Tattoos

Today’s topic: TATTOOS and my take on them and the bible’s point of view.
I am asked why as a Christian I continue to get tattoos. Well, because I like them and I do not think that they are law breakers. Sure if they were for the dead or if I was using them as some sort of worship, then yes; I would be in violation of God’s law.
“You shall not make any cuts in your body for the dead nor make any tattoo marks on yourselves: I am the LORD.” Leviticus 19:28 — New American Standard
I know quite a few people will say, “Yeah, what are the verses before and after? Are you taking them out of context?” No, I am not:
26 ‘You shall not eat anything with the blood, nor practice divination or soothsaying. 27 You shall not round off the side-growth of your heads nor harm the edges of your beard. 28 ‘You shall not make any cuts in your body for the dead nor make any tattoo marks on yourselves: I am the LORD. 29 ‘Do not profane your daughter by making her a harlot, so that the land will not fall to harlotry and the land become full of lewdness. 30 ‘You shall keep My sabbaths and revere My sanctuary; I am the LORD. 31 ‘Do not turn to mediums or spiritists; do not seek them out to be defiled by them. I am the LORD your God. Leviticus 19:26–31 — New American Standard
None of my tats are in memory of the dead. I believe that the issue is more heathen practices of old when a loved one died. The bereave would gash their face or arms as payment to the gods of death and the grave. Now as we are to have no other Gods, you can see why this practice was forbidden. I promise my tats are not for the dead.
19What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? 20For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's. - 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 King James
15Peter said, "Explain the parable to us." 16"Are you still so dull?" Jesus asked them. 17"Don't you see that whatever enters the mouth goes into the stomach and then out of the body? 18But the things that come out of the mouth come from the heart, and these make a man 'unclean.' 19For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, slander. 20These are what make a man 'unclean'; but eating with unwashed hands does not make him 'unclean.' " - Matthew 15:16-20 King James
16Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you? 17If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are. - 1 Corinthians 3:16-17 King James

My understanding of these passages are that we may eat what ever we want, it is going to pass through our stomachs and then out of them. Of course we don’t want to hurt our bodies by eating too much “unhealthy” food! We shouldn’t be doing drugs either. This includes alcohol in excess and tobacco smoking. Christians who want to quit drinking and smoking have our Savior on their side: 13I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me. - Philippians 4:13 King James

None of us are perfect. That is why Yahshua (Jesus) came. He walked this earth for 30 years before He started witnessing and preaching. He lived so He was knowledgeable of the world. He knew and experienced first hand what human beings are faced with. He was the perfect lamb. So, we may not get it right and we may stumble and even fall. We just have to get back up and admit we were wrong. Claim the covering of The Lamb, be washed in His blood. As long as we are truly sorry and we repent in our hearts with no intentions of committing that sin again, we are washed clean and are forgiven. That is the whole point of being washed in the blood of Yahshua (Jesus).