tattoos

[AVTechMan]

I have to say, from what I have learned it can be very confusing when it comes to the OL vs the NL. Many people that try to correct others or quote scripture often go from the old Mosiac Law. But since Jesus dies for our sins and a new covanant has been made, we no longer are bound to the old covenant. Unfortunately though I see many preachers use the OT law to make their congregation feel that if they don't do this then bad things will happen, or good things won't come.

As far as the tattoo goes, I have never had one either nor will I ever do that. Its said in the Bible that our bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit so as He takes sanctuary in our bodies, we are to honor God by keeping them clean.

Now I surely don't judge anyone that has tatts and I have a few friends that have them, but I don't treat them any different.

 

[dayhiker]

I don't see tattoos dishonoring our body. But I think the message any words or image have and send to our spirit and those around us are important. Yet there are people that are doing fine that love God but had ungodly images and words from before they were saved. Some people seem to be able to let old ideas and images go quite easily. Others those words images seem to stay around. They play games in their head it seems.
So its really good to know ones self. What will work for us and what will work against us?

 

[dayhiker]

The other thing about the laws of Moses that I didn't learn pastors or even from Bible college. Is that not all of Moses' laws were about what is sin and what is not sin. Moses said they weren't to eat pork. But if they did eat pork it wasn't a sin they needed to offer a blood sacrifice for. People groups back then defined who was a part of their clan, their tribe by how they dressed, what they ate and the ceremonies they preformed around their idols, birth of a child, puberty and marriage, food and death. If they meet a new person they would know who they belonged to by the customs they had around those topics. If one broke those rules it was like they were a traitor. To get back in good graces with the community they had to preform certain washings or ceremonies. They were ritually clean when they were completed.
When we look at eating shell fish as a sin we miss what Moses' law was about. It was about keeping the Jews distinct from other people groups. So the revelation God brings to Peter about going to Cornelius' house and the writings of Paul about Jesus taking down the wall of partition between the Jews and the Gentiles become very meaningful. They aren't about walls of sin, but walls of cultural separation. Jesus took down all the I have to do this to be part of my group. I can do those things, they aren't sinful or I can not do those things as they don't make me righteous either. But if I use my cultural customs to separate myself from someone who Jesus died for then we aren't loving and aren't part of the one body of believers in Christ.
Take worship for an example. If I go to a church that has a lot of ceremony and a very solemn attitude can I respect their worship and even worship God in that fellowship of believers? Then next week can I go to a church where they raise their hands and dance in the isles and worship God there. Or do I have to keep my church culture and think they are too emotional and therefore aren't saved! etc.
Legalism wants to make rules around these personal preferences making some of these things sinful. But God loves diversity, we are not all ears or toes or arms as Paul tells us.