QUESTION:
What do you make about tattoos? Should a Christian have it since it was condemned in the Old Testament but not in the New Testament?
ANSWER:
Entertaining thoughts like this is a consequence of not rightly dividing the Word of truth. These confusions come into the mind when people are taught that they are spiritual Israel, or when people are ignorant of the two separate and distinct programs that occupy the written Word. Let me briefly clarify what I mean.
We have TWO programs in the Bible. The prophetic program and the mystery program. The prophetic program concerns Israel who were the people of God, a special nation, set apart by God, via the law, in order to be a light to the world, a kingdom of priests, and a holy nation. On the other hand, there is the mystery program, that concerns the Body of Christ, who are under grace. Where Israel is a physical people who would inherit the physical earth, the Body of Christ is a spiritual creature [body] which will inherit the heavens.
With this said, it was to Israel, who were under the law, that body markings were prohibited. Similar to Sabbath and a kosher diet, all these rules were to set them apart from the nations for God's purposes. For you and me, who are not under law, but under grace, there is no such restriction on body markings. We do not have to be condemned if we have them, neither do we have to come under condemnation if we are not fully persuaded in his own mind that it is wrong to get a tattoo, Rom.14:5. You see, we are not under the black and white absolutes of the law. We are under grace, and we have the liberty to make decisions for ourselves based on our walking according to the Spirit, which is to walk according to our knowledge, and understanding, and faith in the Word of God, and the truth it leads us into. Remember, it is children who are under the law. As we grow up in truth, as the written Word takes root in our heart, and renews our mind, we can give ourselves over to its influences within us and choose to walk in its liberty, trusting that what we decide for ourselves is in accordance with the will and desire of our Heavenly Father. It is He that gives us more and more responsibility in life as we grow in His will and understand His ways. We become sons who understand and execute the judgement of our Father in our lives. It is in this that there is no law and no condemnation.
Rom 12:2 And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.
Rom 14:17 For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost. (18) For he that in these things serveth Christ is acceptable to God, and approved of men. (19) Let us therefore follow after the things which make for peace, and things wherewith one may edify another. (20) For meat [or tattoos] destroy not the work of God. All things indeed are pure; but it is evil for that man who eateth [or doeth] with offence. (21) It is good neither to eat flesh, nor to drink wine, nor any thing whereby thy brother stumbleth, or is offended, or is made weak. (22) Hast thou faith? have it to thyself before God. Happy is he that condemneth not himself in that thing which he alloweth. (23) And he that doubteth is damned if he eat [or do], because he eateth [or doeth] not of faith: for whatsoever is not of faith is sin.
Believers today are under the grace of God, not under the laws of Israel. We do not have the limitations as Israel did. God does not judge and condemn us for body markings. Similarly, God does not judge us today for not keeping the Sabbath or not keeping a kosher diet. Since Israel is blinded today and their program is suspended, all these laws and observances are on hold until God reactivates the Kingdom program and brings Israel (His chosen nation) out of their blindness. So, God does not judge tattoos or kosher diets or Sabbaths or anything else today. God’s will for today is that all men be saved (through Jesus Christ) and come to a knowledge of the truth of His grace. (1Tim 2:4).
REACTION #1:
I beg to differ with you. Yes, we are under grace. But your body is the temple of the Holy Sirit. The Spirit indwelling believers of Jesus Christ. Are you going to mar the temple of God with graffiti?
REPLY:
Thank you for your comment.
I agree that our bodies are a habitation of the Spirit of God. We as stronger Christians should ensure that we do not say and do things that place temptations upon weaker Christians and thereby hurt their faith. In Romans 14, Paul provides us with a beautiful discourse on this topic.
So, in context to my post, I, as a believer in Christ, will never go out and mark my body, or drink in excess, or smoke, or speak coarse language. I have put these things aside because I want to honour God in my own faith, but also avoid setting bad examples to those who are weaker in faith.
Our limitations are based not on what we can do or cannot do, (see 1Cor.10:23) but it is set by our faith standing before God in a moral and personal way, and it is curbed by what example we set to others to avoid hurting their faith. In short, we exercise morality by our love towards God and our love towards our fellow believers. Thus, tattoos are not a sin for you until you are convicted in your heart that they are, and then go ahead, resisting that conviction, and getting a tattoo. The sin is not in the body marking, but in your resistance to the conviction of the Spirit within you. See Rom 14:5 and Rom.14:22-23.
REACTION #2:
Would you allow your son or daughter to have tattoos of snake and dragons on their bodies since they're under the grace?
Should we continue in sin because grace is available? And are you saying all the commands God gives in the Old Testament like do not steal, do not commit adultery should be overlooked because of grace?
This is what Paul said in 1 Corinthians 10:23
All things are lawful(permissible)for me, but all things are not expedient (helpful/useful): all things are lawful (permissible) for me, but all things edify not.
So, the question now is? Is having tattoos edifying? Did Jesus or the disciples have tattoos? Did Paul whom you follow and imitate have tattoos?
Honestly, you need to seek God and return to Jesus so that you don't lead many and yourself to hell. God promises to Israel still holds true for us till date as He doesn't change.
REPLY:
Please note that I am not defending tattoos. I do not have any on my body and I don’t specifically approve of them either. However, consider the following regarding tattoos.
Say God asks you to go and witness to gang members, hypothetically. You obey and go, but you learn that the gang first wants you to get a tattoo on your body BEFORE you can witness to them. If you receive a tattoo, you can tell them about Jesus. If you do not get a tattoo, you will not be allowed to witness to them.
So, what now? Will you forego the opportunity to save some of them because you have made up in your mind that tattoos are a sin and send some to hell because of your obstinance about body markings? On the other hand, we know according to 1Tim.2:4, that it is God’s will that ALL men should be saved. So would it not be more acceptable (according to one’s persuasion before God, Rom.14:5) to get a tattoo in order to witness about Jesus and save some lost folks.
If you really consider this scenario above in sober truth, you will discover that tattoos are not really the issue at hand. You don’t lose your salvation because of some body markings, and in other instances, it might be necessary to do something outside your comfort areas to witness to others. Paul did this himself saying,
1Co 9:19-22 For though I be free from all men, yet have I made myself servant unto all, that I might gain the more. (20) And unto the Jews I became as a Jew, that I might gain the Jews; to them that are under the law, as under the law, that I might gain them that are under the law; (21) To them that are without law, as without law, (being not without law to God, but under the law to Christ,) that I might gain them that are without law. (22) To the weak became I as weak, that I might gain the weak: I am made all things to all men, that I might by all means save some.
PS: Note that he says he does not become immoral by extending outside the moral law, but as you quoted above, “All things are lawful (permissible) for me, … if it edify”, and if it be to the reconciliation and salvation of others.
So, in context to my post, I, as a believer in Christ, will never go out and mark my body, or drink in excess, or smoke, or speak coarse language. I have put these things aside because I want to honour God in my own faith, as well as avoid setting bad examples to those who are weaker in faith.
Our limitations are based not on what we can do or cannot do, (as you quote in 1Cor.10:23) but it is set by our faith before God in a moral and personal way, and it is curbed by what example we set to others to avoid hurting their faith. In short, we exercise morality by our love towards God and our love towards our fellow believers.
Thus, tattoos are not a sin until you are personally convicted in your heart that they are. See Rom 14:5 and Rom.14:22-23.
I trust this provides you with more clarity.
On a completely different note, can I respond to what you say in your last paragraph. I do want to remind you of rightly dividing the Word of truth. It is not scripturally correct that God’s promises to Israel holds true for us to date. God’s promises to Israel as for Israel and NOT for us. We are not under the covenants, laws, or ordinances and observances of Israel. The doctrine that we adhere to today is that which our apostle wrote to us about, called the mystery doctrine, that was not made known until Paul revealed it by inspiration of the risen Christ. We apply and exercise the principles of life as stated in Romans to Philemon. These are the commands of God for the Body of Christ today. If you mix up our program with that of Israel, you bring confusion and contradiction into your faith and you ultimately end up like the Galatians, becoming a debtor to the whole law, losing the ability to function in the Spirit, becoming entangled again with the yoke of bondage in which Christ will profit you nothing, Gal.5:1–4.
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