First off, let me say that I am a Youth Pastor and bible school student, as well as a musician.
I have a few things to say in regards to tats.
I played Defensive End in college, and some of my D-line buddies had barbed wire tats around their left arms. I thought that was pretty cool, so I looked into getting one, except that I wanted mine to show my newfound faith in Christ (Since I had just given my life to Him at age 19)....so I decided to get a crown of thorns instead of barbed wire. One of my little cousins was with me when I decided to get it (we grew up close----she is more like a sister to me than a cousin), and she begged me not to do it. Because of her insistance, I got a temp one instead to "make sure you like it, it's permanant you know." The temp one lasted only 6 weeks.
The first week or so, I thought it was the coolest thing ever, and just knew I'd be going back to have it filled over with ink.
After about 2 weeks it got really anoying-----like a stain in your shirt you can't wash out.
Glad I didn't get the real thing: however I have never (and will never) condemn someone else who does.
Point of the story is this...........If you had a bunch of tats before you got saved, great; It is kind of like a marker to show others the roads you have walked down. Use them to identify with others, and in that way you can use them to glorify God.
But the real question is what about tats on this side of salvation?
I have read numerous people posting the Levitical law to show that we shouldn't mark our bodies. Then I read a post that some one put this in: "For one the law was never given to the gentiles and second the law is done away with."
Hmmmmm. I agree and disagree. (Stay with me till the end on this, don't get offended just yet)
1) The law was never given to the gentiles, however Paul also tells us not to use our liberty as a cloak for vice.
2) Jesus said "do not think that I came to destroy the law, but to fulfill it." He also said that Heaven and Earth would pass away, but not one jot or tittle in the law would EVER pass away.
So why is it that we always try to make the New Testament appear to be a "lowering of the bar" in regards to lifestyle? (Don't get mad at me now just because I'm telling the truth. Trust me, I got caught in this web for a few years myself.)Greasy grace is what we call it. You know, the whole "Christians aren't perfect---just forgiven" thing. Is that statement a fact? Yes. But truth is a Spirit, and the "spirit" of that statement is that Christians can live just like the rest of the world but still go to heaven if they "believe" in Jesus. True belief is evidenced by obediance and conformity to Christ, it is not merely mental assention (e.g. believing Christ was a real person, who really died a substitutionary, vicarious death, who rose bodily, etc.)
The Bible says that even the demons believe that, and tremble.
True faith is evidenced by its outworking in our lives (for faith without works is dead----B.T.W., that is a NEW TESTAMENT scripture.)
Isn't the New Testament a raising of the bar?
Let me give an example of this. In the Old Testament, you had to run a sword through someone to be considered a murderer. In the New testament, you just have to hate your brother without a cause to be considered a murderer. In the Old Testament you had to jump in bed with another woman to be considered an adulterer, but Jesus said that whoever looks upon a woman to lust after her has already commited adultery in his heart.
Am I trying to preach legalism to you? NO. Some commandments have been altered because of the cross; however the REASON they have been altered is because Christ is concerned with the motives of the heart, not just the actions themselves.
The Bible says "as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are the Sons of God."
God will lead you by a few different means, but the Cheif of these are His Word, and his peace.
If you are having to ask others if it is ok, then it tells me that you don't have a peace about it in your heart. If you don't have a peace about it, then don't do it.
Obviously, the oldrooster above has no problem with having a peace about getting inked: but the oldrooster isn't you.
Paul said to "work out YOUR OWN salvation with fear and trembling". Working out your salvation with FEAR and TREMBLING, I think, means not doing things that in your own mind are questionable. If you have ANY reservations inside your heart, then you already have found the answer of whether getting a tat is right for YOU: so listen to the Holy Spirit's inner promptings. That way you'll never have to be guilty of grieving God's Holy Spirit.
Getting a tat wasn't right for me, and I don't have a full peace about it myself FOR ME.
That doesn't mean that I dis-approve of others who have them; I've seen some that were pretty "cool", and even a few that I thought were "cute" on a few different girls that I know (friends of mine....though one of them hates her tat: a small cross on her lower back, I think it's kind of cute)
I don't think you should let anyone put you under a yoke of legalistic bondage, but I also have found that I've never regreted what I didn't have to attempt to explain away.
Hope this helped.
HONOR, COURAGE, WISDOM
-Frosty