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Poll: Does the mainstreaming of tattoos open up increasing opportunities for faith ink witness?
- Thread starter farouk
- Start date
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ThePuffyBlob
Well-Known Member
If it's eternal... How would you explain those
22 Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?
23 And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.
Or you can say they are not a true believe that's why christ never knew them
But how about this
5 Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates?
6 But I trust that ye shall know that we are not reprobates.
7 Now I pray to God that ye do no evil; not that we should appear approved, but that ye should do that which is honest, though we be as reprobates.
8 For we can do nothing against the truth, but for the truth.
You can't be too sure that you may be in christ today but that does not mean you will forever will be for it is written and we can do nothing against the truth
Can you?
14 Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.
If one saved is always saved is true i would really be grateful i don't need to suffer the light burden of christ anymore i will still be saved whatever i do
But this probably not what you meant right?
38 For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come,
39 Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
I did get it but forgotten yet again seriously what is happening with me... I keep forgetting the things that i was just about to say
@Funny bird
If you read Romans 8, if your read John's First Epistle (5 chapters, these passages are wonderfully reassuring); if you read Ephesians 2.1-10: these passages show that salvation is a work of God; it's not based on works at all.
Ephesians 2.10 does say that 'we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them'. The previous 2 verses make it clear that salvation is 'by grace...through faith...not of works'.
Paul to the Romans speaks, at the beginning and end of the Epistle, of 'the obedience of faith' and 'obedience to the faith': obedience as led by the Spirit of God, but not meritorious: salvation is all a work of God. Hebrews 7.25 shows that the Lord is 'able to save'; Jude 24 shows that He is 'able to keep'.
@Funny bird We have gone off the tattoo topic here! but it's so good to study the Scriptures.
I expect that there are tattoo parlors where you live.
I expect that there are tattoo parlors where you live.
Your welcome @farouk. I'm not sure how I personally feel about tats. I have a couple of pre-believer tats but since becoming a believer, I have not had the inclination to add more....even those that may give God the glory. My mouth is more than capable of doing that ;)
Glory to God!. I am shameless when it comes to approaching people when I am prompted by the HS and talking to them about Jesus.
Thanks, @Angelina.
Sometimes some Christians are motivated by existing pre-believing tattoos to have them changed; for example, a woman with a non-Christian ex-bf's name tattooed might strongly be motivated to have, e.g., 'Bill', changed to 'Bible'; a good artist would be able to fix this sort of thing.
Others might positively want to use the medium as a witness tool; my wife and I talked to a young lady with the whole the wording of John 3.16 tattooed on her wrist area; it was her favorite Bible verse and mine also; and I'm sure that other conversations have arisen as a result of her boldness (would you even use the word 'shamelessness'?) for this witness purpose to use an environment you are familiar with: a tattoo parlor. (In some ways I wish more Christians worked in tattoo parlors.)
I saw this quote from the Bible Belt in the US:
forums dot thewelltrainedmind dot comQueenCat said:
You as a tattooed woman would know that years ago it was almost entirely a man thing.
But by far now, not any more it isn't.
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@Angelina: I guess in summary I would say: it's a highly evident fact now that among many Christians, instead of fighting the tattoo ink medium any more, they have instead definitely chosen to embrace it for the many wide opportunities for faith ink witness that it offers. This assuredly includes many Godly, conscientious women.
Well bro, I am not really interested in changing my tats to depict something more palatable as a believer. When people ask, I tell them my story and then tell them my new story as a believer. This also is a good talking point. Kinda like an old war scar ;) I think that most NZers who come to Christ and have tats would either have them removed but most just leave them cause it is also a good talking point as per above. I have no opinion on others getting or changing tats as a witness for Christ. As the bible says - Colossians 2:16-17. :)
@Angelina: Great and relevant passage there.
I guess you are saying that you as a tattooed Christian woman are matter of fact and confident about your battle scars.
ThePuffyBlob
Well-Known Member
i can't get tattoo
in this kind of country the common knowledge is if someone has a tattoo it is not art but a sign you are ex-con or someone involved in bad things like illegal drugs and syndicate
@Funny bird Thanks for the interesting contribution. (No one is suggesting you must get a tattoo, either!) It's just interesting to have your own perspective stated, which is rather different from those of some other ppl in other parts of the world.
In North America, for example, things tend to be very different; this quote is from the Bible Belt; it is definitely not referring to crime syndicates:
forums dot thewelltrainedmind dot comQueenCat said:
If you read what @Angelina just said, above, — who is in New Zealand — and other posts also you will see that — in many Western countries — if ppl decide to get tattooed it's simply the case that it's something that tends to be done naturally and confidently. Angelina's comments have nothing to do with gangsters.
(Hence many Christians — by no means all — get faith based ones, which often become a useful talking point to others when they enter ppl's conversations.)
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The men from years ago for the most part came to believe it was mistake they made and wish they could undo it. Why should it be different with women today? What should this have to do with our testimony? Do we have a testimony or do we need some outward display to tell the story for us?
Up until a few years ago my wife and I used to visit periodically a second hand store where a kindly old man regularly worked the cash register. We noticed a tatoo of numbers on his wrist and he told us his story. He had been a Jew living in a Europe under the control of Nazi Germany. He did not volunteer to receive the tattooed number... but receive it he did. God kept the man from the worst that happened to so many of his natural brothers and sisters, the children of Jacob, and he was truly thankful for it. But... he never forgot and could not forget what he saw and experienced. Now his tatoo was serving as a reminder to him and to people like us who saw it. He did not try to hide it, but certainly wished he had never received it. That old man is gone now from this life but his story and those of others remain.
He had a real story behind his tatoo that was more than a 'conversation starter'. Should not our lives be our conversation starter? Should not our lives show anyone who is looking just exactly who Jesus is? Are we not supposed to be the image of Jesus that people may see today? If we are and if people are hungry and thirsty for Him, will they not be able see?
Must or should we wear a cross around our neck or carry always a Bible in our hand, or have a tatoo on our skin in order to let people know we serve the Master? With what should we cover ourselves in order to be seen as Jesus was seen?
@amadeus Interesting perspective, thank-you for explaining.
Your contribution is appreciated.
Faith based tattoos do indeed work as conversation-starters but there are all sorts of other ways and circumstances which do indeed work also.