Did You Ever Preach On The Subject Tattoos

[JerryNumbers]

Relating to this statement, but off topic also.... some Christians like to compare who was "badder" before being saved. Compare who drank the most, what they drank, what drugs and how much, how much money they spent on drugs, etc. etc. etc. It's like they're bragging. Some people who give testimonies do the same thing, they want to tell everyone in detail how bad they were instead of focusing on the salvation and the changes it's made in their lives.

 

I personally would never give details of how "bad" a sinner I was before salvation. It's in the past, it's forgiven, why would you want to talk of the old days? Again, it sounds like bragging.

 

Kind of like interviews of crime victims, the media wants to hear every single horrible thing that happened to them in explicit detail. Why traumatize them again?

 

Amen, Its almost as if each new one is trying to be badder than the last new one, as if they're bragging about it. And I fear some of what they say sounds kind of good, tempting, to some, & some may go out & try it.

 

And it also seems as if they're trying to make a living off of their past sins.

 

And some of them give way to much of a description, details of their sins.

 

I don't feel its a good idea to have them speak in church.

[John81]

Relating to this statement, but off topic also.... some Christians like to compare who was "badder" before being saved. Compare who drank the most, what they drank, what drugs and how much, how much money they spent on drugs, etc. etc. etc. It's like they're bragging. Some people who give testimonies do the same thing, they want to tell everyone in detail how bad they were instead of focusing on the salvation and the changes it's made in their lives.

 

I personally would never give details of how "bad" a sinner I was before salvation. It's in the past, it's forgiven, why would you want to talk of the old days? Again, it sounds like bragging.

 

Kind of like interviews of crime victims, the media wants to hear every single horrible thing that happened to them in explicit detail. Why traumatize them again?

I've heard such many times over the years. Why take pride in our sinful past? That's what it comes down to, a matter of pride, and all too often they seem to be looking back on that sinful time in their lives fondly, as if there are some aspects of it they miss!

 

Our pastor makes it clear that giving ones testimony is a time to simply let folks know at one time they were lost in sin, nothing wrong with mentioning a little about it but not going into detail, not giving long stories which amount to glorying in ones past sins, and then getting to the main point, that of how they came to be born again in Christ and the change in their lives and how they now live for Christ.

 

Our pastor will actually interrupt a testimony if the person giving one begins to boast in detail of their sinful past. He will ask them to move on to their salvation. On the exceedingly rare occasion the boaster fails to pay heed to the pastor and continues glorying in his sinful past, our pastor will step forward, speak to them quietly, then they leave the platform and the pastor goes on from there.

[Ukulelemike]

I've heard such many times over the years. Why take pride in our sinful past? That's what it comes down to, a matter of pride, and all too often they seem to be looking back on that sinful time in their lives fondly, as if there are some aspects of it they miss!

 

Our pastor makes it clear that giving ones testimony is a time to simply let folks know at one time they were lost in sin, nothing wrong with mentioning a little about it but not going into detail, not giving long stories which amount to glorying in ones past sins, and then getting to the main point, that of how they came to be born again in Christ and the change in their lives and how they now live for Christ.

 

Our pastor will actually interrupt a testimony if the person giving one begins to boast in detail of their sinful past. He will ask them to move on to their salvation. On the exceedingly rare occasion the boaster fails to pay heed to the pastor and continues glorying in his sinful past, our pastor will step forward, speak to them quietly, then they leave the platform and the pastor goes on from there.

I agree on not boasting of your past as a sinner, though I disagree that we should never talk about it. Obviously it should be done discreetly and tastefully, but transperency from a pastor about where he was before saved, or even perhaps in a time of backsliding can be both refreshing, as well as great teaching and comfort for both a church, as well as a lost person who needs to see that we are not lifting oursleves up as one who has never done what THEY have done, but that we were but sinners as them at one time, but the love of Christ brought us from death into life.

Paul, at times, recounted some of his past, not in bpoasting, but as a reminder. It doesn't mean he lived in it, but used it as encouragement. He also reminded churches of what the Lord had saved them from.

 

I had a pastor who liked to talk about how, even when unsaved, he had never cussed, never drank, basically, it almost seemed like he wanted to let us knpow that, even before he was saved, he was as good as saved. I don't believe it for a minute, and if he sees no sin in his past before salvation, I suspect his salvation, because one cannot be saved unless they know they are lost sinners first.

 

  Besides, how can a person like that ever have any empathy for the drug abuser, the alcoholic, the murderer, the adulterer who needs to be saved? Don't get me wrong-I know we don't have to stick our head in the garbage can to know it stinks, but when his favorite thing seemed to be glorying in how wonderful he was even before salvation, what comfort can he bring to one who has lived the depths of depravity?  I, if I were a wicked sinner, convicted but ignorant, would never seek solace fom someone like that, lest he think of me as the worst of men.

 

I think Christians should neither glory nor boast in what they were, but neither should we hesitate to reveal it if we might be able to use it to bring someone to Christ.

[Pastor Matt]

Seeing how I'm a guest preacher I do not preach sermons on this topic, but I may mention it at times during the course of a sermon. Depends how the Lord leads.

[JerryNumbers]

I agree on not boasting of your past as a sinner, though I disagree that we should never talk about it. Obviously it should be done discreetly and tastefully, but transperency from a pastor about where he was before saved, or even perhaps in a time of backsliding can be both refreshing, as well as great teaching and comfort for both a church, as well as a lost person who needs to see that we are not lifting oursleves up as one who has never done what THEY have done, but that we were but sinners as them at one time, but the love of Christ brought us from death into life.

Paul, at times, recounted some of his past, not in bpoasting, but as a reminder. It doesn't mean he lived in it, but used it as encouragement. He also reminded churches of what the Lord had saved them from.

 

I had a pastor who liked to talk about how, even when unsaved, he had never cussed, never drank, basically, it almost seemed like he wanted to let us knpow that, even before he was saved, he was as good as saved. I don't believe it for a minute, and if he sees no sin in his past before salvation, I suspect his salvation, because one cannot be saved unless they know they are lost sinners first.

 

  Besides, how can a person like that ever have any empathy for the drug abuser, the alcoholic, the murderer, the adulterer who needs to be saved? Don't get me wrong-I know we don't have to stick our head in the garbage can to know it stinks, but when his favorite thing seemed to be glorying in how wonderful he was even before salvation, what comfort can he bring to one who has lived the depths of depravity?  I, if I were a wicked sinner, convicted but ignorant, would never seek solace fom someone like that, lest he think of me as the worst of men.

 

I think Christians should neither glory nor boast in what they were, but neither should we hesitate to reveal it if we might be able to use it to bring someone to Christ.

 

I went to a revival at another church once, this man talked about getting saved at about 10 years old & never sowing any wild seed. Almost as if he never sinned. He perhaps spoke about this for at least 10 minutes. I felt like he was kind of glorying in him self. He is the only one I ever head brag so much about their self.

[The Glory Land]

I think there is a difference between bragging and being proud of, what a person has done for the ministry of Christ.

[Cancelled Membership]

I avoided the tattoo problem altogether. When I was a

kid (and this was still a free country) I heard a Pastor

preach a real hellfire sermon over tattoos. He stipulated

that tattoo's were never meant to be a part of our anatomy

and the Bible expressly forbids any willful mutilation of

our bodies (surgeons are obviously exempt). I never

thought about tattoos all that much until now. I've seen

them around on different people.

 

Believe me brethern, that sermon had a profound effect

on me!

 

The one problem is some who are in a courtship, do not

always disclose to their date they have tattoos. They've

made the mistake of assuming because both are Christians,

that this could be overlooked in the immediate and long-term.

 

Not so fast. I know of only two instances where a man

discovered to his horror on his wedding night, his bride

was just covered with tattoos across her stomach and her

chest area, but didn't bother to tell her groom-to-be. The

"tats" as I was told, were of a cartoon devil and a biker

tat. She got some pretty bad advice (in my opinion) from

her Pastor and his wife (both of whom had tats) that "If he

really loves you, he won't care".

 

Well, he did care. He filed for annulment a month later.

(His state's laws require a 30-day "cooling off period"

before an annulment can be granted, except in cases

of abuse and/ or adultery).

 

The second involved a Christian wife divorcing her

husband for lying to her about not having any tattoos.

She discovered them on her wedding night as well.

The tats were vulger to say the least. After a brief

argument, he left the room to go downstairs to the

restuarant. She packed up and left out the back exit

down the hallway and called a taxi from a nearby church

to go to the Grayhound bus terminal. When she arrived

home, she filed for divorce ten days later.

 

 

 

_________________________________________________________________________

"Everybody wants to be the tough guy, but no one wants to pay the price."

Actor (and real life Reserve Sheriff's Deputy) Steven Seagal

[swathdiver]

2 Instances of folks not honoring their spouse, their vows or the Lord because of vanity of vanities.  

[Cancelled Membership]

You wrote:

"2 Instances of folks not honoring their spouse, their vows or the Lord because of vanity of vanities." 

 

Yes I know. Unfortunately, instances like this are going to happen.

[JerryNumbers]

I think there is a difference between bragging and being proud of, what a person has done for the ministry of Christ.

 

Yes, & God like neither one

 

Pr 6:17 A proud look, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood,

 

Pr 15:25 The LORD will destroy the house of the proud: but he will establish the border of the widow.

 

Pr 16:5 Every one that is proud in heart is an abomination to the LORD: though hand join in hand, he shall not be unpunished.

 

Pr 16:19 Better it is to be of an humble spirit with the lowly, than to divide the spoil with the proud.

 

Pr 21:4 An high look, and a proud heart, and the plowing of the wicked, is sin.

 

Pr 21:24 Proud and haughty scorner is his name, who dealeth in proud wrath.

 

Pr 28:25 He that is of a proud heart stirreth up strife: but he that putteth his trust in the LORD shall be made fat.

 

Best leave the glory to the Lord.

[Salyan]

"But God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ..."

[Cancelled Membership]

I have something to say about divorce in another post.

[The Glory Land]

On vacation Va.went too a water park today. Yep, tattoos everywhere you can imagine. I know that Christians should avoid these types of places because of the flesh. But if you can deal with it without sining, families do have fun here. Tattoos from the head to the feet, I know what you're thinking, what are you doing looking at them? They are hard not to notice. Feel sorry for them, they will all repent later in life. 

[Miss Daisy]

On vacation Va.went too a water park today. Yep, tattoos everywhere you can imagine. I know that Christians should avoid these types of places because of the flesh. But if you can deal with it without sining, families do have fun here. Tattoos from the head to the feet, I know what you're thinking, what are you doing looking at them? They are hard not to notice. Feel sorry for them, they will all repent later in life. 

 

Couldn't you have taken your family to a lake to have fun in the water? Yes, families do have fun there but aren't we suppose to be separated from the things of the world? Swimsuits cover about as much as Playboy magazine page nowadays.

[The Glory Land]

Couldn't you have taken your family to a lake to have fun in the water? Yes, families do have fun there but aren't we suppose to be separated from the things of the world? Swimsuits cover about as much as Playboy magazine page nowadays.

Yes, we could have went somewhere else. But we are of this world now. We must  raise our children as normally as possible. We are losing our teens when they go off to college. Their eyes are opened to many things and they taste. When mines get old enough they will be able to face reality in this life and hide not from it.