It is not a sin to wear jewelry when done in moderation and in a wholesome manner. Many scriptures indicate that proper and balanced use of jewelry is acceptable to God, and He even compares His children to jewels in Malachi 3:17. However, when jewelry is used improperly or excessively in an immoral or vain manner, it is frowned upon by God, as seen in various scriptures. The attitude and motive of the wearer are crucial, with the true beauty being the hidden person of the heart, marked by a gentle and quiet spirit, which is precious in the sight of God.

God's perspective on our appearance reflects His standards, as seen in Ezekiel 16, where He adorns Israel, personified as a young woman, with beautiful clothing and jewelry. This external adornment signifies a transformation to mirror His image, showing that He cares about how we present ourselves outwardly as a reflection of inner character. The beauty of His holiness is evident in creation and in descriptions of His appearance, indicating that both internal character and external presentation, according to His standards, matter to Him. God is pleased when we adorn ourselves in a manner that aligns with His will, as it glorifies Him and benefits us by upholding His image.

Jewelry, as an element of adornment, is not inherently wrong. God adorned His Bride with jewels, as seen in prophecy, indicating that such items are not forbidden. However, the concern lies in excess and the inordinate time spent on preparation with them. Peter warned of the danger of immodesty in adornment, emphasizing that the true value in God's sight is the adornment of the heart. Paul, in his instructions, also cautioned against ornate jewelry and elaborate displays, noting that such extravagance can be a distraction and historically associated with improper lifestyles. The focus for Christians should be on modesty and self-control, ensuring that adornment reflects purity, humility, and moderation rather than pride or sensuality.

God provided fine clothing and jewelry to Israel as part of His covenant relationship, adorning her as a husband would a wife, as seen in Ezekiel 16. These adornments were meant to reflect the honor and beauty of being in relationship with Him. However, Israel abused this privilege, using clothing and jewelry in a seductive, worldly manner, akin to a harlot, to attract attention rather than to honor God. This misuse is paralleled in Isaiah 3:16-24, where God criticizes the women of Israel for their excessive ornamentation and haughty demeanor, listing numerous items of jewelry and adornments that reflected pride and seductiveness rather than reverence for Him. Their outward appearance revealed the arrogance and self-centeredness of their hearts, demonstrating that such adornment can be a force in the moral decline of a nation. In I Timothy 2:9-10, the instruction is given for women to adorn themselves in modest attire, with decency and propriety, avoiding elaborate displays of jewelry that draw overt attention to the self. This reflects the biblical principle that outward adornment should parallel the inner heart of modesty and respect for God.

It is common to see little silver crosses hanging on a chain around a person's neck or dangling from the rearview mirrors of cars. A website selling religious jewelry describes the cross as the tau, the original form of the letter T, the initial of the name of Tammuz, the sun god, which is another name for Nimrod. The tau, or the cross, was a revered symbol in ancient times, at least 1,500 years before Christ. Variations of the cross, used as a religious symbol, can be found in almost every ancient religion except Judaism and Islam.

Jewelry is not intrinsically wrong, any more than money, food, sex, alcohol, or clothing; it becomes a stumbling block to a true Christian only when it is misused, abused, or over-indulged. Ezekiel 16:9-13 shows that Christ Himself decorated His own wife with ornamentation, and as long as she displayed it to the credit of her Husband, it was wonderful. Once she took personal pride in it and used it for selfish reasons, it became a curse to her (verses 14-15). Isaiah 3:16-24 likewise shows such decorations being taken away because of vanity and self-glory. Attitude therefore matters most. Modest dress and grooming are expected of Christians, and as they grow in grace and knowledge, becoming more humble, modest, and holy, involvement with questionable adornment should diminish and disappear. Peter stresses modesty over outward adornment (I Peter 3:1-4). Men wearing earrings, which are traditionally female ornamentation, fall under the principle of cross-dressing, which God calls an abomination in Deuteronomy 22:5, and such practices, along with tattoos and other ornaments of the counter-culture, may reveal rebelliousness.