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NASB | James 4:17 Therefore, to one who knows the right thing to do and does not do it, to him it is sin. |
AMPLIFIED 2015 | James 4:17 So any person who knows what is right to do but does not do it, to him it is sin. |
Bible Question:
i am wanting to get me a tattoo to show my faith in God, and i have read leviticus 19:28, " 'Do not cut your bodies for the dead or put tattoo marks on yourselves. I am the LORD." was just wondering if i could still get one or not |
Bible Answer: Hello ck, Welcome to the forum. God bless you. It is a good thing that you desire a way to show your faith in God. However, to echo others, how would a tattoo do that? I want to give an example of how your question presents itself. The bible says thou shalt not lie. Does this mean I can't lie? This is really a foolish question in light of what I know about what the bible says, wouldn't you agree. Of course, the answer is, NO. It does not mean I can't lie. It means I should not lie. It means that if I do lie I dishonor and disobey God. It means that if I do lie I sin. As Christians we are no longer slaves to sin (Romans 6:6). This does not mean we will never sin, it means that we no longer have to obey the sinful desires of our flesh. We have, through the power of God, the Holy Spirit living in us, the ability to resist sin. We best honor God and best demonstrate our faith in God when we live in accordance with His will. We learn what His will is for us by reading and understanding what the bible says to us; not by looking for an angle around what is written. Someone said it is a "personal" choice or decision. He was right. It is your choice to let what is written be your guide, or to find away around what is written. Which do you believe honors God and best demonstrates your faith? One more thing. It is likely that you already know the answser to your own question. I base this on the fact that you are struggling with this decision. Why do you think that is? Might it be that you already know in your heart that this is really something you want for yourself, and not really something you believe will honor God and demonstrate your faith? Just asking, not accusing. God loves you. Love Him back in the best way you can. A good place to start is to honor Him and demonstrate your faith in Him by following what is written in His word the best you can. I hope this helps, Jeff |