Tattoos and God

I am amazed at the number of people who have tattoos these days. People I would never have suspected have one on their ankle or foot or on their shoulder, or other places. And with youth, it’s a big thing now, even Christian youth. Getting a tattoo has never been high on my bucket list. And I wonder how those who get a tattoo when they’re young will feel about it when they’re in their fifties, sixties, or seventies.

Regardless of personal taste, is getting a tattoo a sin?

Some would say that the Bible is pretty clear on the subject. Leviticus 19:28 says, “Do not cut your bodies for the dead or put tattoo marks on yourselves. I am the LORD.” This seems pretty straightforward. God says don’t do it. Therefore, if we do something God says not to do then we’ve committed a sin. But this raises several questions for me.

Let’s first take the angle that getting a tattoo at all, for any reason, is a sin. I go to the tattoo parlor and allow the artist to burn into my skin a picture. I’ve committed a sin. If I come to my senses and confess and repent of that sin, is that it? The tattoo still exists. Do I sin every time I display the tattoo? Or is the sin done and over with since I did it, confessed and repented? Do I have to remove the tattoo in order to atone for the sin? Ah, but we can no longer atone for sin, since Jesus was the ultimate atonement. Or is the consequence just a constant reminder of my momentary rebellion toward God? Will the guilt I’ll feel at violating God’s command be my penalty? Sin has consequences so I guess if getting a tattoo is a sin, the consequence (besides the exorbitant price I paid for someone to mutilate my body) is that reminder of my sin.

Others would argue that the list of rules found in Leviticus 19 is part of the sacrificial law and that Christ came and fulfilled the sacrificial law. Since we now live under grace and not under law, those rules do not apply to us. Maybe. We certainly do not live under the sacrificial law. We don’t have to take a lamb to the priest and have its throat cut to atone for our sin. Is the list in Leviticus 19 part of the sacrificial law? I don’t know. As the title of my blog says, I’m not a theologian. That’s just too heavy of a subject to dive into.

I’d like to look at tattoos in a different light. The same light I look at a lot of things that I could or could not do.

First, how about a couple other scriptures from the New Testament. Oh, but before that, one more from Leviticus 19. In verses 1 and 2, “The LORD said to Moses, ‘Speak to the entire assembly of Israel and say to them: “Be holy because I, the LORD your God, am holy.”’”

I bring in this scripture because in Matthew 5:48, Jesus says, “Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.”

No matter what you think about the list in Leviticus 19, one thing is clear, verse 2 is still a valid command. However, that’s actually not why I bring that verse in. Here are a couple more verses to get our mind in the right place before I give my take on the whole tattoo thing.

1Corinthians 10:23-24 says, “’Everything is permissible’—but not everything is beneficial. ‘Everything is permissible’—but not everything is constructive. Nobody should seek his own good, but the good of others.”

And, later in that same chapter, Paul says, “So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God. Do not cause anyone to stumble, whether Jews, Greeks or the church of God—even as I try to please everybody in every way. For I am not seeking my own good but the good of many, so that they may be saved.” (1Corinthians 10:31-33).

Take a look again at the three sets of scriptures above. Be holy or perfect. Everything is allowed, but not everything is beneficial. Whatever you do, do for the glory of God. And for kickers, don’t do something that could be a stumbling block for someone else to come to Christ.

Let’s put this all together and relate tattoos to it. Here’s my question to you if you’re contemplating a tattoo. Why do you want this tattoo? God said, everything is permissible. Therefore, according to the New Testament, you can get that tattoo if you want to. But why are you getting it? Is it to bring glory to God? Or is it to show off yourself? Is it to honor God? Or is it to be cool? If it’s to honor yourself or to be cool, then it’s not getting the tattoo that’s the possible sin. It’s your attitude, your pride, your arrogance. That is the sin. This violates a direct command from God – a New Testament command - whatever you do, do for the glory of God. Willfully doing something that you know is not for the glory of God is a sin.

Can you get a tattoo for the glory of God? Steven Curtis Chapman and his family - both sons and his wife - all got tattoos to memorialize his five year old daughter who was killed in an accident. Is this honoring God? I really can’t answer that. God knows the hearts of the Chapman family, I don’t. On the surface, it certainly appears to be an honorable reason. Another example. Could you get a tattoo of, say, a cross, as a way to open doors to witness?

How about another set of scriptures from 1Corinthians, this time verses 9:19-9:23: “Though I am free and belong to no man, I make myself a slave to everyone, to win as many as possible. To the Jews I became like a Jew, to win the Jews. To those under the law I became like one under the law (though I myself am not under the law), so as to win those under the law. To those not having the law I became like one not having the law (though I am not free from God’s law but am under Christ’s law), so as to win those not having the law. To the weak I became weak, to win the weak. I have become all things to all men so that by all possible means I might save some. I do all this for the sake of the gospel, that I may share in its blessings.”

I could envision a situation where a Christian, who hangs out with a certain type of crowd where tattoos are the norm, getting a tattoo himself or herself in order to fit in enough to make an impact on that crowd for Christ.

But what if another person hangs out with a crowd who thinks tattoos are evil? If this person gets a tattoo, they are possibly causing their friends to stumble and may be preventing them from coming to Christ or may be preventing them from growing in their Christian walk.

Are tattoos forbidden by the Bible? I’m not sure I’ve answered that question. I’m not sure I can answer that question. I hope the scriptures I’ve provided, along with the guidance of the Holy Spirit, will allow you to answer that question for yourself. As for me, I’ll keep my skin free of tattoos and try to live my life for the glory of God. And, really, that’s the bottom line. Whenever we set out to do something, we should ask ourselves why we’re doing it. Is it to honor God or ourselves? If the former, go for it. That’s between you and God. If it’s the latter, beware. God doesn’t take kindly to idolatry. I’ll leave as a homework assignment for the reader to review Acts chapter 5 and the story of Ananias and Sapphira. They did something good, at least what most of us would think is good. They gave money to the common cause, but with the wrong motive. And what happened to them? Read the chapter and find out.

Until next time, do all for the glory of God.