Is Wearing Makeup A Sin?

One question that I get often especially from young women is, can Christians wear makeup? Is wearing makeup a sin? Unfortunately, this topic brings a lot of legalism. There is nothing in the Bible that restricts Christian women from wearing makeup. With that said, let’s take a look at a few passages.

Quotes

• “Beauty isn’t about having a pretty face it’s about having a pretty mind, a pretty heart, and a pretty soul.”
• “Nothing is more beautiful than a woman who is brave, strong and emboldened because of who Christ is in her.”

We must respect the conviction of other believers. 

Wearing makeup is a gray area in Scripture. We should love and respect others who refrain from wearing makeup. If you do desire to wear makeup you must examine yourself. Do you have a doubting heart? Would it be going against your conviction? Wearing makeup should be done by faith and a clear conscience.

Romans 14:23 “But whoever has doubts is condemned if they eat, because their eating is not from faith; and everything that does not come from faith is sin.”

God looks at the heart

Although it might sound cliché, God is more concerned by your inner beauty. He wants you to be confident in Him. He wants you to know how beautiful you are in Christ. There is nothing wrong with feeling beautiful and getting your hair done. Women should feel beautiful.

However, we must remember where our true identity lies. Our worth is found in Christ. When we forget that we start believing the lies of the world. “I don’t look good enough.” “I’m ugly without makeup.” No! You’re beautiful. I know women who are naturally beautiful, but they drown themselves in makeup because they’re struggling with self-esteem. Don’t speak negativity to yourself.

You are beautiful. You are loved. God looks at the heart. God is more concerned about you knowing where your true identity lies. He is more concerned about you growing in Christ and bearing good fruit. We should be more concerned about our spiritual beauty rather than our physical beauty.

1 Samuel 16:7 “But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The Lord does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.”

Makeup must never become an idol.

We must be very careful. Innocent things such as lipstick can easily become an idol in our lives. Wearing makeup is an idol for many Christian women. Scripture warns us that we must never focus on outer adornment at the cost of neglecting inner adornment. When making become an idol it can easily lead to pride, self-worth issues, and more sin.

1 Peter 3:3-4 “Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as elaborate hairstyles and the wearing of gold jewelry or fine clothes. Rather, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God’s sight.”

1 Corinthians 6:12 “I have the right to do anything,” you say–but not everything is beneficial. “I have the right to do anything”–but I will not be mastered by anything.”

What are your motives?

We must always examine ourselves. What are your motives for wearing makeup? If you are wearing makeup to highlight your features and to enhance your God-given beauty, then that would be OK. 

If you are wearing makeup to tempt others, then this is a sin. Paul reminds women to be modest. 1 Peter 3 reminds women to have a meek and quiet spirit. Our motives should not be to draw attention to ourselves. We should be very careful not to be motivated by haughtiness.

1 Timothy 2:9-10 “I also want the women to dress modestly, with decency and propriety, adorning themselves, not with elaborate hairstyles or gold or pearls or expensive clothes, but with good deeds, appropriate for women who profess to worship God.”

Isaiah 3:16-17 “The LORD says, “The women of Zion are haughty, walking along with outstretched necks, flirting with their eyes, strutting along with swaying hips, with ornaments jingling on their ankles. Therefore the Lord will bring sores on the heads of the women of Zion; the LORD will make their scalps bald.”

Passages frequently used to condemn the use of makeup.

There is nothing that tells us that makeup is sinful in these passages and also if Ezekiel 23 is stating that makeup is sinful, then washing yourself and sitting on a couch would be sinful as well.

Ezekiel 23:40-42 “Furthermore you sent for men to come from afar, to whom a messenger was sent; and there they came. And you washed yourself for them, painted your eyes, and adorned yourself with ornaments. You sat on a stately couch, with a table prepared before it, on which you had set My incense and My oil. The sound of a carefree multitude was with her, and Sabeans were brought from the wilderness with men of the common sort, who put bracelets on their wrists and beautiful crowns on their heads.”

2 Kings 9:30-31 “Now when Jehu had come to Jezreel, Jezebel heard of it; and she put paint on her eyes and adorned her head, and looked through a window. Then, as Jehu entered at the gate, she said, “Is it peace, Zimri, murderer of your master?”

Bottom line

Christian women are free to wear makeup. However, it should be done in modesty, with pure motives, and in moderation. Always remember that God cares about your inner beauty and that should be your main concern. Our confidence should not be rooted in jewelry, hairstyles, or our clothing. These things fade. Our confidence should be rooted in Christ. It is always better to focus on developing godly character.