Just a few thoughts. And hell is a hot place.
October 5th, 2010 at 2:55 pm
I have been saved for 29 years and have worn make-up for longer. I was filled with the Holy Ghost at home while reading the book of Acts. I was asked to teach sunday school, then bible study, became a praise leader and sang in the choir and I have been licensed and ordained in 3 churches over the years. God showed me my calling as a teacher, naturally and spiritually and thats what I do. The word says if any man lack wisdom to ask God who upbraideth not. People who do not wear make-up, or pants sin also. I love the Lord and I also love being a woman. I enjoy my life better since I have been saved because the empty void that was in my spirit and soul has been filled. My outward man perishes day by day, and my emphasis is more on the inward man. I am a modest woman, I don’t like to wear pants to Church, but I do wear pants sometimes. I’m convinced by the word of God that I am saved. That is what matters the most. Work out your own salvation and pray and ask God if you don’t understand why you can’t and I can wear make-up, etc…
Everyone is not Sampson(nazarite vow) or Hosea(told to marry a whore), God’s ways or not ours. Do what he told you to do and don’t worry about what someone else is doing.
October 10th, 2010 at 12:23 pm
Why is it the U P C are so HARD on their WOMEN ? Why do the U P C celebrate Valentine’s Day when its PAGAN, plus they celebrate other Pagan holidays. They condem women who don’t especially dress as they preach, but go into the homes of some of these pastors and see whats in their homes!! Listen to their conversations. I think its a SHAME to argue over make – up ect. If Jesus Blood is not enough of a sacrifice then where does it become a sin for a woman to do such? I find more hours are wasted listen to U P C people talk about their brothers and sisters who do not appear as them. …..How do I know some UPCers celebrate Valentines day, Because I heard them talk about on Holy Ghost Radio….plus where I live they allow Santa Clause as part of their celebrations. and One UPC sunday School Superentendant and I discussed such …… and that following Christmas he and one other brother in the U P C church went out celebrating as the S S supernetendant dressed as santa Clause. Plus many of them lie to their children telling them there is a santa clause. So make up is wrong ? what about pagan Heathen Practices?? why do they learn the way of the heathen in that practice and condone it. Many U P C people I know celebrate HAlloween I know coz I can drive past their homes. yet there Hoiliness?? why learn the way of the heathen>> so many questions. and WHY do the U P C people JUDGE so harshly their brothers and sisters. I know they DO because over 35 years ago I got saved in a U P C church and when visiting homes of the U P C people their conversations HUNG up on what they call standard. They BY pass a Pure heart and condem others. I learned their ways to JUDGE but thank GOD I have repented of the critical spirit I had over 30 years.. sorry but there wrong. I am Glad the LORD delivered me from that bondage. I am Glad he has forgiven me of a HARD spirit against people thinging if there not U P C that there going to HELL.what about being saved by the Blood of Jesus?? is that not enough. The BIBLE say’s NOT of WORKS lest any man should boast. There is much more to standard than Hair & Make up. God did not say he hated it but he said these 6 things doeth the LORD hate found in Proverbs…. not once was make up mentioned. or what the U P C call standard. I am thankful My salvation does not hang in U P C doctrine coz if it did I would have been lost years ago!! Its a shame the BODY of CHRIST is so divided over such. Spirit filled Christians with Gifts of the Holy Ghost opperating in their lives is awsome. GOD is working with them in signs and miracles… and GREAT deliverances. When I was in the U P C my son went to U P C camp.. he went o to the altar layed down his ciggarets and at the altar an evil spirit manifested in him..WHAT did the U P C camp do.?? They sent him home….they should have cast that demon out of him but they were scared so to cover their fear they used him having cigarrets on the camp as a reason.when all along it was they rejected the deliverance Ministry.. they brought him home at one A.M. dropped him off..and left. Just let him GO!! now I ask Is that Holiness?? the next morning my son said MOM with tears I wanted to stay.imagine going to the altar crying and being sent home. My son has never got back to serving the LORD and staying He has come a little but not fully surrendered.. I am so sorry the U P C were sooooo crule to my youngest son about 15 years old at the time. but there was nothing I could do. Gos have mercy and may HIS LOVE reign in the UPC and osften their hearts against otheres who do not belong to their Group!! In Jesus Name..
October 23rd, 2010 at 2:03 pm
Sorry to hear about what happened to your son. Im sure there are many other horror stories that people could tell. I have one of my own about my son but I dont care to share at this time. All we can do is pray for the Lord to have mercy on those that condemn!
November 24th, 2010 at 2:09 pm
I grew up in a UPC Church all my life. Though I have seen and experienced a lot in the world. Seeing my mom and dad fight and divorce.Seeing my dad as a drug dealer, having many woman in the home. And I myself experiencing drugs. I Married at early age of 17.My wife was not in church. She was raised catholic. After 1 year of drugs and partying,Just being real rebellious.I thought I was gonna die from drug overdose. It scared me and I told my wife were going church. She said okay.She knew nothing about UPC but just respected me and was there.On the first visit she got baptized and received the Holy Ghost. Before hearing teachings on modesty, she felt compelled to do it on her own will. That is what God expects from us. That is true love. Though we seek biblical answers plain as day and if they are not given to us the way we want to hear it then we twist it and make it into whatever we want. When being filled with the Holy Ghost the Lord will speak to us and convict us of what we have questions on. We need to be obedient to the man of God and that is being obedient to the word of God and God himself. God sacrificed himself for us and here people are complaining because they don’t want to sacrifice for God. The bible is a mystery and also, its better safe then sorry.
January 4th, 2011 at 5:30 pm
I am 7th Day Adventist and I am studying the issue of wearing make- up and very interested in everything stated. I am most interested in serving my Savior who so unselfishly hung on that rugged cross for me. If I am to give up wearing make -up to better serve – so be it. I have a young daughter who I think is beautiful just the way God made her. God did not adorn us with jewelry and make up as we were born, so what benefit do these things really offer. God can give me a glow, God can give me self asteem – so what does make up really do except cover God’s art work. If you cover something up arent you in fact being deceitful of who you are . We do not have to entice someone to be attracted to us through enhancing our features. We simply can ask God to provide us with a mate. Make up seems like just another example of man taking matters into their own hands. Trust in God. I am beautiful just the way I am. Make up is good however for victims of severe injury. We just have to ask – Does it Glorify the Lord. Will he know us if we have covered his creation with grafiti?????
January 4th, 2011 at 5:42 pm
Tammy,
If you feel that you should not wear make-up for the reasons that you listed then that is certainly fine. I just hope that you continue to respect the fact that others have different views on the subject, and that you recognize that they are your brothers and sisters in Christ.
Is it deceitful to wear clothes, or should we let everyone see our natural beauty? Is it deceitful to take a bath, or should we let everyone know our natural smell? Is it deceitful to wear deodorant, or should we let everyone experience our natural fragrance every time that we raise our arms?
Is a painting any less beautiful because it was made out of paint? Is the canvas more beautiful than the finished product? Is the Mona Lisa ugly because Leonardo da Vinci put paint on a piece of wood? Is the natural wood more beautiful than the painted product?
I have never understood the view that make-up is wrong just because it is not natural. We do things that are not natural every day. We bathe, put on clothes, style our hair, drive our cars, and do any number of natural things.
The natural beauty of a woman is wonderful, and she should be able to feel confident and self-assured with or without make-up. But wearing make-up does not make a woman less beautiful and it certainly doesn’t make her sinful. I think that the natural beauty of a woman is a wonderful thing, but I can assure you that God knows her just as well when she wears make-up.
Just something to think about!
- Josh S.
January 5th, 2011 at 2:04 am
Ok I think this seems to be getting out of hand….yes its good everyone is expressing their opinion buuuut really guys….its a conviction. If you are convicted of this and dont do it because you are convicted by God of it then thats awesome I am very glad!!! :) I think its not a sin to wear make up personally and i have NEVER heard from a guy that he is sexually attracted to a womens makeup….I mean if we were to get rid of anything that sexually attracted men it would be almost everything because a lot of men are attracted to different things sexually& in impure ways. I have heard of some men being attracted to womens feet impurely…so flip flops and barefeet would be sinning i guess??? And like they said the shaving of womens legs came from prostitutes..is that wrong??? Seriously when there is a preverted impure man it dont matter what you look like or wear he will still think of you impurely which I know this is true because my friend who dresses very modestly, does not wear makeup, etc. had a man think of her very impurely even though she did not wear these things? what do we do then? Im not saying its ok to be dressed indecently!!! I agree it is wrong to be indecent and God clearly states it is wrong to be immodest. I do not wear makeup to sexually attract men. I wear it (lightly) because I have very bad acne and discoloration and very light skin. Another thing is makeup is not a sin because God does not say it is a sin. A harlot, prostitute,etc. IS a sin because it does commit the sins God has said clearly to us, idolatry,sex before marriage,impure thoughts…THIS is the reasons harlots, prostitutes, etc. are wrong because they sin against what GOD has said is a sin. And the reason different convictions are placed in peoples hearts is because God can see that they might be obsessed with the certain subject to a point that it could be loved more than God. Not everyone has the same conviction because not everyone loves,likes the same things in life to the point of obsession. The only thing I have to say on who we should all love is God& His Son and by doing that we should listen more carefully to Him and make a sin out of something that is not considered a sin. The only way something small like that can be a sin is if you are obsessed over it and love it more than God and hold it high in your life above God. And also about the whole our body is a temple of God….we are not supposed to damage it or sin against God right? What about different medications that can save your life yet damage a lot of parts of your body? What about leaving your hair untrimmed and letting the ends of your hair damaged and eventually break off? I mean I dont believe its a sin to not cut your hair cause if God has convicted you of cutting your hair then He will make sure it is beautiful and healthy and undamaged I am sure. I dont think medicine is a sin either I believe if you pray about medicine(especially for more serious diseases,etc.) before making a decision and listen to God tell you what to do and if He says yes then I know He will take care of you and make sure you heal and are undamaged. I believe that God gives us different convictions and makes us all different is because it is to show that you listen and obey Him and that is proving yourself to the world and showing your love to God and showing to the world your love for Him. Cause if everyone followed the same convictions this life would not be a struggle and would not bring us AS closer to God. We really need to focus on what God has told us to not commit sins He has told us about and to follow His Word and to listen to Him and what He has convicted OURSELF of not of what He has convicted everyone else of….let God deal with them about the small stuff/convictions and you just wait to let someone know if a conviction of theirs is true and of God WHEN God deals with you to speak to them about it….It is not our place to tell people what we think is sinning and what isn’t…it is our place to tell people what God says is a sin and to tell this to people through God’s help and guidance….So instead of telling people what is a “sin” because it refers to someone who has sinned lets tell people about God’s love and show God’s love and tell them about the actual sins God has told us and to help them with God’s help and guidance with their convictions with God….I am not being mean or trying in any way to be rude or harsh and I am not judging anyone telling them they are wrong or who is right-if you have a conviction against this then yes it is a sin unto you because God told you not to and disobeying God is a sin and I am not bitter against UPC or etc. I am Pentecost and have grown up in a Assembly of God church. I’m just saying what is best to do is to help each other out and not argue you know?….I am glad to see the concern for other’s souls though :) that is a definite good thing to see :)
January 5th, 2011 at 2:07 am
oooh I forgot to add one more thing…..convictions from God not only are placed in your heart bc of obsession and love over God but also because it easily makes you sin because of the person you are and the weakness(‘) you have….
January 6th, 2011 at 5:48 am
I agree with Rachel above in that a person can pray for convictions about how God will guide them, which may be different depending on each one’s weakness. We are commanded to accept our brother, even when they have weaker faiths without doubtful disputations.
Being a Baptist most of my life, I escaped a UPC fairly quickly after visiting, thanks to me and my friend’s fair knowledge of the Word, a praying mother, prayer and fasting, and the Lord’s guidance. I visited another tri-unitarian church for about a year, but they were very legalistic, especially with the women. Now I have found an ASOG with an older pastor that teaches against sin and believes in fasting, and winning souls.
It is funny how quickly people will say you are unwilling to sacrifice for God, because you do not follow their rules, when they do not know the path you have walked. I myself am a 33 year old virgin who has suffered many things for the Lord, only abled by His loving care all these years. I do not measure up to a lot of some people’s ‘standards’, but I have ALWAYS been seen as VERY separate by my acquaintances in the world. (Don’t worry when you truly separate yourself, you stick out like a sore thumb. But I don’t believe in being as offensive as possible either )They can see in my walk, my language, my testimony, my absense from the bars, by lack of tolerance or laughing at Seinfeld’s fornication fest or Everybody loves Raymond home-splitting comedy, or Chritina Aguilara/Britney Spears/Miley Sirus, my modest clothes of plain blue jeans and a Tshirt that covers me on top, and simple makeup that is not distracting by being too much or too little, and chopped off pony tail, and the guys definitely know I’m not easy.
By the way, speaking of cosmetics, I wonder if it is wrong to fix a cleft palate when it is not medically necessary? SEe that involves unneccessary drugs as well as an ‘improvement’ of God’s creation. If we “never improve on God’s creation”, then there would be a lot of much sicker little kids that we should never offer medical care to. God knows we are in a fallen world, and He gives us tools and knowledge and mercy. A person’s value should not be on their social status, finances, weight, or appearance, but that is why cosmetics are a matter of the condition of the heart, because we are in a fallen world, and it is undeniable that we use a lot of things to improve our life, and to even help our witness.
A lot of people’s weakness is to fall for legalism, have pride of how much holier they are than others….and jealousy of other’s freedoms. I can’t help but think of legalism as the leaven of the Pharisees, because it grows to everyone, because if you don’t follow the rules there is peer pressure hardcore. A lot of new ‘converts’ become ‘convicted’ because of peer pressure. A word never has to be spoken. And many times if their conviction does not come fast enough a ‘concerned’ brother or sister will help God along to convict them faster. And the logical technicalities are addictive/captivating, whether you agree or disagree. But I really can’t blame them for it too hard, especially if it’s all they have known. What if I was raised that way?
Also beware of the leaven of the Saducees and Herod, which is the other extreme from the Pharisees. Turn not to the left or right. Both are pretty dangerous.
The Church is in a sad state these days. We need so much more holiness and separation from filth. But we don’t need to follow emptily after one set of rules, and assume ourselves safe, while we are actually miles away from true old time religion of helping the sick and poor, selflessness, and sticking with the cross, the blood and repentance of sin.
A lot of people I fear do follow one set of rules and think they are safe, in a small legalistic church, who get stuck in a rut and follow each other around, but I’m not their judge in the end. I am only afraid that is not exactly the pure Gospel. (But not teaching sin is not the true Gospel either, error both ways.) Instead of judge them pray for them. I notice the pattern, read my Bible, fast and pray, look for the ministry God has for you, and quietly leave, in prayer for guidance, which God has so far faithfully provided.
Colossians 2 KJV
20Wherefore if ye be dead with Christ from the rudiments of the world, why, as though living in the world, are ye subject to ordinances, 21(Touch not; taste not; handle not; 22Which all are to perish with the using;) after the commandments and doctrines of men? 23Which things have indeed a show of wisdom in will worship, and humility, and neglecting of the body; not in any honour to the satisfying of the flesh.
And the entire book of Romans, Galatians, Ephesians, and many others like it….
January 6th, 2011 at 10:53 am
Agian, this is all good stuf! All about modesty and moderation, people! Don’t wear so much make-up that you look like a completly different person when its off! Don’t wear it just to draw attention to yourself. If you have a lot of redness (as I do) or ugly pimples that day, then its taking care of yourself and feeling more confident, and I do believe God wants to take good care of ourselves and be confident Christians.
February 23rd, 2011 at 12:58 pm
Hello ~ I came across this website last night and found it rather amusing (you’ll see why in just a moment)
I am 3rd generation UPCi. I not only went to a UPCi church and was raised in a UPCi church, I was FULLY engrossed. It was my life, it was part of my personality. I went to all 3 weeks of church camp every year, every youth ralley, youth congress, and any other conference/congress you can think of. I am no longer in UPCi, just as you are no longer in UPC. However that is where you and split and we become very different. I am no longer in UPCi because they started letting down on their standards. They weren’t too strict for me, they started not being strict enough! You could probably go back to a UPC church now and feel right at home!
I read all of your post/reply comments and then somewhere around 3/4 down I started skimming through but there is a biblically based reason around the standards of an Apostolic. I don’t wear pants because the bible states not to wear mens apparel, I don’t cut my hair because the bible states that a women shouldn’t shorten her hair, etc.
I will be very transparent with you and tell you that I was compeltely backslidden for 11 years. During this time I prided myself on not being like the ones who had fallen before me. I would stand up for what I believed in, even though that meant that right at that point and time I was saying I was sinning and not ready for Heaven. It drove my friends crazy but I try to always be honest with myself as well with others. This means that just because I no longer do something I don’t automatically switch it around in my head that I’m right, they’re wrong just to make myself feel better.
I did want to address baptism in the name of Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ is the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost. Even though he has many titles such as Jehovah Jireh, Jehovah Nissi, etc… the NAME is still Jesus Christ. Matthew 28:19 Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: – KJV. You will notice the word “of” before each of these titles. The word “of” means belonging to, with reference to, set aside for; dedicated to. So this could change how you read that verse Matthew 28:19 Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name belonging to the Father, and belonging to the Son, and belonging to the Holy Ghost: Then you would have to ask yourself what is that name??
You see why I found this amusing as I stated above? We both left UPC and went in COMPLETELY opposite directions!!
March 1st, 2011 at 10:30 pm
I would have to disagree because most of the UPC churches are still trying diligently to hold up the standards. they are finding it more and more difficult but a pastor cant MAKE somebody have a conviction. The days of swallow and follow are long behind! The more strictor never does mean the most spiritual.
March 16th, 2011 at 9:20 am
I must say some of the comparisons being made are very petty.
the bible tell us hat cleaniness is next to godliness, therefore how is it that you can make the using of deoderant comparison. the next comparison was made about not wearing clothes and showing our nakedness. The bible speaks about the uncovering of nakedness. I think these comparisons are very silly. i don;t wear make-up Pants, cut my hair etc. however those are apart of the covenant of my church which i agreed to follow. if other persons want to wear these things thats ok with me. however if i should wear them i would sin because those are some the rules that i agreed to. Remember all that you do should be done in moderation.
March 16th, 2011 at 6:01 pm
Tanya, the Bible does not say that cleanliness is next to godliness. That aside, the issue here is not one of comparison. The point in this article is that we should not assume that something is wrong just because the Bible speaks negatively of it. If that were the case then our list of sins would include bathing, eating, drinking, etc. Almost any good thing can be turned into something bad if it is used improperly. (Please understand that I am not speaking of the clear “thou shalt nots”–things like adultery, murder, fornication, lying, gossip, hatred, envy, and so on.)
Hope that clears up the confusion! =)
P.S. – I applaud the fact that you do not look down on others or judge them for not following the same dress code that you do.
God bless,
- Josh S.
March 27th, 2011 at 12:06 pm
What a great site! So happy that I stumbled across this one! :)
I am a lifelong Baptist. It’s what I was born into, grew up in and still am very involved in. I have attended 3 different Baptist churches over my life and have visited many as well as visited different types of churches, different denominations. Call me sheltered, but I never fully realized the division of Christians until a few years ago. Since then, I have spent a lot of time researching different doctrines. After all the research, all the Bible studies, all the prayer and seeking for answers, I am at a place where I am happy and at peace where I am. Not because I’m a Baptist, but because I’m a child of God who has received His grace and who has the opportunity to worship Him with a loving church family. That’s what really matters, isn’t it?
I do have a question that may have already been addressed in other comments. If a woman wears make-up and it’s considered “wrong” then why is it NOT wrong for non-wearing make-up women to use multiple hair products and create such elaborate hair styles? I personally do not see a difference. There’s nothing natural about using 6 different products on the hair and then having hair styles that bring so much attention to the individual. Now, I see NOTHING wrong with this. I’m just saying it’s not a “natural” effort just as wearing some make-up takes away from “natural”.
I do wear make-up; very little and use it only to enhance what I already have. It’s very “natural” looking. In other words, I don’t use all these crazy colors and tons of it. Why do I use it? Probably for the same reason others spend so much time and effort on hair: it makes me feel a bit better about my appearance. There’s nothing wrong with my appearance without make-up, but I feel more put together if you will with it.
If I’m wrong in wearing it, then I do believe at some point He will convict me. I’m wearing my yoga pants, a t-shirt with some tennis shoes (about to go for a workout) and I have on a little bit of make-up that I put on before church this morning. If I come face-to-face with Jesus dressed like this, I have absolutely nothing to be ashamed of. Now what I do have to be ashamed of is a long list of: things I’ve said in the past, thoughts I’ve had, not helping others to the best of my abilities, not always showing love when I needed to, etc.
God bless!
March 27th, 2011 at 5:32 pm
Ann,
I really enjoyed reading your comment; thank you for posting it!
I have no problem with make-up. I have lots of Christian friends who use make-up or tattoos to express themselves. The Bible doesn’t speak at all against make-up, and tattoos are only spoken against under the Old Covenant. The fact of the matter is that there is not a thing wrong with using those things to express yourself.
I liked your point about hair. We all try to look better. It’s just something that we as humans do. The only thing that the Bible says about the subject is that we should not let our appearance become our focus. Our focus should be on the interior and not the exterior. But does that mean we can never try to make the exterior look nice? Absolutely not. We just can’t let it take control of us and become our focus.
Thanks again for writing. Great post!
In Christ,
- Josh S. (site admin)
April 21st, 2011 at 5:33 pm
hi everyone
i visit this site a couple times but my first comment.I am proud to sya i am a child of God, baptized in Jesus name and filled with his Spirit.Whilst i do not believe in going around and having a better than you attitude to thos ewho wear makeup ,i dont wear it as i find myself very pleasing in Gods sight.I suffered with low self esteem for years before i was saved and it didnt matter if i wore makeup as it felt unatural to me. i noww see myself through the eyes of my savior and dont need a scripture to say though shalt or shalt not as the great master made me just as he wanted.i think when we start using examples such as bathing we are being unrealistic. We all should bathe for the sake of our health and i might add that we may need to put makeup aside for the sake of our mental health because if it takes the paint to make you feel beautiful, the purpose of christ to you is sorta lost cause he came to free us also from the inferior thougts.Combing my hair and good hygiene is the stop point .whether its in styles or i use perfume cannot be compared to makeup.Well for the person who wears makeup ,the name explains it. They are making up for what was not there.I guess the great architect isnt so skillful in some eyes. I will comend the person who looks like themselve when they are done applying the stuff but most people look totally different when they are done.
April 21st, 2011 at 5:36 pm
also josh you received real and true salvation ,compared to now where you stated there is nothing wrong with tattoos.thats a big jump and i do pray you will allow God to speak into your spirit again as our ways arent his and sometimes our desires conflict with his will.You can freely contact me.I go to a UPC in Jamaica.Love ya still
April 24th, 2011 at 10:08 am
I am currently a member of UPC, only because it is the place that I feel at home. I don’t share the ideals with everyone reguarding make-up, dress attire, facial hair ect.. I have numerous tatoos, and am getting more. I am not closed off to visiting another church. I don’t think about the denomination, I think as long as God is in your heart the politics of where you go doesn’t matter. Could you recommend another church? I need the excitement, heavenly singing (contemporary music), the instruments I think are a celebration to god! I am really an infant to christ. I was raised in a Methodist church, and feel that I never learned a thing. I am hungry for the word…please help!
April 25th, 2011 at 2:37 pm
Certainly the Bible teaches modesty and moderation in ALL things. That would include modesty and moderation in make-up, and hair-dos, and accessories, and clothing, and even ornamentation.
Many people (not all) currently preach that make-up is associated with harlotry and that it is a Jezebel spirit. Some will say it’s worldy, and a case can be made for that. But, if someone is going to make the leap and say that women who wear any make-up look like Harlots and that they are like Jezebel, that is certainly going to far. That creates a spirit of fear and condemnation. There is no scripture in the Bible to say a lady with a modest amount of make-up looks like a harlot. If that is going to be preached, why not preach against wearing the color red? certainly preachers in the past HAVE preached against wearing red. I know this because i met people who encountered this belief. Would you believe wearing red is wrong? By the same logic used against all make-up you can make an argument against red clothing.
For example, there are a couple of scriptures in which red is associated with “the great harlot church” and another time in Jer 4:30 And [when] thou [art] spoiled, what wilt thou do? Though thou clothest thyself with crimson, though thou deckest thee with ornaments of gold, though thou rentest thy face with painting , in vain shalt thou make thyself fair; [thy] lovers will despise thee, they will seekthy life. This is used sooo many times to preach against make-up and gold, but why not red? It’s PART of the scripture! I am not saying wearing red is wrong, but in the past many preachers have preached that wearing red is wrong because of it’s association with harlotry, with this above verse, and also with Revelation 17:4 “And the woman was arrayed in purpleand scarlet colour, anddecked with gold and precious stones and pearls , having a golden cup in her hand full of abominations and filthinessof her fornication.”
If we look in the old testament we can see that this teaching against wearing red was incorrect. In the old testament we clearly find scriptures that say the holy priests that were in charge of offerings to the Lord had red as part of their robes. If they wore red in their robes, it’s obvious that wearing red is not immoral. How could the Lord command his holy priests to wear an immoral color? Obviously it wasn’t immoral.
In reference to Jer. 4:30 either all three things 1. red 2. gold and 3. make-up are all terrible and should be banned, or these things are not terrible or immoral in themselves and there is a greater context/meaning to these scriptures.
The same logic goes for not just permed but also curled hair and hair accessories. There have been preachers and saints who have vehemently preached against even curling your hair, but most people don’t preach against that today. Based on the logic of the preaching used, curling/perming and adorning your hair with flowers and headbands (often which have fake jewels today) is no different than make-up. Make-up and hairdos/hair ornaments (flowers, bands, ribbons) have the exact same purpose: to approve appearance and look more attractive, it’s not natural, and it makes you look better than you are before you “did-up” your appearance. It it not necessary to wear make-up, and at the same time it is not necessary to curl your hair or to put any kind of decorative items in it, but almost all pentecostal young women do curl their hair AND DECORATE IT with many things. Both make-up and curled/straightened hair-dos make you prettier than naturally are, they both improve your appearance, the motive for BOTH is vanity, and both make-up and hairdos are not natural. Additionally, it is preached that make-up has an association with harlotry. I am not saying either one is wrong, just that the basis for both and the motivation for both is THE SAME.
Also, back to telling women that if they wear make-up they are associated with harlotry. If someone is going to say that, they have to include everything else: big beautiful hair-dos, and hair ornaments like flowers and ribbons, and even things like high-heels Why? Because these afore-
mentioned things are ALL items that harlots over time have made use of. Harlots have also regularly curled and styled their hair throughout the ages (Bible times through now, beautiful hair-dos have been around) and if they (harlots) lacked in money, some certainly decorated themselves with flowers, ribbons, and perhaps even fake jewels (like the ones you find on headbands today that MANY pentecostal women wear.) And what about high heels? No one preachers against high-heels today that I know of, but it happened in the past! Some pentecostal preachers used to preach against high heels (and this is a fact because I know people who encountered this in past generations.) Don’t you realize that harlots have also worn high heels and continue to wear high heels? Does that mean that women who wear high heels are associated with the clothing and accessories of a harlot? certainly not, but it used to be the belief that heels were “worldly.” Now I don’t know almost any pentecostal women who doesn’t own at least one pair of high-heeled shoes.
Doesn’t anyone see the flawed logic here? Either EVERYTHING above is associated with harlots, or they are all things that women in general use to beautify themselves and none of them should be taken too far. Also a note on “looking like a harlot” (this seems to have a lot more to do with immodest clothing AND the attitude portrayed by the women, and not so much with make-up, unless we are going to say that hair-dos, heels, and pretty hair things are in the same category which is not my belief but may be the belief of some).
A last example, say you see a women all done up in a big hair do, with beautiful/colorful accessories in her hair, and a fabulous/trendy/attractive dress that is full of ruffles, lace, or whatever you could think of to make it pretty (while still being modest below the knee), and a pair of beautiful high-heeled shoes, but without make-up, and she is, according to “standards” acceptably holy on the outside. You take another lady, who is also modestly dressed in perhaps something more simple than the first, maybe a gray jacket and skirt (below the knee) and she has her hair casually in a pony tail or bun, wearing flat shoes, but she has a moderate amount of make-up on…suddenly she is unacceptable and unholy on the outside. Take a survey, for real, which women turns a guys head walking down the street? Many times it’s the first girl, with the done-up hair, the big flower on her head, the gorgeous shoes and beautiful outfit. The second lady usually doesn’t get a second look, although she has some make-up on. Why? because it’s her total appearance that is much less striking and less attention drawing OVERALL than the first. In this is true if you REALLY make observations.
The point is, people like to pick and choose what they want to preach against. The principle, logic, and argument behind just picking one thing to condemn doesn’t make sense. Either it’s all bad, or all of it should be dealt with in modesty and moderation. In sum, there is no one scripture in the Bible that prohibits make-up. The argument against make-up is “by association” and “vanity/worldliness” and the EXACT SAME argument can be made against 1. curling or perming hair, and hair-dos that go beyond functional simplicity (a bun or ponytail) 2. creative hair-dos (done up in all kinds of different designs) 3. wearing red 4. wearing high heels 5. wearing headbands or shoes/clothing with any kind of decorative thing on it (that looks like an imitation jewel). You could say ALL these things are associated with harlotry in some way, show vanity/pride, and improve your appearance in an unnatural way, but none of these above things are generally preached against today. How do I know? because i see them across different churches and states in pentecost. They are generally accepted by pentecostal preachers as a whole, and make-up is the only one thing that is vehemently rejected, and women are made to feel dirty, condemned, and like the are associated with Jezebel (who was a murderer and a witch. She was NOT killed because she wore make-up. She was killed because she had the prophets killed and practiced witch-craft.)
As a last point, the idea that “make-up is primarily to highlight sex appeal” is extreme. Why? Most do not react in a lustful way to women who wear make-up IF the woman is modestly dressed. The problem with lust seems to be in immodest clothing (this is not my opinion only, it is from observation from what men have said, of many ages, old and young in reaction to immodest clothes). Second, if make-up highlights sex appeal, then so does a big beautiful hair-do, high heels, and whatever other kinds of “decoration” you can get away with while staying within the rules of avoiding typical jewelry.
April 25th, 2011 at 11:16 pm
hi my name is donna gibson and just recently i gave my life to jesus christ and i now belong to holiness church. i havea question about the wearing of makeup. i am having a battle over this although my church does not believe in wearing the pstor has never said anything about it he does not preach about it from the pulpit but we have has visiting pastors that have.i personally do not have a problem with it but i have found that i am having conviction over it. i know it probably will not send you to hell but i believe that if god is deling with you to take it off you should and that if you do not then it becomes a sin because you are refusing to do what god is telling you to do and if you can not do something for god then why should you expect him to do anything for you. i do ot know whether or not you believe that but i do. and right now i ned blessings from god i do not care what people think of me only what god thinks matters because he is the one we have to answer to and if he tells us to do something we had better do it. i have alot of needs in my life and i need healng but if i am not willing to live right then i do not expect god to do anything i need and i have alot of loved ones who need to be saved so i feel like that wearing makeup is hendering me from getting everything i need it is like you are trying to hide from god or wear a mask so no one can see the real you but you can not hide from god he sees you just the way you are why put on a mask to gods house. i also smoke and i know this is a sin but i have prayed for god to take the cigerettes awaybbut if i can not take off my makeup he is not gong to help me with my smoking. please let me know what you think am i wrong i do not think so we should live the way christ teaches in the bible after all he will not ask us to do the impossible for we are only human and only he can do the impossible so yes i think that if you wear makeup it is a sin
May 11th, 2011 at 11:26 pm
Make up isn’t a sin, but when you are putting on make-up the intention and mind frame behind can be a sin. Are you putting on make up to entice someone else? Are you putting on make up to cover up who you are? Are you putting it on because you want to look nice, look better? Does it take you 45 minutes to put on make and take it off and you read your bible not at all? I don’t think there will be make-up in Heaven, I think God wants us to be confident in Him and not vain by putting on make-up for whatever our reasons are. I don’t wear make up, I never have and I never will but it’s tempting when you see how it enhances the beauty of others but we are supposed to be different. Girls of all ages see women who don’t wear make up and I think the influence on other women, which is very harmful most times should stop any woman Christian or other from putting it on. You are supposed to self-less in Christ, it’s not about you, it’s about Him. I think if Jesus had been a woman who wouldn’t have been wearing make-up, that’s enough for me. Supposed to be more like him and less like us.
May 11th, 2011 at 11:48 pm
April,
I desire to attract my girlfriend. I make sure my hair is in place and my teeth are brushed and my deodorant is on every time that I see her. If I’ve had a long day then I’ll shower a second time before going out on a date. I make sure my stubble is trimmed and I get hair cuts on a regular basis.
Is it because I want to sin with her? No. It’s because I find her attractive and I want her to find me attractive too.
If I wanted to show my girlfriend who I “really” was then I’d let my beard grow out, not take a shower, not put on deodorant, not brush my teeth, and wear my birthday suit. After all, that’s how God made me, right? I suppose I should skip the birthday suit because it’s clear how God feels about that, but there’s nothing wrong with not taking a shower, is there? Shouldn’t I let my girlfriend know who I “really” am?
If I did that then I doubt I’d have a girlfriend much longer.
The things that I do to enhance my appeal take longer than 45 minutes when you put it all together, but very few people would claim that I’m sinning by trying to look nice.
So why is makeup a sin? The Bible doesn’t say it’s wrong, so why is it? Is it artificial enhancement? Yes. But we artificially enhance ourselves all the time. I artificially enhance myself before going to work just because I’m expected to look nice. I brush my hair and trim my stubble and take a shower and put on deodorant. All of that is artificially enhancing myself so that I can fit in better with the society that I live in.
So why is makeup a sin?
People tell me that I’m being ludicrous when I compare brushing my hair to wearing makeup, but why? They’re both artificial enhancements designed to increase our appeal and/or presentability within the society that we live. More importantly, there’s nothing Scripturally wrong with either of them.
There’s no Scripture that says makeup is wrong. There’s no Scripture that says it’s wrong to try to look nice for someone else or just to look nice in general.
You say Jesus wouldn’t have worn makeup as a woman, I say, “Why not?” It’s a non-issue biblically. There isn’t a single Scripture in the Bible against it.
If a person is spending time putting on makeup but not reading their Bible then the makeup isn’t the problem. I’m sure they aren’t spending 24 hours a day applying their makeup. In the situation that you described the issue is that spending time with God is not a priority. That problem should be corrected, but we need to focus on the real issue, which is lack of interest in God, not makeup.
In Christ,
- Josh S. (site admin)
May 12th, 2011 at 5:16 pm
I don’t understand the argument that something a person does is ungodly, or a waste of time, because it is time that they should be spending reading the bible.
It wasn’t until 1384 that the first hand written manuscript bible was made which was all 80 books. then it wasn’t massed produced until 1455 by Gutenburg. (this can be verified here http://www.greatsite.com/timeline-english-bible-history/).
Why do people constantly make up there own ideas about what godly behavior is and isn’t. People automatically assume that what a Godly person should be doing is reading the bible all day. For 1384 years no one on earth had a complete bible to even read. I have tried to find information on how many believers actually had a copy of the bible in the years following Gutenburg’s press to no avail, but personally I can’t imagine it was too many. Were they ungodly because they weren’t reading the bible at least an hour everyday. Personally I read or meditate on scriptures everyday, not because I think it makes me more Godly or Holy, but because I love God and enjoy being close to him.
What God wants us doing is LIVING out our Faith. It’s hard to do that if all we ever do with our free time is read the bible. Seriously, some people need to stop searching the word of God for some new holiness standard that will make them feel like some kind of elite, super christian.
There is nothing biblically wrong with supplementing natural, outward beauty with make-up, jewelry, clothing, and good personal hygiene, and no, God isn’t upset with a women who does so, nor does he feel she should be reading her bible instead. In fact, in Ezekiel 16 the bible describes how God expressed his love for Israel by clothing her in fine linen, jewels, and splendor. Those of you who will read this passage will say “yeah, but she left him and became a harlot because of it”. To say that is to say that God gave her evil, unholy things in order to set her up for failure. Absolutely not! God was celebrating his passionate love for his bride. It wasn’t the ornamentation that was evil, it was her heart, and she used the beauty and freedom and splendor God bestowed upon her for unrighteousness.
I feel loved when my wife takes care in trying to look her best for me, and it is exciting for me when the way I look catches her eye, even after being married for 9 years. Shame on religion and tradition to try and steal that from us. People need to stop thinking that outward beauty is the antithesis to inward beauty. Like people have to choose one or the other. That they are enemies and women are caught in this epic battle between them.
Read proverbs 31. These scriptures tell us not only what a virtuous women does, but I believe it describes the feminine heart, the way God intended it to be. It describes an elegant, beautiful, stylish, passionate, devoted, loving person, inside and out. All attempts to oppress and capture these virtues are crimes against the natural desire that emanates from the deepest part of a woman’s heart. The feminine heart has been crushed and enslaved by religion for too long, it is time for it to be healed and set free!
May 21st, 2011 at 1:17 pm
I do agree that some time needs to be given to groom oneself ,as you said josh you groom before you see your girlfriend. And i am certain other than the cutting of the hair ,it is the same thing a pentecostal woman is doing .bathing ,cleaning up by combing her hair ,wearing fresh pressed clothes , some perfume even.BUt i didnt hear where you applied your foundation or blush ,eyeliner,eyeshadow, bronzer, powder ,fake lashes, or fake nails.NOt saying all women wear all of this but i didnt hear you mention any of these things.YOu never mentioned putting on any type of mask.Queen Esther prepared herself with ointments, synonymous with SKINCARe which by all means i believe everyone should do but be honest josh in being modest there is some limit to the whole enhancing thing that is required for a christian.I say yay to skincare ( not the makeup skincare) but using things such as moisturizer a lip balm which will keep your lips from chapping.You may do those things josh and others ,and yay to you especially if there is spf but where does makeup lie.Outside of these perimeters.
The foundation is fake complexion.Blush is fake cheek colour.Women should be encouraged to have great skincare ( and exercise) and still look themselves without applying the mask.I can tell you that one of the enticing things bout makeup,Its makes you look different which may suggest a person is not satisfied with how they look. You dont wear makeup josh and i am certain your girlfriend finds you quite handsome without it.So whats the matter, im sure women will look mighty fine without it too
My decision to not wear makeup was before i was saved.it just felt strange ,masklike.i feel so much better with a great skincare regimen ,clean fresh clothes ,a nice hairdo ( just like how you trim and stuff) Smelling fresh cause i had a good bath and with the natural colours/pigments that God gave me.And my husband love s me so and so does God.I really dont think GOD feels pleased to know someone feels they have to paint themselves to feel pretty.There is a popular saying that if the house needs painting then paint it,BUT guess what we arent houses that were made by imperfect man. We are images of CHrist who were made by the great masterbuilder.
May 21st, 2011 at 1:34 pm
Natalie,
If you feel that make up is a mask and you shouldn’t wear it (or don’t feel comfortable wearing it) then that’s fine. That’s a personal preference and there’s nothing wrong with that. But please be sure to remember that the perimeter you spoke of in your comment does not exist biblically. There is nothing in the Bible that says, or even hints, that makeup is wrong. It’s a non-issue biblically. If God had a problem with it I feel confident He would have mentioned it somewhere in the Bible. Maybe Paul would have thrown it in as a one-liner: “Greet the brothers in Christ, give so-and-so a holy kiss–oh, and I almost forgot, tell Priscilla and Claudia to lay off the eye liner.”
If it’s important to God it’s in the Bible. There is nothing in the Bible about make-up. The only conclusion that I can draw is that it’s just not important. It’s a non-issue.
I think the only thing about this whole discussion that bothers God is that we spend so much time arguing over it when we should be devoting ourselves to loving our neighbors and helping those in need.
In Christ,
- Josh S.
May 22nd, 2011 at 11:27 am
now this is a simple question for everyone who agrees women can wear makeup…….
Do men wear make-up? and since it is soo right then y shouldn’t men do the same? afterall it is right?
If beauty lies in the makeup then God might as well had made every living being with makeup on.
We are to remain natural….how we were made- not how the world wants us to look, dress, or act.
We should be separate from the world.
And when it comes to our bodies we should not add anything or subtract anything………
The Lord loves u for u……..not for the makeup you wear, the jewellery you wear, the false hair you wear, or for shaving your body…..he loves you when you remain pure inside and out and remain how he made you……..afterall your bodies are His temple- not yours…
I pray we’ll all be ready for his return….
I pray we’ll get down on our knees and ask the Lord to wash up clean……..I pray we’ll all be ready for his return..
May 22nd, 2011 at 11:58 am
Christian Girl,
Men wear make-up in many cultures. No one claims that beauty is in the make-up.
On a side note, the “be ye separate from the world” Scripture has nothing to do with make-up or the way we dress. It’s part of a passage warning against idolatry (2 Cor. 6:14-18). If we tried to apply that Scripture consistently to apparel then we would have to always do the opposite of whatever the non-Christians in our culture were doing. In the U.S. this means that men would have to wear dresses and women would have to wear neither pants or dresses–perhaps women could go to robes. It also means that women could not wear make-up but men would have to.
We all add and subtract things from our body every day. I’m sure you do the same. I’m sure you use soap and shampoo and fix your hair and put on clothes before leaving the house. Make-up is no different from any of those things.
You are right that God does not love us because we wear make-up. I’m firmly convinced that God could care less. I stand by my belief that if it was important to God He would have put it in His word.
In Christ,
- Josh S.
May 22nd, 2011 at 2:08 pm
All I will add to this topic is: 2 of the Godliest, most Christian-like people I have ever had the honor of knowing were ladies who happened to wear make-up and jewelry. Now, the fact that they wore make-up and jewelry did NOTHING to add to or subtract from my opinion of them. They were each faithful servants of God who inspired and encouraged countless others over the span of their lives with their love of God and others, with their selflessness, with their willingness to always help and serve others, with their simple but REAL testimonies that came from living long lives as righteously and as truthful as they could. According to Galatians 5:22-23, the attributes of a Christian are: …”but the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.” If a person can be judged by their fruit (Matthew 7:20), then I’m quite sure that I’ve seen bad fruit ALL around me, and good fruit ALL around me. And I’m also quite sure that make-up, jewelry, hair, dresses/pants has little to no bearing on ANYTHING if what is WITHIN us is right.
May 23rd, 2011 at 5:38 pm
and Josh don’t say that if something is not in the Bible it is right because the Bible did not mention that Adam and Eve got married- but sex before marriage is wrong isn’t it?
in the same light we as born again Christians always seek to let the Holy Ghost lead us………and I did not just get up and say make up is wrong but make up is just rejected whenever I put it on and there is a strong displeasure within me whenever I used to put on those things and I am positive it is not my imagination. But I am sure that u cannot attest to having such feelings or sences so i doubt u’ll understand…
May 23rd, 2011 at 7:30 pm
Christian Girl,
Adam and Eve were married according to the customs of their time:
Gen 2:23-24 NASB
(23) The man said, “This is now bone of my bones, And flesh of my flesh; She shall be called Woman, Because she was taken out of Man.”
(24) For this reason a man shall leave his father and his mother, and be joined to his wife; and they shall become one flesh.
Jesus affirmed that marriage in Mat. 19:3-9 and Mark 10:6-12.
I have never challenged your personal feelings about make-up. If you feel displeasure about it that’s fine (I even said the same thing in one of my original replies to one of your comments). It’s perfectly fine for a woman not to use make-up. She doesn’t need it to look beautiful. But please don’t take your personal displeasure with it and mix that with Scriptural commands. The majority of women don’t feel displeasure when they wear make-up. There’s no Scriptural command saying they shouldn’t wear make-up. In short, there’s nothing wrong with it.
You posted two comments this evening and I didn’t let the other one out of moderation. It was just repeating the same thing that you’ve said in previous posts, and which I’ve shown several times now to be incorrect. I appreciate you visiting this site. I chose to respond to your comments because you voiced the opinion of many holiness pastors. I thought it might be good for people to see both sides. However, this is not a debate forum. You’ve said your piece and I’ve said mine, and there’s really no point in going in circles saying the same things over and over.
Again, I appreciate your feedback. I’m glad you don’t think make-up is wrong. I pray that we can remain united in spirit as fellow Christians =).
In Christ,
- Josh S.
May 24th, 2011 at 11:07 pm
well Josh I pray we’ll all get our Business straight whether it is hair, nails, make-up, jewelry, pants, so we can all meet Him at the Gate. God bless.
May 25th, 2011 at 4:44 pm
It’s perfectly fine for a woman not to use make-up. She doesn’t need it to look beautiful.( Josh)
So true Josh ,but why do so many women feel as if they are ugly without it. in your bid to illuminate others ,seek out the mindset of women that do wear it.You rightly said that most women dont feel convicted about it.That may be true.But most women wear it because they feel ugly,insufficient or not beautiful without it.And that is where the danger lies.Some of these women feel they need it to be beautiful. This is why persons who even have no church affiliation have stopped using makeup because of the crutch effect.You feel you need it,instead of feeling beautifully and wonderfully made.
On another point there was no mention in the bible thou shalt not smoke. Should we feel free to smoke then? cause as you say if there is no mention it shows its fine in Gods eyes.Not arguing with you , i know you may still hold your opinion but just food for thought.
May 27th, 2011 at 12:06 pm
Natalie,
I’m sure that many of the things you just described are true. I’m sure that many women think they need to wear make-up to be beautiful, and that’s not correct. However, that doesn’t make make-up a sin. The problem that you described is with self-image and the skewed view of beauty that our society has. It has nothing to do with Scripture.
Again, there is no difference between make-up and any other form of personal grooming. If I go out with friends without brushing my hair and putting on deodorant first then I feel awkward and self-conscious. Does that mean that it’s a sin to brush my hair or wear deodorant? No. It just means that I’m feeling awkward because I’m outside of the norms of my society.
With that said, our culture has placed an insane amount of pressure on women to look like movie stars. I’m very happy that there are movements promoting “natural” beauty and helping women understand that you don’t need to be pencil thin to be beautiful. I think those movements are great. But those movements have nothing to do with spirituality. It’s not a sin to wear make-up just like it’s not a sin to be slender. The only sin is when our focus becomes our appearance instead of our spiritual health. That applies to both men and women, by the way.
About smoking: It’s not a sin. It’s a sin to smoke excessively to the point where you harm your body. I sometimes go to Middle Eastern restaurants and when I do I smoke a hookah. I have many Christian guy friends who smoke the occasional cigar. The sin comes when we do anything to our body that causes harm to the temple of God. This includes excessive smoking, drinking, or eating (there are plenty of people who will read this comment and be upset that I smoke a hookah once or twice a year, but will partake daily of unhealthy foods that will kill them long before the occasional hookah or cigar will). So smoking is not a sin, but smoking excessively is.
General note to everyone (this isn’t directed to you, Natalie): Let’s keep the comments on track and not digress into arguing about what sin is and isn’t. I want the comments to stay on track so I’ll be moderating future comments about whether or not smoking is a sin. As a matter of fact, let’s not argue at all :). We’re all Christians and we should be able to discuss our doctrinal differences in a spirit of love without disunity.
In Christ,
- Josh S.
June 12th, 2011 at 3:00 pm
I read the post and read through quite a few comments after and I got worn out. I was born and raised UPCI.
I agree with you Josh. I don’t think make up is a sin, I think its the spirit in which you use it. Are you trying to paint yourself up to look like something?
Moderation I think is key. No one looks ok with make up caked on 5 inches thick.
I think its silly to sit here and argue over it.
Like previously posted…If we arent supposed to change ourselves and be natural…
Stop shaving your legs and pits
Stop PERMING YOUR HAIR- Talk about damaging and changing your “glory”….
Dont get false teeth
When you lose your hair dont get a wig.
the list could go on….
I mean its all silly sounding. Don’t debate on something like this. Maybe find a way to help and save people.
June 27th, 2011 at 12:36 am
Hi.Im realy glade u put this and that i found it.I am like u I was raised in a UPC church that was raised that women shouldnt wear makeup….but i looked and even some how asked people in a way that it wont seem that i wanted to wear it, like it was just a question that poped in my head, and one lady that i asked sayed that there was not realy any problem with it………BUT the problem is that my mom doesnt agree with it and i dont know how to bring it up(or how she’ll react)if i tell her that i wanna wear makeup. Im sooooo confused!!!! Im one of those people that seem to duel on things more than they should and this is one of them.Can u help me plez
June 27th, 2011 at 9:45 am
Mireya,
You are right in thinking that there is nothing wrong with make-up. As I’ve said many times, it’s a none issue biblically. The Bible doesn’t speak for or against it. It’s just not dealt with. And I, for one, firmly believe that if God had a problem with it He would have mentioned it at least once somewhere in Scripture!
Regarding the situation with your mother: Unfortunately there’s no “one size fits all” answer to that. It depends on your age, whether you’re still living at home, your family dynamics, etc. The Bible does say to respect and obey our parents (Eph. 6:1-3). As a general rule of thumb, I’d say if you still live at home and are under 18 then you need to do your best to obey and respect the wishes of your parents.
With that said, my best advice is to just pray about it. You’d be amazed at what prayer can do :). I recently had a friend ask me to pray for a friend of theirs who is the child of an extremely strict UPC pastor. He was being way too hard on her and constricting her too much. She was doing what most teenagers do in that sort of situation–rebelling. The more he cracked down on her the more she rebelled. My friend and I committed to praying that her parents would loosen up on her, and believe it or not they did. There was never a word said to her parents, but her Dad backed off and started allowing her a lot more freedom.
So I say pray about it =). You’d be surprised at what God can do =)
In Christ,
- Josh S.
July 20th, 2011 at 12:57 am
My upc pastor had seen where I was headed, long hair on a man than later wearing make up, and a dress. to the point I was about to start making physical changes to my body to become the other sex.
I can tell you the wages of sin I lost my children my wife everything I owned even ended up in Jail it took that getting me to walk as a man again other wise I wouldn’t have changed. I still had issues about wearing jewery etc till it came to me none of this matters a hill of beans if it causes me on ounce of time with Jesus.
I too have studied both sides of the coin bottom line I love Jesus and do it for that reason alone NOTHING ELSE MATTERS if He said it do it simple
July 20th, 2011 at 1:03 am
He did say the name not the title:
Jesus said I come in my fathers name,
what name the only name we might be saved amen.
Jesus said I send the Holy Ghost in my name.
What name the only name that saves
J E S U S
So there you have the name of the father the son and the holy ghost
all the same name thus they went out and baptised in Jesus name only
July 20th, 2011 at 4:25 pm
Robert,
If the Name of the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost is Jesus (which it is) then Jesus is the Name of the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.
In Christ,
- Josh S.
July 20th, 2011 at 6:40 pm
I’m not sure where you all stand on the book of Enoch, but he states pretty plainly that the wearing of makeup was taught to mankind by the fallen angels. Once I learned the origins of where these practices began, it sure made it easier for me to determine that my daughter will not be wearing makeup as she gets older.
Can I eat that which was sacrificed to idols? Yes. Am I led to do so in my walk and through the Spirit of God within me? Nope. Jesus, help us all with our own walk.
July 21st, 2011 at 2:53 pm
Chris,
I haven’t read the Book of Enoch in 7 or 8 years. If I recall, the book also says that we learned geometry and how to work with iron from the fallen angels (I don’t remember for sure so don’t quote me). Either way, it doesn’t matter because it’s an apocryphal book. It was written about 300 B.C., several thousand years after Enoch lived. Protestants, Roman Catholics, and Jews all view it as apocryphal. The Orthodox churches are the only ones who give it marginal authority.
In short, it doesn’t matter what the Book of Enoch says. It’s an interesting, fun read, but that’s about all. It doesn’t have Scriptural authority in our lives.
In Christ,
- Josh S.
July 27th, 2011 at 10:02 pm
Wow! So much disagreement. I have been wearing make up and presenting myself in an unGodly way for most of my life. I am new. I am learning. I am determined to follow the word of God. I did not wear make-up for my wedding and was very happy to do so, as God directed me. He made me glow – tho I was a little shiny ;-). I was as God created me and most pleased. However I wore a beautiful, fitting dress and bolero to cover my flesh. Have I sinned, by being adorned in ‘costly array’? It only cost $300 but looked much more costly.
I have removed my pearl earrings (1Tim2:9) but am at a loss as to how to present myself now. My hair. Should it be left to hang natural as God made it? Should I wear it severe and hidden? I lost it all to chemo and it is not long, does that put me at a disadvantage? Am I permitted to adorn or arrange it in beautiful and complicated displays, as many (not all) UPC women do? May I wear soft feminine clothing which covers me modestly, but looks pretty and feels so much better than a hard skirt and bulky top?
I am so truly blessed. I received the Holy Spirit before I was baptised and was baptised that night. I speak in tongue almost every time I pray aloud (church, home, car). Once, when I was recently in need and not even in prayer. I wish to please and serve my Lord and never to put this great gift at risk. But I still like to present myself in a feminine and soft manner. Am I risking my salvation and most precious gift? Should I play it safe and feel like an old maid?
July 28th, 2011 at 1:27 pm
CJ,
God is the all powerful creator of our entire reality. Everything that you see, touch, taste, and feel was created by Him. He created us and then loved us so much that He died for us. I can say with 100% confidence, with no moral reservation, that if God wanted you to look or dress a certain way He would have told you. Salvation isn’t multiple choice. We don’t guess at the answers and then wait till we die to find out if we got it right. If something is important to God, He tells us. If it’s a sin, His Word tells us. If it’s something He desires from us, He tells us. Makeup and jewelry simply isn’t important to Him. He had about 1,600 years to throw it in the Bible if He wanted to, and He didn’t. It’s simply a non-issue.
No, God doesn’t want you to look like an old maid. If He wanted you to He would have told you =)
In Christ,
- Josh S.
August 18th, 2011 at 5:55 am
I totally agree with Mary Horton. I live to please God and do his will. But like Mary said I think it is something that is personal with you and God. If he convicts me then I will hasten to take action on it. I am 15 years old and I do not partake in worldly actions, but I think that wearing make up is something personal. I respect peoples opinions, and may God bless those who understand me. But I agree with this posting. When I wear make up I don’t wear loads, and my motive is definatley not of the worlds. I do not wear it to attract guys or anything like that. I wear it not to improve my looks. Because I am 100% happy with the way God made me, I wear it because I feel nice, I feel nice without it on. But I’m just saying if you can’t go out without it on then that is where ut has become a issue! Bless You All x
September 1st, 2011 at 9:35 pm
Rahab was a harlot, yet she was mentioned in Hebrews as a pillar of faith! Why? Because she believed and acted on her faith (and not how she looked). Wearing cosmetics (and jewelry) was just as customary in the OT as in the NT and beyond. Heck, even Rebecca and Esther wore jewelry and cosmetics–it was not just reserved for harlots it was a custom of that time and present.
It’s a mute point as far as scripture is concerned. God looks on the heart and if God convicts you not to wear it, then that’s between you and God and NOT you and the pastor, or you and another member of the body of Christ. Don’t let your conviction about something so trivial as wearing make-up become a stumbling block for others in the church.
September 2nd, 2011 at 10:09 pm
I bless God for your comments and contributions. It will do us good to focus on the truth in the word of God than to use our personal ideaologies to interpret God’s word. Let us learn to stop where the Bible stops. Every born again christian has the Spirit of God. He bears us witness that we are children of God. If make up is sin, the Spirit of God will witness in your heart. In sincerity, he does not desire us to go to hell. No, not the God that I know. I encourage everyone who is in doubt to go to him in prayers. He will give you divine relevation. I have my personal conviction and stand on it, I also want you to get your conviction from God. He is a loving God, go to him in sincerity, he will respond to you. God bless you people of God.
September 5th, 2011 at 1:21 pm
Hey guys, ive been reading for a long time, almost all the comments now, and its just very confusing for me.
See im only 14, my mom was raised in a UPC church, but she doesnt go anymore and none of my close family does either. Ive been going to church with some friends of mine who pick me up and take me with them, and last night the pastor said that somewhere in the bible (idk where exactly) it says that “WE ARE NOT TO PAINT THE FLESH” and he just kept on repesting that. That was his referrence for as to why we cant wear makeup. But im very torn. Any help?
September 5th, 2011 at 3:59 pm
Sabrina,
There’s no Scripture in the Bible that says to not paint the flesh. It’s as simple as that =).
In Christ,
- Josh S.
September 12th, 2011 at 8:23 pm
Knowing you think this somehow makes me feel a lot better.
I go to a pentecostal church with my family, but being raised baptist, I do where pants. Many times I have been directly told it was an abomination, and I can’t say I walked away feeling indifferent.
It was nice to see you thought otherwise.
Thanks
September 15th, 2011 at 9:49 am
If you left the church simply because you didn’t agree on their stance concerning make-up, then you completely missed the big picture. The Word of God created the standards in which we should live by. Pastors were given to each of us to convey these safety nets, and preach us the true word of God. Standards are not the focal point of the United Pentecostal Church. Salvation is. And once you become acquainted with God in a true manner, you will see how He sees. He called us to be seperate and holy, and one who lives for God will do anything possible to please their God.
No man that warreth entangleth himself with the affairs of this life; that he may please him who hath chosen him to be a soldier. 2Tim. 2:4
It shouldn’t be about finding every way around the Word of God, it should be about doing everything possible to please him.
Thank you.
September 15th, 2011 at 12:19 pm
Amanda, make-up was not the only reason I left. It was not even the main reason. This is just one article in a large Web site :)
http://www.whyileft.org/about
http://www.whyileft.org/my-story
In Christ,
- Josh S.
October 6th, 2011 at 6:42 pm
Mr. Josh,
I find your argument against this issue to be extremely weak. The fact that the exact words that “make-up is a sin” is not in the bible does not mean that it should be allowed. There are several things that are not in the bible such as “woman beating”, child beating, mass suicides, going into a school and killing everyone but does that mean its ok? Absolutely not. You stated that …
You see, make-up is a non-issue Biblically. Nothing was ever said about the subject positively or negatively.There are three Scriptures that make reference to make-up in passing, but none of the three even hint that make-up is a sin. Again, it’s a non-issue.
Unfortunately, the UPC takes these three Scriptures, twists them out of context, and creates a doctrine out of them. That would be bad enough of its own, but the situation is made worse because many UPC churches teach that wearing make-up is a sin.
You are in serious error ever since your first statement. Maybe your spirit got wrong or you were offended by some of these doctrinal views but the UPC is not twisting scriptures or taking anything out of context.
The fact is that there are several pastors that want true Holiness in the church, and the fact that there are several women (and sadly now men) that are wearing make-up it tends to look very worldly. We are in the world, but not if it. Many have taken a stand against it, though it may not be a pinpointed Biblical revelation standpoint, God allows men of God to help them out and do their best to set guidelines, rules, regulations in order to keep the Church safe and free from any trace of sin.
I encourage you to go back to a Bible Believing Holy Ghost Pentecostal church and do your first works over. Do not fall for any of these other doctrines.
If you have a response email me.
October 8th, 2011 at 7:35 pm
Jonny,
Everything that is a sin is listed in the Bible. Domestic abuse and child abuse are sins because the Bible teaches against violence. Suicide is a sin because we are told not to harm the temple of God (our bodies). Killing everyone in a school is a sin because murder is a sin.
I do not think that the Bible has to explicitly list every variation of a sin in order for it to be a sin, and I have never said that on this Web site. However, I have said that if it’s a sin then it’s in the Bible, even if it is just the concept that is there.
The problem with make-up is that it’s simply not taught against in the Bible in any way, shape, or form, either directly or indirectly. It’s just not there. And because it’s not there, even in concept, I refuse to be a part of a group that teaches that it is sin.
P.S. – You may want to read my story before making assumptions about why I left the apostolic movement – http://whyileft.org/my-story.
I hope that clarifies my position, and I appreciate your feedback :)
In Christ,
- Josh S.
October 9th, 2011 at 11:14 pm
Josh….I’m so sorry sir…but you are very bitter. As soon as I started reading your “blog”, I felt bitterness come all over me! Anyone that has any kind of discernment can feel it! I feel sick just by reading some of it! Forgive Josh and BE SET FREE!
October 15th, 2011 at 10:02 am
Hey Josh, I have just came to God about almost 2 months ago maybe
I use to be really sinful but I felt convicted for over a year or 2 and never understood what has even happening but I knew every time I stole that God didn’t like it and convicted me so much that I stopped and then after a while I began to take small things but yet knew he was angry with my sin and I was so guilty, I even tried to be a”Good person” but everything I did that was ”good” in a worldly view, I still felt like I was tagged guilty, and I was, I have just turned 18 and was 17 when I surrendered my life to him!, i wore make-up before I was saved and I have been wearing it a bit now, but I have been wondering if God would even like it, I think if I was wearing it to please men then it would be wrong of me, or if it was an idol to me then I should get rid of it,I heard someone say something like it could be like decorating our flesh? I do have concerns about this, if God doesn’t like it then I’d rather not do it. We have to go by the word of God.
and I know this doesn’t say anything about make-up but I think of this
”Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed?” Matthew 6:31
and it just tells us not to worry about these things, and I used to really think about what I should wear a lot and it creep in, and I started to Idol clothing, it can be dangerous, it was for me.
I am not meaning to offend anyone and hope that I don’t,
when I was doing my make-up I found I was just in front of the mirror for ”quite some time” and then while out thinking ‘do i look okay?” who even cares! I need to pray about that
but we should be doing God will right!
another question I have, my church goes street preaching every Friday and Wednesday, I don’t know if its okay for me to get up and preach, I know other girls do, and I have before, but I am not sure if I should be doing it, if I should, then that’s awesome1 but if not is it okay to witness to people? I have asked at girl at my church about it but we didn’t get time to talk about it.
I don’t usually like writing to people I don’t know, you sound pretty sound ans ill just pray that you are.
you can email me back if you please. I just don’t want to talk about anything that isn’t in the bible, or talking something out of context.
I am still not sure about make up but I will have to pray about it.
we have such an awesome God!
praise him in all things!
this is just something small I wrote and will share
”Do not waste the day on myself, but give each day to the Lord your God, for your life is his, do not take a day from him”
October 26th, 2011 at 12:38 pm
I rarely wear makeup out and about. I do not find it necessary. But I do like to do myself up on occasion at home for my husband. He likes it and it makes him feel special. Can this be so evil? Sexuality between spouses is not wrong . . .
November 4th, 2011 at 2:15 pm
People.it’s what is in the heart that counts! The bible states that clearly! I def agree that a woman should be modest with her make-up and dress-of course-but a little mascara will not send you to hell..nor does it upset God! He is far more concerned with the inward man-and the attitudes of the heart!!
November 14th, 2011 at 11:04 am
Please forgive if this is an echo of another comment, I didn’t take the time to read all 120 comments. I am a licensed minister within the UPC. I am about as middle of the road as they come when it comes to standards and outward appearance. While I respect your article and and your decision to take a stand for the things you believe, I have to disagree somewhat with your final standing on the issue of make-up. First thing, as I can tell you spend time in study and are educated, there is a difference between a rule/law and a principle. When asked about this issue, I teach the principle behind the matter, Not whether it is a rule or law. The principle is, any time you see a mention of make-up in the Bible it is in a seductive, sexual manner. Link that with the other scripture you gave in 1 Timothy, and other fundamental Christian scriptures, about women being “shamefaced” and you develop a principle concerning make-up, jewelry, vanity, etc. Also, to say that make-up is only referenced in the bible 3 times shows how little God cares about it is a mistake and a poor method of determining the heartbeat of God? How many times does the Bible mention backsliders? Very few, yet we know that God has a plan and purpose to restore any former believers to a right relationship with him. In fact, the Bible never mentions directly, that I’ve found, a reference or scripture concerning pedophilia, but we all know where we stand on that subject. i’m sure you are busy but feel free to respond to me via email if you decide. I’m not much older than you so I’m sure we have more in common than you might think. Getting frustrated with the UPC and all it’s “rules” and standards is very common, I hope that you can separate the “traditions of men” and the Truth of God’s word. Have a great day, God bless.
November 20th, 2011 at 3:47 am
In Galations it talks about the freedom we have in Christ Jesus and that we are not judged by external appearance. That there are 2 covenants one is under slavery the other is free. It goes on to say that we are not children of the slave woman but of tyne free woman bcause Christ has set us free and not to b burdened again by a yoke of slavery. Neither circumcision nor incircumcision matters just faith expressing itself in love. We were called to be free but not to use that freedom to indulge in sinful nature but to serve one another in love. It hours on to say that those who want you to make a good impression outwardly are trying you compel you to b circumcised to avoid being persecuted for the cross anf that not even those who are circumcized obey the law yet want you to b circumcised so they can boast about your flesh. That what rashly counts is a new creation or as Jesus told Nicodemus being born again. In acts 15:1-29 it explains to you what Paul is talking about in Galatians. Unless you are circumcised you can’t be saved. Paul and Banabas disputed and debated with them so they ended up bfore the apostles and elders. God made no distinction btween us and them purifying their hearts by faith now why test God by putting a yoke on their necks that we nor our forefathers could bear. We believe it it’s by the grace of our Lord Jusus, we are saved just as we are. Its my judgement therefore we shouldn’t make out difficult for gentiles turning to God, instead write to them ssh abstain from polluted foods by idols, from sexual immorality, meat from strangled animals, and blood. In verse 28, says it seemed god to the holy spirit anf to us not to burden you with anything else than the above requirements. You will do well to avoid these things. In col 2:6-8,20,23 says see to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophies which depends on human tradition and basic principles of this world rather than of christ. Since you fired with christ to basic principles of this world why as though you still belonged to it, do you sumit toits rules: don t handle, touch, or taste. Theu are all destined to perish with use bcause they are based on human commands and teachings. Such regulations have an appearance of wisdom with self imposed worship, false humility, harsh treatment of body but lack value on restraining sensual indulgence. 1cor 11:23 says everything is permissible but not everything is beneficial. Everything is permissible but not everything is constructive. Having that said we now about 2 tim 1:3-5 and 1 pet 3:1-6. The holy spirit showed me that its not saying you can t adorn youself outwardly its saying that your beauty should be on the inside. You can be the prettiest person and be totally ugly on the inside. When you let God cleanse you. Your inner beauty speaks louder than your outer beauty. Now I haven’t studied a whole lot of the old testament but when I asked God to show me in his word so I could get peace on thid matter. I found these 2 things and decided that was enough for me. 2 sam14: 1-3 says Joab sent a wise b fore the king to pretend she was mourning, he tells her to dress in morning clothes and not to use any cosmetic lotions. Im guessing that the phrase cosmetic lotions means makeup bcause when you put regular untinted moistorizers no one can tell the differance so it makes sense to me that women indeed used makeup. Why else would he tell her not to use cosmetic lotions how else would she stick out like a sore thumb so the would believe her story? Last we come to Esther 2:2:12 bfore a girls turn came up with tje king, she had to complete 12 months of beauty treatments prescribed for the women. 6 mo of oil and myrr and 6 of perfumes and cosmetics. If God did not condemn her for it why would he condemn us? My husband likes me to put on makeup even if it’s every once in a while. Esther had to do it to please the king and wasn t condemned for it. Although she wasn t picked for her outer beauty there was something else that set her apart from all the other beautiful young women, it must have been the inner beauty Pauls was talking about. If you noticed there seems to b a problem with pornagraphy even in the church. They re not looking at plain amish women are they? So somethings definaetly attractive about a woman he takes care of herself and enhanses her beauty a little bit with some make up. My pastor just told me that I know my husband really well if he has these issues than I need to b wise. A wise woman edifies her house. About the jewlry,
In exodus 12:35 says isreagles did as moses instructed and asked egyptians for articles of silver and gold and for clothing. The Lord made them favorably disposed toward the people giving them what theu asked for so they plundered tme egyptians. Later in exodus 32 we see that they take their jewlry off to make the golden calf. Key words here take off gold earrings your wives, sons, and daughters are wearing. It didn t seem offensive to God that they were wearing it but b came offensive that tney melted out down to make a idol god out of it. And in Job 42 after all his trials were over, the lord made him prosperous again have him twice as much as bfore everyone who had known him bfore ate with him at his house, comforted him and consoled him and each one had gave him a peice of silver and a gold ring. Wonder what he was going to do with the gold rings. Probably wear them. In the bible, it talks about a people who come near with their mouths and honor him with their lips but their hearts are far from him. It goes on to say their worship of me is made up of rules taught by men. If you don’t care to wear makeup or jewlry that is fine, but you shouldn’t go around querreling with those who do. Titus 3:9-10 says avoid foolish controversies, genialogies, arguments, and querrals about the law bcause it s unprofitable and useless. warn a person once and twice then have nothing to do him after that. So what cabn we conclude from all this? he is the same God yesturday, today, and forever. What was not a sin for the Isrealites is not a sin for us. Adorn yourself but dont let that be your beauty, true beauty comes from within good deeds and a gentle quiet spirit. Everything is permisable but I won’t b mastered by anything.
November 22nd, 2011 at 4:42 pm
Sorry Josh,
The fact that the issue is even being brought up is automatically a indicator that there is something wrong with make-up. Our bodies should be holy, and our women should not be putting that stuff on to try to make themselves look better. By the way (do you know what make-up is made out of?). Just as you said, while the actual words “make-up” isnt in the bible , the “concept” of it is, and we need to be free from any trace of sin. And I praise the LORD GOD ALMIGHTY for churches that stand against this. We dont have to look like THE WORLD. Dont circumvent the Bible for your own convenience.
May the Lord Bless you regarding this issue.
-ONE GOD JESUS NAME APOSTOLIC. TRUTH.
December 5th, 2011 at 4:15 pm
Ray,
I’m not bitter. As I’ve told many other people, and as I’ve clearly stipulated in the “rules” about commenting, please read my story and the “about” page before deciding to cast summary judgment.
http://www.whyileft.org/my-story
In Christ,
- Josh S.
December 13th, 2011 at 8:21 pm
I was reading some of the articles and I can say that I have been just praying for God to help me with certain rules in my church. I belong to a pentecostal church and most of the time I feel degraded when it comes down to the women in my church. I’m not really a makeup person but I do put a little on to take away the puffy eye look. I enjoy playing basketball and eating healthy. I truly love the Lord and I want to live for Him. Sometimes all of this about makeup, pants, Christmas trees, and staying in the church late at night and all day Sunday, causes me to question God. I feel that I’m staying in church and when I get out I can’t do nothing but go to bed. Within myself I am angry with me because I feel that I don’t have time to see people that I really care about. I don’t even want to do anything but come home from work and go to bed. I want to have Godly love in my heart for everyone. I don’t have time to worry about makeup, pants, don’t put up a tree, ect. I just want to live for God.
No one never talks about the excessive eating in the church. We need to focus on how to help that young boy/girl on the corner. I am going to end this now because sometimes I want to just leave and go some place where I can just hear God’s word and allow Him to move in me without having to yell and scream as though God is deaf.
January 6th, 2012 at 10:05 pm
Jon (Nov 22, 2011): The issue here is not separation. The issue here is creating sin. Anyone who would like to take a few scriptures out of context, in other words to not use sound hermeneutics, as Dr. Seagraves would rightly point out, and utilize them to develop extra Biblical doctrines is wrong.
Actually, circumventing scripture is done daily by many a “standard” church when speaking to facial hair. Ministers use Lev 19:28 as means to say “No Tattoos!” but in the same breath say no mustaches or beards. Let’s look one verse ahead at Lev 19:27. It is clear this man made law of no facial hair is also a circumvention of scripture. Like your steak rare? Vs. 26. Employ someone but only pay them weekly or bi-weekly? Vs. 13b. Ever wear a “cotton blend” shirt? Vs. 19d.
(To clear any concerns, I am not saying getting a tattoo is right. Actually, I’m not sure if it is or not. I am just pointing out if we do not interpret scripture in a intense, thought out style, we are very prone to interpret scripture incorrectly, as has been done for makeup.)
You see my friend, strong, sound hermeneutics is required when developing doctrine and theology. The scriptures used above in reference to harlots/prostitutes/hookers have been interpreted with very little hermeneutical insight. There is zero use of historical context when speaking to what harlots do and dont do. At the time there was a need for makeup to distinguish a harlot from a non harlot. Today, utilizing historical hermeneutics, makeup is not a signal of a prostitute. Just like pants are not the sign of man. We as Christians abstain from prostitute like acts as they are today to keep ourselves separate, not prostitute like acts from 3000 years ago.
January 6th, 2012 at 10:18 pm
K.W. Havard – I appreciate your balanced approach. My wife wears makeup, but many times I never even notice it. Her intent is not change her appeal to me, (as I am terribly appealed already!!!) rather to not draw attention to her blemishes and discolored pigmentation. Her hope is modesty.
Here is my main concern. In no way am I looking for the “perfect” organization. Rather I am looking for one who is willing to make the needed changes to bring it into alignment with God’s word. By doctrinalizing makeup, an organization moves out of alignment. If every word of Scripture was given to us for our own Christian development, God would have been much more direct on makeup if it was wrong. Just as he has been direct on sin on every other topic. I find it strange that there is no direct statement of sin on almost all sides of “standards”. The scriptures must be dissected and broken down to find that pant wearing for women is sinful, hair cutting for women is sinful, makeup wearing for women is sinful. Vail wearing by women, in certain movements is required. But murder, lying, slander, stealing, envy, lust etc. are all quite direct.
The principle in which I would strive to teach and instill in my church is the principle of moderation, and freedom.
Thanks for reading!
January 11th, 2012 at 4:18 pm
TO ALL :::: MAKE UP IS NOT A SIN—- JEZEBEL USED IT TO SEDUCE>>>> WE HAVE TO REMEMBER THAT WHAT GOD MAKES IS GOOD.BUT EVIL THRU MAN CAUSES THINGS TO BE DISTORTED, EX. THE MIDDLE FINGER .ITS PART OF OUR LIMBS< and man MADE IT SOMETHING VULGAR.. LOOK AT THE MOTIVE BEHIND THINGS< DRESSES FOR EXAMPLE– yes they are nice and th eshorter you wear them the more revealing.. but also look at pants yes they cover but that does not stop someone from lusting after you. LOOK AT THE SPIRIT BEHIND JEZEBEL"S MOTIVES.. ITS NOT WHAT YOU WEAR BUT HOW YOU WEAR IT!!!!!!!!
January 19th, 2012 at 11:15 am
i believe people wear makeup for different reasons. not necessiarly to say they want to lure or tempt someone to sin. It maybe coverup a blemish , or to make a person feel comfort to face society because ,sometimes people are not so understanding to a person ,s situation, like for instant some people might wear a wig because of hair loss,not to be misleading ,but because of certain circumistances,so to each own on how God deals with us on having a modestly and Godly appearance not over doing it ,but in moderation, it,s just my thoughts on the subject. God bless You all and thank you.