Being a believer, we want to fulfill God’s word to the best of our ability and obey the precepts that are written in the Bible. The world we live in has a multitude of things that attract us to each other, sometimes misleading us down the wrong path and instilling in us a sense of meaninglessness, remorse, or anger at ourselves and each other. Sometimes even those simple issues, like going out to a club, swearing, or… body tattooing. Where do these thoughts come from? What does the Bible say on the subject of salvation through the prism of the actions we took or… we want to take?

The answer, although directly and often presented, sometimes escapes our consciousness and we look for other conditions. Scripture, in the New Testament, highlights the fact that whatever we do and whoever we are, if we believe in Jesus – we will be saved.

How do we get to “Heaven “?

As Christians, we take both the Old and New Testaments as a guide for living a good and blessed life. With the coming of Jesus Christ, the laws contained in the Old Testament as the basis for the possibility of entering the Kingdom of Heaven were a long list of commandments and prohibitions that the ancient Israelites had to fulfill. With the coming of the Messiah, there was a dramatic change and ease of obtaining forgiveness of sins and salvation. It occurred through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the cross – “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” (John 3:16). Through faith in His life, the works He did, and His resurrection – we can be sure that in His love He redeemed our every fault, nor through works – “…for by grace are ye saved through faith, and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not of works, lest any man should boast” (Eph. 2:8-9). The above quotes stand for the only way we can accept to receive salvation and eternal life in heaven.

Quotes talking about getting to heaven

The Old Testament foreshadowed the coming of Jesus, the one through whom forgiveness of sins and salvation can be obtained by anyone if only he believes in Him. The following will be excerpts from the New Testament, representing the Good News:

• Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved. (Acts 4:12)
• Jesus answered, “I am the way, truth, and life. No one comes to the Father except through me. (John 14:6)
• “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—  not by works, so that no one can boast. (Ephesians 2:8-9)
• For there is one God and one mediator between God and mankind, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all people. This has now been witnessed at the proper time. (1 Timothy 2:5-6)
• If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. (Romans 10:9)
• For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. (John 3:16)
• I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful,  I know that full well. (Psalm 139:14)

Is it a sin?

On the question of having a tattoo as a sin, the matter is not obvious, but on the question of whether we will go to the so-called heaven – we have the certainty that in Jesus, we are saved by faith, not by deeds. For this reason, the question of whether we will go to Heaven… if we believe in Him – seems obvious – “Jesus said to him: “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.” (John 14:6) 

Another situation is when we feel a great dissonance in what we believe, what our values are and how we want to present ourselves as a representation of Jesus, and what we do or want to do. In such a situation, it is best to analyze one’s intentions and where one stands, as it may turn out that it is not the tattoo itself that may constitute a reason for sin, but acting against one’s conscience and convictions. The Bible says clearly – But whoever has doubts is condemned if they eat, because their eating is not from faith; and everything that does not come from faith is sin (Romans 14:23). Acting against what we believe is not only a difficult experience, but also an action against ourselves and the will of God. It is important to consider and understand the reasons why we choose to fulfill (or not) someone else’s expectations or simply to give against our beliefs. This is mentioned in the Bible for a reason. God wants the best for us, and acting (wrongly) against ourselves is not in the nature of man and God’s vision for him. Knowing our beliefs, values, purposes and knowing God and His words will help us make more conscious decisions and pursue the things that matter most to us and God.

Some life choices are not easy, especially those we make for our whole life. Nevertheless, by knowing God, and having the desire to follow His paths, we are not able to disconnect ourselves from His love. All the wrong decisions we have made will eventually come back to us, becoming another attempt to face the consequences of our decisions and actions. Whatever, however, these decisions may be – nothing can separate us from God and the opportunity to enjoy the gift we have received in faith through Jesus Christ. And thus, our eternal life, life in heaven is assured – “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy, he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,  and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade. This inheritance is kept in heaven for you” (1 Peter 1:3-4).