Am I awesome?

Sincerely,
Insecure

Dear Insecure,

An awesome God made you in His image and that is some awe-inspiring news.  Here is some more:

God says that Christians are His people, an elect race, and a royal priesthood (1 Pet 2:9).  Christians have a hope of heaven as their anchor (Heb 6:19).  You don’t get much more awesome than being on your way to heaven and a chosen child of God!

Are we allowed to dance?  Our church doesn’t let us, and I was wondering if our church is Christian, and if we aren’t allowed to, why would other Christians do it?  Also, I have the same question about wearing earrings and necklaces and tattoos.

Sincerely,
Two Left-Out Feet

Dear Two Left-Out Feet,

We can’t tell you why your church teaches what it does or why others do what they do… but let’s look at what the Bible says about dancing.  Not all dancing is sinful (Eccl 3:4), but the kind of dancing seen in a lot of today’s society is.  Modern dancing is designed to be sexually provocative, and it puts young men and women in compromising positions that nurture the sort of behavior and attitudes that lead to sexual immorality and unhealthy relationships.

We are told to flee fornication (1 Cor 6:18), to do things that are honorable (Rom 12:17), and to avoid even the appearance of evil (1 Thess 5:21-22).  When people engage in the type of dancing so often seen in today’s culture, they act in a way that appears indecent and gives room for the lust of the flesh to overpower them (Rom 6:12, 1 Jn 2:16).

As for the other issues that you mentioned, here is an article on what the Bible says about tattoos (“Only Skin Deep”), and here is an article about what the Bible says on things like jewelry and makeup (“Mirror, Mirror, On The Wall”).  In all of these issues, it comes down to wisdom and avoiding sinful behavior that can sometimes be associated with dancing, tattoos, or excessive accessorizing.

     Is there anything in the Bible about us evolving?  I have come to believe that we are going to evolve by December 21st, 2012.  It sounds crazy, but I feel it and they have proof of animals evolving in a blink of an eye.  I was hoping you could guide me where to read.  Thank you and God bless.

Sincerely,
Ready For Change

Dear Ready For Change,

Humans have never evolved, there is no proof of animals evolving “in a blink of an eye”, and humans aren’t going to change on Dec. 21^st.  The Bible says that every animal was created “according to its kind” by God in six days (Gen 1:21-25).  There are different types of cats, but they have always been cats.  There are different types of horses, but they have always been horses.  There are zero examples of animals evolving from one kind of animal into another.  Though we do find variety within an animal kind (i.e. tigers, leopards, lions, etc.), scientists have never found an example of a creature that changed from one kind of animal to another.  A tiger and a lion can breed to make a liger, but they can’t breed to make a hippo.

Humans are the same; though there is a great deal of differences in how humans look, we are all still humans.  The only time you will ever see us change is when Jesus comes back to take the faithful to heaven (1 Cor 15:52)… which is most likely not on Dec. 21^st, 2012.

Does the Bible forbid Christians from becoming wealthy?

Sincerely,
Saving

Dear Saving,

Wealth is not a sin for Christians, but the love of money can lead to all sorts of evils (1 Tim 6:10).  Matt 6:24-25 says that it is impossible to serve both God and wealth.  When wealth becomes more important to us than the Lord, then wealth has destroyed us.

Pr. 23:4-5 warns against chasing riches because they are fickle and fleeting, and Matt 16:26 reminds us that no matter how much money we gain, it isn’t enough to trade our souls for.  Whether we are poor or rich, if money becomes our god, than we are sunk.

Is it wrong to get a tattoo if it is respectful of God and our country?  I know the Old Testament says something about not tattooing your body, so I may know the answer.  However, I didn't know if it might be affected by the type of tattoo.

Sincerely,
Inked

Dear Inked,

Tattoos were 100% sinful in the Old Testament – in the New Testament they are sinful some of the time. The Old Testament strictly forbade tattoos (Lev 19:28). God was so adamant about it because cutting your flesh and tattooing were common practices of pagan cultures (1 Kgs 18:26-28). Tattooing was a religious practice closely tied to Baal and other idols.

In the New Testament, we are given no specific command against tattoos. It is valuable, however, to see that for a very long time tattoos have had a negative connotation.  Even today, many tattoos are of things that exude evil.  Snakes, skulls, demonic signs, bad words, etc. are to be avoided at all costs.  So yes, what type of tattoo you get does make a difference.  As a Christian, there are many things that we can do but should think carefully about beforehand. Just because I can do something, doesn’t mean it is a good idea (1 Cor 10:23).

We must always consider our influence and how it will affect others. God tells us to be wise and seek wisdom in our decisions (Pr 8:33). Whatever decision an individual makes, we recommend seeking outside counsel before getting something as permanent as a tattoo (Pr 11:14). It is not wrong for a Christian to get a tattoo, but it certainly isn’t a decision to make lightly.