Tattoos: Can Christians Get Inked?
Tattoos: Can Christians Get Inked?
As a Christ-follower, pastor, and human being, I often get asked about my tattoos. For those of you who know me, you know that I love tattoos and that I have many. I have an almost-completed full sleeve on my left arm (shoutout to Ruth Bautista), and I also have a few others decorating my right arm, back, and right leg. Each one of my tattoos is a description of the Gospel and what the Lord has spoken over my life and our lives as the family of God. They are markings of belonging, they are signs of the One who dwells in me, and they declare my identity in outward, creative, and joyful expressions.
Although I love tattoos, many Christians do not. Many see them as gang signs, markings of the devil, symbols of sin, or my personal favorite, "bumper stickers on a Ferrari."
So, what are we to think about tattoos? Can Christians get tattoos? Are they indeed markings of the devil or symbols of sin?
I want to briefly write about what the Word of God says about tattoos, what I believe about them, and what this means for us today.
What Does the Bible Say About Tattoos?
The passage that many recite to show that tattoos are unbiblical is Leviticus 19:28. The passage states, “‘Do not cut your bodies for the dead or put tattoo marks on yourselves. I am the LORD." Well, there you have it. All you tattooed heathens are breaking the Law and Word of God. (*please note sarcasm*)
Oh, wait. There's this small thing that's called context that gives massive importance in understanding this passage and all of Scripture.
First, I love talking about this verse with men who don't have sideburns or beards. I usually ask them why they broke the Law one verse before 19:28: “‘Do not cut the hair at the sides of your head or clip off the edges of your beard (Lev. 19:27)."
Here's the deal with this: our goal is not legalism, our goal is love. Jesus nailed legalism to the cross (Col 2:13-15) and calls us to fulfill the Law (what is spoken by God to those in the Old Testament) through loving God with our whole lives and loving our neighbors as we love ourselves.
We live in a much different context then the when these original laws were given. They were instructions to help the people of God live in holiness so that the Messiah (Christ Jesus) might come through a sanctified people to save all people. I'm glad we don't practice aspects of the Law anymore, and I'm grateful that it made way for Jesus to come and provide atonement once and for all. All of this means that it doesn't matter if you have a beard or not as long as you love the Lord, love your neighbor, and love your self. The same can be said for tattoos, kind of. Keep reading.
Secondly, what Leviticus 19:28 is referring to is an ancient pagan tradition found in worship rituals. One such ceremony is seen in 1 Kings 18, in which Elijah and the prophets of Ba'al have a showdown on Mount Carmel. Elijah and the others create two alters and call upon their gods to see whose will answer and send fire upon their sacrifice. While the prophets of Ba'al are calling upon their false god to awaken him, they are recorded "slashing themselves with swords and spears, as was their custom, until their blood flowed (1 Kings 18:28)."
You see, this was a practice in which many pagans worshippers would declare to whom they belonged. Tattoos came from rituals in which people would mark themselves to symbolize what god possessed them or from what family, tribe, or people they came.
With this stated, Leviticus 19:28 isn't necessarily putting down tattoos altogether, but instead it is asking for the people of God to declare their belonging through other practices. The Lord had called His people to be holy as He was holy and to live separate from the other worship practices of the surrounding nations.
"But, it comes from pagan tradition, it's a sin!" is another aspect I hear about tattoos. Many traditions from Christmas, Easter, American nationalism, and other holidays also come from pagan rituals. Do we stop celebrating Christmas and Easter? NO! Why? Because our God is a God of redemption. Can we believe that what were initially marks of possession by false gods can now be signs of relationship with the True God? I believe so.
In fact, in Song of Songs 8:6-7 there is a beautiful poem from one lover (the Shulamite bride) to another (her groom). The verses read, "Place me like a seal over your heart, like a seal on your arm; for love is as strong as death, its jealousy unyielding as the grave. It burns like blazing fire, like a mighty flame. Many waters cannot quench love; rivers cannot sweep it away. If one were to give all the wealth of one’s house for love, it would be utterly scorned."
This seal upon the arm and heart is a marking of possession. This poem is merely a plea from one lover to another to take full ownership of them, including emotionally (heart), intellectually and physically (body).
To continue this metaphor from the poem, this seal is one of love that is as strong as death and more jealous than the grave. In other words, this seal is the mark of relational connection in a loving relationship.
And, this love is jealous. This is not jealousy as we practice or see it today. This love is not jealous because somebody has a better car or a more excellent job. That's called envy. Jealously here is a reference to a longing for full attention, connection, adoration, and love.
Is it any surprise that the Lord refers to Himself as jealous in the Scriptures? In Exodus 34:14, He speaks, "Do not worship any other god, for the Lord, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God." In Deuteronomy 4:24, as the people of God are warned about abstaining from idol worship, it is spoken, "For the Lord, your God is a consuming fire, a jealous God."
What does this mean? Is God jealous of how we look or who we worship? No. God does not envy because He is self-sufficient. He does not need our worship; He wants us to be in a relationship with Him. And ultimately, He is most glorified in our receiving and giving of His love.
God is jealous because He wants every aspect of our lives. He did not come in the flesh as Jesus and die in our place for us to be in a partial relationship. He did not raise from the dead for you to live a 'spiritual life' only. No, the Lord wants all of your life because He paid for it and it's the best thing for us. Full relational connection with the Trinity is our marking of possession and belonging.
In other words, what Leviticus 19:28 is addressing is a posture in our hearts and lives of whether or not we have given our whole selves to the Lord. This means that according to the full Scriptural view of this passage tattoos are not sinful or disallowed if they are pointing to Whom we belong.
Now let me make this abundantly clear: I'm not condoning getting the Pink Panther on your calf or a Los Angeles Dodgers logo on your forehead (please DO NOT DO THAT). I'm not even saying that getting tattoos to commemorate those who have passed away is always the right thing to do either, as sometimes we find ourselves worshipping them more than the One to whom they belong.
However, I am stating that when the symbol is a mark of possession and points to Who created you, to Whom you belong, and even to Who holds your family members and calls us into a larger family, that the posture of our heart's tattoo matches the symbol of body's tattoo.
Speaking of which, what about our bodies being a temple as it is written in 1 Cor. 3 and 6? Yes, the writers of the Scriptures make it clear that because of the indwelling Holy Spirit, we are now the temple of God. These are also references to practices including sexual immorality, eating certain foods, and abstaining from certain worship rituals. How many of us take care of our bodies like we are the temple of God? How many people point the finger at tattooed believers for marking their temple when they eat poorly, don't exercise, or give very little love to their bodies (temples)?
Another point on this: what if with my temple I am making declaration through a tattoo to Whom I belong that would attract people to the Presence of who dwells within? I cannot tell you how many times people ask about my tattoos and I get to share with them about Jesus. God is faithful to take these signs of possession and use them as symbols of redemption and invitation as well.
Let me make one last point here from the Word. Many Christians will argue that tattoos are Biblical because Jesus is described in Revelation 19:11-16 riding on a white horse with a sword in His mouth and fire in His eyes with His name written on His robe and His thigh: KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS. They see this description of the returning Savior and declare that if Jesus has a tattoo on His leg, then they are just trying to be more like Jesus.
I'd say this: Revelation is filled with many metaphors to describe Jesus. I don't think He has bronze feet, white wool hair, or a sword for a tongue. I think these are descriptions of how He is firmly standing in victory, crowned with purity, and speaks His Word that can cut directly to our heart and mind.
All of this to say, this marking on Jesus' leg is a picture that displays the full victory He is returning in. On His cross, the Romans nailed a similar description to mock Him, but on His victory horse, this phrase is that He reigns in truth and holy love. It is not a humanmade sign; it is a Divine image of who Jesus was, is, and will always be: King of kings and Lord of lords. In this same manner, our tattoos should be pointing towards and giving a deeper understanding of this King who is metaphorically marked on His leg.
So What Does This Mean for Us Today?
Short and sweet because I've already written a research paper above: tattoos come from various traditions as signs and symbols of possession. When our tattoos match the posture of our heart and are declarations to Whom we belong, there is nothing wrong with that. When our tattoos commemorate people or experiences and their final resting place or resolve in the Lord, there is nothing wrong with that.
However, when our tattoos are markings of other gods or idols that we worship, the outward signs are revealing the inward postures of our hearts. Tattoos are permanent, and I know that many have come from hard pasts. I'm fully aware that many have marks that they are not proud of, but I will tell you this: "The Lord does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart (1 Sam. 16:7).”
With this said, whether you have past tattoos that represent idolatry or places of brokenness, my prayer is that they would be signs of the old life that Christ has brought you out of. I love thinking of the baptism imagery in the Exodus story. The Israelites are in bondage and slavery on one side of the water of the Red Sea. Once they walk under and through it, they come out on the other side walking in destiny and hope of a future in the Lord's promise for them. I believe that tattoos, both old and new, can point to this larger redemption and newness of life that Christ freely offers.
This doesn't mean we should read this and say, "Yay, His grace covers it!" Of course, His grace will cover it. But as Paul writes to the Romans, "What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? By no means! We are those who have died to sin; how can we live in it any longer? (Rms. 6:1-2)." Again, our goal is love, and our goal is to live in this love in every aspect of our lives. Whether we have tattoos or are going to get them, our goal should be to remain in His love and grace.
In the end, our God is jealous. He wants all of your heart because when all of your heart finds its home in Him, your life will be the ultimate tattoo for the world to see.
Our God is redemptive. He can take the most corrupt practices and people and invite them into a relationship where forgiveness reigns and true promise and identity are seen more than past crimes or ink on the skin.
Our God is holy. He is saving us and calling us into greater holiness through His finished work and active grace in our lives. As you think about tattoos and other marks on your body and in your life, open your heart and mind to prayerfully consider what this will speak to the world around you. Is this a sign of possession and belonging to the One True Lord or is this just another symbol of the culture to which we are called not to conform?
When it boils down to it, people will stand in various beliefs over the topic of tattoos. Some will stay in their conviction of how they see tattoos as sinful while others will leap at every opportunity to add to their growing ink collection. In the midst of this all, we are called to live in holy love. Love for God, neighbor, and self. Will your tattoo reveal this love or not? And more importantly, before a tattoo or other sign shows your love for God, neighbor, and ourselves, is your life demonstrating this truth first?
I believe that tattoos can lead to a creative and beautiful demonstration of relationship with the Lord as well as powerful testimonies of His redemption. I also think that these symbols can be marks that draw our attention away from Jesus and lead us down paths that do not lead to restoration.
The choice is before us to declare our belonging with our lives first, and then our markings secondly. Again, the Lord looks at the heart, and I believe we should ask for eyes that see the heart as well.
In the end, I'd much rather live knowing that the Lord is more concerned about the posture of my heart than the ink on my skin. But guess what? When the signs on my body match the position of my heart, that's real artwork for the world to see the beauty of the Original Artist. Here's to that Artist and His artwork displayed. Amen.
"We have become his poetry, a re-created people that will fulfill the destiny he has given each of us, for we are joined to Jesus, the Anointed One. Even before we were born, God planned in advance our destiny and the good works we would do to fulfill it!" Ephesians 2:10 (TPT)
