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The virgin birth of Jesus is affirmed in the Scriptures.  Matthew 1:18-23 fulfilled Isaiah 7:14.  Luke writes, “And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS.  He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David: And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end.  Then said Mary unto the angel, How shall this be, seeing I know not a man? And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God” (Luke 1:31-35).  Mary was with child of the Holy Spirit (a miracle).
Mary was Espoused to Joseph
The espousal between Mary and Joseph was a binding covenant/contract.  The contract could only be broken by adultery.  Generally, a year elapsed between initiating the contract and the marriage ceremony.  The couple lived with parents during this time and saw each other under the watchful eye of a chaperone. Jesus was conceived during the time of the betrothal.  The conception was the result of a miracle wrought by God.  No adultery was committed.  If a woman committed adultery, the man was to denounce her before the Jewish council.  The officiating priest would conduct an interrogation.  If the evidence confirmed sin, the woman was to be stoned.  The offended lover would cast the first stone.  Mary knows the law.  Does Mary conceal her pregnancy?  No, she goes to visit Elizabeth.  Elizabeth is married to Zecharaiah, the officiating priest. Mary goes to the fountain head of the law and judgment to announce her pregnancy.  She shows no signs of guilt or shame.
The Law of Illegitimacy (Deuteronomy 23)
An illegitimate child could not become a member of the congregation of Israel.  It took ten generations to purify an illegitimate offspring.  Jesus, if illegitimate, would have violated this law.  But, Jesus never shows any signs of guilt or shame.  The family of Jesus follows the law regarding presenting Him to the LORD (Luke 2:22).  The first male child would be called “holy to the LORD.”  This simply would not have been possible without the greatest violation of the conscience by both Joseph and Mary if Jesus were illegitimate.
Mary’s Song (Luke 1:46-55)
In ten verses, Mary cites 23 separate Old Testament Scriptures (portions therefrom).  She says, “My soul doth magnify the LORD.”  She refers to herself as the “handmaid” of the LORD (Luke 1:38). Does this sound like a woman who had violated the laws of God?
Consider Joseph a Righteous Man
Joseph discovered Mary’s pregnancy and determined to put her away privately.  His actions show that he had no part in her pregnancy.  Joseph continues his relationship with Mary and marries her only after an angel of the LORD spoke with him and informed him as to the means of Mary’s pregnancy.  He is convinced that Mary is pure and does not hesitate to take her as his wife (Matt. 1:18-25).
Mary at the Cross
Jesus was humiliated, mocked, beaten, made to carry His own cross, nailed by His hands and feet to the cross and lifted up between heaven and earth to die.  The sight would have been unbelievably horrifying to anyone standing near by.  Mary was present at the cross.  The chief reason that Jesus was crucified was for blasphemy because “He made Himself the Son of God” (John 10:33 and Matt. 26:65-66).  Mary knew that her son was the Son of God.  If not, she is the most despicable woman in human history. Why?  Mary stood with her mouth shut and allowed her son to be beaten and crucified when she could have saved him by naming His father.  Mary’s silence at the foot of the cross speaks to the truth of Jesus’ identity.  Truly, He was the Son of God!

The contrast between our present culture and the church can be seen by noting the following:  (1) contemporary culture is secular while the church is the spiritual body of Christ; (2) the present culture is liberated and functions free from most constraints while the church pursues the will of the LORD and is bound by the covenant terms and conditions that He has given; (3) the present culture is godless having no fear of God or love for Him while the church loves God and fears Him. (4) the present culture seeks to please itself (men pleasers) while the church is focused on pleasing God.  The church declares the glory of God and shows the world the beauty of the Lord.
Beauty in character will transform the outward appearance.  Outward beauty is prized by the world and exploited for profit.  Inward beauty is prized by God.  “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” (I Pet. 3:4).  God gives us a dress code for the heart.  This code of character governs the outward appearance.
There are six spiritual concepts that every Christian must embrace in order to manifest the inward beauty that God approves of and delights in.  Consider I Timothy  2:9-10, “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: but (which becometh women professing godliness) with good works.”
Adorn (kosmeo—English, cosmetic) to arrange, to put in order, thus, furnishing one’s person.  Outward appearance must be appropriate.  But, according to whose standards?  The answer is according to God’s standards.  The phrase, “as a woman that professes godliness” applies to this thought.  A Christian should dress in imitation of God’s holiness (I Pet. 1:14-15). 
Modesty (kosmios) orderly, well-arranged, decent, discreet.  That which is immodest:  (1) creates chaos not order–so pushes the limits of decency; (2) incites to lust and becomes an avenue of temptation through seduction; and (3) distracts through indecent display and calls attention to self rather than God.  To be discreet means to keep private parts private.  Self-control (another virtue of the heart) that manages one’s own sexuality.  Modesty involves shrinking back from the public display of private parts.
Shamefacedness (aidos) meaning the moral sensibility which shrinks from transgressing the limits of propriety.  Aidos is a sense of shame!  The way some people dress is shameful.  When we violate the sense of what is decent and discreet we blush.  Shame changes the countenance of a person.  The code of morality comes from God who is holy.  This moral code cannot be transgressed without sin.  Aidos keeps us from transgressing this God-given moral code.
Sobriety (sophrosune) is soundness of mind that produces spiritual discernment.  It denotes that habitual inner self-government with its constant rein on all the passions and desires which restrains from giving in to temptation and sinning against God.  Temperance (self-control) works in conjunction with a trained conscience to keep us from yielding to temptation.  Self-control married to spiritual discernment produces sophrosune.
Not Ostentatious or not with the vanity of personal display (not with broided hair, gold, pearls or costly array).  The vanity of personal display is prideful.  Pride is at the root of every sin against God.
Good Works reflect a beauty of life rather than beauty of dress!  Some of the inward qualities on display in good works are:  love, compassion, selflessness, sacrifice, goodness, faith, and a servant spirit.  God is more concerned with beauty of the heart and in what we do rather than in the outward appearance.
Your clothes reflect your character.  Let the beauty of Jesus be seen in you!  Beauty of character will manifest itself in our outward appearance and especially in our works.  Let us glorify God in our body and in our spirits which are God’s (I Cor. 6:19-20).