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Leviticus 19:28 - Ye shall not make any cuttings in your flesh for the dead, nor print any marks upon you: I [am] the LORD.
1 Corinthians 6:19-20 -
What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s.
1 Corinthians 6:19-20 -
What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s.
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It is important that Christians keep a good reputation. We are ambassadors for the Lord Jesus Christ. Our bodies are not our own. (I Cor. 6:19-20) Way back in Old testament times people made cutting in their flesh in remembrance of the dead. ( Lev. 19:28) The Lord Himself said not to do this. If you are thinking that it's ok to get a tattoo because you are considering something nice like a cross, flower, butterfly, scripture etc. please think again. It is important to keep in mind that Christians are instructed to keep themselves holy and separated from the world. We should also not give any appearance of evil. In the Tattoo business today there is still a great deal of popularity with images the represent death, evil and satanic creatures. For the most part tattoo parlors don't have a good reputation. As a believer do you want to be identified with or support this kind of business. I recently heard a testimony about a person who became possessed by a demon after she got a tattoo. Many people are so sorry later on because they are stuck with a tattoo they hate and regret later on
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K
Yes it is important that we keep up a good reputation, and in doing that we are to also know we are not to judge others about outer appearances and know that the written ordinances of the mosaic laws do not apply to us. There were many changes from the old covenant mosaic laws, and how things apply under the new covenant. And the bible especially James says if you want to keep one of the laws you are subject to them all.
Remember the mosaic laws say we are to abstain from certain foods, but the NT says this;
[h=1]1 Timothy 4:1-3[/h]4Now the Spirit expressly says that in latter times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons, 2 speaking lies in hypocrisy, having their own conscience seared with a hot iron, 3 forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from foods which God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and know the truth.
Then we also need to remember this;
1 Corinthians 6:12
All things are lawful unto me, but all things are not expedient: all things are lawful for me, but I will not be brought under the power of any.
1 Corinthians 10:23
All things are lawful for me, but all things are not expedient: all things are lawful for me, but all things edify not.
Remember the mosaic laws say we are to abstain from certain foods, but the NT says this;
[h=1]1 Timothy 4:1-3[/h]4Now the Spirit expressly says that in latter times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons, 2 speaking lies in hypocrisy, having their own conscience seared with a hot iron, 3 forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from foods which God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and know the truth.
Then we also need to remember this;
1 Corinthians 6:12
All things are lawful unto me, but all things are not expedient: all things are lawful for me, but I will not be brought under the power of any.
1 Corinthians 10:23
All things are lawful for me, but all things are not expedient: all things are lawful for me, but all things edify not.
As i said in post #64 Tattoos are not sinful, UNLESS:
They cause others to sin, even in thought.
If they cause others to be offended. (example would be racism)(exception religious freedom)
You have DOUBTS about it.
You are convicted by it.
Our flesh is but clothes that we all have put on. it matters not what our clothes looks like. A person who wants to get a butterfly embroidered on her shirt does not commit sin against God. A person who wants to tattoo a butterfly on her ankle does not commit sin against God.
Know you not, that sin is a heart issue. Sin is NOT about Do's and Don'ts, That was the old covenant. What is sinful today comes from the heart. We are commanded to LOVE ONE ANOTHER, this is a heart thing. A person who does not LOVE ONE ANOTHER commits sin. When we all stand before God on Judgement Day, we will not answer for the sins that we have committed or not committed, we will be judged on how much we have LOVE OTHERS, or FAILED TO LOVE OTHERS.
Getting a tattoo is irrelevant to God, just as if you decide to wear a blue shirt instead of a red shirt. UNLESS it causes others to be offended, or causes others to LUST, then it would be considered sinful, NOT because you have a tattoo, but because that tattoo caused another to stumble and commit sin in his/her heart.
^i^
They cause others to sin, even in thought.
If they cause others to be offended. (example would be racism)(exception religious freedom)
You have DOUBTS about it.
You are convicted by it.
Our flesh is but clothes that we all have put on. it matters not what our clothes looks like. A person who wants to get a butterfly embroidered on her shirt does not commit sin against God. A person who wants to tattoo a butterfly on her ankle does not commit sin against God.
Know you not, that sin is a heart issue. Sin is NOT about Do's and Don'ts, That was the old covenant. What is sinful today comes from the heart. We are commanded to LOVE ONE ANOTHER, this is a heart thing. A person who does not LOVE ONE ANOTHER commits sin. When we all stand before God on Judgement Day, we will not answer for the sins that we have committed or not committed, we will be judged on how much we have LOVE OTHERS, or FAILED TO LOVE OTHERS.
Getting a tattoo is irrelevant to God, just as if you decide to wear a blue shirt instead of a red shirt. UNLESS it causes others to be offended, or causes others to LUST, then it would be considered sinful, NOT because you have a tattoo, but because that tattoo caused another to stumble and commit sin in his/her heart.
^i^
A person breaks into a house and steals all their money and leaves. On his way home he stops and gets something to eat and chokes and dies.
Now if this happened to a man before Jesus Christ. When he stands before God on Judgment Day he will have to answer for the sin of theft, because there is a LAW that states, Thou shalt not steal. (LAW, legalistic, Do's and Don'ts)
Now if this happened to a man after Jesus Christ. When he stands before God on Judgment Day he will have to answer for the sin of Failing to love the one he stole from. For we are commanded to LOVE ONE ANOTHER. (Heart issue)
Those who teach Do's and Don'ts do not understand the Truth, They do not understand it is a heart issue, and nothing about the LAW. Those who think they have to live by the LAW, will be judged by that LAW. Those who know they are no longer under the Law, but under the Law of liberty, will be judged by their hearts, how they have LOVED ONE ANOTHER or NOT LOVED ONE ANOTHER. i could keep the law perfectly, and still burn in Hell, because i hated my brother, or did not forgive my brother, both of which is a heart issue, and NOTHING to do with the law.
We are commanded to believe on who the Father sent (Jesus Christ) AND to LOVE ONE ANOTHER. Those two things are what matters to God. NOT if a person gets a tattoo or not, that is irrelevant to God.
^i^
Now if this happened to a man before Jesus Christ. When he stands before God on Judgment Day he will have to answer for the sin of theft, because there is a LAW that states, Thou shalt not steal. (LAW, legalistic, Do's and Don'ts)
Now if this happened to a man after Jesus Christ. When he stands before God on Judgment Day he will have to answer for the sin of Failing to love the one he stole from. For we are commanded to LOVE ONE ANOTHER. (Heart issue)
Those who teach Do's and Don'ts do not understand the Truth, They do not understand it is a heart issue, and nothing about the LAW. Those who think they have to live by the LAW, will be judged by that LAW. Those who know they are no longer under the Law, but under the Law of liberty, will be judged by their hearts, how they have LOVED ONE ANOTHER or NOT LOVED ONE ANOTHER. i could keep the law perfectly, and still burn in Hell, because i hated my brother, or did not forgive my brother, both of which is a heart issue, and NOTHING to do with the law.
We are commanded to believe on who the Father sent (Jesus Christ) AND to LOVE ONE ANOTHER. Those two things are what matters to God. NOT if a person gets a tattoo or not, that is irrelevant to God.
^i^
Allow me to go off on a bit of a tangent here. We had people who would do a prison ministry at my old church, too. The problem with them was that they only seemed to care about people in prison. There were people sitting in the pews at our church who desperately needed discipleship and good, Christian fellowship and influence (I was one) and yet the "martyrs" in the prison ministry would have nothing to do with us. It made it seem like they were doing the prison ministry simply to appear pious. I'm not saying you're that way, by any means, but I had to just vent a little.
I never understood the prison ministry as it was taught, I always looked at it in respects to going to those who belonged to the Lord (these brethren of mine) who were cast into prison unjustly and us going to minister to their needs.
Like for example, John the bapatist cast into prison for preaching the truth or Paul the apostle, the least or greatest of these, given who he is not ashamed to call brethren.
Like for example, John the bapatist cast into prison for preaching the truth or Paul the apostle, the least or greatest of these, given who he is not ashamed to call brethren.
T
Thanks for the response.
I am not defending the actions of those in prison ministry you described in your response, but I will offer you this. My current assignment in this season is to the prison ministry, not disciplining church people.
My pastor does not expect or feel it is right for me to disciple his sheep. That is his job and the job of his staff at church.
He will at times ask me to help pray for folks, etc.
Most outreach ministers /missionaries planted in the local church will not be allowed to disciple other regular church folks.
They are called to a different ministry and not you.
This might be why you were treated the way you were and if you pastor and his staff did not have you assigned to a connect group or other discipleship program shame on them.
TO be clear I am not condoning their attitude. If they had a martyrs mentality about prison then they are not called to it...and seem priedful
I am not defending the actions of those in prison ministry you described in your response, but I will offer you this. My current assignment in this season is to the prison ministry, not disciplining church people.
My pastor does not expect or feel it is right for me to disciple his sheep. That is his job and the job of his staff at church.
He will at times ask me to help pray for folks, etc.
Most outreach ministers /missionaries planted in the local church will not be allowed to disciple other regular church folks.
They are called to a different ministry and not you.
This might be why you were treated the way you were and if you pastor and his staff did not have you assigned to a connect group or other discipleship program shame on them.
TO be clear I am not condoning their attitude. If they had a martyrs mentality about prison then they are not called to it...and seem priedful
I'm not sure what the issue was at that church. They sure wanted everyone to "get involved" (whatever that means) but never had the time of day for anyone who was in a bind. The more I would ask for help, the more they would shun me. That's why I haven't gone back. I don't need to go to a church that pushes me farther away from Christ and makes me angry.