Itself

This blog is designed to help the Christian see what the Bible says about things that affect us. In order for the Bible to have authority in the life of a believer, I think we need to know more about this book. This posting deals with what does the Bible say about Itself.

Although philosophical in nature, the Bible is not a philosophy text. Nor is it a scientific treatise. However, there is no discrepancy between ascertained facts of science and the Bible. The Bible is not a history text, although it has repeatedly been proven historically accurate. The Bible was given to man from God to reveal Jesus Christ as the Son of God and man's only Savior. In John 14:6 Jesus proclaimed "I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me." The Bible is the Story of Jesus Christ from Genesis to Revelation. Jesus' own words in John 5:39 implore potential believers to "You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; it is these that testify about Me." The Bible is as high above all other books as the heavens are above the earth. It has been said of the Bible, “Read it to be wise, believe it to be safe, and practice it to be right.”

The Bible is the inerrant Word of God, verbally inspired in the whole and in the parts, the all-sufficient rule of faith and practice. In 2 Timothy 3:16-17 says “All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work.”

The Bible is a Book of oneness. 2 Peter 1:21 says “. . . for no prophecy was ever made by an act of human will, but men moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God.” This Book is composed of 66 books written over a period of approximately 1,500 years. It was written by 35 different authors which represent a cross section of humanity -- educated and uneducated -- kings, fishermen, public officials, farmers, teachers and physicians. And yet the Bible's various parts are as harmoniously united as the diverse parts that make up the human body.

The Bible claims special power. The Bible is a live and likened as a sword; Hebrews 4:12 says “For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart.” The bible is likened as a mirror; James 1:22-25 “But prove yourselves doers of the word, and not merely hearers who delude themselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks at his natural face in a mirror; for once he has looked at himself and gone away, he has immediately forgotten what kind of person he was. But one who looks intently at the perfect law, the law of liberty, and abides by it, not having become a forgetful hearer but an effectual doer, this man will be blessed in what he does.”

The Bible commands the believer to study it so we will know what it says regarding the things of God. The above passages are just a taste of what the Bible says about itself. The first part of 2 Timothy 2:15, we are told to study this book. To help get you in the right direction, see below are more passages that you can look up and study.

Ephesians 5:26
Psalms 51:2
1 Peter 1:23
2 Peter 3:15-16

Suffering

We live in the day where some churches are teaching that God’s people do not suffer; it’s called the Prosperity Gospel. No where in the Bible does it say that Christians will not suffer. It’s the opposite. In Matthew 7:23-25 and Luke 6:48-49, Jesus told his followers that when the storms and floods (suffering) of life hit you, you will be able withstand it because our lives on set on Him as our foundation. We will have suffering in this life. Sometimes it’s because of our actions and sometimes we have no clue why we suffer.

We’ll spend this posting dealing what the Bible says about suffering regarding a Christian. Suffering is a tool God uses to get our attention and to accomplish His purposes in our lives. It is designed to build our trust in Him, but suffering requires the right response if it is to be successful in accomplishing God’s purposes. Suffering forces us to turn from trust in our own resources to living by faith in God’s resources. Simply stated, suffering is anything which hurts or irritates. In the design of God, it is also something to make us think. It is a tool God uses to get our attention and to accomplish His purposes in our lives in a way that would never occur without the trial or irritation.

All suffering is not, for instance, a product of our own foolishness, self-induced misery, or sin. It is true, however, that rarely does suffering not reveal areas of need, weaknesses, and wrong attitudes that need to be removed like dross in the gold refining process (1 Pet. 1:6-7 “In this you greatly rejoice, even though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been distressed by various trials, so that the proof of your faith, being more precious than gold which is perishable, even though tested by fire, may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ;”). The reason we suffer can vary. We suffer because we live in a fallen world where sin reigns in the hearts of men. We suffer because of our own foolishness. We reap what we sow (Gal. 6:7-9 “Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, this he will also reap. For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life. Let us not lose heart in doing good, for in due time we will reap if we do not grow weary.”). We sometimes suffer because it is God’s discipline (Heb. 12:6 “For those whom the Lord loves He disciplines, and He scourges every son He receives.”). We may suffer persecution because of our faith--especially when we take a stand on biblical issues (2 Tim. 3:12 “Indeed, all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will be persecuted.”).

Since this blog was set up to cause an average Christian to think about what the Bible truly says about subjects we all deal with, I want to conclude with a list of general Bible passages that deal with suffering. This is not a comprehensive list of scriptures on this subject. I put it here to encourage you to begin your own study of what the Bible says about this important subject.

Complaining About Suffering-

Judges 6:13
Job 5:7
Job 6:2, 3
Job 13:15
Job 14:1
Job 23:2-9
Psalms 73:1-16
Ecclesiastes 7:15
Ecclesiastes 8:14
Jeremiah 12:1-4
Jeremiah 15:15-18

Warning that those who serve God will suffer-

John 16:33
2 Corinthians 12:7
2 Timothy 2:3
2 Timothy 3:12
1 Peter 4:12, 13

The positive side of pain and suffering-

Psalm 119:67, 71
Isaiah 53:3-5
John 9:2, 3
2 Corinthians 12:10
Philippians 1:12-14
Hebrews 5: 8, 9
Hebrews 12:5-7, 10, 11
James 1:2-4
1 Peter 1:6, 7
1 Peter 2:21-24

Bad attitude toward pain and suffering-

Job 2:9
Job 3:3
Job 7:7

Good attitude toward pain and suffering-

Daniel 3:16-18
Matthew 26:39
Romans 12:14
Galatians 6:2
Philippians 1:19-26
Philippians 3:13, 14


Promises of help for God’s people in times of suffering-

Deuteronomy 32:10, 11
Psalms 9:9, 10
Psalms 46:1-3
Psalms 147:3
Isaiah 41:10
Lamentations 3:19-26, 33
John 16:33
Romans 6:5
Romans 8:18
Romans 8:28
1 Corinthians 10:13
2 Corinthians 1:3-7
2 Corinthians 4:16-18
Philippians 4:13
Hebrews 4:15, 16
1 Peter 5:7

Satan

Since we covered Angels in our last posting, I want to discuss the one angel everyone knows; Lucifer or Satan. Just as with angels in general, there are myths and misconceived ideas with Satan. This posting with deal with some and show what the Bible has to say about this angel.

Myth #1: Satan has horns, beard, and pointy tail and carries a pitch fork. Where did we get this idea? In Rome and Greece, Pan is a goat-footed god with horns. Now, this pan inspires panic and erotic indulgence. Early Christianity adopted this figure, especially his cloven hooves and horns to depict the Satanic. According to Ezekiel 28:17 (“Your heart was lifted up because of your beauty;”), Satan is a beautiful being and not how artist of old has painted him.

Myth #2: Satan is equal to Jesus Christ. This idea comes from the new age ideal of the Yin/Yang; where good and evil co-exist. The Jehovah Witness doctrine says that God had two sons; Jesus and Lucifer. They give Satan equal footing with Jesus. The reality is that Satan is an angel who was created by God (Col. 1:16 “For by Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities--all things have been created through Him and for Him.”).

Since we covered a couple of the myths regarding Satan, let’s see what the Bible says about him.

The Bible does tell of his origin in Ezekiel 28 (presented as the King of Tyre). There are some phrases that show what or how he was before he fell from grace due to pride. “The anointed cherub (guardian of God’s throne) that covers.” “Was on the Holy mountain of God.” “Perfect in his ways from the day he was created until sin was found.” “Heart lifted up because of his beauty.” Isaiah 14:12-20 gives us further details on his fall; his attempt at being like God. Some key phrases are; “I will exalt my throne above the stars of God.” “I will sit upon the mount of the congregation.” “I will ascend above the heights of the clouds.” “I will be like the Most high God.”

The Bible shows us the character of Satan. He is proud or conceited (1 Timothy 3:6 “. . . or he may become conceited and fall under the same judgment as the devil.”). Satan is powerful (Ephesians 6:12 “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.”). He is wicked (1 John 2:13 “. . . I write to you, young men, because you have overcome the evil one. . .”). Satan is a liar (John 8:44 “You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out your father's desire. He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies.”). Finally, he is deceitful (Ephesians 6:11 “Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes.”).

One of the traits of Satan is that he is powerful. Satan can hinder God’s work; he hindered Paul (1 Thessalonians 2:18 “For we wanted to come to you—certainly I, Paul, did, again and again—but Satan stopped us.”), and Joshua the high priest (Zechariah 3:1 “Then he showed me Joshua the high priest standing before the angel of the LORD, and Satan standing at his right side to accuse him.”). Satan maybe powerful but he is still subject to God; he has to get permission from God to afflict any child of God (Job1:12; 2:4-7). Because of the cross, we Christians can oppose Satan; we can resist him (James 4:7 “Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.”). Ephesians 6:11-16 shows us that God has given us armor to go against Satan and his power. Because of the power of the cross and what Christ did, we Christians will be victorious against Satan (Revelation 12:11 “They overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony;”).

Satan is not all-knowing like God but he does know the Bible so he knows how it will all end for him. God told him in Genesis 3:15 that he will be crushed by Jesus Christ. Because of what Jesus did on the cross, He destroyed Satan’s works (1 John 3:8 “He who does what is sinful is of the devil, because the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the devil's work.”). According to Revelation 20:10 (And the devil, who deceived them, was thrown into the lake of burning sulfur, where the beast and the false prophet had been thrown. They will be tormented day and night forever and ever.), Satan will be separated from the God who created him and spend all eternity in the lake of fire.

My hope in this posting is for the Christian to know for sure what the Bible says regarding Satan. That we do not need fear him because we are protected in Jesus Christ.

Angels

According to the Bible, angels are very real! In fact, there are over 250 references to them throughout scripture. From the Genesis story of creation, to the description of the end times in Revelation, angels actively participate in the affairs of this world and heaven. Angels are not myth at all - but they are widely misunderstood. Through the ages, people have found great comfort in believing in angels that hear our prayers and guide our steps. We have even managed to conjure up images of angels that look strikingly like people, from the most beautiful of golden haired maidens to chubby winged cherubs with harps. They are not based on the Bible’s description of how angels appear, nor on the purpose and duties for which God created them.

We’ll see what actually the Bible has to say about Angels, and their true purpose. We’ll dispelling the most commonly held misconceptions about angels and see what the Bible has to say.

Myth #1: Angels are died people who God has given wings, a halo, and a harp. I think T.V. shows like “Touched By An Angel” buy into this myth. The reality is that angels are created by God; Col. 1:16 “For by Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities--all things have been created through Him and for Him.”

Myth #2: Angels Look Like People With Wings. Actually angels are spirit; Heb. 1:14 “Are they not all ministering spirits, sent out to render service for the sake of those who will inherit salvation?” and Psalms 104:4 “He makes the winds His messengers, Flaming fire His ministers.” Even though angels are spirit, they can and do appear as human males (see passages Gen 19; Judges 2:1; 6:11-22; Matt. 1:20; John 20:12). Even though the renaissance artists portray angels as females with wings, wherever the word angel is used in the Bible it is always in the masculine form.

Myth #3: Angels are Passive. Most people think of angels how the renaissance artists showed them in their paintings and sculptures; feminine long haired robe wearing winged beings. They sit or stand around watching people. In reality, angels are powerful and mighty beings. There are many instances of angels serving as warriors of God, not only to protect, but also to destroy when necessary. In 2 Kings, the story is told of the Assyrian army threatening to overtake Jerusalem. An angel of the Lord killed 185,000 Assyrian soldiers in one night (2 Kings 19:35). Imagine the power possessed by that lone angel! In the end times, four angels will be assigned the responsibility of destroying one-third of all mankind (Rev 9:15). These angels are a far cry from the passive cloud-lounging angels we have become familiar with.

Myth #4: Angels Guide Christians. Only one passage states that an angel guided anyone and that was Philip in Acts 8:26; however, the Holy Spirit guides the Christian (John 16:13 “But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth; for He will not speak on His own initiative, but whatever He hears, He will speak; and He will disclose to you what is to come.”). There is no such being as a guardian angel.

Above are just some myths and the facts as given from the Bible. I want to spend some time on the facts about angels as shown in the Scriptures.

Fact #1 Angels have different ranks and order.
Cherubim; usually guardians of God’s throne; Gen 3:24 “So He drove the man out; and at the east of the garden of Eden He stationed the cherubim and the flaming sword which turned every direction to guard the way to the tree of life.” And Exodus 25:20 “The cherubim shall have their wings spread upward, covering the mercy seat with their wings and facing one another; the faces of the cherubim are to be turned toward the mercy seat.”

Seraphim; usually concerned with the worship and holiness of God; Isaiah 6:1-2, 6-7 “In the year of King Uzziah's death I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, lofty and exalted, with the train of His robe filling the temple. Seraphim stood above Him, each having six wings: with two he covered his face, and with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew. Then one of the seraphim flew to me with a burning coal in his hand, which he had taken from the altar with tongs. He touched my mouth with it and said, "Behold, this has touched your lips; and your iniquity is taken away and your sin is forgiven.”’

Archangel (1 Thessalonians 4:16 “For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first.”); Michael is the only one identified as an archangel; Jude 9 “But Michael the archangel, when he disputed with the devil and argued about the body of Moses, did not dare pronounce against him a railing judgment, but said, "The Lord rebuke you!"”
[NOTE: Gabriel is not specifically named as an archangel (Luke 1:19,26)]

Fact #2 Angels’ heavenly ministry is to praise and worship God.
Isaiah 6:2-3 “Seraphim stood above Him, each having six wings: with two he covered his face, and with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew. And one called out to another and said, "Holy, Holy, Holy, is the LORD of hosts, The whole earth is full of His glory."

Rev. 5:11-12 “Then I looked, and I heard the voice of many angels around the throne and the living creatures and the elders; and the number of them was myriads of myriads, and thousands of thousands, saying with a loud voice, "Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power and riches and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing."

Rev. 7:11-12 “And all the angels were standing around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures; and they fell on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, saying, "Amen, blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and might, be to our God forever and ever Amen."”

Fact #3 Angels have earthly duties.
Angels cheer and strengthen God’s people (Matt. 4:11; 1 Kings 19:5-8;
Heb. 1:14).
Angels defend, protect, and deliver God’s people (Daniel 6:22; Acts 12:7-11; Psalms 34:7).
Angels will accompany Jesus Christ at His second coming (Matt. 5:31;
2 Thessalonians 1:7-8)
Angels will separate the sheep (the Christian) from the goats (the lost) (Luke 17:34-36; Matt. 13:39).
Angels will cast the lost into the Lake of Fire (Rev. 20:15).


Angelology (Study of Angels) has multiple levels and we just touch on the highlights of what the average Christian should know. There are many books on the subject and there are many websites devoted to this but be cautious. Many books and/or websites could have errors being presented as facts. The best way to get the good and leave the bad is to ask, “What Does The Bible Say” and not what does the tradition or superstition say.

Couples Who Aren’t Married Living Together

There are many couples living together without the legal commitment of marriage in our society. What is surprising is the number of professing Christians who choose to live together without the benefit of marriage. Is it alright for unmarried couples to live together? Our society thinks it is, but is this topic covered in the Bible? Since more churches and families are increasingly faced with this question we will deal with this subject in this posting.

Let’s look at what the Old Testament has to say first and then we’ll look at what the New Testament has regarding is it alright for unmarried couples to live together. Genesis 2:18-25 describes marriage as a divine institution. God presented Adam with Eve and established the first marriage. Genesis 2:24 is the basis for all future marriages: “This is why a man leaves his father and mother and bonds with his wife, and they become one flesh.” God’s intention was that sexual relationships between a man and a woman should occur only after a legal covenant was established. The covenant was to provide security and a formal obligation that could not be easily abandoned.

The Scripture stands against the arguments, “Everyone is doing it. It’s the new way. It’s accepted in society.” That may all be true, but just because a path seems right doesn’t make it so. Proverbs 14:12 says, “There is a way that seems right to a man, but in the end it leads to death.” Ecclesiastes 3:1, 5 says, “There is a time for everything and a season for every activity under heaven … a time to embrace and a time to refrain.” The right time for living together is after marriage — not the year before; not the month before; not the night before. There is a time to embrace, and a time to refrain.

You might be thinking that my mind is in the gutter because I’m making the assumption that if two people are living together that are having sex. Most of the time, couples are “kicking the tires” of their relationship by living together before getting married. They think if they can live together then they think that their marriage will last; and since they are trying things out they are having sex. That goes against the Bible in every aspect. Let’s look at some New Testament passages.

Hebrews 13:4 says, “Marriage should be honored by all, and the marriage bed kept pure, for God will judge the adulterer and all the sexually immoral.” The marriage bed can only be kept pure when the sexual relationship is kept within marriage. Anything else brings God’s judgment. Everyone thinks that they are above the norm and what is written down will not happen to them; that they can get away with it; that the rule doesn’t apply to them. For those people who are thinking that let’s look at Galatians 6:7-8; “Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. The one who sows to please his sinful nature, from that nature will reap destruction; the one who sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life.” Although the original word in the Greek means “to sneer or to scorn,” the English word “mock” is instructive when it comes to living together; “To mock” means “to imitate, to pretend in order to deceive.” You can’t do that to God (He is all-knowing after all) without consequences, and you can’t do that with marriage. Living together is literally a mockery or imitation of marriage in that it does not require a public commitment or lifetime vow of faithfulness.

Different people live together for different reasons. If you a Christian; you are a child of God and thus held to a higher standard than the world. I laid out just a few Scripture passages on what the Bible says about unmarried people living together. While doing research on this, I came across the below statistics that I feel will be beneficial for you to read if you are living with someone who is not your spouse or if you have a boyfriend or girlfriend trying to talk you into moving in together.

Here are some statistics on living together before marriage from Michael McManus, the president of Marriage Savers.

• More than eight out of ten couples who live together will break up either before the wedding or afterwards in divorce.
• About 45 percent of those who begin cohabiting do not marry. Another 5-10 percent continue to live together and do not marry.
• Couples who do marry after living together are 50% more likely to divorce than those who did not.
• Only 12 percent of couples who have begun their relationship with cohabitation end up with a marriage lasting 10 years or more.
• A Penn State study reports that even a month’s cohabitation decreases the quality of the couple’s relationship.
Here are some more statistics relating to the children of cohabiting parents.
• Children of cohabiting parents are ten times more likely to be sexually abused by a stepparent than by a parent.
• Children of cohabiting parents are three times as likely to be expelled from school or to get pregnant as teenagers than children from an intact home with married parents.
• Children of cohabiting parents are five times more apt to live in poverty, and 22 times more likely to incarcerated.

I do hope that you find the above information useful. The goal of this blog is to equip God’s people to better know His word. Our society is attacking the Bible as not being relevant for today, but the opposite is true. What the Bible has to say can change our society for the better if they have “ears to hear” and “eyes to see.” Use this information as a tool to teach and not as a weapon if you know of a fellow Christian living with someone they are not married to. You are not the Holy Spirit, so allow God to work on them. We are called to love one another and hold each other accountable (with love).

How to Get an Entrance Ticket to Heaven

This series is geared toward those who confess to be Christians. As I was thinking about what the next topic we should discuss, the idea of truly knowing one was go to heaven kept popping in my head. Being 99% sure of one’s salvation is 100% lost in my opinion. How can one be 100% sure that he or she will enter heaven after death; can we know for sure? This posting will answer this using (of sure) the Bible.

In our day and age, the world view of truth is subjective. What’s true for you may not be true for me. In the eyes of the world, the way to heaven looks more like a nice multilane highway where all the lanes end up in the same place; Heaven. There are thousands of religions in our world today so are they are leading to the same place, right? According to adherents.com, there are over 10,000 religious systems in our world today. Are they all true? The top 4 religious systems are Hinduism (900 million people), Secularism/Nonreligious/Agnostic/Atheists (1.1 billion people), Islam (1.3 billion people), and Christianity (2 billion people). It is important for you to know that not all roads lead to heaven.

The Christian worldview centers on one fact; that Jesus Christ is the sole and only way to Heaven. According to John 14:6, Jesus testifies that He is indeed is the only way to Heaven;

“Jesus said to him, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through me”

Using our “standard” (the Bible), we have established that Jesus is the only way to Heaven. But how can a person be 100% sure they will be getting to Heaven after death. Let me first layout, the ways we cannot get an entrance ticket to Heaven.

1. We can get a ticket by being good.
Thinking that being good insures us an entrance ticket is wrong. We cannot be good enough in the eyes of God. Our goodness (or righteousness; $20 word meaning high moral standards) is dirt compared to God’s holiness. Isaiah 64:6 says;

“For all of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous deeds are like a filthy garment;”

Not to be too graphic but the term filthy garment in this passage refers to used tampons; that right, our being good seems to God as bloody tampons (I hope using this graphic doesn’t offend anyone but that how He sees it).

2. We can earn our ticket to Heaven.
Thinking that you can do good deeds to earn an entrance ticket to Heaven is wrong, too. There will be no scale at the entrance of Heaven weighing all you bad deeds with your good ones and if your good deeds outweigh your bad ones you’ll enter; and if you’re bad outweighs the good, you go to hell. That’s not how it works. Ephesians 2:8 & 9 says;

“For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast.”

If being good won’t get you into Heaven; and doing good deeds won’t get you into Heaven, how can anyone get into Heaven? You cannot do anything to get to Heaven; Jesus Christ did it all. Acts 4:12 says;

"And there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men by which we must be saved."

You might be wondering what does being saved mean? Because Adam and Eve sinned, man has been separated from God (Romans 5:12; “Therefore, just as through one man sin entered into the world, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men, because all sinned—“). Because of Adam’s sin, man and God have been separated, but Jesus died on the cross to reconnect us. God is so holy that He cannot look at us because of the sin we inherited from Adam. But because of God’s love for man, He gave His Son (Jesus Christ) to make a way for us to be reconnected with Him. John 3:16 says;

“For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.”

By accepting the fact that you cannot be nor do anything to earn an entrance ticket into Heaven, you are one step closer to Heaven. The only way to be able to enter is to accept what Jesus Christ did on the cross. No amount of bad deeds you have done in your past will keep you from entering if you ask Jesus to forgive you of your past sins. All the sins you have done or everyone you will do Jesus took on Himself on the cross so you can receive an entrance ticket to Heaven.

To get this ticket, you only have to ask for it. Romans 10:13 says;

“for "WHOEVER WILL CALL ON THE NAME OF THE LORD WILL BE SAVED."’

It is really that simple; acknowledge that you have sinned and that there is nothing you can do to change that, and accept what Jesus did to free you of that sin. Just ask God to forgive you and He will forgive you.

I put a lot of Bible passages on this posting to show what the Bible actually says how one can know for sure that they have an entrance ticket to Heaven. If this post has left doubt in your mind, you should make sure you are indeed a Christian. You can either leave a comment or e-mail me (ththomasson@hotmail.com), and I’ll do the best to explain it further. You should be sure where you will spend eternity.

Tattoos and Body Piercing

I’ve thought about getting a tattoo off and on ever since I was in my 20’s. A mother of a friend of mind always told him and me that Christians should not get tattoos. My friend now has at least two and they look nice. I know with the rise of the popularity of tattoos and body piercings many are asking is it alright for a Christian to have a tattoo and/or any body piercings? Before I go further, I want to share that I did get my left ear pierced just after I left Bible College (way back in 1993) but only had it in for 2 months before removing it. I removed it at the time because I would not have been able to work in the ministries of my home church with it in; I would have been considered a rebel.

I want to cover what the Bible actually says about getting tattoos and body piercings. The Old Testament did address it in Leviticus 19:28 which says:

You shall not make any cuttings in your flesh for the dead, nor tattoo any marks on you: I am the LORD.

This is the verse my friend’s mom likes to quote. One of the hermeneutical rules of interrupting the Bible is to read the passage in context. With that said, only nine verses earlier in the same chapter (Leviticus 19:19) the people of Israel were also commanded to avoid mixing fibers in garments:

Nor shall a garment of mixed linen and wool come upon you.

Therefore, if someone chose to consider a tattoo sinful, then they would have to toss all their cotton/polyester clothing too! Another hermeneutical rule is to know what people group a passage to being written to; not knowing who a passage is focusing on causes interrupting errors. Leviticus 19 was written my Moses to the nation of Israel, and does not apply to us. God originally set aside the Jewish people as a “higher standard” among the pagan nations, through whom the Messiah would come. As a result, many of their laws were given to wean them from pagan customs, habits, and appearance.

The New Testament does not say anything about whether or not a Christian can have a tattoo and/or body piercings. Since Leviticus is considered the law and we Christians are no longer under the law (read Romans), does it mean getting tattoos and/or body piercing is alright; this passage is talking to the nation of Israel after all?

Society changes constantly, but God’s Word remains the same yesterday, today, and forever. People with tattoos and body piercings were looked down on up until the last 10 years or so. Society sees nothing wrong with tattoos and body piercings, but Christians go by the Standard that does not change; the Standard of God’s Word, the Bible. The bottom line is that the Bible (our Standard) does not clearly define tattoos and body piercing as a sin.

There is one thing to consider, though. Christians aren’t under the Law, but we are under the Lordship of Jesus Christ. Because of that we need to remember that our bodies, as well as our souls, have been redeemed and belong to God. Each Christian has the Holy Spirit in them. Before getting any tattoos and/or body piercings, a Christian should ask God if it would be all right and if the Holy Spirit doesn’t convict you, go for it.

I know many good people with tattoos and body piercings. I have a good pastor friend of mind who has several Bible passages tattooed on his arms along with his children’s faces. His wife has tattoos of butterflies on her upper back and top of her foot. I would consider both Godly Christians who are serving their God. I think most of the issue with tattoos and piercings has to do with the external. God cares more about the internal.