Is getting plastic surgery wrong? My friend wants to get breast implants; is it wrong biblically to have things like that done to our bodies?

Sincerely,
Afraid Of Knives

Dear Afraid Of Knives,

It isn’t inherently wrong for a christian to change their appearance for beauty’s sake, but we do need to be careful. See the post “The 411 On The Bling Bling” for more details on the subject of wearing jewelry. Plastic surgery is a more extreme version of makeup or jewelry. It is precisely its extreme nature that should make christians wary of using it. Makeup and jewelry are intended to enhance someone’s natural appearance, while surgery is intended to permanently alter it.

Vanity is a sin. We are not supposed to glory in appearances (2 Cor 5:12). The most vivid Biblical example of the folly of vanity is Absalom who died because of his love of his beautiful hair (2 Sam 14:25-26, 2 Sam 18:9-14). Furthermore, we are supposed to be content with what God provides us with (Php 4:11), and that includes the body He has given us. Plastic surgery (if done for purely cosmetic reasons and not medical ones) smacks of being discontent with what God has designed. The more superficial our world becomes, the more christians need to remember what is truly important… not the outward flesh, but the inward man (2 Cor 4:16).

One of our "brothers" has been pushing this issue.  After discussing the sin of suicide, he brought up the denial of the Holy Spirit (as in Matthew’s account of Jesus ridding demons) as the only thing that cannot be forgiven.  Maybe you can bring up some good points that I may have overlooked about this passage.

Sincerely,
Doctrinally Debating

Dear Doctrinally Debating,

John says that there is a sin that leads to death – that sin is the sin against the Holy Spirit (Mk 3:29).  Any sin can be repented of and forgiven (1 Jn 1:9)… except for the sin against the Holy Spirit.  Now, let’s explain what that sin is, and then we will connect it to the suicide issue.

When Jesus says that any sin will be forgiven except for someone blaspheming the Holy Spirit (Mk 3:28-30), He said it to the crowd that accused Him of casting out demons by the power of Satan (Mk 3:23).  That crowd could have been forgiven of any sin, but instead they rejected the miracles that testified that Jesus was from God.  Contrast that crowd’s attitude with Nicodemus’ attitude.  Nicodemus understood that the only way that someone could perform a miracle was if God was with him (Jhn 3:2).  When that crowd rejected the evidence that the Holy Spirit provided (in this case, the miracles), they rejected any chance to receive the forgiveness found in Jesus’ teachings.  When we reject the truth of God (the Bible), we reject the Holy Spirit.
The Holy Spirit’s primary job is to bring the truth of the gospel to mankind (see the post “What the Holy Spirit Does” for more details).  Someone blasphemes the Holy Spirit by rejecting the truth that the Holy Spirit sent us in the Bible.  Any sin can be forgiven if we will turn to God’s Word and obey it (Rom 10:17, Heb 5:9), but there is absolutely no hope for someone if he or she will not accept the Holy Spirit’s Bible.

Which brings us to the suicide issue – suicide is murder, self-murder, and is therefore very clearly a sin (Rev 21:8).  It is a willful act of disobedience against God without opportunity for repentance.  The Holy Spirit teaches against murder, and when someone commits suicide they are rejecting God’s teachings on the subject of life – without opportunity to repent. The final judgment belongs to God (Heb 12:23), but we certainly wouldn’t want to face that judgment with our own blood on our hands.

“By His stripes, we were healed.”  I used it, and I have had it work.  The Lord said three times when Satan came to tempt Him, "It is written", so when something doesn't line up with the Word of God, I start out with saying that and the verse it coincides with.  My question is: why are the results not immediate (except once and that was because two other believers, an elder and pastor, laid hands on me)?  It took forty-five minutes of speaking to my son’s illness before manifestation of a cure – is this a faith thing, time willing to spend thing, or amount of people thing?  Pardon any religious ignorance ‘cause I have worked weekends for fifteen years, and the only church I get is once a month and computer/TV church.  I am not familiar with a lot of standards, and my current church doesn't even lay hands on the sick, but I am looking for a job wherever my Lord wants me and a church my wife and I can agree on that is without religious/denomination issues.  Thanks and God bless.  You answer guys are a Godsend.

Sincerely,
A Heart For Healing

Dear A Heart For Healing,

The verse you quoted is Isa 53:5, and it refers to Jesus’ crucifixion healing us from our spiritual wounds… not our physical ones.  Peter quoted the same verse in 1 Pet 2:24 and clarifies that the healing we received was from the wounds of sin.  Many televangelists and Pentecostal churches teach that we can have physical wounds miraculously healed if we have enough faith, but that simply isn’t true.  There was a time when God allowed the apostles and prophets to perform miracles, but that time has passed (read “Gifts That Stop Giving” for more details on the cessation of miracles).

God never promises that we won’t suffer physical ailments.  In fact, we are promised that our bodies will deteriorate, and only our souls will live on forever (2 Cor 4:16).  Paul had a physical disorder that he prayed would be removed, and God said, “No.” (2 Cor 12:7-9)  Sometimes, suffering is just part of a christian’s life – after all, this world is not our home (Heb 11:14-16).

We love your attitude of accepting only what the Bible says.  We would be happy to help you find a congregation in your area without denominational ties!  We don’t believe in denominationalism either (read “Down With Denominationalism” for the Bible’s take on all the religious confusion today).  If you would like our help, feel free to e-mail us at askyourpreacher@mvchurchofchrist.org.

I don't get it... if Jesus was a Jew, why isn't Judaism the correct religion?  Did I miss something?

Sincerely,
Confused Christian

Dear Confused Christian,

Jesus was born a Jew (Matt 1:17), lived under the Jewish law (Lk 2:41-42), and even taught His fellow Jews to obey the Old Testament law (Matt 23:1-3).  Judaism was the right religion, until Jesus died on the cross and replaced Judaism with Christianity.  The Old Testament, the law the Jews followed, was a tutor to lead people to Christ, but after Jesus came, mankind was supposed to follow Him instead (Gal 3:24-25).  The Jewish law said that someday there would come a Messiah who would save them from their sins – Jesus was that Messiah (Jhn 1:45).  The Jewish law taught mankind that they needed a Savior, and that they should prepare for His coming.  Jesus came providing the grace and truth that wasn’t possible under Jewish law (Jhn 1:17).  Jesus’ death made a permanent sacrifice for sins that none of the Old Testament animal sacrifices ever could (Heb 10:1-4).

My boyfriend and I have been dating for two years, and we've been talking a lot about getting married.  I really love him, and he loves me, but he's leaving soon for the military.  I was wondering: if I went and lived on the base after I graduated, would that be against God's law?  I know it says in the Bible that you aren't supposed to live with your partner if you aren't married, but what if he didn't stay in the same place as me?

Sincerely,
Not Quite Mrs. Yet

Dear Not Quite Mrs. Yet,

Your question is an issue of wisdom, and there are several biblical principles to consider:

1. What will it look like to others if you are living on base as his “partner” without being married?  God tells us to avoid sin and all appearances of sin (1 Thess 5:22).  We should strive to do what is honorable to God and appears honorable to man (Rom 12:17).  Without knowing all the details, our guess is that most people would perceive that you have been sleeping together if you are living on base while he is overseas.  This needs to be taken into account.
2. If you are living in an arrangement that married people would live in… why aren’t you married?  Sometimes people marry too quickly, and sometimes people wait too long to marry.  God wants us to use wisdom and not jump too hastily into wedding vows, but He also tells young people to avoid a situation where they will burn for each other uncontrollably (1 Cor 7:8-9).  It may be that this potential living arrangement is a case of “playing with fire”, and it would be better off to marry (or live elsewhere) and remove all chance of sin.

Don’t mistake us; we cannot tell you that this arrangement would be overtly sinful (as you said, he wouldn’t even be living in the same place), but those are some Bible principles worth considering before you make a decision.