Sinful Tattoo

[Kiterius]

Temple prostitutes would get more men out to church. Should we implement them?

Asking how to get more people out to church is, in our postmodern times, asking the wrong question. People are largely uninterested in coming into church buildings. The question for this age is, how do we get churches to start doing ministry missionally in their neighborhoods.

 

[Kiterius]

Never encountered one in 40 years.nor such a testimony . we live by the word of god.we dont justify things with water weak one off scenario to prop up the will of the flesh in opposition to the will of the Holy spirit .we are instructed to walk in the spirit so as to NOT fulfill the will of the flesh.

We live by the word of God, agreed. God's word is just as authoritative when inked on skin as when printed on paper.

 

[faroukfarouk]

I've got a tribal Scorpion (Scorpio birth sign) on my left shoulder which I'm going to have reworked so that the blood, mixed with water, of a sacrificed lamb weaves through the scorpion.
What is neat about this is that the original way in which the Scorpio sign interacts with Libra in the Zodiac depicts a Scorpion reaching out and trying to take a sacrificial alter (Philologos | The Witness of the Stars | Table of Contents), but on my shoulder we'll see the victory of the Lamb over the scorpion.

So have you checked out a parlor yet for your new ink, with the Lamb of God motif?

 

[faroukfarouk]

I got my first tattoo at 15 before I was saved. Lucky for me I got something that I wouldn't want to remove
-a cross- Nonetheless, ink is ink. (My thoughts only) If we make it to heaven we will get new bodies. A tattoo ain't nothing but a scar with some color, right? When my body is renewed there will be no tattoo.

So did you get any more tattoos after the cross? (faith related or not).

 

[faroukfarouk]

Should someone in the church, or anyone else ask you about it, you can share that was a pre-Christian decision, and something you're looking forward to changing in the near future. That may open the door for you to discuss how else you're looking forward to Christ transforming you.

Kiterius:

So many Christians have found tattoos effective in stimulating faith related conversations.

 

[Anguspure]

So have you checked out a parlor yet for your new ink, with the Lamb of God motif?

I know of a brother in Christchurch who does some nice ink but I'm not sure whether he knows the Japanese style water that I want.

 

[faroukfarouk]

I know of a brother in Christchurch who does some nice ink but I'm not sure whether he knows the Japanese style water that I want.

Anguspure:

Sounds like your plans for more ink are fairly active. Depending on the placement, they can often stimulate faith based conversations; many Christians have found this. The Japanese/Eastern style is similar to tribal, I think and of course you guys in NZ with Maoris and then over in Samoa have a strong 'tribal' style tattoo tradition.

 

[GodB4S]

I have LOVE on my left hand fingers and a peace sign on the back of the hand that I did when I was 13 in the 60's...When I came to the LORD, I read in the Bible to not tattoo or make cuttings in the flesh so for 50 years I look at my left hand and my right hand and see that the right hand looks much better then my left...I wish I never did it. How ever, I did it. I can not sanctify my body by doing what made it dirty in the first place or even cutting it out...God knows my heart and He sanctifies my body and one day, He will give me a glorified body which I will wait for...the tattoos just shows I need God to sanctify me which I never could do!

 

[faroukfarouk]

I have LOVE on my left hand fingers and a peace sign on the back of the hand that I did when I was 13 in the 60's...When I came to the LORD, I read in the Bible to not tattoo or make cuttings in the flesh so for 50 years I look at my left hand and my right hand and see that the right hand looks much better then my left...I wish I never did it. How ever, I did it. I can not sanctify my body by doing what made it dirty in the first place or even cutting it out...God knows my heart and He sanctifies my body and one day, He will give me a glorified body which I will wait for...the tattoos just shows I need God to sanctify me which I never could do!

GodB4S:

Hi there, Sir! do people ever comment on your tattoos?

Because some Christians actually get faith based ink and this is found to be very effective in stimulating faith related conversations.

(It's interesting also that in the passage in Leviticus about not cutting for the dead, the previous verse seems to say about not trimming one's beard; do preachers shave? If they do, they are tacitly admitting that we are not Old Testament Jews in the land under the ceremonial law; but under grace, with the Gospel, as opposed to the law, as the rule of our lives; i.e., the gospel applications of anything presumably rank higher than the ceremonial law for us.)

 

[Kiterius]

Kiterius:

So many Christians have found tattoos effective in stimulating faith related conversations.

Yes faroukfarouk, that's true. A good friend of mine who's a Youth Pastor has a tat of his favorite Bible verse on his left forearm. Has helped him in opening up conversations with some of the teens in his church's Youth Group.

 

[faroukfarouk]

Yes faroukfarouk, that's true. A good friend of mine who's a Youth Pastor has a tat of his favorite Bible verse on his left forearm. Has helped him in opening up conversations with some of the teens in his church's Youth Group.

Sounds pretty genuine. I would not be surprised if you said also that you had ppl your household with ink. These days at 18 it seems to have become something of a rite of passage for young people to go for first ink. It used to be a man thing years ago, but not any more; I think I read that 59%-70% or more of parlor clients in North America are female.

 

[Kiterius]

Sounds pretty genuine. I would not be surprised if you said also that you had ppl your household with ink. These days at 18 it seems to have become something of a rite of passage for young people to go for first ink. It used to be a man thing years ago, but not any more; I think I read that 59%-70% or more of parlor clients in North America are female.

No one in my household has a tattoo.

 

[faroukfarouk]

No one in my household has a tattoo.

Okay.
I can see why a young pastor would get a Bible verse tattoo. For example, if a young woman who comes to church has a tattoo of a non-Christian ex-bf's name, e.g., 'Bill', she would conceivably want to get it changed to something more faith based, such as 'Bible', or whatever. Young people find it easy to talk about their tattoos and life stories, whether as fellowship between believers or witness to unbelievers.

 

[JellyQuest]

We live by the word of God, agreed. God's word is just as authoritative when inked on skin as when printed on paper.

Not if we disobeyed him in order to stick it there. Its in the same boat of Lord Lord we Did this and that in your name.but he says depart from me you workers of iniquity,I do my know you. Because they don't love him,they just do their own thing and then use some works to self justify their disobedience.

 

[OwenW]

Hi TurtleAnn,

There seems to be some good advice already in this post regarding practical tips on removal or covering up your tattoo.

However, I would like to comment on having the tattoo and how it makes you feel.

Firstly, you cannot change your past. We all have them and have all done things we later regretted. The wonderful thing about God is that He is merciful and forgiving toward out mistakes.

The question is: where is your guilt and condemnation coming from?

Is it God who is making you feel like you should cover the tattoo or get rid of it, or is it your own thoughts which are producing guilt (possibly due to things people have said about Christians having tattoos etc).

In the Garden of Eden, after Adam and Eve sinned, they covered and hid themselves when they heard God coming. They felt guilt and shame over what they had done. When God's spoke to them, he said, 'Who told you that you were naked'. This question from God indicates that He was not the one who was pointing out their nakedness and making them feel ashamed. That had come from within themselves, their own guilt over what they had done.

We often become slaves to guilt over our past, a past that God has cleansed us from when we received Jesus or confessed our sins after becoming a Christian. We carry the guilt, even though the blood of Jesus has cleansed us. My first suggestion to you is that you need to forgive yourself. God already has.

I suspect your guilt and shame for having the tattoo is coming from you, not God.

God does not expect us to fix every area of our lives overnight. It is a process. As we get more understanding of God's Word, He leads us step by step to adjust areas of our lives that are not in line with His ways. We often get overwhelmed by guilt because we think we have to fix and change everything overnight or God will be upset with us. This I should not true. Walking with God is a lifelong process, and we change a bit at a time.

With regard to your tattoo:

1) If you are unable to change it right now due to lack of finances, then you cannot carry the guilt over it for years until you can. That guilt will hinder your relationship with God.
2) The Tattoo can serve as a reminder to you of what God has brought you out of, rather than being a stumbling block in your present and future.
3) If God specifically leads you to cover, change or get rid of the tattoo, then trust Him to provide the finances to do so. Until then, use it as part of your testimony.
4) Find a church where they do not condemn you for something you got in the past and where you do not have to feel ashamed or that you have to keep the tattoo hidden from everyone. Mature, Godly Christians will not make you feel guilty for your past, but will help you grow despite it.

 

[Kiterius]

Not if we disobeyed him in order to stick it there. Its in the same boat of Lord Lord we Did this and that in your name.but he says depart from me you workers of iniquity,I do my know you. Because they don't love him,they just do their own thing and then use some works to self justify their disobedience.

The rule to not have tattoos was part of the Mosaic law code, given to the Israelites so that God's people would be distinct from the Idol-worshipping nations around them. However, we no longer live in the age of the law. We rather now live in the age of grace. God's people are now distinct from others around us in a new way - in that we have been marked by the promised Spirit of God. Since she has marked us, we are to be guided in life by her love and wisdom rather than by strict adherence to the law code.

 

[faroukfarouk]

At first, I was going to suggest maybe getting a tattoo artist working around to make it into something else...

LizzyMae:

If you yourself have ever visited - non-committally - a parlor and seen some of the portfolios of artists, you will probably have seen just how skillful and intricate work it is that some artists can do, anyway. This is always an eventual option for someone in TurtleAnne's situation, anyway.

 

[DawnStar]

Do not let the opinions of a few holier-than-thou Christians destroy the grace and forgiveness that Christ has displayed to all of us. If there are people that try and convince you that the current tattoo you have is a detriment to your salvation or witness they are seriously blinded by Pharisaical attitudes. And some of these statements I have seen here about what tattoos are seem really ignorant and just plain silly.

 

[Rob_macneal]

We all come to Christ marked in one way or another by our pasts. Some marks are just more visible than others. Since your tattoo does seem to concern you, I suggest you have it removed or altered when you can reasonably afford to. Til then, just go about your daily business. Should someone in the church, or anyone else ask you about it, you can share that was a pre-Christian decision, and something you're looking forward to changing in the near future. That may open the door for you to discuss how else you're looking forward to Christ transforming you.

Excellent answer!

 

[faroukfarouk]

Laser removal of tattoos doesn't really work very well, especially for dark ink. It's also very expensive, takes multiple treatments and can be painful. If you really want it gone, re-tattooing over the design is your best bet. It doesn't have to be a solid black splodge to cover over black.

LaSorcia:

Yes, and you know what you are talking about, more than most!