Author: David

As much as there is to say on this matter I think the article below helps us to think through cultural issues and law. At the root of this questions lies the question What makes me acceptable to GOD? Let me say this. At the foundation of christian belief is this truth; the only thing that makes us acceptable to GOD is the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Faith in Him is the only thing that makes us acceptable to GOD. If you have not explored the christian faith I encourage you to read the gospel of JOHN. It will be a beautiful gift for you I promise! With that said enjoy the article!

TATOOS & SCRIPTURE by Joe Thorn

Tattoos have an overly simplistic stereotype as well. People out of touch with what is happening today might still think that only sailors, bikers, and convicts get ink, but the reality is very different. This art form has gone mainstream and is now found on soccer moms, CEO’s, honor roll students, officers, and well… just about every kind of person out there. But the popularity of a cultural trend does not mean it is good. We need to be biblical, wise, and careful in all things.

Some people have done a quick search in the bible for “tattoo,” found Lev 19, and determined that tattoos are off-limits. But I always point people to two passages of Scripture that can help us start to think through the issue.

Lev 19 and Idolatrous Tattoos
You shall not make any cuts on your body for the dead or tattoo yourselves: I am the LORD.(Leviticus 19:28 ESV)

This prohibition falls in with several others given to Israel to separate them from the Canaanite pagan practices around them. The cutting of the body was related to the religious mourning process when relatives died. Tattoos may have been made in the same vein, also associated with specific idols and false religions. God calls Israel, as his Nation, to look different from the pagans around them, and many of these commands had more to do with associated pagan beliefs than the actual practice (cutting the sides of the beard, verse 27 for example).

Isaiah 49 and Divine Tattoos

Behold, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands; your walls are continually before me. (Isaiah 49:16 ESV)

In Isaiah 49:16 God is assuring his people that he will not forget them. He cannot forget them. Just as a nursing mother cannot forget her child, neither can God forget his children. And he then uses an illustration that surprises some. He figurative spreads out his hands and says, “Look, I have written your name on my hands.” This is most likely a reference to a kind of tattoo, a mark made with indelible ink. Of course God does not have actual arms, and therefore he does not have any real ink. But the point is clear enough. He uses a picture his people will understand. “How can I forget you when I have tattooed your name on my hand. I cannot even put my hand to work in anything without being reminded of you and the promises I have made to you.”

Some scholars even suggest that Jews began tattooing their hands to remind themselves of the temple and the Lord. (see Jamieson, R., Fausset, A. R., & Brown, D. Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; and note Is. 44:5)

We need to look at more Scripture, and we need to work through a few issues, but as we start it looks like God doesn’t condemn tattoos in and of themselves. Such marks, when connected to pagan theology and worship, were forbidden. But, God appears to have found them to be a fitting picture of how he remembers us.

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FaithQuest is a safe place for you to ask any question you have about God, Faith & Life in general.

This is a great question Susan because it highlights one very important aspect about the wisdom of GOD. We are completely and utterly dependent on the HOLY SPIRIT to reveal truth to us. Let’s look at a passage of scripture…

1 Corinthians 2
None of the rulers of this age understood this, for if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. But, as it is written, “What no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the heart of man imagined, what God has prepared for those who love him”— these things God has revealed to us through the Spirit. For the Spirit searches everything, even the depths of God. For who knows a person’s thoughts except the spirit of that person, which is in him? So also no one comprehends the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. Now we have received not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might understand the things freely given us by God. And we impart this in words not taught by human wisdom but taught by the Spirit, interpreting spiritual truths to those who are spiritual.

The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned. The spiritual person judges all things, but is himself to be judged by no one. “For who has understood the mind of the Lord so as to instruct him?” But we have the mind of Christ.

So the first part of your question is answered by saying only the HOLY SPIRIT can reveal truth. It is impossible to obtain, understand, see, live out the truth of GOD with out the SPIRIT of GOD dwelling in us. All truth is spiritually discerned.

The second part of your question is does the HOLY SPIRIT reveal truth from scripture that is not written in it? I would say this: The scripture is the final authority on all matters for a believer (Psalm 19:7-11; 2 Timothy 3:16; 2 Peter 1:20-21). Meaning if it cannot be supported by scripture it cannot be embraced as truth. I would say that there are things that are not clearly seen in scripture and the HOLY SPIRIT brings clarity to what has already been revealed. The Bible is pretty clear about the fact that there is no new revelation. And we ought to reject anybody who comes to us with a revelation about GOD and His redemptive plan on the earth that is not found in His word.

Now in saying that I do believe that the HOLY SPIRIT is constantly at work bringing about clarity of scripture and He helps us to rightly apply it to our living. Every decision we make is not going to be found in scripture but the scripture will be the wisdom we use to make GOD honoring decisions in our life.

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FaithQuest is a safe place for you to ask any question you have about God, Faith & Life in general.

Susan thank you for your question. How we approach the Scriptures determines our relationship with GOD and it is integral to our worship of Him. Our Statement of Faith states the Scriptures are true, authoritative and sufficient (Psalm 19:7-11; 2 Timothy 3:16; 2 Peter 1:20-21). Meaning that what the scriptures say about Who GOD is, What He is doing, and What He promises to do are perfectly and sufficiently true. They are designed to be the final authority on all matters in life and godliness. If this is true then it matters how we handle them. As you will see the definition of Eisegesis and exegesis alone will answer your question “Which approach is right?”

Eisegesis happens when their is a reading into a text; meaning that is not supported by the grammar, syntax, lexical meanings, and over-all context of the original.

Exegesis is when you read out of the text its original meaning by careful attention to grammar, syntax, the lexical meanings of the words used by the author (as they were used in his day and in his area), and the over-all context of the document.

As we approach the Word of GOD we need to be careful to not approach with pride or the wrong motives. We do not use the word to get things done in our churches our groups; rather GOD uses the word to get His work done in us. The word is not something to master it is something to be mastered by so we approach it with great humility, great submission, and great care. We need to be careful that we don’t put our own ideas and motives into any particular text or passage.

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FaithQuest is a safe place for you to ask any question you have about God, Faith & Life in general.

Q1: Hello FaithQuest Team! So yesterday I was approached by my Muslim colleague over lunch who showed an image posted on Facebook that in Exodus Ch22:20 it’s written “you must kill and destroy those who worship another God”.

So her point being that why is it that Muslims are only blamed for killing those of other faiths, which is nowhere even mentioned in the Quran but clearly mentioned in the Bible. Would be looking forward to your insight. Thank you! – by Ruthasha

Ruthasha, thank you for the question. And thank you for engaging your colleague in a conversation about the Christian GOD. Let me begin by saying I am not an expert on the Quran and cannot refute the claim your colleague makes about it. But I can bring clarity to the text in question

Exodus 22:20
“Whoever sacrifices to any god, other than the Lord alone, shall be devoted to destruction.

The first thing that we have to understand is that context is king! Many of the worlds religion’s sacred scriptures have been taken out of context in order to justify all kinds of heinous and despicable acts. Unfortunately christianity is not excluded from the list. Humanity is broken and mankind is filled with sin.

This is the beauty of the Christian message. The whole truth of the gospel is that GOD has made a way for us to be forgiven and cleansed from our sin and restored to a right relationship with Him through faith in His son Jesus Christ. In the message itself is a message of ultimate peace and complete restoration for all creation.

CONTEXT

It’s important to know that this text is in the context of social justice laws. This means that everything that was written here was written to preserve the dignity of mankind. It answered questions like how do you treat a sojourner? (someone from another place), how do you treat one another?, how do you treat created things like animals? The context of this passage is protecting GOD’s good design for His creation.

Two things that are mentioned here are sorcery and idol worship. Both of these practices at this time required live human sacrifice and both used babies in order to do it! At the very least bloodletting (cutting yourself to draw blood) was involved. Both of these things were detestable to GOD and damaging to human dignity. This law at the very surface level was to prevent previous crimes against humanity.

Secondly this law was not for outsiders. This does not say that those who are outside Israel are devoted to destruction it is saying that if there is an Israelite who sacrifices to any other GOD except YHWHY they shall be devoted to destruction.

This was not about advancing on the world this was about preserving the Worship of the one true GOD of all creation for the Israelites so that the future promises of GOD for the world could come to fruition.

BIGGER PICTURE

Another and what I believe to be the most important truth in this text is How it illuminates the grace of GOD. We cannot take one passage and say “see GOD commands us to kill”. One of the primary purposes of the Law was to show us our need for a savior. For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 6:23 Although the law required penalty and that could be death — it also provides provision for forgiveness. The entire sacrificial system is based on the breaking of the moral law.

If the law was broken there was the ability to atone for that sin through sacrifice. It’s a picture of the GOSPEL. Jesus Christ was the final perfect sacrifice for our sin and although we deserve death (because we have all broken GOD’s law) We receive eternal life through faith in Jesus.

God was paving the way for us to know Him. He was moving His redemptive plan forward by preserving the very thing that shows us our need for Jesus. Our great rescuer!

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FaithQuest is a safe place for you to ask any question you have about God, Faith & Life in general.

Abin thank you for your question. Sharing truths about GOD is both a great privilege and a weighty task. We all have a desire to share but we all also have the fear of not being able to answer questions correctly. I would like to begin by saying that the first step to helping others understand GOD is to admit that we cannot and do not know everything about Him. We can only know what He reveals to us through His word. We are completely and utterly dependent on Him to know Him. Our attitude is not to try and figure GOD out but to know Him as Creator, King, Father, Savior, and Restorer. He is worthy of our worship and we should be in awe of His eternal and infinite nature.

I also want you to know that there is not enough paper and ink on the planet to capture all there is to say about the Trinity. People have written books that are thousands of pages long and they still fall short. There is one book that I really enjoy called “Experiencing The Trinity” by Joe Thorn. It is very helpful and available on amazon.

I believe the Doctrine of the Trinity is foundational to the Christian faith because within it we see who GOD is, what He is doing, and How He is doing it. It is also incredibly helpful in answering the most important question for humanity: How can I relate to GOD?

Let’s begin with the definition…

The doctrine of the Trinity means that there is one God who eternally exists as three distinct Persons — the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Simply stated, God is one in essence and three in person. When we break this definition down we get three crucial truths: (1) the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are distinct Persons, (2) each Person is fully God, (3) there is only one God.

DISTINCT PERSONS BUT ONE GOD

The Bible speaks of The Father as GOD (Philippians 1:2), The SON as GOD (Colossians 1:16; Titus 2:13) , and the HOLY SPIRIT as GOD (Acts 5:3-4). But the Bible is clear in Deuteronomy 6:4 (a passage of scripture that would of been memorized by every single Israelite) when it says “Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one…” It’s also important to note that the New Testament is not the only place that you discover the trinity. Throughout the Old Testament you have shadows of the trinity everywhere. You have prophecies about Jesus, you have references to the Holy Spirit. Even in the creation story in Genesis you have GOD the Father, and His word (JESUS), and the HOLY SPIRIT hovering over the deep. So the concept of three persons but one GOD is woven throughout the Biblical narrative. Although the word trinity does not exist in scripture it is a word that we have adopted to describe how GOD has revealed himself to us through out scripture and history.

One of the most common questions about this idea is “Are these just three different ways of looking at God, or could they be ways of referring to three different roles that God plays? “ The answer must be no, because the Bible also indicates that the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are distinct Persons.

For example, since the Father sent the Son into the world (John 3:16), he cannot be the same person as the Son. Likewise, after the Son returned to the Father (John 16:10), the Father and the Son sent the Holy Spirit into the world (John 14:26; Acts 2:33). Therefore, the Holy Spirit must be distinct from the Father and the Son. The Bible continually communicates three distinct persons all fulfilling distinct roles while saying The LORD our GOD, the LORD is ONE.

This means that each member of the Trinity has a distinct consciousness. They relate to each other personally — the Father regards himself as “I” while he regards the Son and Holy Spirit as “you.” Likewise, the Son regards himself as “I,” but the Father and the Holy Spirit as “you.”

This is important for many different reasons but one of the greatest reasons is that it communicates something to us about who GOD is. He is relational. He has perfect relationship within the Godhead. Each person relates perfectly to one another in a deep and abiding relationship to one another. This means that GOD is a relational GOD and as we read in scripture each member of the Trinity is uniquely at work to restore relationship with GOD and mankind.

EACH PERSON IS FULLY GOD

Another common mistake many make in the trinity is dividing up the Godhead in the wrong way. Wayne Grudem (a systematic theologian) says it in this way: “We should not think of God as a “pie” cut into three pieces, each piece representing a Person. This would make each Person less than fully God and thus not God at all. Rather, the being of each Person is equal to the whole being of God” (Grudem, Systematic Theology, 1994, page 255). The divine essence is not something that is divided between the three persons, but is fully in all three persons without being divided into “parts.” This is why Paul in Colossians 2:9 can say with confidence “the fullness of the diety of GOD dwells bodily in Christ.

This means we can pray confidently, and trust completely that Jesus is fully GOD and the HOLY SPIRIT is fully GOD, and the Father is fully GOD. Each member is fully at work fulfilling GOD’s promises.

OUR RESPONSE

Although our understanding of the trinity is limited as Isaiah 55:8 says “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the LORD.” The trinity is another reason to worship GOD. He is bigger and more powerful and more beautiful than we can ever imagine or comprehend yet He has revealed himself to us in ways that allows us to have a real and genuine relationship with Him. The trinity should cause us to desire to know Him more. It also allows us to trust Him fully because He is the source of eternal life and He is capable of accomplishing everything necessary for our salvation. Praying for you Abin as you cherish and share the LORD!

1 Corinthians 13:12
For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known.

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FaithQuest is a safe place for you to ask any question you have about God, Faith & Life in general.

First Vijit I want to thank you for this question. Because there is a lot of mis-understanding in the world surrounding the issue of money and the church. As well as a lot of mis-understanding about what GOD’s provision looks like in the life of His worshipers.

Let me begin with the first mis-understanding: God needs money. Just to be clear this is simply not true. Many people who claim the name of Jesus have mis-lead people about this truth. Let me say very plainly — GOD needs nothing! He is completely and wholly self-sustaining and has never needed anything from anyone or anything. The Bible addresses this mis-understanding in the book of ACTS.

ACTS 17
The God who made the world and everything in it, being Lord of heaven and earth, does not live in temples made by man, nor is he served by human hands, as though he needed anything, since he himself gives to all mankind life and breath and everything. And he made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined allotted periods and the boundaries of their dwelling place, that they should seek God, and perhaps feel their way toward him and find him. Yet he is actually not far from each one of us, for “ ‘In him we live and move and have our being’;

The first and greatest understanding of GOD in the Bible is that he is completely self-sufficient and needs nothing outside of himself to be whole. This is what makes God, greater than all other gods of the world.

The Bible begins with the phrase “In the beginning GOD created…” Before there was anything GOD existed. He is known as the eternal uncreated one. Which means he is not dependent upon anything but rather everything else is completely dependent on Him. Which leads to the second truth.

GOD owns everything. He created the world and everything in it. Which means He owns everything to begin with. We (His creation) are simply stewards living in GOD’s earth. everything we have is for the purpose of His glory which leads to our ultimate joy. We need air to breathe and need breathe to live.

We don’t produce air. GOD made trees which produce oxygen which is necessary for life. We don’t make rain our sunshine or any of the other things that are necessary to produce the crops which allow us to eat and live. This changes our view of GOD and changes how we view bringing our offerings to him.

It is not because He needs it is motivated by gratitude for what He has already given us. The concept of tithing (giving 10% of your income to the church) was not instituted because GOD needed something it was instituted because we need.

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FaithQuest is a safe place for you to ask any question you have about God, Faith & Life in general.

This is an incredible question and arguably the most important question that any of us can ask as we seek to know GOD.

Hidden in this question are the questions: How is the Christian GOD different than all the other gods of the world? AND Why is He worthy of my worship?

Let’s begin with where we get this idea of the Holiness of GOD…

Over and over in the Hebrew scriptures the GOD of all creation is described as Holy. In Isaiah 6 The seraphim (heavenly creatures) circle GOD’s throne singing Holy, Holy, Holy and at the end of the scriptures the whole earth is singing the same refrain Holy, Holy, Holy. God has always revealed himself in the splendor of His Holiness. GOD above all things will be known as HOLY. But what does that mean and why is that important for our knowing of GOD?

1 Samuel 2:2
“There is no one holy like the LORD, Indeed, there is no one besides You, Nor is there any rock like our God.”

This passage of Scripture is a great place to start. It simply states that there is no one like Israel’s GOD. He is completely and perfectly other. There is no comparison. He is more beautiful, supremely more valuable, and completely worthy of our attention, adoration, and submission.

To be holy is to be distinct, separate, in a class by oneself.

The Holiness of God is His most important attribute, because it is the Holiness of God that defines every other one of His attributes. Holiness is hard for us to understand because it means that there is no comparison. GOD is literally incomparably greater than all things.

Why?

Well first it is important to know that GOD created ALL things. There is nothing that is created that was not made by GOD, through GOD, and for GOD.

Colossians 1:16
“By him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him.”

This means that GOD has always existed and there will never be anything greater, more majestic, authoritative, powerful, worthy of worship than the one true GOD of the Scriptures.

One of our greatest problem in our understanding of GOD is that we try and compare Him with either ourselves or with created things.We have a tendency to imagine things about GOD that are not true and then live as if they are true. Since the beginning of humanity mankind has worshipped man-made god’s. We have a tendency to take created things, things that were meant to draw us to GOD and begin to worship those things as if they were GOD. We all ascribe attributes to these false god’s that were reserved only for the one true GOD of all creation. This is called idolatry.

When GOD began pursuing His people He caused them to see that He was like none other.

What makes God so beautiful is His holiness. Because all other attributes of GOD are defined by this attribute. God is loving, just, righteous, all-powerful, all-knowing, merciful, and sovereign over all. The holiness of God means that God’s love is completely and wholly different than anything else we know. It’s perfect and better than Man’s love. It’s pure and without spot or blemish. God is not only sovereign over all things, He is holy sovereign. Meaning no other power in the heavens and earth has ultimate power over creation.

This is why the Ten Commandments (Moral Law of GOD) begins with this truth:

Deuteronomy 5

Then Moses summoned all Israel and said to them:
“Hear, O Israel, the statutes and the ordinances which I am speaking today in your hearing, that you may learn them and observe them carefully. “The LORD our God made a covenant with us at Horeb. “The LORD did not make this covenant with our fathers, but with us, with all those of us alive here today. “The LORD spoke to you face to face at the mountain from the midst of the fire, while I was standing between the LORD and you at that time, to declare to you the word of the LORD; for you were afraid because of the fire and did not go up the mountain.

He said,
‘I am the LORD your God who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery. ‘You shall have no other gods before Me.‘You shall not make for yourself an idol, or any likeness of what is in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the water under the earth. ‘You shall not worship them or serve them; for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children, and on the third and the fourth generations of those who hate Me, but showing lovingkindness to thousands, to those who love Me and keep My commandments.

To know GOD as Holy is to recognize His supreme, beauty, worth, and power over all other things. We cannot know GOD if we don’t first recognize Him as HOLY.

Why is GOD so Holy? Because there truly is no one like our GOD!

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FaithQuest is a safe place for you to ask any question you have about God, Faith & Life in general.