Season: 6 Episode: 085
Summary:
Your questions about tattoos, secular music, and being a single Christian woman are all answered.
Quotables:
“Atheists and agnostics may be moral, but without God they cannot justify morality.”
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Fall Apologetics 101
Hey guys! Welcome back to Her Faith Inspires. I have a fun episode for you today. Since it’s summer and we are in a season of downtime and fun, I thought it would be a good idea to throw in a Q & A with my audience. I am going to get right into the questions that were asked because there are a lot of them and I want to be able to get to them all.
Starting off with an easy one: What is my favorite restaurant?
Well, currently I live in California and I am moving to the east coast so that is going to be different. I love, love, love Mexican food. Not Tex Mex, not wanna be Mexican food … I’m talking homemade tortillas, tamales, carne asada, Chile verde, chamoy with watermelon. In Clovis, Ca there is a restaurant in Old Town Clovis called Salsas. They have the best homemade tortillas ever! I am super worried that I won’t find any good Mexican food in South Carolina and I am not into comfort food because like fried stuff, so my mom has already been researching Mexican restaurants that other Californians have found in the area we’re moving to. I can tell you one thing:
Californians know their Mexican food.
One of my friends taught me a lot about Mexican food an the little hole in the wall restaurants are the BEST! Before I leave, I am going to stock up on some chamoy and Tajin just in case I can’t find it over there. Your amiga needs it for my watermelon.
Also, I love House of Juju in Old Town Clovis. I have it on my list to eat there next week before we leave. So if you’re ever in the Central Valley in Ca, go try those restaurants.
What do I think about Christians listening to secular music?
Well, this depends. I am completely opposed to music that send messages about violence, sex, has cuss words. When I was a youth leader, we did a clean lyrics lip sync competition. We live in the world and let’s face it … the kids listen to secular music. So what I had them do was choose a song with clean lyrics and a positive message and they could perform their lip sync routine to it. The kids looked forward to it every year. I listen to very little music at all. The worship music I listen to is very selective and it’s usually when I’m praying and/or reading my bible. When I’m in my car, I usually listen to apologetics debates or podcasts.
But …
I have boys and they like country music. So when we listen to it, I teach them to oversee the lyrics to that music. We have to teach or children (and even ourselves) how to be in the world but not of it. I personally feel it’s more beneficial to teach kids how to monitor and filter the world instead of avoid it altogether. God gave us talents to use and to bring joy to the lives of others. Even music that is not necessarily Christian music.
What do I think about tattoos?
So this is a question that some Christians have a hard time with. Some think you’re sinning if you get a tattoo, others think it’s completely OK. But how do we know? The OT does mention tattoos and marking the body in Lev 19:28. The point here is that God didn’t want His people to look like the other nations who served false gods and got their false gods names tattooed on their bodies. In the OT, there are 3 different types of law: ceremonial law, judicial law, and the moral law (the Ten Commandments). The only laws that apply today are the 10 Commandments with the exception of “Keep the Sabbath holy”. We are told by Paul to go to church and not forsake the assembling of ourselves together with like believers.
The NT does not tell us getting a tattoo is a sin.
Since the NT does not mention it as a sin, the person must follow his own convictions about tattoos. This is the same for body piercings and drinking alcohol. Now, I’ve been to churches where they actually preach that drinking alcohol is a sin. That’s just not in the Bible. However, getting drunk is specifically mentioned as a sin in the Bible.
So let’s break down what I mean by following your own convictions on this if it’s not specifically listed as a sin in the Bible. And you can also add the secular music question to this criteria.
Paul talks about conviction on things that are no longer considered a sin in the NT in Ch 8 of Romans. He talks about how some don’t eat food sacrificed to idols because their consciences are weak. But … Paul says those who are strong should be careful what they do while in the presence of weaker brothers and sisters. He stresses that idols are nothing and food sacrificed to them means nothing, but to the weaker brother or sister, it causes them to stumble.
So here is where we use discretion because of our love for our brothers and sisters in Christ.
Paul says in verse 13 that even though he has freedom in Christ to eat and drink, if food causes his brother to sin, he will never eat meat again.
My own preference is that I don’t drink and I have never been a drinker. I am a teacher and have always been around kids, and I taught youth for 7 years and have 3 boys. My goal is that I don’t want to be a cause for any of them to stumble. The weekend I got my nose piercing (which was 3 years ago), 2 girls from my youth group went out the next day and got theirs pierced too. Which, by the way, piercings fall under this category of conviction.
That made me realize that people are watching what I do and I must choose wisely. I don’t know if those who watch me are susceptible to alcohol addiction or can handle it at their age, so I just don’t do it. But that’s my conviction. Just don’t get drunk. That is a sin.
This will be a tough one for some.
My mom had a really hard time with my nose piercing because our church preached that just driving alcohol was a sin. So, I grew up under the impression that tattoos were bad and piercings should only be in the ears. That is not in the Bible. Use discretion. We should be careful not to look like the world.
Also, Peter makes clear that we are to care more about the inner self and character than our outward appearance. You can find that in 1 pet 3:3-4. Are we trying to draw attention to ourselves with tattoos and piercings? Are we trying to convey an image? Those are only questions we can answer as we evaluate our motives.
What’s your advice for single women in a waiting season?
So, I know this one is a hard one because God made it where we want a companion, we want to love and be loved, and we want to find that one person to spend the rest of our lives with. I wrote about this in my study “Reflections of Eve” and I noticed something in Gen 2. After God realized something was not good, and Adam needed a helper comparable to him, he put Adam to sleep and He created Eve. Then, He brought Eve to Adam. I found that to be telling because in order for God to create Eve from Adam’s rib, He had to be in close proximity to both of them. She was right there next to Adam, but God still brought her to Adam.
Now, this is descriptive, not necessarily prescriptive. But I do believe that God will help lead us to godly men as we put His commands into place for a mate.
For example, Paul tells the Corinthians not to be unequally yoked with unbelievers.
Now, this doesn’t only apply to marriage. It applies to any ally situation where we are yoked to Christ, doing the work of the Lord. Those who bear Christ’s yoke cannot share it with others who deny Christ. One commentator says, “Those who harness themselves together with unbelievers will soon find themselves plowing Satan’s fields.”
The point here is that we shouldn’t be looking for a spouse who is not in Christ. Know what they believe, what their values are in regards to politics, social beliefs, morals, etc. Those talks may be uncomfortable, but they are necessary to make sure you are not unequally yoked.
According to this verse in Corinthians, the standard of a Christian is already going to eliminate many, many options when looking for a spouse.
I’ve also said this, don’t expect to find a godly spouse in a bar or a club. I mean, anything can happen, but it’s not likely.
You can fall in love with anyone. You can fall in love with the wrong one just as easily as you can with the right one if you’re not careful. So guard your heart.
While you’re waiting for the right man to come along, do not … I repeat … do not neglect your relationship with God. For now, it is you and Him. Allow Him to prepare you for your spouse. What are you doing to prepare for that season in your life?
Are you ready to submit to your husband as unto the Lord? That is a verse many women struggle with because feminism doesn’t help and our culture celebrates autonomy. Another point I make with submitting to your spouse is this: God never asked you to submit to all men. He said submit to one man and good news … you get to pick him. We don’t live in a culture of arranged marriages, so no one needs to get crazy about this.
In fact, I don’t even understand why women get upset about it.
The man you submit to is the one you stand before God with and speak vows of “until death do us part.” If you can’t look that man in the eye and say that and mean it, he isn’t the one.
So spend time with the Lord in this season and allow Him to heal your hurts, reveal your heart, transform your mind and prepare you to be a wife. It really is a wonderful role to fill.
What are the most underrated books of the Bible and why?
This is a tough one! Gosh, off the top of my head, I would say the minor prophets are the most underrated. I don’t often hear people quoting from them. Those are the small prophetic books in the OT such as Amos, Joel, Nahum, etc. I’ve done a study on Joel before and it was excellent. I’ll be honest, these aren’t easy to understand, so before you study them be sure to read the author info, history and culture, and make sure to have conservative commentaries on hand.
I also feel Proverbs doesn’t get studied enough. That is a wisdom book and to actually study it instead of only read it will serve you well. I think I’ve studied Proverbs at least 3 times and every time it’s been like water to my soul.
Genesis is a book that is under debate as being metaphorical instead of literal. Some Christians say Adam and Eve didn’t really exist, the flood never happened and on and on. Study Genesis. I love it! It is a historical narrative and we have the ancient Hebrew translation to help us understand.
I would also add Philemon and 1, 2, 3 John as the NT books that are underrated.
So the other part of this question is why?
Why are these books underrated? I don’t exactly have all the answers or data on this and to be honest, I’m not sure there is a lot of data out there. But I can say from experience that there are a few observable reasons as to why:
One:
The bible studies and devotionals created for women don’t dive deep into books like these. The studies I’ve done on the books I mentioned are from Life Change and they are book studies only. They don’t speak to a felt need, they don’t speak to a topic, they are dives into the word of God. A lot of times us women feel like we need a topical study or a study that speaks to a problem or issue we have, but my experience with God’s word is that He knows us and what we’re going through, and I found that He works on us as we seek Him .. no matter if it’s just a book study, word study or whatever we choose to do. So try a Life Change bible series book study. They are so good and stick with it. I don’t try and do a whole lesson in the amount of time they recommend because it’s just too much. I do a page or two a day and work through the book in a few months instead of 6 weeks.
Two:
It takes endurance to study the word exegetically. That’s just the truth of the matter. I am taking this entire year not to do a bible study written by anyone. I just finished studying the book of Romans and it took me about 2.5 months. The next book I’m going to study is the book of John because I started that one and haven’t finished it yet. If you don’t know how to study the Bible exegetically, I have a one day online class for that and I’ve been thinking about making this longer and adding in the Rev study guide I created on Revelation 1-3 so I can walk the student through the practice of it. I will add this to the fall teaching schedule and I’ll keep you posted on when that will happen. I’m shooting for November since we have apologetics beginning in Sept.
What do I tell people when they say, “Jesus would get the vaccine if He walked the earth today”?
First, recognize this is an assertion. They made the claim, they need to defend it. You don’t. When someone else makes a truth claim ask them, “What do you mean by that?” And then ask, “How did you come to that conclusion?”
The person who said it spewed out, “Love your neighbor as yourself.” This is classic, guys. Scripture manipulation at it’s best. Would Jesus get vaccinated if He was here today? We can only answer that based on Scripture.
First, Jesus is God. He healed people, He never gave them medicine or herbal cures.
Second, when it’s flu season, do you get the flu vaccination because you love your neighbor? A vaccination is for your protection and to ensure you do not get sick and spread the disease. If 9 people are vaccinated out of 10, the don’t have to worry about the 1. Why? Because they are vaccinated.
I hate it when people use scripture to manipulate people.
If you want the vaccine, get it. If you don’t, don’t get it. The end! I am a data person .. show me the data and if it makes sense, then it makes sense. If it doesn’t, you are manipulating people.
One of my boys’ friends stayed with us in the mountains and he told my son to wear his mask because it’s showing kindness to other people. My son told him the mask isn’t for the purpose of kindness. It either keeps you healthy or it doesn’t. The kid is 16. This is what society has done with COVID. The mask has become a symbol of virtue and the vaccine is a symbol of loving our neighbor. No. That’s how you manipulate people and one day … one day, mark my words … we are going to see that this is one of the biggest political frauds in the history of our country.
Now, I want to make clear that I believe COVID is a real illness and vulnerable people have died from it.
But statistically, its all been fear mongering and manipulation. So when people tell you Jesus would have gotten the vaccine, make them defend their pathetic truth claim and if that’s the best they can do, then they need to work on it.
What is the Bible’s perspective on our gay friends who are followers of Christ?
There is a lot to this question so I am going to try and get the answer in that’s why I saved it for last.
First of all, homosexuality is addressed in both the OT and NT. Let’s refer to the NT: Romans 1 speaks of homosexuality when Paul says, “Therefore God gave them over in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, so that their bodies would be dishonored among them. For they exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen.
Verse 26:
For this reason, God gave them over to degrading passions; for their women exchanged the natural function for that which is unnatural, and in the same way also the men abandoned the natural function of the woman and burned in their desire toward one another, men with men committing indecent acts and receiving in their own persons the due penalty of their error.
Verse 28:
“Just as they did not see fit to acknowledge God any longer, God gave them over to a depraved mind, to do those things which are not proper, being filled with all unrighteousness, wickedness, greed, evil .. (and it goes on with wicked acts). Finally, in verse 32, “And although they know the ordinance of God, that those who practice such things are worthy of death, they not only do the same, but also give hearty approval to those who practice them.”
Some people argue that the word homosexuality wasn’t used during Bible times so there is no word for it in Greek or Hebrew, Latin, etc. But, as I just read, did Paul use the word homosexuality here? It is interpreted to say homosexuality or sexual immorality in Corinthians and other parts of the Bible, but I used this passage so that you see the description used by Paul to describe what we call homosexuality today.
The person who asked me this question has a hard time with Christians calling homosexuality a sin.
She says we are to love others. And we are. On that I will agree. But love tells the truth. Romans 1 is not light on moral depravity. Paul packs a punch with his wording and describes the condition of the person/s who distorts God’s commands.
There are true homosexuals who love the Lord and struggle with their passions for the same sex. I read a book a long time ago when I was about to have my first boy. It’s called “Bringing Up Boys” and in it Dr. Dobson talked about how people do not choose to be gay. Many boys around the age of puberty started to feel an attraction toward the same sex and they wrote in pleading with him to help them overcome it because they knew it was a sin by biblical standards.
My heart went out to them.
They struggled. I also read, “Gay Girl, Good God” by Jackie Perry last year ( and I stopped following Jackie because of her constant, biased social justice gospel which isn’t gospel … even blaming white people for the abortions of black women) .. but she is a former homosexual who at times struggles with same sex attract and married her now husband and they have 2 daughters.
She says the attraction and desires may never go away in this lifetime. The struggle against it may always be there and this may be her cross to bear until the day she is taken to heaven.
That’s real. So the Christian who loves Christ and struggles with these desires while not succumbing to the homosexual lifestyle, my heart goes out to you. My prayer is that God gives you the strength and endurance to continue to war against the flesh until you get victory because God loves you and He is with you.
We all have desires we ought not act on.
Every day. There will always be a war between the spirit and the flesh and that is something we do not talk about enough. Instead, we condone sin an we eliminate the sinner. When we eliminate the sinner, there is no struggle and no war. But that also means we become a god unto ourselves and we eliminate the Savior from our lives.
Close:
For those of you who sent in questions, thank you. It was fun answering your questions about these different topics and I hope you feel a little more aware of what the Bible says. If you have any other questions, you can email me at hello@shandafulbright.com and I’ll catch you on the next one!
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