Should I get a tattoo?

I would like to begin by saying that I do not intend to offend, pass judgement or condemn anyone. My purpose is simply to look at the issue of Christians trying to decide on the issue of getting tattoos, and to help young believers think through the issues.

I have read a lot of opinion on the issue and the debates about Levitical law. Both sides seem to make many good arguments, but there is apparently no consensus on the Old Testament Biblical prohibition. Generally most people end up saying something like, "Christians are not 'under' the law..." and the response is generally, "well then is murder still wrong?" These type of arguments don't really get to the heart of the matter.

Indeed it is the heart where Christ's work is done and God's concern for the individual seems to be focused. The New Testament teaching on circumcision is clearly about God's concern for our heart. The Apostles agreed that Gentile believers be prohibited from eating blood and sexual immorality (both of which are Levitical laws, btw), and that Gentiles not be burdened with the extent of ceremonial law. The heart is God's concern, and a transformed heart will change behavior.

But, does the New Testament have anything to say about tattoos? The Apostle Paul goes to great lengths to command Gentile (and Jewish) believers that they should do everything within their power not to live "as the pagans do". Any behavior or meal that is associated with pagan behavior should be avoided. Christians should be know by the "Banner of Love". We should be "marked" with love. In other words, Pagans display their gods in carvings of stone, wood and skins -- Christians display our God through deeds of love and concern for our brothers. We should be known for our love.

This led me to investigate WHY many young Christians want tattoos. Obviously there are many reasons. One of the main reasons I hear is, "To witness Christ to others" or "so everyone will know I am a Christian". Kind of the Evangelical trump card - EVANGELISM.

One blogger said of his reasons for getting a tattoo, "To me it was the sense of taking control and doing what I want regardless of what anybody said or thought... Really what I think is it all boils down to is either you have the nerve to have ink carved into your body for life... That is why all of us with tattoos have a sense of brotherhood. Because each one of us knows the pain we went through for something we love (tattooing)."

So there we have it. "Taking control and doing what I want to do regardless of what anybody said or thought." As Christians we are to be intensely concerned with what others think, especially in regards to the perception of sinful behavior (real or imagined). Also, we are to be controlled by the Holy Spirit, not our fleshly desires.

While the Old Testament prohibition against tattoos might be up for debate I think it is clear that our society still views tattoos as "rebellious" and "to Hell with your opinion of me". A new term has evolved called "tattoo lifestyle" with magazines focusing on this evolving people group. (BTW, many Internet filters will block 'Tattoo Lifestyle' sights as "R rated"). I wonder how long it will be until people begin saying, concerning their desire to be tattooed, "I was born this way."

In conclusion I think the real issue concerns your heart. Why do you want a tattoo? Are you at all concerned about offending people for the sake of your freedom? Do you seriously want to do what pleases God, or what pleases you?

If you are truly concerned about lost souls or being identified with Christ then I would suggest a little soul searching. Is a tattoo glorifying to God? Will it offend others around you? Will it cause others to stumble?

The Apostle Paul put it this way, "So whatever you eat, drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God. Do not cause anyone to stumble, whether Jews, Greeks or the church of God -- even as I try to please everybody in every way. For I am not seeking my own good, but the good of many, so that they may be saved." (I Corinthians 10:31-33)

The Mission of Compassion

"If you see your brother in need and have not compassion - the love of God does not live in you." (I John 3:17)

From what I understand there are Christians who are persecuted every day in this world. I personally know hundreds of believers in Ethiopia alone who need help. How is it that Christians in the most prosperous nation in the world and the richest congregations turn a blind eye to our suffering brethren? There should be a multitude of ministries that seek to help poor, imprisoned and naked Christians.

It often seems that if a mission is interested in the poor it is only to draw them in to their programs so that they can count heads. I don't doubt the sincerity of these organizations I only doubt their gospel and its mission. Feeding the poor becomes a "method of evangelizing" all the while we expect believers to "pull themselves up by their boot straps." It is wicked. For some it would seem to be better to stay a "seeker" and take advantage of "christian charity" rather than become a believer left to fend for yourself.

The good news is that many of these missions are actually preaching the death, burial and Resurrection of Jesus the Christ. I have witnessed churches who explode in numbers and zeal when they are first planted, and I see many who's lives are changed indeed. The problem is that in the years to come their zeal grows cold and soon they become much like the churches that planted them concerned with growing their programs rather than meeting the needs of those around them.

Conversely there are missions who have lost the Truth and have become nothing more than social aid agencies that help salve the conscience of wealth Westerners by feeding multitudes of poor. There are no requirements for aid or belonging, no Gospel message. Just "pure" charity with no strings attached.

What I am trying to say is that both of these views are extreme, and neither is truly bringing God's Kingdom to this earth.

I am growing increasingly confident that missions is something that must be done in community. I believe that Christ's Kingdom is being established on this planet, that His will is being done on Earth as it is in Heaven. This is happening as more and more congregations begin to truly care for each other and become known for their love rather than their buildings or programs. As believers are encouraged to work out their salvation through the practice of God given gifts the world sees the Light and tastes the Salt.

Who in America has not heard that "Jesus died for your sins"? But, how many in America see the Body of Christ (the Church) loving God by loving each other?

How many have heard the Gospel which is costly? How many have heard that it will cost them everything to follow Christ? The Gospel has become an event rather than total life transformation.

All too often our gospel is offensive, not because of Christ, but because it lacks Christ. Jesus died for you. Say this prayer, go to church, give your tithe (of course spend the rest on yourself), obey God and you will prosper! God just wants you to stop doing bad things. The only thing God requires is that you receive His free gift that He offers. "All you have to do is accept." -- It is a lie!

Jesus not only died for you He rose from the dead in a real body! He demands that we believe. He commands us to repent (a constant adjustment of our thoughts to conform with the will of God rather than doing what we want). What God requires is obedience!

The book of James (which many would remove from Scripture) states plainly that faith without works is dead. First John states clearly that we must "lay down our lives for the brethren". Jude warns of those who feasted with believers, yet only wanted gain for themselves. Acts tells of those who wanted to follow Christ in a effort to gain magical powers or miracles, only to find themselves being cut off. Colossians warns about false religion that is worked out in ascetic harshness, rather than overflowing love for the Church that comes from a relationship with the Triune God. Paul greeting the Thessalonians, who not only speak the Gospel, but their "faith goes out before them" -- even so in chapter 4 he says, "you have been taught by God to love one another." In Timothy we see command after command about humility and submission because of the great love of God -- the good "fight" is one of love, faith godliness, gentleness -- and a strict command from God for wealthy Christians to be "rich in good deeds, liberal in giving." These are not options they are commands!

Nowhere in Scripture are we commanded to build big buildings, provide sporting events or any of the plethora of activities that are associated with "church" (not that there is anything inherently wrong with these things). However, we are commanded repeatedly to be generous to poor believers. It is tragic that aiding believers is so low a priority that it is not even on the budget of many congregations.

(Not suggesting that we aid laziness or that we enable people to be leaches on the Church -- see following posts).

There simply is no way around it -- we will be judged according to our deeds! Without faith in Christ we are lost, and without works we have no faith. Dietrich Bonhoeffer said, "Only those who believe can obey, and only those who obey can believe."

It is not our message or our words that we are known by, it is our fruit. Our fruit should be love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. As unbelievers see the fruit they are amazed, as they hear the Gospel they are offended, and as God gives faith they are saved. Those who were outside are inside and become part of the Body of God's great love.

Be Generous

Apparently my last post stirred a bit of an angry response from "Anonymous". Anonymous was basically saying that I was promoting greed when Christ promotes generosity.

Part of the problem has to do with the fact that I am too wordy I suppose, but I never meant to imply that Christians should not be generous. On the contrary I think Christians should be the most generous people in the world. My point was that simply giving a homeless guy $20 may not be generous, but rather could be the same as saying, "Be warm and be filled -- and go away."

Last night I dealt with a homeless man and I actually offered total life change. Our church is willing to be extended on this man's behalf to radically change his state from being a beggar to being a giver. I told "Bob" that he could go from living in his car to having a home and offering room and board to homeless people like himself. "Instead of being a taker Bob you could be a giver." The condition was that he be willing to submit to Christ in every aspect of his life and come under the authority of the Church. If he would just be willing to come among us, be of us and be quiet. He could really be part of a body.

Actually what Bob wanted was a hotel room because it was too cold to sleep in his car.

We do not have hotel rooms. We did offer a warm bed and meal at a local shelter.

But, Bob does not stay in shelters. Bob does not want community. Bob wants what Bob wants, Bob's way.

Give drinks of water. Feed the hungry. Give shelter to the homeless. But, without true love it is worthless! We do not send people away hungry, but we must also not make the Bride of Christ a pimp pushing a prostituted Gospel.

It is high time to put to an end cheap grace. The grace of God is very costly. Far more than simple generosity we extend ourselves beyond inconvenience and the soothing of a guilty conscience. We are Christ's Body on earth and we must continue the work of the Gospel.

The Gospel commands more than easy belief and continuance in a life of rebellion, Christ demands our total submission and obedience to Him. To be in Christ we must be in His Church. To love Christ we must love His Bride.

Jesus said, "Eat my Body and drink my Blood." Many departed that day.

Giving

Notice the cell phone? Can't afford a Laundromat, but he has unlimited text messaging?

The leaves have fallen, so it is time to blog again. Chris has some awesome thoughts (to put it mildly) concerning worship on St Ambrose, Craig continues to explore art that glorifies God on StCelebart and the blog master Brian (aka Brain) makes me belly laugh on Emasculating Nickname. I am afraid that my blog continues to be the soapbox of a very opinionated man.

The church has waves of beggars and vagabonds that come and go. I actually found myself getting angry one Sunday at a beggar who endured the worship service in hopes of getting some cash for God knows what. We generally do give to all those who ask, but I am not so sure that giving to vagabonds is a right use of "God's money".

Now before you get all up in arms about my thoughts on the subject you must realize that I work full time in a ministry that exists to extend ourselves on behalf of our poor brothers and sisters in Ethiopia. You could say that my vocation is giving, or "redistribution of wealth." We support Christians in Ethiopia who are working for the Gospel. We support orphans and widows who have no other source of income. We support those who cannot support themselves.

When it comes to able bodied young men on the streets of America -- do we really owe them five bucks just because they have a sign that reads "Will work for food"?

Some young Christians will immediately throw a proof text my way and proclaim that Jesus clearly commands us to give. I agree. Jesus most certainly commands us to give, and even to be generous in giving. The problem is that Scripture also teaches that if a man does not work he should not eat. And there was that strange day when Jesus said to the multitude, "If you are hungry eat my body and drink my blood."

When Jesus perceived that most in the crowd wanted to see a miracle and get their bellies filled He rebuked them and basically chased them away. The Apostles were amazed and more than a bit concerned. Jesus turns to the disciples and asks if they are going to leave as well, and the response was, "You have the words of life, where shall we go?"

Many who knock on the doors of the Church are like those that Jesus chased away. The Church of God does not owe every lazy man his daily bread. But, the Church does have a debt -- we owe it to the wise man and the fool.

In Romans chapter one Paul speaks of the Gospel and the life changing power of Christ. He says that he is a debtor to both those who know the Gospel (to share in their faith) and to those who do not know the Gospel (that they might hear).

Certainly there are those who truly need financial help or a bag of groceries, but God forbid that we send away the needy with only some cash or bread! I fear that all too often young Christians relieve their guilt by giving cash to a beggar, but missing the opportunity to be a prophet. Maybe the beggar needed something more than money. God may send a lazy man to the doors of a church for the sole purpose of having someone speak into the man's life and rebuke his laziness. When a beggar comes to our door God may have sent him to have a radical life changing transformation. As believers we owe it to those who come to the Church looking for help. We owe them the Gospel!

Quote of the Weak - Proselytize

"Every attempt to impose the gospel by force, to run after people and proselytize them, to use our own resources to arrange the salvation of other people, is both futile and dangerous."

- Dietrich Bonhoeffer, The Cost of Discipleship

Taken out of context one might accuse Bonhoeffer of being "unevangelical." This would be a huge mistake.

Bonhoeffer saw clearly that modern methods of evangelism were dangerous because they cheapen the gospel, and present a god that is incapable of accomplishing His will. The begging, powerless and effeminate Jesus wants to save you, if you will only ask him to...
Bonhoeffer knew the all powerful, sovereign Creator of the Universe that commands all men everywhere to believe and repent. He boldly proclaimed the Gospel and knew that God was the only faith giver. He knew that men cannot believe unless God performs a miracle at the hearing of the Word. He knew too that there must be a preacher to proclaim the Gospel. With his very life Bonhoeffer paid the cost of his discipleship (he died in a Nazi concentration camp). At the end of his life it was said of him by a fellow non-Christian prisoner, "I never knew a man who's God was so real to him."

Quote of the Weak -- Material Needs

"If we grant the baptized brother the right to the gifts of salvation, but refuse him the gifts necessary to earthly life or knowingly leave him in material need and distress, we are holding up the gifts of salvation to ridicule and behaving as liars."
-Dietrich Bonhoeffer, The Cost of Discipleship


"Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distress, for Christ's sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong." (2 Corinthians 12:21)

Quote of the Weak -- The feast of Christmas

"In the feast of Christmas we are directed in a new way to the very thing that stands in the center of the Bible, to the simple reality of the gacious and merciful action which comes from God into this lost world. We are no longer concerned with elegant and gay pictures and fancies; from the reality which is so plain and from our distress, we thirst for the reality of the great divine help. Our question is whether God really has sent the One who has the right and authority for complete, all-embracing, final redemption. And the Christmas message is the complete, glorious "Yes" of the answer to this question."

-- Dietrich Bonhoeffer

Photo and quote - International Dietrich Bonhoeffer Society

The Spititual Rapist

With his six guns ablaze the revivalist crushes all in his wake.

I am angry today, but I think it might be righteous anger.

I have a friend whose son was the victim of spiritual abuse. This child believes the Gospel and has born fruit of that faith as only a child can do.

Like so many others the child has been faced with questions, the revivalist might call "doubt." Surely the boy has become aware of sin and questions how it is that a child of God can be so bad. So the spiritual rapist aims for the "kill" and tries to force the child to "nail it down!"

The questions pour forth from the pulpit and guilt is heaped upon guilt. "Are you sure that you are sure? Did you say that prayer with your whole heart? Do you remember the date and time? Have you been truly converted? Do you FEEL saved?" And the final blow, "If you died tonight, do you know where you would go? Heaven or HELL?!!"

The answer, according to the spiritual rapist, is a rapturous moment in time that a decision is made from the heart and the child "asks Jesus into his heart" and "makes" him Lord and Savior.

How far from Biblical salvation we have fallen.

How sad it is that we allow men to come into our evangelical churches and abuse our children and the weak. How sad it is that we have come to the place in the history of the Church that we think that preying on souls is considered true spirituality.

If you just believe enough. If you just get the formula correct. If you "place your faith" in Jesus. If you say it the right way, or have the correct experience. Nothing more than existential neo-gnosticism.

The invitation of Christ is not to walk an aisle and make a bunch of promises. His invitation is not to "true conversion" or being "born-again." How can a man decide to be born at all?

Is salvation an event? The historic Christian faith has been understood as more a picture of a journey or race rather than an event. We begin by faith and walk by faith; in the end we are saved if we continue in the faith.

The command of Christ is to believe and repent. The invitation of Christ is simply, "Come and follow me." It is not possible that man could believe without the gift of faith from God. It is not possible that my heart and mind could be changed or that I could be born again unless God creates a new creature. Our salvation is the work of God. We hear and believe, and it is by hearing that faith comes.

When our children or weak ones doubt, we should edify them by encouragement to continue to believe and obey Christ. As Bonhoeffer said, "Only those who believe can obey, and only those who obey can believe." Those who are truly spiritual should feed the hungry ones, and warn the ones in danger.

Enough of the spiritual abuse of our weak ones! May the shepherds of Christ's Church be good shepherds -- feed and guard the sheep.