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."
This verse is very clear of how God feels about this issue. It's simple...it's straightforward...it's settled. God said it....I believe it...that settles it! This should be all of our response...but is it really?
I'm sure I'll get some argument on this like I got on my posts on Godly Apparel where I used Deuteronomy 22:5 in dealing with that subject. "That's not for today...that's the Old Testament." In fact...I've already gotten a couple of comments like that. Like before I will remind you that sodomy was mentioned in the Old Testament...so was beastiality (or lying with beasts) and they are just as wrong today as they were then. Most people would not even dream of doing these things.
Read the verse right after Leviticus 19:28. Verse 29 says "Do not prostitute thy daughter, to cause her to be a whore; lest the land fall to whoredom, and the land become full of wickedness." This is the only place in the Word of God that mentions prostituting out our daughters. I'm sure God still says it is wrong to do this.
What about I Corinthians 6:19-20 where it says "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." In I Corinthians 3:17 the Lord clearly warns against defiling the body where He says "If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are."
I realize there will be some that could care less what the Word of God says and will do what they want to do defending it to their grave. But I also know there are some that honestly have no idea what God says or how He feels about this. These posts are for those who didn't know and truly desire to be conformed to the image of Christ and desire to be more holy for Him.
If you have a tattoo and realize now that it goes against God to have one....you still have options. Either you can cover it up with clothing so the world can't see it or you can have it removed. Depending on the size of the tattoo and the colors used...removal can be very painful and quite expensive. Insurance won't cover removal and it can take several laser sessions to get it removed and even then you will have a scar where it was.
You can also use it as a witnessing tool of how you got it out of ignorance and that God showed you it was wrong and then you can help someone else to either come to know Jesus or help them to become informed of how God feels about it
Either way you look at it...you must confess it to God now that you know and know that He has forgiven you. Don't let it be a stumbling block in your Christian walk.
20 comments:
I happen to agree with you on the Godly Apparel found in Deuteronomy 22:5, Sorry I was not here at that time to back you up on that one sis,
yet another good post about tattoos.
sis. theresa....you can always go to my Godly Apparel posts and read them and leave a comment for future readers that might read them. I know people read the comments of others on all of our posts. Thank you for your support on this subject.
Mrs Julie again you hit the head on the nail. People will make excuses saying it is not the New Testament, but truly God changes not according to the scripture. I really pray that these posts will convict where they need to convict. Good posts.
Bro Tim
Sis. Julie,
Just want to say that are doing a great job with these recent posts. I've enjoyed reading them.
bro. tim....everytime we deal with a subject that is considered "touchy" or "controversial" it will cause people to try to justify their sin. You are right though...God does not change.
bro. josh and/or bro. caleb....thank you for your encouraging comment. Thanks for coming by and letting me know you were here.
Hi Julie,
These posts have been very good. Honestly, it is something I have never really thought about. I don't have a tattoo so I just never really thought about it one way or another.
Hope you are having a blessed week.
Love, Lyndy
sis. lyndy....I'm so thankful that these posts have been helpful to you and others. It is something that I know some have never thought about. But it is something that needs to be learned about for sure. I'm have a very blessed week. Just have another cold (yuck!!). I just got over one and now I have another one. I pray your week is going well.
Totally agree, the brother I mentioned in my previous post he uses his tattoos as a tool to talk about God. It was him who broached the subject with me to tell me never to get a tattoo and that God doesn't want us to have them. He's a wonderful ambassador for Jesus.
sis. sarah....that is a blessing that he is not letting it hinder him in his service for Christ. It really can be a witnessing tool. I know some who do that.
I remember, when living in Mexico some 20 years ago, a missionary came who had a tatoo. The Christians were quite alarmed, because only those who had served time in prison had tatoos! This missionary had been in the navy and unsaved when he got his tatoo. However, he didn't get to explain that to everyone who crossed his path wondering why he had to serve time in prison. That wasn't the case with him, he simply had served time in the military! but the point is, it was a stumbling block to many. He was able to use it as a tool to witness when the opportunity arose, but many never got to hear that!
There has been a story about a young man in our area who is alleging discrimination against him because of his many tatoos. He says can't get. I know there are jobs out there that one could have with their tattoo, so there is more to this story I'm sure!
Both of these examples show that it it better to be safe than sorry for later down the road in life! Even if you put Christianity and standards out of the picture. Sorry so long!
sis. pam....that is such a sad story. I can imagine this happens much more than we realize. Unfortunately people have to pay the consequences for things that they do even after they realize that what they did was wrong.
At one time I thought about getting a very small tattoo. Then it hit me or should I say God hit me and told me that I should not be a stumbling block to other Christians. And I am so happy that I listened to God and not have done something stupid.
Great Blog!
sis. starla....what a blessing to know that you obeyed the Holy Spirit when He spoke to you about getting that tattoo. So many saved people are being spoken to about things they want to do that are wrong and they are going ahead with it anyway.
It's interesting to see how this topic has generated so many comments, Sis! People want to know what God's Word has to say.
The Word says that we are to be different from the world. Why would we want to appear, even remotely, like the world?
Pastor's message last night said that the day we get saved, that is when we start our eternal life. Why would we want to do something to ourselves, both physically and spiritually, that would not benefit eternity? :-)
sis. kate....you are so right!! Sounds like your pastor preached a great message!
Another great post. Good for you having the courage to stand for truth about such a controversial issue! (o:
mrs. b....Praise the Lord. I was just obeying the Lord in doing these posts. It's never easy to do posts like these but when God is in it then it sure does help.
...Removal can be very painful and quite expensive. Insurance won't cover removal and it can take several laser sessions to get it removed and even then you will have a scar where it was.
Sin scars ~ sometimes quite visibly, sometimes on the heart, but sin scars! Just look at my sweet Savior's hands for those that doubt.
Another good post, Sis. Julie!
sis. jodi...you are so right. I never thought of it that way...sin scars. Sin always scars the one who committed it....either inwardly or outwardly. Very good addition to this post. Thank you!!
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