Some punk rockers sing for Christ. Some bikers ride for Christ. Some armies fight / fought for Christ. The list is long. For thousands of years people have pointed at other peoples whatevers and said "God does not like that". But God can't be sited.
God can't be sited as far as how He will judge someone is very true. But He can be sited if His words says it.
People who have tattoos before they were saved, are forgiven for them. But they must bare their sin upon their flesh unless they are willing to have them removed. Having tattoos after you are saved is forgivable as well. But again, the same applies.
But here is an interesting fact I uncovered while researching osas and non-osas (not to be a part of this debate). I had to research sin, and how it would be judged to find more truth on the issue. What I found explains a whole lot I did not know, and I find a lot of Christians I have spoke to did not know either. But it's hard to explain, because it hard to put into words. But it changes the whole way I now look at judgement. But here it is in a nut shell.
We will be judged on our knowledge of sin, not that what we do is sin. What this means is: that at the time you commit what can be considered sin by God's standard for sin, but you had no knowledge that it was sin. You cannot be condemned for it. For how can you be condemned for what you knew not of? Need a verse?
jas 4:17 Therefore to him that
knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin.
Now the flip side of the coin would be: Therefore to him that did not knoweth to do good, and does bad, to him it is not a sin.
Knoweth = knowledge. So sin is the knowledge of the good side of what you should do. But rejecting it to do evil instead.
Example: Adam and Eve were both shown the tree of knowledge of both good and evil. Now if God had said nothing about eating of it. They would have no knowledge of it being a sin. So therefore it would not have been a sin when they ate from it.
But what did God tell them about the tree? He told them that if they ate from it, they shall surely die. What this means is that God gave them the knowledge to do good, but they rejected it to do evil. So sin is based on our knowledge that it is sin.
So the next time any of us feels the need to judge someone about their actions that might be sin. Consider whether that they knew it was sin when they did what was done. If they knew not, then they are condemned not. And therefore they will not have that sin stand against them on judgement day.
But the flip side of them not having the knowledge of that sin is that we (the bretheren) are supposed to correct them so that they do not do it again. And once they learn about it being sin, they they become responsible for their actions concerning this sin from that point forward.
For if we were made aware of all sins upon being saved, how many of us would turn away because the burden of this change all at once was to big to do? So when we see someone sin, instead of condemning them for their actions. We should look and wonder if they even know it is a sin. Why do you think the new in Christ are always asking: Is this a sin, or is that a sin? Until they have knowledge of it, it is not a sin.
So about tattooing: If God has not revealed to a person about it being a sin (if it is), then it is not a sin until they understand it as being one. Even if they reject it when someone tells them. For if they are not ready to recieve such knowledge about a certain thing, God will not reveal it to them regardless of how much information we give them. But, if a person does understand (gets knowledge), but refuses it, and acts dumb because he or she prefers to. Then God will know. And that is all that counts. No one can hide from God's rightous judgement. But we can fool man, but God is never fooled.
Question: If God did not tell Adam and Eve about the tree, and how bad it was to eat from it. Would they have been considered sinning when they did not know as they ate of it?
