Bells and Whistles

Good morning and welcome in today. Today we’re going to take a look at a passage of scripture but before we do that I wanted to tell you a story.

Many years ago I used to have a friend that worked at a car dealership. He spent a lot of time with the public selling cars because he was a salesman for the company. Many times when you’re in sales you get a percentage of the price of the item that you sell. You work on commission. When you sell a new vehicle for $20,000 you can beef up the sale by adding extras that the customer might want. The customer might want a bigger motor, leather seats, special rims and tires and one of the best stereo systems that money can buy. After all is said and done it can bring the price of the vehicle up quite a few thousand dollars. They actually are items that are not needed that some people just purchase for show. They want a vehicle that’s loaded up with all the bells and whistles.

1 Tim 2: 9-11

⁹ In like manner also, that women adorn themselves in modest apparel, with shamefacedness and sobriety; not with broided hair, or gold, or pearls, or costly array;

¹⁰ But (which becometh women professing godliness) with good works.

The true Christian woman is going to be more concerned about doing good deeds and works that spending a lot of time doing her makeup and hair. Instead of being so focused on exterior things she will be focused on matters of the heart and activities of love.

When we speak about bells and whistles, these items are features that are useful or decorative but they are not essential. They are unneeded frills. When something is loaded with bells and whistles it has extra features that are added for show rather than function. They are fancy additions or features. Think about a brand new motorbike loaded with all kinds of extras but it really doesn’t move any faster through traffic jams in big cities.

There’s are many women today who are loaded up with bells and whistles. The truth is It all leads down the road of vanity and excessive pride because they are more concerned about appearances.

Modest apparel is wearing clothing that does not draw attention to yourself. Obviously people do this out in the world every day but it’s not supposed to happen for a woman who’s professing faith in Jesus Christ. If a woman is walking down the street turning men’s heads it’s doubtful that she’s dressed modestly. Modest dress is not exposing lots of skin like you would see at a beach nowadays. It’s one thing to wear certain things in the privacy of your own home but it’s a completely different thing to do it out in public. Most Christian husbands would probably be offended by that behavior because she’s openly displaying her sexuality to the world rather than to her husband at home. Millions of other Christians believe the exact same thing that I do. The Lord God does not like this display of pride and vanity from a woman in public. It upsets him greatly. Remember God hates pride.

Isaiah 3:16-24

¹⁶ Moreover the Lord saith, Because the daughters of Zion are haughty, and walk with stretched forth necks and wanton eyes, walking and mincing as they go, and making a tinkling with their feet:

¹⁷ Therefore the Lord will smite with a scab the crown of the head of the daughters of Zion, and the Lord will discover their secret parts.

¹⁸ In that day the Lord will take away the bravery of their tinkling ornaments about their feet, and their cauls, and their round tires like the moon,

¹⁹ The chains, and the bracelets, and the mufflers,

²⁰ The bonnets, and the ornaments of the legs, and the headbands, and the tablets, and the earrings,

²¹ The rings, and nose jewels,

²² The changeable suits of apparel, and the mantles, and the wimples, and the crisping pins,

²³ The glasses, and the fine linen, and the hoods, and the vails.

²⁴ And it shall come to pass, that instead of sweet smell there shall be stink; and instead of a girdle a rent; and instead of well set hair baldness; and instead of a stomacher a girding of sackcloth; and burning instead of beauty.

There are many women today who profess Christianity that actually believe that men are going to take notice of them because of the necklace and earrings and the costly clothing that they wear. These things have nothing to do with the features of the face and especially the kindness and faithfulness of a woman’s heart. These are the things that the true sons of Abraham are looking for. It’s more than just the exterior but it’s an inner beauty that is filled with love and mercy.

1 Peter 3:3-5 whose adorning let it not be that outward adorning of plaiting the hair, and of wearing of gold, or of putting on of apparel;But 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.For after this manner in the old time the holy women also, who trusted in God, adorned themselves, being in subjection unto their own husbands.

A meek and quiet woman who obeys and submits to their husband is filled up with bells and whistles inside of her heart.

Titus 2:3 The aged women likewise, that they be in behaviour as becometh holiness, not false accusers, not given to much wine, teachers of good things;That they may teach the young women to be sober, to love their husbands, to love their children,To be discreet, chaste, keepers at home, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God be not blasphemed.

Instead of being so focused on the vanity of looks and outward appearances, the Christian woman needs to focus on the virtues of love and obedience towards her husband. No clothes or makeup that you could ever purchase will ever compare to the virtuous heart of a woman.

Let’s think about those things for right now and Lord willing we’ll talk to you some more tomorrow. Till then, bye bye everybody.❤

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