What Does The Bible Say About Christians And Tattoos?
Leviticus 19:28 says “‘Do not cut your bodies for the dead or put tattoo marks on yourselves. I am the LORD”.
I have continually heard religious people cite Leviticus 19:28 to insult people merely because they have tattoos. As if that somehow makes them less human, less godly, or less Christian. So using the SAME chapter of the bible I ask those who cite the OLD testament law how they fair out…
Do you wear cotton and denim at the same time?
[Lev 19:21] “‘Do not wear clothing woven of two kinds of material.”
Do you trim your sideburns or your beard?
[Lev 19:27] “‘Do not cut the hair at the sides of your head or clip off the edges of your beard.”
Oh, there’s a LOT more to the law than this. I just scratched the surface of one chapter.
There’s lots of wisdom in the old testament, but when we start picking and choosing the laws we personally haven’t violated and which ones we can judge people by we miss the point. The law never made anyone righteous (Rom 3:20), and we are all hopeless under it.
God is not concerned about a tattoo. He’s only concerned about whether or not we believe in Jesus. Jesus changes the heart! It’s not what we put IN the body or ON the body that defiles us, but rather what comes from the heart that defiles us.
As believers Romans 6:14 says – “You are not under the law, but under grace”.
Take away: Let’s stop looking at tattoos and instead look at the heart. There are a lot of great people out there wearing tattoos.
Author: Mike Cynar
Mike Cynar was raised in a church setting where he frequently noticed that many attendees would eventually drift away. The church labeled these individuals as ‘back sliders’ or ‘fake Christians’ just looking for ‘fire insurance’. However, Mike realized the issue was rarely with these individuals but instead with the church’s message itself. The teachings heavily emphasized behavior improvement and one’s flaws, with only a fleeting mention of one’s identity in Christ. It felt as though every sermon was tailored to the church of Corinth, who as we know or committing sins that even unbelievers don’t partake in. This trend was noticeable not just in one denomination, but across Baptist, Catholic, Pentecostal, and many other churches. Upon understanding the true essence of the gospel – that our righteousness comes from Jesus’ actions, not our own – Mike was inspired to liberate believers from lifeless sermons and reconnect them with the genuine teachings of Jesus. He believes that one can nurture a vibrant and growing bond with Jesus, unhindered by rigid religious practices. And thus, “Jesus Without Religion” was born.
It turns out that it is grace that leads to repentance. And if our heart is to get others to walk in the Spirit and live a godly life, then the best approach is not a beat down sermon, but rather to remind other that it is only when we understand our true identity in Christ that we will live it out. Yes, it’s true, if you’re convinced that God thinks you’re a dirty sinner, you will ultimately continue a lifestyle that mirrors that view, but if you truly believe that even on your worst day, you are called holy, sanctified, justified, and will be presented blameless in the end, well, it turns out this is the secret to living out on the outside what has been worked in to the inside.
1 Comment
There is no Leviticus 9:28 it goes to 24