“I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.”

-Paul, to The Church in Rome

Christianity is heading head first into hedonism. At a breakneck speed, I might add. I have written about these things over the past few years now. I have asked the questions “Should Christians drink alcohol?”, “Should Christians curse?”, and my recent one “Should Christians smoke?”. There is a great desire for The Modern Christian to ask “I am now a Christian, can I still…?”. Their desire is to know how much they can be of The World, and still be considered a Christian. How much can they toe the line before they fall. How much can they push the boundaries before they break. Their true desire, if their hearts have truly been given to Christ, should be to ask “I am now a Christian. How can I glorify God with my life before a dead world? What in my life must die that I may show them that I have been redeemed? How can I show them that I am different? That He changed me from the inside to the outside?”

Smoking is still something that The Modern Christian seldom does. It is not seen as often as his desire to drink alcohol and to speak filthy language. These are examples of a desire to not fully surrender a part of our old selves. Maybe because we love what we do. Maybe because we fear what others may say if we separate ourselves from the crowd. However, there is another worldly passion that The Modern Christian has delved into. One that is more common than we may believe.

Tattoos.

What does The Word say? Many Christians believe that it says nothing. Therefore, in the absence of the topic, it must be permissible by God. Because if He was against it, then He would have spoken. It is a dangerous concept to assume God’s thoughts on a matter because it is absent from His speech. However, He did speak. And if you read my last post, “Should Christians smoke?”, then this may sound familiar.

“Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s.”

-Paul, to The Church in Corinth

First, our body is not our own. When Redemption marries our broken sinful state, our bodies are laid out upon the altar as a sacrifice. It is no longer ours to decide what we can and cannot do in relation to The World’s definition. We become one with The Christ. Therefore we should care for our bodies to the best of our abilities. As if it was His own. We do have a choice as to what we do with our bodies. No one is forcing a Christian to get a tattoo. It is a conscious decision. But just like The Unredeemed Heathen of The World, is it a necessity for The Christian to pursue it? To The Modern Christian the answer is “yes”, because they choose to blur the lines with their desire to serve The World and God. When it comes to tattoos they sound just like the Abortionist. “My body! My choice!”

“…as obedient children, not conforming yourselves to the former lusts, as in your ignorance; but as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, because it is written, ‘Be holy, for I am holy.’”

-The Apostle Peter

Second, we are to be Holy. Many of The Unredeemed in our society have an expectation of what a Christian should be. A person that does not drink, curse, smoke, fornicate, and… have tattoos. They anticipate that bad, sinful, and harmful habits should not occupy the lives of The Redeemed. Sadly, The Modern Christian ignorantly or deliberately misinterprets God’s Word as a license to live as they see fit. And many of The Way do not understand. It is sad that people that are not familiar with God have a better grasp on unholy behaviors than people that have supposedly been bought with The Blood of Christ. But here we are. We are at a time where The Modern Christian tries to live out his faith at the same time as he lives out his flesh. Unfortunately, according to The Apostle James, this should not be.

“Adulterers and adulteresses! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.”

-The Apostle James

“Come out from among them and be separate, says the Lord. Do not touch what is unclean, and I will receive you.”

-Paul, to The Church in Corinth

We are to live lives that are opposite of The World. We are ambassadors for The Kingdom of God. Therefore, we are to show The World what Repentance, Salvation, Redemption, and Sanctification are. We are to show that we are not of this world. That Christ used His double edged sword to separate us from our old selves, that we may become new. To put before the eye of Sinful Man the Hope that is in Christ Jesus. What do we show The World when we share in the same action and language as they do?

Third, we should be good stewards of our resources. How much money is wasted when one chooses to get a tattoo? They are by no means cheap. Yet, it is common to see many Christians adorned with one, or too many to count. How much money is wasted that could be given to more important needs within the family and, since we are speaking about inked Christians, the local church? I cannot begin to mention how many times I go to the local Walmart in the meth part of town, only to see a family that is apparently struggling financially, where Mom and Dad are covered in tattoos. Obviously their priorities are askew. Also, one must consider the health repercussions of loading one’s flesh with ink. Is this being a good steward in health? Resources?

The above examples on whether or not Christians should get tattoos are not exhaustive. From the hindrance to our bodies belonging to The Christ who has purchased us with His blood, to the hindrance of being the holy example of our rebirth to The World, to being a poor steward of our resources. I am sure that one can come up with more. One would be hard pressed to find any example defending the Christian’s right to get tattoos. A Biblical example as to it being permissible will be hard to find. It is true that Modern Christianity is full of famous Contemporary Christian artists that are covered in tattoos. From Brandon Lake, to Demon Hunter. But does their ignorance and desire to be like The World excuse what The Word says? Unfortunately, in our modern society, it is rare to see anyone (Redeemed or not) that is not marked with ink.

“You shall not make any cuttings in your flesh for the dead, nor tattoo any marks on you: I am the Lord.”

-Leviticus 19:28

In Leviticus God tells The Israelites to refrain from marking, cutting, and tattooing their bodies. One may say “Ah yes! The Levitical Law. It does not pertain to I, The Modern Christian, who is under the new covenant. For this is Old Testament doctrine, under the God of the Old Testament. I serve Jesus, The Lord of The New Testament!”. We must remember that “The God of The Old Testament” is also The God of The New Testament. For even Christ and The Holy Spirit has existed since before the beginning of time. True, there are doctrines that were for Israel and not for The Church. Some, such as ceremonial and food laws, were abolished because they are no longer applicable for its original purpose. However, the reasoning for the command not to be tatted up? Because it was a practice by The Pagan. God’s obscure directives towards Israel served to set them apart from the surrounding people. To make them obscure before the eyes of Man, that he may say “Those are God’s people!”. Do you see the correlation?

Remember that big ol’ good ol’ boy that I had mentioned in my post “Should Christians Smoke”? He has tattoos. One of which is of a nude woman. But he made a choice. In a time in his life when he was ignorant of the things of God. When he did not ask “What about tomorrow?”. He was living in the moment. Now, as he professes the name of Christ, he has to live with that stain. A stain that can be a hindrance as he bears witness to Salvation. Having someone stare at the lewd image on his arm as he tries to preach of a radical change.

I remember a substitute teacher from my high school days. We called him “Tough Guy”. He was an older man with a gravely voice. Never cracked a smile. Never laughed. He obviously studied the behavior of students when the substitute stepped in. Children acting up in class. A disrespect for the temporary authority figure. But not on his watch. His stone cold stare would leave you questioning Life itself. One day one of the students asked him if he had any tattoos. He hesitated to answer at first. But the student pressed. Finally, reluctantly, he said “Yes.”. The student asked “Of what?”. Tough Guy, ashamed, said “Of a man killing another man.”. Something tells me that this tattoo was a reenactment of something that had occurred earlier in his life. Maybe it was the story of his life. However, you could tell that he was not proud of it.

These two men are examples of fleeting thoughts encompassed in ignorance and young stupidity. A time when youth directed them to care not about the repercussions of their actions further down the road. There are millions of other men and women just like them. Many that come to Christ, yet now they have to wear the scars of a past life. Of a past that they cannot escape because it stares them back in the mirror. Scars that lay the crown of judgement upon their brow as they speak of Christ. Many will not take them seriously. Many will judge the validity of their faith. Many will question their rebirth. Because they cannot see past these scars of the past. Because The World expects different from Christians. Even though these witnesses wear the past on their sleeve, they will be cast as a hypocrite. I can assure you that those of The Way that wear these haunting scars wish that they could take back yesterday.

One may say “Well it is not their fault! People should not judge others!”. Well guess what? They will. They do. That is the world that we live in. The Redeemed is under constant scrutiny from The Unredeemed. Because they are watching and waiting for our stumble. That they may point and say “Ha! See The Christian? See, I told you that they were hypocrites! This is proof that there is no God!”.

Unfortunately, The Modern Christian does not see it this way. After they have given their life at the foot of Calvary’s Tree, they seek to alter their flesh with their hedonistic message. “This is my body and this is how I want to express myself!” they say as they become a stumbling block before the lesser of the brethren. The Modern Christian lives by the philosophy of “I”. Not “Him”. Or better yet… “Not I”. The Unredeemed do not understand why they should not mark themselves. We should expect no less. The Redeemed should know better.

Now do not misinterpret my words. Tattoos are not a Salvation issue. I have no doubt that there are people that are a walking canvas and sketchbook that will walk Golden Streets someday. However, it is an issue of hindrance for Holiness and showing that you have been broken of The World. It is a hindrance for the Purity that defines the life of The Redeemed before an Unredeemed world. Therefore, a Christian should not seek it in their life. For the sake of The Gospel before the face of broken men. Because Man expects better from Christians. But if you try to preach the message of the change that comes with Salvation, all the while being of worldly sins and selfish pleasures, then no one will believe you. They expect something different from The Christian.

You can quit smoking, drinking, cursing, and fornication. Your actions and speech will speak for Redemption. But you will always bear the image of The World if you get tattooed. It will always follow you wherever you go. Like the Spector… it will always haunt you.

“…teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age…”

-Paul, from his letter to Titus