Grace – The Enormous Gap Between What I Deserve & What God has Given Me

This past Sunday my pastor made the bold statement that all of the problems we have in our life are the direct result of us not understanding grace well enough.  Whether it is anxiety, grief, stress, conflict, fear, temptation, depression, or anger, it is caused by the fact that we don’t fully grasp this idea of grace.

I have been thinking about this all week, and I feel he is correct.  If we truly viewed our lives everyday through the lens of what we deserve vs. what God has given us, every difficulty we face would shrink in significance compared to the astonishing, scandalous love He has recklessly poured out on us.

There are two sides to meditate on in order to get a better idea of how vast this grace actually is: one is our total depravity and the other is God’s amazing and unbelievable love, forgiveness, and acceptance of us.  The further apart you can push these two things in your own mind, the better you will understand this concept of grace.  The more you understand grace the less you will struggle with the day-to-day difficulties and hardships, the more you will honestly desire to love other people, and the more you will look like Jesus to this world.

However, this requires great humility. It requires you to face the reality of who you really are and what you really deserve.  The more you understand your own depravity and become fully aware of what you deserve in this minute, the greater God’s grace will grow in your eyes.  The more you cling to your own pride, self-esteem, and worth, the less you will grasp grace and the more you will find yourself struggling with living the life Christ has called you to.

1.) Total Depravity

As I mentioned above, in order to expound our understanding of grace we need a deeper understanding of our own sinfulness.  This is never fun.  In fact it is humiliating and painful.  But, oh it is necessary.  This is also not a message that you hear anywhere.  This culture doesn’t believe it and even churches don’t teach it.  So I’m going to shatter a few cultural myths that we all believe (at least to some degree).

Self-esteem is a cult.  I know that isn’t what you are told to believe.  You are told that you need to have a high view of your own worth, and that is healthy.  No.  It is VERY unhealthy.  What you need is a high view of God’s worth and that His worth is given to you even though you don’t deserve it.  Self-esteem is nothing other than pride.  The bible says that Pride is evil.  In his book “Mere Christianity” C.S. Lewis wrote:

“The essential vice, the utmost evil, is Pride. Unchastity, anger, greed, drunkenness, and all that, are mere fleabites in comparison: it was through Pride that the devil became the devil: Pride leads to every other vice: it is the complete anti-God state of mind.”

Nowhere in scripture will you see a positive view of your own self-worth encouraged.  Quite the opposite.

“He leads the humble in justice, And He teaches the humble His way” ~ Psalm 25:9 (see also Psalm 10:4; 18:12; and 94:2).

“Everyone who is proud in heart is an abomination to the LORD; Assuredly, he will not be unpunished ~Proverbs 16:5 (see also Proverbs 8:13; 11:2; 16:18-19; 18:12; and 21:4, 24)

I know this is a tough thought.  It’s tough for me too.   I have been wrestling with this for some time but I am starting to understand.  I need to get over myself.  I need to let it sink in and go down to my core.  I am not a good person.  I am not a valuable asset to God’s team.  I do not deserve to be treated well.  I am worthless.  That’s right I said it.  I’m worthless.  Apart from God, I have no worth.

Why would I say that?  What does the word of God say about all of us in Romans 3:

“There is no one righteous, not even one; there is no one who understands, no one who seeks God. All have turned away, they have together become worthless; there is no one who does good, not even one.  Their throats are open graves; their tongues practice deceit. The poison of vipers is on their lips. Their mouths are full of cursing and bitterness. Their feet are swift to shed blood; ruin and misery mark their ways, and the way of peace they do not know.  There is no fear of God before their eyes.” ~ Rom 3: 11-18 (emphasis added)

People will say, but we have worth because we are created in God’s image.  Yes, the fact that we are created in the image of God gives us as humans elevated worth over other creatures, and even angels.  However, even that “worth” doesn’t come from us, but from God.  We are only worth anything because we reflect His worth, His glory.  God is not obligated to treat us any differently because he made us to reflect His glory.  In and of myself, I have no worth.  I have nothing good to bring.  There is nothing good that is left unspoiled in me as a human.

Every part of us has been tainted and spoiled by sin.  This is what the Levitical law was intended to show is.  We are like the article of clothing that is infected with a spreading mildew and must be burned because the whole garment is contaminated (Lev 13:47-59).  In the Bible, sin is frequently compared to a minuscule amount of yeast that permeates all of the dough (Matt 16:6, Mark 8:15, Luk 12:1).  This is what is meant by total depravity.  It isn’t that I am so bad that I couldn’t be any worse.  That would be “utter depravity”.  It is that we have all sinned and that sin has infected every part of our being.  There isn’t any part of us that isn’t tainted by it.  That is why nothing we do is ever good or unselfish.  We are all totally depraved.

It is only by understanding that I have no merit on my own that I can begin to base my merit on that which will hold up, that which will stand when I fail, when I am ridiculed, when I am laughed at, when I am  slandered.  It is only the humble Christian that can truly find joy and peace in who they are because they know that they are nothing and that Christ is everything.  After that realization, there is nothing anyone can say that can hurt you.  You pride is in your father’s love for you and not in your own worth.  This is what I call Christ-esteem, and it is infinitely better than self-esteem.

It is our own elevated view our worth that causes us to cringe when we read the Old Testament.  Why is God seem so cruel and harsh?  How can He sanction the murder of so many people, even women and children?  How can He have the nation of Israel stone a man to death who used the Lord’s name in vain?  To us these seem over the top, unmerited, and even cruel.  That is because we have the false belief that these people deserve better.  We believe that we are owed forgiveness from God.  Oh how wrong we are.  We need to realize that not even the fallen angles are offered forgiveness.  There is absolutely nothing that compels God to forgive me.  He owes me exactly nothing, except eternal punishment.  Why, because I deserve it.

The amazing American pastor and theologian, Jonathan Edwards, articulates this better than I ever could in his famous sermon, “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God”:

“The God that holds you over the pit of hell, much as one holds a spider, or some loathsome insect over the fire, abhors you, and is dreadfully provoked: his wrath towards you burns like fire; he looks upon you as worthy of nothing else, but to be cast into the fire; he is of purer eyes than to bear to have you in his sight; you are ten thousand times more abominable in his eyes, than the most hateful venomous serpent is in ours. You have offended him infinitely more than ever a stubborn rebel did his prince; and yet it is nothing but his hand that holds you from falling into the fire every moment. It is to be ascribed to nothing else, that you did not go to hell the last night; that you was suffered to awake again in this world, after you closed your eyes to sleep. And there is no other reason to be given, why you have not dropped into hell since you arose in the morning, but that God’s hand has held you up.”

When you begin to see yourself as God see you (apart from Jesus) you will be on your way to seeing grace as far more than you ever have before.  It is only when you begin to understand that this morning, instead of waking up in the fires of hell, which you justly deserve, you have the amazing blessing of going out and living as a slave to your merciful Lord today.  You will be able to rejoice in hardships and trails because, no matter how bad it is, it doesn’t even come close to what you deserve.  This is why Paul is able to express joy in 2 Corinthians 6:

“Rather, as servants of God we commend ourselves in every way: in great endurance; in troubles, hardships and distresses; in beatings, imprisonments and riots; in hard work, sleepless nights and hunger; in purity, understanding, patience and kindness; in the Holy Spirit and in sincere love; in truthful speech and in the power of God; with weapons of righteousness in the right hand and in the left; through glory and dishonor, bad report and good report; genuine, yet regarded as impostors; known, yet regarded as unknown; dying, and yet we live on; beaten, and yet not killed; sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; poor, yet making many rich; having nothing, and yet possessing everything.” ~ 2 Cor 6:4-10

2.) The Love and Mercy of God

It is unbelievable to realize that we have been pardoned from the just punishment that we deserve.  If that were the end of the story we would have more than enough reason to praise God and give our lives over to Him for His service.  But it doesn’t stop there.  Not even close.  He has done so much more than just pardon us.  He has shown such unbelievable love for us.

“God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” ~ 2 Cor 5:21

Jesus, perfect and sinless, had never known the pain, guilt, regret, and shame of sin.  We have all felt it.  He volunteered to go to the cross, the bible says “scorning its shame” (Heb 12:2).  All of that guilt and shame was placed on Him.  He felt it all.  The weight of trillions of people’s countless sins all on Him at one moment.  The thought is just too staggering for me.  Why did he do this? “that we might become the righteousness of God”.  Oh, that you could see how God sees you if you believe in Jesus.  He doesn’t see a sinner.  You are a saint.  The very righteousness of Jesus is transferred over to you.  You have become HIS righteousness!

When God looks down upon you, saint, he not only sees someone who He has pardoned, but He sees one who has the very righteousness of Jesus.  He sees you on the same level as Jesus Christ.  You can approach Him as His child!  You are blameless in His sight!  This is truly the “Good news”.

You are adopted.  You have become a child of God.  You can never do anything to make Him love you any more or any less.  You are not on a merit/demerit basis with Him.  You know this full well because you understand that you have no merit except that which you have been given from Him.  You did NOTHING to earn this.  Even your faith in him is a gift from God.

God will never stop loving you.  He has no more wrath for you.  It has all been paid for by Jesus.  But oh what a high price it came at.  It cost Jesus so much.

Doesn’t that motivate you to want to love Him?  Doesn’t that cause you to long to serve a God who would love you enough to pay your gruesome dept?  If it doesn’t then you still don’t understand it.  This makes me want to spend every minute of the rest of my life serving Him.  I thank God for the unbelievable honor of being a slave to Him.  This is how Paul felt.

“For I am the least of the apostles, unworthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace toward me was not in vain. On the contrary, I worked harder than any of them, though it was not I, but the grace of God that is with me. Whether then it was I or they, so we preach and so you believed.” ~ 1 Cor 15:9-11

Paul understood grace.  God’s grace towards him was not in vain because Paul was so moved by it that he devoted his life telling everyone about it.

Are you that moved by God’s grace toward you?  Are you willing to lower your pride and accept who you are and what you really deserve?  Can you fully grasp or understand the cost of your freedom?  Can you wrap you head around the depth of love it took for the God of the universe to humble Himself and become a pooping, crying, infant child, born to a poverty-stricken, nothing family in nowhere-ville, placed in a feeding trough for animals, all for you? Can you really stand thinking about the Almighty God of all creation enduring torture, mocking, insults, and hate?  What about when you think of the Alpha and Omega, hanging on a tree being laughed at and cursed at, while He pleads for His Father to have mercy on those cursing Him and to forgive them?  Can you continue to go your own way if you understood that He said His very last words, “it is finished”. . . your forgiveness is finished . . . while they shoved a feces and vinegar stained cloth into his mouth.   Do you realize that it is your filth that was in His mouth?  It is your shame He was wearing.  That was your cross . . . and you deserved it.

Scandalous, scandalous love!  Who could ever believe such love?!  This is why the cross is foolishness to the world.  But, to us who have been gifted understanding, it is a wondrous, hideously beautiful thing.

Oh God forgive me for thinking that I am owed anything today except to be placed on my cross and to suffer forever.  There are never enough words to thank you for saving me, cleansing me, and redeeming me.  You can have today.  My life is yours now.  Use it and spend it however you please.  I will pick up my cross and follow you.  What joy and peace there is in living in your grace.  I know that nothing comes to me except that which you allow for my benefit.  May I praise you today for everything that you bring.

Practical Guide to Biblical Manhood

Integrity—The Hallmark of a Man

“Our mission is to live for the glory of Jesus every moment of every day no matter the cost or consequence”

Integrity with All Relationships

• Be proactive, not passive. This one is at the heart of everything on this page.  A man doesn’t sit back and wait for others to do what they should.  He acts first and others follow.  This means YOU seek reconciliation in relationships first.  YOU ask questions when you don’t understand.  YOU step up and help when others aren’t. (Prov 4:7, 6:6, 13:4, 18:15, Jer 32:39, Jam 2:7)
• Seek mentorship. It doesn’t matter what you believe, you NEED mentorship.  Manhood is not self taught, it is passed on.  Find a man (or group of men) that are willing to meet with you one-on-one and help you grow in the areas you are week in.  You will have to be willing to be corrected. You have to take the initiative to get this.  Don’t wait for the men to come to you!  (Ps 141:5, Prov 4:10-11, 13:10, 15:22, 17:10, 18:15, 1 Tim 2:1-2, 4:11, Tit 2:6-8,15)
• Seek accountability. We can’t go it alone.  We need brothers to ask the tough questions and keep us honest.  If you know someone is going to ask you this week if you gave into that sin, it is more motivation to keep clear of it.  Again, the action here is in your camp.  You must seek this out from others. (Ecc 4:9-12, Gal 6:1-2, Col 3:16,  Prov 27:17)
• Seek community. If you are isolated and feeling alone you are being passive!  You have brothers who want to be here for you.  Take initiative and be in community.  It doesn’t matter if this is comfortable for you or not.  We are the body of Christ and we are to be unified.  Satan is a lion.  He seeks the week one, separated from the heard.  (Prov 18:1-2, 28:26, Eph 4:1-16, 1 Cor 12:25-27, Gal 6:1-2, 1 Pet 5:8)
• Be humble and teachable.  A real man is not a proud man.  Jesus lowered himself to be a servant. You should welcome criticism because it helps you grow.  A real man can handle it.  If you can’t be taught or react negatively when others point out where you need to grow, you must give up the stronghold of pride.  Seek out criticism.  Ask for it from others.  This will show everyone your heart to grow.  (Eph 4:2, Phil 2:5-11, Prov 11:2, 18:12, 29:23)
• Be confident and lead. Every man by definition is a leader.  God created you to have a specific ministry to your family, within the body of Christ, and out from the body.  Confidence is not the same as pride (if your confidence is based on the Holy Spirit’s work in your heart).  There is a deplorable lack of Godly men in the world today.  Therefore, you should be leading others in many aspects of your life.  Find where God wants you to minister and LEAD! If you lack needed training or discipleship, seek it out.  (John 21:15-17, Prov 18:15)
• Accept responsibility for all your actions and repent. Don’t make excuses.  When it’s your fault, admit it.  Have the attitude of President Truman, “The Buck Stops Here”.  This builds trust.  Don’t be like Adam and passively blame Eve.  (Gen 3:9-12, Ps 32, 2 Sam 12)

Integrity at Work

• Put in 40 hours of work for 40 hours of pay. You’re getting paid to do a job, not goof around. There are of course exceptions; you may be done with one project and have nothing to do until you get your next assignment. But if you’re supposed to be working on something, you shouldn’t be watching March Madness games. (Col 3:22-23)
• Don’t take credit for others’ success. Never take someone’s idea and pitch it as your own. And don’t jump on a wagon at the end of a successful ride that you didn’t contribute to. (Prov 27:2, 1 Tim 5:18)
• Be transparent. Make your deals as transparent as possible. Don’t leave out things that the other party is going to hate you for later when they figure out what they really signed. (Deut 25:15-17)
• Don’t steal supplies. Yeah, the corporation you work for doesn’t pay you enough. And yeah, no one is going to miss that box of paperclips. But it’s still stealing, buddy. (Deut 5:19, Eph 4:28, Tit 2:9-11, Matt 30:13-15)
• Avoid situations where you’ll have a conflict of interest. If you’re caught in something that prevents you from making completely honest decisions, get out. (Jam 3:17, Rom 2:11, 1 Tim 5:21)
• If your company pressures you to make unethical decisions, walk away. It’s not true every man has a price; a man of integrity prizes his character and glorifying God above monetary security. Is it possible to make it in your career field while having true integrity? Yes, but only if you’re the best at what you do. You’ll always need to be a cut above the guys who take shortcuts to get ahead. Remember, it’s not about this life!  (Prov 13:11, Matt 6:24, Col 3:1-2, Phil 3:7-11, 1 Pet 2:19-21, 3:13-17, 4:12-19)

Integrity in Your Romantic Relationships

• Be an open book. Don’t keep secrets from your significant other. Even if the secrets don’t affect her, if she finds out you’ve been keeping stuff from her, it will erode the trust between you. This doesn’t mean if you sinned sexually in previous relationships that you should tell her all the details.  You should be open about your sin, but protect her from as many details as you can. (Prov 12:22, 14:5)
• Make a covenant with your eyes (Job 31:1). Don’t buy the lie that it’s ok to look at women in lust as long as you don’t act on it.  All lust (other than for your wife) is sin. This includes pornography, eyeing women on the street, or even dwelling on risky commercials or revealing magazines.  This is the major hook Satan uses to keep you in bondage.  Break free!  (Matt 5:28)
• Keep boundaries and margin in your life. You don’t walk right up to a steep drop off.  No, the bank might give way and collapse.  Don’t do the same in your life.  Don’t go right up to the place you might be tempted.  Stop several steps back from ever being in a place you might be tempted.  Practical examples are not meeting with women alone, or in intimate settings, if you are married not talking with women on the internet, placing filters on your computer, and never traveling alone with women. (Gen 4:7, Prov 7)
• Avoid emotional adultery. Having integrity in regards to physical adultery is a given. Harder is avoiding emotional adultery, a straying that seems more innocuous at first, but easily leads to the corporeal variety. If you find yourself sharing more of your thoughts and feelings with a female friend or co-worker than you do with your wife, it’s time to take a big step back and repent. (Ecc 4:9-12, Matt 19:4-6, Eph 5:22-33)
• End a relationship when you know it’s over. If you’re dating someone and have reached the point where you know you two don’t have a future together, don’t keep dragging her along because you’re afraid to end things. Break up with her like a man (in person, clear, and considerate). A Christ-following man should only date a girl he honestly feels he may marry (she must be a believer). (2 Cor 6:14-15)
• Treat women as daughters of God and sisters in Christ. Would you act the same way with her if her father was in the room with you?  Well, I assure you. . . He is!  If you don’t you will show her that you care more about pleasure and yourself than serving God.  She is looking to you to lead.  The Word commands husbands to love their wives as Christ loves the church.  If you are single you must start living this way now. Chivalry need not be dead in the church.  As Rob Roy says, “Women are the heart of honor – and we cherish and protect it in them.” (Eph 5:25-29, 1 Tim 1:1-2)

Integrity with your Friendships

• Keep your promises. Always, always follow-through with the things you have said you will do. A man’s word is his bond. If you tell your friend that you’ll hang out with him, and then the girl you like invites you over–too bad. You already made other plans. If you commit to being at a church function or being in charge of something, follow through.  If you notice people asking you to promise or calling you to remind you of something, you have failed to gain their trust.  (Matt 5:36)
• Don’t talk smack about other people. Saying something behind someone’s back that you wouldn’t say to their face shows a distinct lack of integrity. No one will trust you then.  (Prov 11:13, 20:19, Jam 3:3-11)
• Be the vault. When friend trusts you with confidential information, lock those secrets away. Nothing erodes a friendship faster then a breach of trust in the secret department. (Prov 11:13)
• Speak up and be real about sin. Confront your Christian brothers with the sin in their lives.  Do it in a loving way and take them to the scripture.  This is not license to be religious and make up rules that aren’t in the bible.  If we don’t address sin, none of us will grow. (Matt 7:3-5, 1 Cor 5:9-13, Rom 14, Gal 6:1-2, Col 3:16, Ps 141:5)
• Seek to build “real” relationships.  A real relationship is not one without conflict, but rather one where conflict is resolved in a Godly manor.  Real men do not run from relationships when conflict comes up.  They face it and work to reconcile it by forgiveness and grace (like Jesus has for us).  Running from relationships is cowardly. (Matt 5:23-24, 18:15-20)

From the film ROB ROY:

Son: Father, will the McGregor’s ever be kings again?

ROB ROY: All men with honor are kings – but not all kings have honor.

SON: What is honor?

ROB ROY: Honor is…what no man can give ye, and no one can take away. Honor is a man’s gift to himself.

SON: Do women have it?

ROB ROY: Women are the heart of honor – and we cherish and protect it in them. You must never mistreat a woman, or malign a man. Or stand by and see another do so.

SON: How do you know if you have it?

ROB ROY: Never worry in the getting of it. It grows in ye and speaks to ye. All you need to do is listen.

Monthly Fun Activity for May

It’s that time again.  This next week will be our “fun night”.  We through around a few ideas at bible study and the leading canidate right now seems to be having a BBQ at Lundeen Park in Lake Stevens.  We could grill up some brats, burgers, and dogs, throw around a Frisbee, football, and just hang out for the evening.

Please comment on this idea below.  If you’d rather do something else we’re open to suggestions.  We also need a backup plan if the weather isn’t going to cooperate.  Ideas please!

If we decide to do the BBQ, we will definitely need people to volunteer to bring food items.  We an use the comment thread for that as well.

For those of you who may not know where Lundeen Park is, here is a map.

View Larger Map

The Refuge Shirts for Sale

We have two designs of Refuge shirts for sale!

The first was designed by Jake and has The Refuge logo (header above) and has The Refuge scripture on the back (Psalms 46:1-3).  it also has the web page address.  See the pictures below.

FRONT

BACK

The second shirt is a long sleave shirt this verse on the front: “He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart (Psalm 91:4)”.  It is not a custom made shirt for The Refuge group but it is really sharp and might sart conversations.

Both shirts will cost between $17-20 (depending on shipping costs).  If you would like to purchase one, please leave a comment on this post and tell us which shirt, what size, and how many.  We need to have this information by Monday so we can get the best price on the order.

Jesus Christ, Barabbas, the Two Goats, and You

Yesterday while reading the bible, the Holy Spirit revealed something to me that I had never quite grasped before.  He does that, you know.  The Holy Spirit is a person, not just a “force”.  He has specific responsibilities; one of which is to explain the scriptures to us.  That’s right!  If you are a child of God, you get to have God himself looking over your shoulder while you read His word pointing things out to you and explaining what they mean.  Jesus described this ministry of the Holy Spirit this way:

“These things I have spoken to you while I am still with you. But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you.” ~ John 14:25-26

And John says:

“As for you, the anointing you received from him remains in you, and you do not need anyone to teach you. But as his anointing teaches you about all things and as that anointing is real, not counterfeit—just as it has taught you, remain in him.” ~ 1 John 2:27

Anyway, back to what He showed me.  I was reading through the Gospels  and I came to the part where Jesus is about to be crucified.  He is before Pilate.  Pilate finds no guilt in him and neither does Herod.  Jesus is found innocent, blameless, and without fault.

This, of course, I have known from childhood.  But, what the Spirit showed me was the amazing sovereignty of God.  I was pondering the following verse when this was revealed to me:

“Now it was the governor’s custom at the Feast to release a prisoner chosen by the crowd.” ~ Matthew 27:15

I was thinking to myself, what a strange custom.  Here were people that had done all kinds of terrible, evil and rebellious things.  Why would the governor have such mercy?  Romans weren’t known for valuing mercy.  to a Roman it was generally considered a sign of weakness.  Some of these criminals were arrested for starting rebellions against the Roman rule over the Jews.  In fact, the man they ended up releasing, Barabbas, was guilty of that as well as murder.  It seems like a risky thing for the Roman governor to release people known to have insighted rebellions against the government.  So, I was wondering why this was “the custom”.  Some may say it was to gain the favor of the local Jewish population.  Perhaps, but that isn’t the REAL reason.

As I was pondering this, the Holy Spirit wispered something to my spirit.

“This is because I planned all these events before the foundation of the world.  All of this happened in order to fulfill what was written in the scriptures.”

At first I didn’t really understand this idea.  I knew that the Crucifixion of Jesus was planned by God and that it fulfilled the prophecies of the Messiah.  But, I didn’t see what that had to do with the custom of the releasing of a prisoner by Pilate.  Then the Spirit revealed to me how even the most minute details, often overlooked, of Jesus’ death were planned and foreshadowed in the scriptures.  Then the Spirit reminded me of the Law in the old testament.  About the Day of Atonement.

I have recently finished reading the old testament.  I was amazed how almost the whole narrative points towards Jesus Christ and what he did.  Some parts are difficult to understand, though.  One such part is the Levitical Law detailing the required sacrifices.  I have long understood that the burnt sacrifices represent the ultimate and final sacrifice for sin, Jesus Christ.  However, when I recently read it I had trouble with understanding some of the details.  One such detail is what is known as “the scapegoat”.

The “Day of Atonement” (Yom Kippur) was the most sacred and important day of the year for the Jews.  This was the day of national mourning and repentance of sin.    On this day the High Priest would enter the Holy of Holies and offer up a sacrifice for his sins and a sacrifice for the sins of the whole nation.  It was on this day the the High Priest offered up a special sacrifice (two goats) for the sins of the people.  Both goats started off pure and without defect.  Lots were cast and one goat was selected as the sin offering and the other was called the “scapegoat”.  The scapegoat was released into the desert.

Today, we use the term “scapegoat” with almost the direct opposite meaning as it has here in Leviticus 16.  We think of a scapegoat as the one who takes all the blame for a crime, allowing others who are guilty to go free.  The Hebrew word here has a different meaning.  The “scapegoat” is the one who escapes and goes free while the other goat is sacrificed for the sins of the nation.  I think the confusion around this comes from Leviticus 16:20-22:

“. . . he shall bring forward the live goat. He is to lay both hands on the head of the live goat and confess over it all the wickedness and rebellion of the Israelites—all their sins—and put them on the goat’s head. He shall send the goat away into the desert in the care of a man appointed for the task.  The goat will carry on itself all their sins to a solitary place; and the man shall release it in the desert.”

It is true that in the Levitical ritual the scapegoat does bear the sins of the people upon it.  However, it is the other goat that dies to pay for those sins.  When I read this part of the old testament I wondered why God had the priest put their sins on the goat that was released and not on the one that was sacrificed.

I feel like I finally understand this, thanks to the Spirit’s work.  The point of this ritual is that, while both goats started out pure, the released goat (scapegoat) is now “guilty”, tarnished, and sinful.  It is the guilty goat that is released while the innocent, pure goat is sacrificed.

This is a mirror of what happened on the ultimate “Day of Atonement”, when Jesus was crucified for our sins.  Jesus Christ, the pure, sinless, holy, undefiled sacrifice is found “not guilty” by the courts, yet he is sentenced to a brutal death (just like the goat).  While Barabbas, a guilty man (a notorious criminal, murder, and rebel) was released and set free.

Barabbas is a scapegoat.  He is chosen by the crowed to be released instead of Jesus.  He escapes the punishment that he rightfully deserves because of the sacrifice of the sin offering.

“With one voice they cried out, “Away with this man! Release Barabbas to us!” (Barabbas had been thrown into prison for an insurrection in the city, and for murder.)  Wanting to release Jesus, Pilate appealed to them again. But they kept shouting, “Crucify him! Crucify him!” For the third time he spoke to them: “Why? What crime has this man committed?  I have found in him no grounds for the death penalty. Therefore I will have him punished and then release him.”But with loud shouts they insistently demanded that he be crucified, and their shouts prevailed. So Pilate decided to grant their demand. He released the man who had been thrown into prison for insurrection and murder, the one they asked for, and surrendered Jesus to their will.” ~Luke 23:18-25

When I saw this and understood it, it was a beautiful thing to my eyes.  I praised God.  How can anyone not believe in a God so powerful that he can orchestrate governments, rulers, customs, and even the sins of men to work to accomplish his purposes and prove his word true.  God had planned for the Roman rulers to have the seemingly strange custom of releasing a prisoner so that He could prove, beyond any doubt, that He alone is God and that Jesus was indeed the Messiah.

I have studied the scriptures all of my life and I continue to be amazed that the deeper I look the more they defy reason and prove to me their power and supernatural origin.

“He said to them, “This is what I told you while I was still with you: Everything must be fulfilled that is written about me in the Law of Moses, the Prophets and the Psalms.” Then he opened their minds so they could understand the Scriptures.” ~ Luke 24:43-25

How could a book written by 40 people have so much cohesion, unity of purpose, singular focus, message, and story if it was not the very words of God?  How could man foresee hundreds of years ahead of time, the events of Jesus life, and prophecy about them, set up rituals that symbolize them, and tell stories that mirror the redeemer?  It takes SO much more faith to believe that than to believe this book was written by God.  There is simply just no other reasonable conclusion I can draw.  My God-given sense of reason and logic demands that I except the obvious conclusion.

The character Sherlock Holmes, created by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, is known for saying:

“When you eliminate the impossible, whatever remains–however improbable–must be the truth”.

Jesus says:

“Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth.” ~ John 17:17

But, there is more to this amazing truth than just that God fulfilled His prophecy.  There is a message here for us.  Do you understand that you are the scapegoat?  You are Barabbas.  You and I are the guilty ones.  Yes, we are guilty.  It doesn’t matter that you aren’t a murderer or rapist, or child molester.  You are just as guilty because the standard is the pure, blameless, goat with out any defect (Jesus Christ).

OK, time to learn some theology :) .  I’m going to throw some theological phrases at you and try to explain what they mean quickly.  Of course, to adequately explain them would take much longer than I have .

Jesus paid the price so that you could go free and be saved from the penalty of your sin.  This is called “substitutionary atonement“.  He is our substitute who atones (pays for) our sins.  If you choose to repent of your sin (like the Jews did on Yom Kippur) and follow Jesus, you will be saved as though one saved from the penalty of crucifixion as Barabbas was.  In the eyes of God you are now innocent of your sins.  Your charges are dropped.  You are free.  This is called “expiation“, which means to make pious, pure, or clean.  You are now clean and free of any fault in the eyes of God.  Amazing!

Sin always results in death.  The wrath of God must be appeased.  Jesus did this. The sins of the one who is a follower of Jesus were cast upon Jesus on the cross.  He bore them and put them to death.   This is called the doctrine of “propitiation“.  This describes the means by which Jesus  fulfills the wrath of God (both an emotional response of anger and a moral response of indignation), and appeases Him who would otherwise be offended by our sin and would demand that we pay the penalty for it.

Picture it: God, the creator of the universe, decides to take the penalty of your sin and suffer as you deserved, to die the death you earned.  Why?  Not because we are anything great.  No far from it.  But, because for some unfathomable reason He LOVES you in a perfect and complete way that we don’t have the words to capture or the mental capability to understand.

This realization makes me long to spend every moment of my life bringing honor and glory to Him!

But, woe to the ones who don’t follow Him.  For they have no expiation.  They are not clean.  They remain in there filthy, sinful state.  They have no propitiation.  They have no one to absorb the wrath of the just God.  It will fall squarely on them and crush them.

Jesus said to them,  “Have you never read in the Scriptures: “‘The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone; this was the Lord’s doing, and it is marvelous in our eyes’?” Therefore I tell you, the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people producing its fruits. And the one who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces; andwhen it falls on anyone, it will crush him.” ~ Matthew 21:42-43

Two Great Quotes (How to Read the Bible and Knowing You’re Saved)

John Giddings passed on two quotes today that I thought were very good so I wanted to share them with all of you.  The second one is particularly timely as the topic of discussion this week is “What does it mean to be a Christian”.  Read these quotes and meditate on them.  We will be diving into this issue deeper tomorrow, so come ready to share and learn.  See you there.

There are two ways to read the Bible. The one way to read the Bible is that it’s basically about you: what you have to do in order to be right with God, in which case you’ll never have a sure and certain hope, because you’ll always know you’re not quite living up. You’ll never be sure about that future. Or you can read it as all about Jesus. Every single thing is not about what you must do in order to make yourself right with God, but what he has done to make you absolutely right with God. And Jesus Christ is saying, “Unless you can read the Bible right, unless you can understand salvation by grace, you’ll never have a sure and certain hope. But once you understand it’s all about me, Jesus Christ, then you can know that you have peace. You can know that you have this future guaranteed, and you can face anything.”
Tim Keller

How may I know I have understood the gospel and that I am elect? First, by the Word of God having come in divine power to the soul so that my self-complacency is shattered and my self-righteousness is renounced. Second, by the Holy Spirit convicting me of my woeful, guilty, and lost condition. Third, by having had revealed to me the suitability and sufficiency of Christ to meet my desperate case and by a divinely given faith causing me to lay hold of and rest upon Him as my only hope. Fourth, by the marks of the new nature within me – a love for God; an appetite for spiritual things; a longing for holiness; a seeking after conformity to Christ. Fifth, by the resistance which the new nature makes to the old, causing me to hate sin and loathe myself for it. Sixth, by avoiding everything which is condemned by God’s Word and by sincerely repenting of and humbly confessing every transgression. Failure at this point will surely bring a dark cloud over our assurance causing the Spirit to withhold His witness. Seventh, by giving all diligence to cultivate the Christian graces and using all diligence to this end. Thus the knowledge of election is cumulative.
A .W. Pink

Summer Mission Trip to NY

Hey everyone!  For those of you that are serious about going on the mission trip to New York this summer, I have an information packet for you to review.  The trip will most likely occur sometime in June.  I don’t have the exact dates yet but as soon as I have the information I will get it to you. 

The cost will run about $700-1000  per person, which is very reasonable for a mission trip.  That includes airfare, meals, lodging, and miscellaneous expenses.  If you feel God wants you to go don’t worry about the money right now.  We can do some fund-raising between now and then if you can’t afford it.  remember that God’s resources are unlimited and he will provide for you if you obey Him.

I would like everyone to pray seriously about whether God wants you to go or not.  This is a great opportunity for all Christians, regardless of where you are in your spiritual growth.  I promise you that trips of this kind will have a huge impact on your spiritual growth.  If you feel like you are to go, then please leave a comment below letting everyone know so that we all can begin praying for you and also so I can have an idea of the number of people we will be sending.

Click on the link below:

NY Mission Trip Packet

Let’s Help the Homeless!

I was watching the news this morning and I saw an immediate need.  As you all know, it is VERY cold out there this week.  The weather report says it is going to be below freezing all the way through Christmas. 

The news said this morning the the Everett Gospel Mission is overloaded with people who are trying to stay alive and get out of the cold.  They have people sleeping in the halls.  They really need some support providing basic necessities.  Check out this video:
http://www.king5.com/video/index.html?nvid=313357

That’s where we come in!  As followers of Jesus Christ it is our mission to care for the poor, hungry, and homeless.  I think we can really make a difference this Christmas if we work hard and take this seriously. 

I contacted the EGM today and they sent me an updated list of that they need most right now.  Let’s sign up for items on this list.  Leave your comments below stating what you can get.  Bring the items to bible study this Wednesday and I can deliver them to the mission.  Here’s what they need:

Food Items:

• Holiday meat (turkey, ham)
• Canned vegetables (corn, green beans, etc.)
• Canned fruit (fruit cocktail, pineapple slices, etc.)
• Jell-O
• Stuffing
• Cranberry sauce
• Pie crusts
• Pie filling (cherry, pumpkin, sweat potato, etc.)
• Eggs
• Margarine/butter
• Flour and Sugar
• Fresh fruit (apples, oranges, bananas, etc.)

Non Food Items:

• Napkins/paper towels
• Aluminium foil/foil roasting pans
• Manicure sets
• Gift cards (Wal-Mart, Target, Payless, Sears, shoes)
• Flannel shirts
• Robes/house slippers
• Phone cards
• Cosmetic/shaving kits
• Watches/alarm clocks
• Perfume sets/cologne sets

Thanks in advance for your help.  Let’s let our light shine this year as we celebrate Christ’s birth.

“No, this is the kind of fasting I want . . . Share your food with the hungry, and give shelter to the homeless.   Give clothes to those who need them, and do not hide from relatives who need your help.”  
~ Isaiah 58:6-7

“This Guy is a Freak!”

Last night at bible study I told you guys some of Josh Hamilton’s amazing testimony.  God has changed his life and he now has a platform to tell the world why he is not dead or in jail.  Here is the whole story from ESPN:

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=2926447

Here is a great interview wherer he tells his story:

Here is a pretty good interview with him telling part of his amazing story.  I love the last thing the reporter says, “This guy is a freak!”

Is it Wrong for a Christian to Get a Tattoo?

OK.  I’ve been asked by some in The Refuge to address the controversial issue of whether it is biblical or sinful for Christians to get tattoos.  It is controversial because there are many well-meaning Christians that truly believe that God has told us not to mark our bodies and to do so is a sin.  We will look at this issue head-on and see what the bible really says about this. 

 I do want to say up front that this is a very personal issue, and people have strong convictions on both sides.  I believe that the bible gives us freedom to take either view for ourselves.  I do not believe that this implies that we can force our views on others or say that our view is right for everyone.  What I mean by that is that you are not free to tell someone that if they get a tattoo they are living in sin.  Also, you are not free to tell the person who believes that it is wrong for them to get a tattoo that they are misinterpreting the bible. . . but I am getting ahead of myself.

 

 So, where does this all come from?  What does the bible say about tattoos?  The word “tattoo” is only mentioned in the bible in one verse in the Old Testament.  In chapter 19, verse 28 of Leviticus it says,

 ”Do not cut your bodies for the dead or put tattoo marks on yourselves. I am the LORD.”

Initially, this seems pretty cut and dry.  However, there are some things that we need to understand about the context of this passage.  Who was it written to? What were the cultural considerations?  What was God’s intention with this command?

Let’s look at some of these questions. 

Who was this written to?

As I mentioned, this verse appears in the book of Leviticus.  This is the book in the Old Testament that outlines the law God handed down to the Israelites, His chosen people.  They were the descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob that God had chosen to bless.  He had made a convent (or promise) with them to bless them and use them to set an example for all the nations.  God also promised them that he would use the nation of Israel to bring all the nations back to Himself. 

 

The laws in the book of Leviticus (and the rest of the Old Testament) were directed specifically at the nation of Israel (the Jews) for the specific period of time before the New Covenant was established by the coming of the Messiah.  They were given to set them apart from other nations and make them holy in the eyes of their God.

 

What Were the Cultural Considerations?

The rules in this book are often called the “Levitical Law”.   These Levitical Laws can be broken down into the Sacrificial Law, and the Law of Purification.

 

The Sacrificial Law, required that an offering be presented to God for a sin debt.  Whenever anyone sinned against God (violated His law) these rules outlined how they were to present an offering to make it right (or atone) for their sin.  They had to do these sacrifices over and over again for every sin that was committed.

 

The Law of Purification had numerous requirements that had to be followed to make one acceptable before God. They ranged from ritualistic washings, who could be married or associated with, what manner of dress and grooming was acceptable, prohibitions against the ingestion of blood, and what foods could be eaten.

 

What Was God’s Intention with these Commands?

It is this question that gets to the crux of the issue.  There were several intentions with this law.  I will talk about a few here:

 

 Sacrificial Law: God intended to show the Israelites that the penalty for all sin is death.  If one committed a sin you had a death sentence unless someone or something else paid it for you.  In the Old Testament this was paid by sacrificing an animal (usually a ram, bull, or goat).  This had to be done for every single sin, over and over.  This foreshadowed and symbolized the ultimate sacrifice for our sins, Jesus Christ dieing on the cross.  Jesus’ death was once for all our sins because he was the perfect sacrifice (1 Peter 3:18).

 

 Law or Purification: God intended to show Israel (and all the nations through Israel) that they were “unclean” in God’s eyes.  It was our sin that makes us unclean.  As a word picture for us, God related our spiritual uncleanness to physical impurities, imperfections, defects, and filth.  Sin is disgusting, repulsive in God’s eyes.  God was showing us that our attempts to purify ourselves are futile.  We cannot clean up and come to God.  Only God can wash away our imperfections and clean our sin stained clothes. 

 

 Additionally, God was using these Laws of Purification to separate His people from the other nations.  Deuteronomy 26:18 says in the KJV that God chose Israel to be His “peculiar people”.  They were to be special, different from everyone else.  He wanted to make them stand out to all the other nations so that they would look on and see what was different about this people.  Many of these laws of purification were meant to make Israel look physically different and there make their actions contrast with what was being done around them.

 

 OK, so now that we have a little insight into what the context of this verse is, where does that leave us?  Well, I think the next question we need to ask is does it still apply to Christians after Jesus Came?  Are we still under the law?

This is very Important and you all need to get this: ALL the requirements of Ritualistic Law, both Sacrificial & Purification, were met, for all time, by the Messiah, Jesus Christ!  Jesus is our sacrifice for all our sins.  It is through Jesus that we are pure in God’s eyes.  We can’t purify ourselves.  Jesus fulfilled the Law.  It is fulfilled in Him!

“Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them.” ~ Matthew 5:17

Jesus fulfilled the law and set us free from it.  If we are truly Christians (believers and followers of Jesus) we do not live under the Levitical Law. 

“For Christ has already accomplished the purpose for which the law was given.  As a result, all who believe in him are made right with God.” ~ Romans 10:4

So, the purpose for the law is now gone.  It was accomplished with what Jesus Christ did for us.  The bible tells us the law was given to lead us to, or train us for, Christ. . .

“So the law was put in charge to lead us to Christ that we might be justified by faith.  Now that faith has come, we are no longer under the supervision of the law.” ~ Galatians 3:24-25

Jesus came to set us free. . . free from our slavery to sin and free from the weight of the law.  Jesus, the Messiah, is the ultimate, perpetual, atonement (payment) for man’s sin debt. There is nothing further that man can offer as atonement for sin; all such attempts belittle the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. Further, it is God, who makes us acceptable, through faith in Jesus, something the Law of Purification could never do. Abstaining from certain foods, not marking your body, etc. does not make one holy and/or acceptable before God.

“For no one can ever be made right with God by doing what the law commands. The law simply shows us how sinful we are.” ~ Romans 3:20

“So we are made right with God through faith and not by obeying the law.” ~ Romans 3:28

“knowing that a man is not justified by works of the Law, but through faith in Jesus Christ; even we believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith in Christ, and not by works of the Law. For all flesh will not be justified by works of law.”  ~ Galatians  2:16

There are plenty of “Religious” people running around the Christian Community who will dredge up the specific requirements of the law and try to hold them over people’s head. The simple fact is, that anyone proclaiming that you need to follow the Law of Atonement and/or the Laws of Purification has no valid biblical basis for their teachings and requirements. You will never impress God, become justified, or pay for your sins, by anything that you do or don’t do, aside from belief in Jesus. He has fully satisfied ALL the requirements of the Levitical Law portion of the Old Law for the believer.

What’s more is that the people who say this are almost always selective and hypocritical in how they apply these requirements.  The person who says, “you are sinning if you mark you body by getting a tattoo”, will try to enforce Leviticus 19:28 while at the same time ignore the other parts of the Levitical Law.  Here are some great examples from that very same chapter (Lev 19).  If you are going to say no one can get a tattoo, then you have to obey these other laws as well:

1. Don’t plant a field with two kinds of seed (v 20).   Corn and wheat together in one field?  Nope.
2. Don’t wear clothing made of two types of material (v 20).  Polyester-cotton blend?  You sinner! 
3. If you plant a tree don’t eat its fruit for the first 3 years (v 23). 
4. Don’t eat any meat with blood still in it (v 26).  Rare steaks. . . no chance! The French are definitely doomed.
5. Don’t cut the hair on the sides of your head or clip off the edges of your beard (v27).  Flattops and Goatees are definitely not an option.  I think all the Marines are going to hell.  :(

 

Of course this is not applicable to today’s culture and society.  Even those who say you can’t get tattoos wouldn’t go as far as arguing these points.  But that is hypocritical.  If you are going to hold people to the Levitical Law then you have to take the whole thing. You can’t just pick and choose the rules that agree with your preferences.

 

 Thankfully we are free from obligation to these laws.  They did have their time and place.  They were good and right for the purpose God used them for in that time.  Here is what Dr. Constable says about this passage of Lev 19:

 God’s people were to avoid pagan practices that characterized the Canaanites (vv. 26-32). These included eating blood (v. 26), cutting their hair in the style of the pagan priests (v. 27), and disfiguring their bodies that God had created (v. 28). They were not to disfigure the divine likeness in them by scarring their bodies. These foreign practices also included devoting one’s daughter to prostitution (v. 29), seeking knowledge of the future from a medium (v. 31), and failing to honor the aged (v. 32).

 Since the church contains people of every nation it is no longer necessary for Christians to observe the laws that typified Israel’s uniqueness among the other nations.

 Nevertheless God still calls Christians to imitate Himself (cf. Matt. 5:48; 1 Cor. 11:1), to “be holy, for I am holy” (1 Pet. 1:16). Application of the imperatives in this chapter is different for Christians, but the fundamental principles of holy living remain the same.

 He makes a good point here.  Since the church now includes all nations (the Gentiles), God no longer has to separate one nation as set apart, special, and different (KJV: peculiar) from the others.  So the commands for us to maintain our appearance in a way that make us visually look different from other people groups are no longer required.  God wanted the Israelites to be different from the Canaanites in every way so that they would not be tempted to embrace their culture, false Gods, and evil practices.  He also wanted to use the Israelites as His witness to those cultures of who God is.

 

This raises an interesting point though.  Aren’t we to be His witnesses today among all the people groups that do not know Him?  Aren’t we to be different from the world?  These are very valid questions. 

 

The arguments against Christians getting tattoos that make the most sense come from the New Testament.  While the New Testament never directly addresses getting tattoos, there are passages that some would use to argue against them.  Let’s look at some of them.

 “Flee from sexual immorality. All other sins a man commits are outside his body, but he who sins sexually sins against his own body. Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body. ~ 1 Corinthians 6:18-20

The verse above is the one verse from the New Testament that I hear quoted more than any other to argue that Christians should not mark there bodies.  The argument usually goes, “you shouldn’t get a tattoo because your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit and you should honor God with it.  If you get a tattoo you are disgracing God’s temple”. 

This is an interesting argument.  I personally don’t agree with it, but I see nothing wrong with someone holding this belief for themselves.  If you believe you are bringing honor to God’s temple by abstaining from getting a tattoo, by all means keep it up!  I know that God is pleased by your dedication to Him, for He looks and the motivations of our hearts. 

 

If your motivation is to somehow earn God’s favor by imposing this restriction on your self, I’m sorry but it’s not going to happen!  Also, if you think that others are sinning if they do it, you are wrong.  I love this verse:

“Since you died with Christ to the basic principles of this world, why, as though you still belonged to it, do you submit to its rules . . . they are based on human commands and teachings. Such regulations indeed have an appearance of wisdom, with their self-imposed worship, their false humility and their harsh treatment of the body, but they lack any value in restraining sensual indulgence.” ~ Colossians 2:20, 22-23

Imposing restrictive rules on yourself is one thing.  When you start to demand that others follow them, then you are pushing religion.  Man, Jesus really hated that when he was here on the earth!

But, back to the verse from 1 Corinthians 6, doesn’t that say that we shouldn’t dishonor the temple of the Holy Spirit, our body?  Look carefully at the verse.  How does it say that the temple is dishonored?  There is no mention of marking the body. It is in reference to sin, and specifically sexual sin, a sin that is inside your body (not outside).  Sexual sin is what dishonors the temple of the Holy Spirit.  The bible also says:

“Do not offer the parts of your body to sin, as instruments of wickedness, but rather offer yourselves to God, as those who have been brought from death to life; and offer the parts of your body to him as instruments of righteousness.” ~ Romans 6:13

When we sin we are using our bodies for wickedness.  This is what we are to avoid.  It isn’t about the appearance of our bodies, but the actions we do with them that is of concern.  It is human tendency to make everything skin-deep.  We like to impose restrictions on things we can see because that is easy to control and monitor.  But, God is concerned with what is inside us, what is in our heart.

 “What sorrow awaits you teachers of religious law and you Pharisees. Hypocrites! For you are so careful to clean the outside of the cup and the dish, but inside you are filthy—full of greed and self-indulgence! You blind Pharisee! First wash the inside of the cup and the dish, and then the outside will become clean, too.” ~ Matthew 23:25-26

If anyone tells you that you are in sin if you get a tattoo they have missed the entire point of the New Testament and the point of Jesus’ sacrifice for us!  They simply don’t get it.  This is not at all uncommon, unfortunately.  It was happening in the first century when Paul was writing his letters.  They were running into the same issues.  They were not struggling with tattoos but with the ritual of circumcision. 

 

This was a huge issue and stumbling block for early Jews who converted to Christianity.  They wanted to impose the additional requirement that all the gentiles become like them and be circumcised like the Old Testament law required.  It is the same root issue here.  People want to control the exterior appearance when what is really important is the condition of your heart.  Paul addressed it over and over again in the Epistles.  Here is one of my favorite examples:

 “NOTICE WHAT LARGE LETTERS I USE AS I WRITE THESE CLOSING WORDS IN MY OWN HANDWRITING.

Those who are trying to force you to be circumcised want to look good to others. They don’t want to be persecuted for teaching that the cross of Christ alone can save. And even those who advocate circumcision don’t keep the whole law themselves. They only want you to be circumcised so they can boast about it and claim you as their disciples.

As for me, may I never boast about anything except the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ. Because of that cross, my interest in this world has been crucified, and the world’s interest in me has also died. It doesn’t matter whether we have been circumcised or not. What counts is whether we have been transformed into a new creation. May God’s peace and mercy be upon all who live by this principle; they are the new people of God.” ~ Galatians 6:11-16

Man, that scripture sums it all up.  You should just re-read that and insert “not get a tattoo” wherever it says circumcised.  Point made!  Thanks Paul. :)  Don’t cheapen the cross!

What is a Good Reason NOT to Get a Tattoo (Jake’s Opinion)?
I alluded to this earlier when I was discussing how God originally wanted to set aside the Israelites as His chosen people.  This is similar to how Jesus has chosen us to be his people now.  We are to be different from the world. 

“you are a chosen people. You are royal priests, a holy nation, God’s very own possession. As a result, you can show others the goodness of God, for he called you out of the darkness into his wonderful light.” ~ 1 Peter 2:9

“Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.” ~ Romans 12:2

Some people feel that since tattoos are so common today that to get one is “copying the behavior and customs of the world”.  They feel that they can stand out as different from the world by not having one.  This could conceivably provide that person with the opportunity to share Christ with a lost person who notices they are different in this regard and asks, “why don’t you have a tattoo?”  They can then explain that they do it as a visual symbol of their spiritual purity in Christ and tell the person how they can have that in their life.

I feel this is a perfectly legitimate position and it may be effective in many circles (particularly if one is around people who have tons of tattoos). 

Another good reason not to get a tattoo is to avoid being vain or caring too much about your appearance.  Many tattoos that people get are simply for aesthetic reasons.  They get them because they “look cool”.  This may show that the person cares more about their appearance and what other people think about them than they should.  The bible tells us that we get our worth from the fact that we are created in God’s image.  We should not spend time, effort, and money in pursuit of gaining our worth from others.  This is a long topic of discussion by itself.  They bible tells us that our beauty comes from within and we should be conservative in our outward appearance. 

If a person knows that they struggle with valuing surface level appearance more then they should it may be a good idea for that person to not get a tattoo.  Chances are their reasons for getting it are not very good.

What Are Some Good Reasons For Getting a Tattoo (Jake’s Opinion)?
Just as some people feel they are a more effective witness by not having a tattoo, many feel that having one is an excellent witnessing opportunity.  Many people have pre-conceived notions about church and the bible.  They are resistant to religion and think that most Christians have a list of rules that they have to go by.  To these people a Christian with a tattoo may appear like a contradiction.  It can open up the door to talking about the freedom that is found in Christ.

While I don’t currently have a tattoo, I think that the people I find myself around most fall into this category.  I think that a Godly (and not vain or purely aesthetic) tattoo can be a great way to start a conversation about God with these people.  This obviously doesn’t hold true if you have a tattoo that in and of itself has a counter-biblical message.  

How much more true is this if the tattoo has a message that directly speaks to Jesus?  If I were to get one this is what I would try to do.

Other good reasons for getting a tattoo could be substantial personal significance of the marking, etc.  

So in summary, the bible does not prevent a Christian from getting tattoos.  You are free in Christ from the requirements of the Old Testament law.  But, now that we have been bought and paid for by Christ we are to live our lives for Him.  I believe anyone Christian considering getting a tattoo should pray about it and seek the Lords guidance.  It is permanent after all. 

My caution is not to just do it because “you want to”.  You should seek God’s will in every decision in your life, especially one as permanent as this.

Interesting Thought: Jesus Tattooed?
As I was thinking about this I thought about this passage from revelation. The passage isn’t completely clear but many interpret it that Jesus Christ has tattoos.  When Jesus returns, he is described in Revelation this way:

  “I saw heaven standing open and there before me was a white horse, whose rider is called Faithful and True. With justice he judges and makes war. His eyes are like blazing fire, and on his head are many crowns. He has a name written on him that no one knows but he himself. He is dressed in a robe dipped in blood, and his name is the Word of God. The armies of heaven were following him, riding on white horses and dressed in fine linen, white and clean. Out of his mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations. “He will rule them with an iron scepter.”  He treads the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God Almighty. On his robe and on his thigh he has this name written:
       KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS.” ~ Revelation 19:11-16

Perhaps Jesus has tattoos?