What About Tattoos?

Anonymous asked:
What do you think about tattoos? A “Christian” tattoo. Should a Christian not get one?

It depends on who’s asking.  When Jesus comes back with a tattoo on his leg, his head on fire, a sword coming out of his face, holding seven stars in his hand, riding a warhorse and wearing a robe dipped in the blood of enemies he just killed — no one is going to ask him, Dude should you have a tattoo?

I’m mostly kidding.  But the root truth remains: It just depends on who’s asking.  It depends on your motives. It’s a heart issue.

I had to cheat a little and look up Scriptures about tattoos.  The two main arguments against tattoos appear to be Leviticus 19:28 and 1 Corinthians 6:19-20, which are about your body. 

I totally get these verses.  But considering that OT Law is not a moral law that carries into the covenantal grace-pact with Jesus, and that 1 Cor. 6 is not specifically about tattoos, I think there’s some wiggle-room here.  The Bible is not particularly against it.

Really it’ll be about your motivation.  Why do you want one?  What’s the objective?  Is it tied to any psychological issue?  Is it rebellious?  Is there a way to express yourself without it?  Do you really need one?

Let’s be super-honest: I know very few people who could legitimately say they’re getting a tattoo for the sake of art or biblical conviction.  It tends to be tied to some deeper things, and not all good things. 

This does NOT mean that people with tattoos are bad or something, but that all people are sinful and we manifest it in different ways.  So you have to admit the possibility that a tattoo is a way of acting out. I’ve personally wanted a tattoo since forever, but whenever I thought about it, I realized I would only do it to show that I could do it.  That’s pretty dumb. 

If your conscience with God totally approves of it, then awesome.  Just examine yourself and keep the obvious truth in view.  If you’re doing it for some lame reason to fit in or be hot or be cool, then forget it.  There are easier ways to be lame — like not being lame.