Should a Christian get a tattoo? Is there anything in the Bible that restricts or permit’s a Christian to have a tattoo? How can we know for sure since the Bible is silent about tattoos? Is it a sin to have a tattoo according to biblical principles? What about a Christian symbol like a cross for a tattoo? Surely that would be acceptable wouldn’t it?
The Bible is Silent
There are many gray areas in a Christian’s life. There are many things that are not listed in the Bible that are not recommended for the Christian. Search any concordance and you will not find restrictions on abortions, on gambling, or on tattoos. So how do we know whether a thing is sin or not if the Bible is silent on a particular issue?
There are certain principles that are laid down in the Bible that we can apply to gray areas in a believer’s life. For example, the Bible does not say, “Thou shall not gamble” but we understand that this activity is not what a godly person does. The Bible does not mention that abortion is wrong, but the principle of loving your neighbor as yourself, that children are a gift of God, and that God is the giver of life and only He has the right to take a life is understood. But let’s try to focus on what the Bible teaches in the area of a believer having a tattoo.
Bible Verses on Tattoos?
There actually are some references on tattoos in Leviticus 19:28: “Do not cut your bodies for the dead or put tattoo marks on yourselves. I am the LORD.” But if you read the entire chapter, this is referring to pagan rituals that where performed over the burial of their dead. This verse is prohibiting worldly, pagan rituals that the nations outside of Israel had as tradition.
Tattoos are not a recent trend for humans. These date back to the ancient Egyptian civilizations and beyond. Many ancient people have had tattoos as a custom and even Native North American Indians. But I could not find any example of ancient Israel having tattoos so does this mean that Christians are not permitted to have them?
Romans 14 and What is Permitted
Romans chapter 14 is an excellent chapter that covers things that are not specifically addressed in scripture. For example, Romans 14:23 says, “But whoever has doubts is condemned if they eat, because their eating is not from faith; and everything that does not come from faith is sin.” I would say that if it causes your brother to stumble and cause an offense or might make a non-believer question the believers authenticity in Christ, then it would appear that we should prohibit such a thing or activity in our own lives while not judging those who are persuaded that it is okay for them. And verse 23 is also saying that if we think it is a sin for us, and it is not from faith, then it would be sinful if we think it is. God leaves some room for maneuvering in the sense that if it bothers our conscience or if we feel it might offend others, then it is best that we abstain from whatever it might be.
Romans 14:15 gives us a parameter on unnamed things in the Bible and whether we should or should not abstain, “If your brother or sister is distressed because of what you eat, you are no longer acting in love. Do not by your eating destroy someone for whom Christ died.” Paul is taking about foods here, but in verse 20 he makes a very important point, “but it is wrong for a person to eat anything that causes someone else to stumble.” If we think something like a tattoo and especially what the tattoo is a picture of, we can make some Christians and non-Christians stumble in their belief of your sincerity of faith. If they might see it as sin then it would be wise that we abstain from it since we are taught to abstain from even the appearance of evil (I Thess. 5:22).
In Essentials, Unity
While we should not needlessly cause someone to stumble or be an offense to them, neither should we be judging someone just because they have a tattoo, or they drink wine or drink beer, or smoke cigarettes, and so on. Again, we return to Romans 14 in verse 13 and apply the biblical principle: “Therefore let us stop passing judgment on one another. Instead, make up your mind not to put any stumbling block or obstacle in the way of a brother or sister.” A famous Christian dogma is appropriate for whether someone has a tattoo or not or whether one should have a tattoo or not: “in essentials, unity; in doubtful matters, liberty; in all things, charity.”
Judging by Appearances
At work I once hesitated to share the gospel with a machinist because he was covered in tattoos, drove a Harley, and chewed tobacco. When I finally did muster up the courage to witness to him, I was pleasantly surprised to discover that he was already a born-again. Sadly, I had prejudged him by his outward appearance; something that God never does. Incidentally, this made it much easier for him to witness of Christ to other bikers and live out the principle that Paul lived, “to be all things to all men” (I Cor 9:22). Its not easy to remove tattoos by the way and besides, God is no respecter of persons and He looks at the heart and not at the outward appearance so neither should I. Personally I would not get a tattoo because my wife, children, and grandchildren might be a little surprised to see me wearing one. Others in my congregation might be shocked to see their pastor with a skull and cross bones on his shoulder or a cross on his forearm. But I will not sit in judgment if a believer or a non-believer has one or if they don‘t have one. God wills all men to be saved (I Tim 2:4) and accepts all of men, as long as they believe in His Son, Jesus Christ.
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{ 22 comments… read them below or add one }
We know that graffiti defaces a surface. Look at the dictionary graf·fi·ti [gruh-fee-tee]
( used with a plural verb ) markings, as initials, slogans, or drawings, written, spray-painted, or sketched on a sidewalk, wall of a building or public restroom, or the like: These graffiti are evidence of the neighborhood’s decline. They are evidence of a neighborhood’s decline! That couldn’t be more specific. The onrush of tattoos is following our Country’s decline. The Bible says the the body is the Temple of the Holy Spirit. Would you deface a Temple. 1 Cor. 6:19-20. Your body is not your own either in fornication, gluttony, tattoos, etc. It is to bring glory to god not the world. Oh my!
I thank you for your comment Larry. Thank you for visiting the site. I see what you mean by the body being the temple of God. So it is. Some believers came into the church already having tattoos and I can not say anything for grace abounds and they are new creatures in Christ, others smoke, some eat too much to become obese while yet others drink and some have too many sweets ruining their teeth and they are polluting the temple of God yet God receives them regardless. As a pastor I would not recommend a tattoo for the reason you said nor could I recommend overeating or smoking, yet we are saved not by works but by grace alone by faith alone, in Christ alone. I can not stand in judgment of others because I don’t know their heart and I can not caste the first stone as I am guilty too of doing harm to the temple of God, my body. Yes we should not defile the body and we are told be holy as God is holy but as Psalm 199:165 says, “Great peace have they which love thy law: and NOTHING shall offend them.” Some have cross’s tattooed on their bodies, others the name of Christ and though I personally would not do this, I refuse to take offense on those who do. A group of 5 young men I witnessed to for Christ the other day had several tattoos and yet I did not condemn them nor refused to witness to them because of their tattoos. Instead I told them that our church is like Jesus’ arms…the doors are wide open for any and all to come to Christ. I did not say it was okay but I didn’t condemn them who want them. Jesus didn’t even come to condemn the world but to save it (John 3:17).
I believe in the principles of Romans 14 and I Thess. 5:22 and Jesus John 3:17. I wouldn’t get a tattoo nor recommend anyone to do so but they certainly are no worse sinners than anyone in the body of Christ, the church.
Is the prohibition taking the tattoos valid in the New Covenant? I believe that it is valid and give you these verses.
2 Pe 1:
1 ¶ Simon Peter, a servant and legate of Jesus the Messiah,—to those who have obtained equally precious faith with us, through the righteousness of our lord and Redeemer, Jesus the Messiah;—
2 may grace and peace abound to you through the recognition of our lord Jesus the Messiah,
3 as the giver to us of all things that be of the power of god, unto life and the fear of god, through the recognition of him who hath called us unto his own glory and moral excellence:
4 wherein he hath given you very great and precious promises; that by them ye might become partakers of the nature of god, while ye flee from the corruptions of the lusts that are in the world.
The New Testament shows us that how we must serve and believe in God. God has given to us the Holy Spirit as the power and aid that we can understand what the Bible teaches.
If we could believe in God by taking the tattoo, in which is Bible verses or reads the Lord Jesus and so on, so this kind of command should be in the Bible. Tattooing was very common in the world where apostles lived. If the will of God would have been to make “Biblical” tattoos, so God would have said that you must make those kinds of tattoos. However, in the New Testament is not a command to make tattoos. For this reason, I don’t believe that it is the will of God to take the tattoos.
The Bible teaches us that serving of God is not the outward issue, but inward. Believer testimony and faith must be the inward issue by the Holy Spirit accordance with the word of God. God said by the prophet Jeremiah that in the New Covenant, God puts His law to inwards parts and writes His law to the hearts of His people. Biblical faith must be written to inner man to his heart and not outwardly to his skin.
Ro 10:10 For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.
The Bible doesn’t teach serving God by the tattoos, so tattooing is against the will of God.
The whole article is here: http://koti.phnet.fi/petripaavola/Bibleandtattoos.html
Thank you for your comment. I appreciate it and thank you for visiting the site.
You quoted 2 Pet 2:1-4 & specifically I am guessing you are trying to emphasize verse 4 “wherein he hath given you very great and precious promises; that by them ye might become partakers of the nature of god, while ye flee from the corruptions of the lusts that are in the world.”
You should have read the following verses because these are taken out of context as verses 5 – 10 “For if God did not spare angels when they sinned, but sent them to hell, putting them in chains of darkness to be held for judgment; 5 if he did not spare the ancient world when he brought the flood on its ungodly people, but protected Noah, a preacher of righteousness, and seven others; 6 if he condemned the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah by burning them to ashes, and made them an example of what is going to happen to the ungodly; 7 and if he rescued Lot, a righteous man, who was distressed by the depraved conduct of the lawless 8 (for that righteous man, living among them day after day, was tormented in his righteous soul by the lawless deeds he saw and heard)— 9 if this is so, then the Lord knows how to rescue the godly from trials and to hold the unrighteous for punishment on the day of judgment. 10 This is especially true of those who follow the corrupt desire of the flesh and despise authority.”
Peter is talking about the abominations of those of such as happened in Sodom and Gomorrah and at the time of Noah and not about tattoos at all. This is taking Peter’s text out of context and making it a pretext against tattoos. Even so, no where in this article do I condone, approve, or recommend that Christians get tattoos but I will not judge them if they have them because we are all sinners neither did I approve of having them get “Bible tattoos” as you called them. I can not caste the first stone. They may have gotten them before the came to Christ. How do I know?
No the Bible doesn’t teach serving God by the tattoos but nothing I have written here says anything at all about it here in this article. You also said “tattooing is against the will of God” but so is condemning others and judging others. I refuse to judge others by the exterior or the outward appearance because God knows their hearts and I do not. God is their judge, not I. God looks at the heart not the outside. I once tried to lead a man to Christ who was a biker with multiple tattoos and if I had judged him he would never had heard the gospel.
Tattooing also can be harmful, hazardous and dangerous. Allergy to tattoo colors is possible. Many substances used on tattooing are poisonous and is possible get some diseases, in which the worst is cancer. If the skin become inflamed on the area of tattooing, so it can lead blood- poisoning. Some researches have stated that tetragenic substances used on tattooing can cause forming of deformation. Some tattooing colors can contain mercury compounds, heavy metals, azo dyes and allergen products. Azo dyes is known to cause cancer.
Tattooing substances penetrate under the skin to the depth of one or two millimeter. The place where tattooing color remain is the dermis. It obvious and clear that tattooing colors penetrates inside of the body and can cause many kinds of problems. Remarkable is that poisonous substances of tattooing colors remains inside the body of a man as long as he lives. This makes tattooing very dangerous matter. Dangerous substances of tattooing can cause unpleasant disease after many years because the body is constantly dealing with the toxins, which are used in tattooing.
Experts say that bacteria and viruses can penetrate under the broken skin during tattooing. Although all instruments would be sterilized there is always a possibility that bacteria and viruses can make damage during tattooing. Tattooing can cause allergic reactions, diverse inflammation diseases and blood disease.
Removing of tattoos can be very problematic. Some say that by using modern technology tattooing colors are easy to remove from the skin, especially by UV light or laser. It is not so easy, because, for example, there are cases where removing by laser leave to the body dangerous tattooing colors. There have been cases, in which black tattooing color has gone into the lymph node by removing of laser.
Some tattooing substances are very dangerous as mercury, cadmium, lead, nickel, ferrocyanide, azo dyes, arsenic and many other substances. Many tattoo makers claim that they use safety substances, but it is obvious and clear that many tattoo substances are very dangerous and poisonous.
Many tattooing substances are very dangerous and poisonous, which make tattooing a health risk. The will of God is not that we voluntarily poison ourselves by the very poisonous substances that are used in tattooing.
If someone has taken a tattoo and believed that it is right, but later understood that it is not right and repented, so you can’t accuse them. People cannot undo acts of the past and in many cases removing of a tattoo is impossible. When a believer understands that tattooing is wrong, so the case is closed, and we can’t and have no rights to accuse him acts of the past, which he can’t undo. In this case repentance and change of mind in the heart is enough. Usually repentance rectifies situations (change of the heart leads in practice reject sins and live in righteous life) and lead a believer away from sins. However, there are cases in which repentance can’t change situations. For example, a murder and killing are cases about which repentance doesn’t bring dead one back to life. It is same concerning tattooing, because most cases you can’t remove a tattoo.
Everyone makes mistakes as a believer, and therefore, we should be gracious one another and forgive, because God also forgives us when we have repented our mistakes.
Amen. Well said indeed Telson. Thank you. I especially loved your conclusion which was so full of grace.
I have 3 tattoos. If I have a shirt on you can’t see them. So you wouldn’t know unless I told you. People want to judge to quickly any more on appearance and what people have or don’t have. God isn’t asking you to go tell people that tattoos or wrong or whatever they doing is wrong . He is telling you to spread his word of his love. About his saving grace. And hopefully that person will accept his love and live by Gods word. We are all Gods children no matter what we look like. I believe in the old testament it tells us not to wear wool or eat pork, But we still do. Gods love can solve everything, lets spread it to everyone tatts or not.
I so agree with you Gary. It is what is inside that really counts. God looks at the heart & not on the exterior. As a bi-vocational pastor I try to share the gospel with bikers, machinists, & young teens…I don’t let there looks stop me. I have never seen anyone who God doesn’t want to save & who He doesn’t love. One time a fellow Christian came up to a group of men who were on a smoke break. He said that “Don’t you know that your body is the temple of God…& its like you’re throwing tar & nicotine against the walls of it.” These people were so offended, many never wanted anything to do with Christians again. That’s why I love John 3:17: “For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.” This man who judged or condemned then was drinking a coke and eating a chocolate muffin & I said, “What’s the difference?, its like you’re taking a can of coke and a chocolate muffin and throwing it against the wall of the temple!”. By the way, this man was also a bi-vocational pastor. We should not be in the business of judging by the exterior Gary, you are right. Great comment. Thank you for speaking up on this. I agree. Come again please.
Great point about Romans 14. I’ve been studying this somewhat difficult topic recently and also came to relying heavily on Romans 14.
I also found the cultural standards or customs of our environment should play a factor in how we consider doing things that could possibly be offensive (1 Corinthians 11:16).
I recently finished a rather detailed study on the topic of tattoos that helped me out a lot:
http://www.quickenme.com/can-christians-get-tattoos-according-to-the-bible/
Jonathan, thank you sir for your fine comment. I especially loved your statement “I also found the cultural standards or customs of our environment should play a factor in how we consider doing things that could possibly be offensive” and your reference to (1 Corinthians 11:16). Most excellent. I now wished I had included this Scripture sir. Thank you for contributing to this in an outstanding way and adding further clarification to this article. Please come back again soon Jonathan.
Why do we always want to justify peoples actions. Cigarettes, drinking, rock music, tatooes, body piercing,homosexuallity, adultery. Are these things pleasing to God. Is’nt this creating an unholy lifestyle. Is this what we want our children to follow. How about, come out and be ye seperate saith the Lord. It’s time the church wakes up. How can we as christians condone our young people getting crosses and skulls on their bodies, can we possible consider this as OK. John the Baptist lost his head for preaching on adultery. Get a backbone people. God has not called us to pet the people, he’s called the church to be a light to the world. The woman caught in adultery and brought to Jesus wasn’t told I love you and I understand how you must feel. She was told go and sin no more. IF YOU WANT TO SEE IF A STICK IS CROOKED-LAY A STRAIT ONE BESIDE IT. If we want to win people to Christ we can’t justify people we must Love and Teach them, and show them something different.
If someone has a tatoo, God will forgive them, and I do not condemn them. I will love them. But I will also show them a better way.
Hello Elton and thank you for your comment and visiting our website. As for your comment, “Why do we always want to justify peoples actions. Cigarettes, drinking, rock music, tatooes, body piercing,homosexuallity, adultery.” I disagree. We (if you mean by we, Christians) always (I disagree…to say always is a sweeping statement that means that all Christians are always justifying peoples actions. That is not true. I have read my own article and have also read the commentors and I am not see them all condoning these things you mentioned.
Yes, the woman caught in adultery was told to go and sin no more but neither was she condemned by Jesus. That is truly the work of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit, Jesus said will convict the world of sin. He didn’t say, you my followers or my disciples, but “the Advocate will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you. When he comes, he will prove the world to be in the wrong about sin and righteousness and judgment: about sin, because people do not believe in me; about righteousness, because I am going to the Father, where you can see me no longer; and about judgment, because the prince of this world now stands condemned. “I have much more to say to you, more than you can now bear. But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth” (John 16:7-13).
I also don’t see this article or any of the commentors condoning anyone in “getting crosses and skulls on their bodies.” Quote me one of these or one of my own articles or comments here where we condone this. Christians I believe already do have a backbone and this is bent with the rest of our bodies in prayer and humble submission to God Almighty. I am not condoning any of these things you mentioned and neither are the readers. Convicting a person that they are sinning is the work of the Holy Spirit. Yes, we can tell people sin is sin, but we can not convict them to stop sinning and by acting judgmental and “holier than thou” which is a sure way to have them reject our witness.
Jack, Thank you for reading my post. Thank you for your clarification on the we & always. Certainly not all christians endorse sin. I do see a trend in many christians lives to make people feel confortable in whatever condition they are in.
IPeter 2:9-11
9 BUT YE ARE A CHOSEN GENERATION, A ROYAL PREISTHOOD, AN HOLY NATION, A PECULIAR PEOPLE: THAT WE SHOULD SHEW FORTH THE PRAISES OF HIM WHO HATH CALLED YOU OUT OF DARKNESS INTO HIS MARVELOUS LIGHT:
10 WHICH IN TIME PAST WERE NOT A PEOPLE, BUT ARE NOW THE PEOPLE OF GOD: WHICH HAD NOT OBTAINED MERCY, BUT NOW HAVE OBTAINED MERCY.
11 DEARLY BELOVED, I BESEECH YOU AS STRANGERS AND PILGRIMS, ABSTAIN FROM FLESHLY LUSTS, WHICH WAR AGAINST THE SOUL
WE AS CHRISTIANS ARE A ROYAL PRIESTHOOD.
WE HAVE OBTAINED MERCY FROM GOD
FLESHLY LUSTS WAR AGAINST OUR SOUL
Personally I think many people that have tatoos will be in Heaven. If they come to God and repent of their sins, and change their ways, God will forgive them. But I discourage any person from getting tatoos. As Larry said earlier, we are the Temple of God why deface what God has given us.
I am a sinner saved by his mercy and grace. I am not a “Holier than Thou “person, but I am a peculiar person that is set apart from the world.
Thanks again Jack for the Article, we need discussions about GREY areas in our lives. GOD BLESS
Amen and amen again Elton. You nailed it too my friend. Thank you so much for your edifying comment. I do agree that we should call sin what it is…an afront to a Holy God Who can not look upon sin. I wish we had more godly men like you who are humble and open about their faith that we have not arrived yet. I tell my congregation that I am a train wreck, a wretch, a sinner, and need daily cleansing at the cross before Christ…and that we should be living a sanctified life (set apart for holy use) and you nailed it precisely. Well said. I thank God your comment and hope is serves to wake up lukewarm Christians who are on cruise control and not striving to overcome and become more holy as God has said He is holy.
Please return again. We need strong Christians like you sir. God bless you.
It seems, to me, to be a ridiculous notion to define sinfulness for ourselves and apply it to everyone else.
There seems to be a repeated notion that tattoos (and perhaps drinking and gambling and smoking) are objectively and inherently sinful. Where does this come from? (And don’t jump to the ‘body is a temple’ thing, because as the proprietor of this post pointed out, coke and jelly donuts are also degrading to the body from a health perspective… also, the temple didn’t have bare walls, there was some design to it!)
It isn’t the things we do or don’t do that show our devotion to Christ, but it’s our devotion to Christ that fundamentally changes us to our core that will draw people to us, not because of what we do or don’t do, but because of who and what we are in Him.
Steve, well said my friend. Thank you for visiting us and for your comment. None are without sin but we are seen as sinless because Jesus’ righteousness is accounted to us because of Calvary and that is how the Father sees us so you are right. Because of “who and what we are in Him” says it all friend. Please come back again soon.
Very interesting read and I appreciate your grace and love in the approach to this topic. I would like to bring a few verses to light though.
“And it shall be to you as a sign on your hand and as a memorial between your eyes, that the law of the LORD may be in your mouth.” -Exodus 13:9
“It shall be as a mark on your hand or frontlets between your eyes; for by a strong hand the LORD brought us out of Egypt.” -Exodus 13:16
“This one will say, ‘I am the LORD’s,’ another will call himself by the name of Jacob, and another will write on his hand, ‘The Lord’s,’ and surname himself by the name of Israel.”
-Isaiah 44:5
“On his robe and on his thigh he has a name inscribed, King of kings and Lord of lords.” -Revelation 19:16
Now, the first few verses are figurative, analogies of Israel’s freedom from exile (Ex) and the fact that they are God’s people, even in the midst of pagans (Is). “So what?” You ask. I am under the impression that scripture does not use something that is sinful as an analogy for God’s justice, steadfast love and His faithfulness. So the fact that the Bible uses bodily markings in this way seems to me that, at the very least, our Lord is not opposed to the idea. Of course Paul’s texts about causing a brother to stumble should be taken into account if one is getting a tattoo (I do not have one, for the record, just a piercing (Ex 21:5-6, Ro 1:1, Jude 1:1).
), but it seemed like a lot of people were coming from the assumption that getting a tattoo was a sin (I could have read them wrong), and I just wanted to show passages I think prove that is not true. As for the dangers of tattooing, using caution and knowing what kind of dye and equipment the artist will use would provide me with enough confidence that it would not hurt me.
Now I’m not trying to “prove my point” (well kinda
However, I think it is important to remember we are in a relationship with our Father and we shouldn’t just strive to keep a set of rules, but please our Father (and in such a case as this, which is, as you said, a gray area, it is a matter of heart).
It’s late, I’m tired, please call me out on any misuse of scripture or any logical flaws. Thanks
Mr. Lynch. You did a really wonderful job on this comment. I believe you are a very gracious man and one that does not judge others. I so agree that a set of rules doesn’t help us. We are not saved by works…but once saved, we do good works because we are saved, and not to get saved. You are so right, that is really important. You have such a grace-filled comment here that we all need to read and take to heart. Truly you are a believe in Christ that is one that judges not on the outside. Well done. Thank you so much. Please come back and bless us with more such fine comments. I can see the Holy Spirit working in you thru your words sir.
Thank you for your treatment of this volatile subject. However for those young adults “finding their sea legs” as it were, making their way out into independence, may I encourage a followup article helping our children to differentiate the working of the Spirit of God and the tensions experienced by the need to establish this independence at the risk of defiance. (I remember in Bible college many of the voices calling out for liberties in Christ were not thinking of liberties in Christ but were attempting to throw off the restrictions they felt were so unfairly placed upon them. Having been raised in the Church it was my experience that many prohibitions practiced were unfairly and established and frankly outside of any Scriptural mandate. However that being said there are right and wrong motives applied by the “victims” of such traditions.)
I recognize the greatest difficulty lies in the question of a clear and undefiled conscience before God and since none of have this regardless of which side of the fence we may find ourselves, when we start taking steps toward a position that fits comfortably within the world culture we should move with great caution and seek counsel willing to forsake the current objective. Possibly the first question for our child, young adult, to answer is, if you were told not to _ _ _?_ _ _, would you comply? I would suggest that if the answer were no then that individual has dishonest motives. When I say dishonest I am referring dishonest toward God and that is the only matter of consequence. Another matter is the individual should seek counsel from a Godly individual that does not practice or observe the path being considered.
A question that I concern myself with when I have been approached by my children is their motive and judgment. Take piercings for example, the question I have is how many?, the answers to such questions are invariably “Oh not _ _ _ _ _ , just _ _ _ _ ” to which I believe justly, I counter in as gracious a manner as my emotion will allow at the moment, “Why is your judgment so much more right than mine or that of the individual that you think is too extreme?” If the individual finds that some take the matter they are considering to an extreme what is their justification for such an opinion? This I believe is a question that all must answer regardless of the situation, who’s principals are we applying ours or God’s. You handled this very justly however as I suggested, provide a followup article expanding on the challenge’s our children face in our highly narcissistic society. Might I suggest that admonitions and illustrations abound in the book of Judges.
My final statement would be that, may our young people find their way to fellowship with God despite the pressure of the world and church culture and live their lives daily in, by through and because of the grace of God. May their lives become free in Christ to observe the statutes of God in His liberty.
Richard
What a great comment. Your insight and observations are truly remarkable. Thank you so much. A follow up article to expand on the challenges of children is a superb idea. Wow. We had not thought of that and your help in this area may just be what these children need and their parents too of course. God bless you. Today’s children face tremendous peer pressure unlike many of us parents faced. I love your last line, “May their lives become free in Christ to observe the statutes of God in His liberty” is outstanding. Thank you sir for your biblically wise comment. Truly you must be a blessing to your family and your church.
I am a young guy who got a tattoo about a year ago. I consider myself Christian and try daily to die to my own desires so that Christ may become an ever increasing part of my life. I have decided to get another tattoo and started doing research (again) on how getting a tattoo might effect my relationship with God. The answer that I have found so far is- it really doesnt. I have no personal convictions about getting a tattoo because I truly consider it as art or an extension of the creativity that God has blessed us with. I see myself as Gods temple- which is why I take time and care in picking out a tattoo before making such a big decision. Obviously, I feel you shouldnt get a tattoo that offends people…but many people are offended by tattoos not because of the tattoo itself but simply because they were told by a parent or pastoral figure that they were sinful. I would argue that using this same rationale one would have to place piercings and makeup in the same category as tattoos because one is modifying the body. We do these things because they make us feel good about ourselves, which isnt a sin (in my opinion) unless it turns into pride. The body will age and fade away but the soul remains eternal…love god with all your strength and respect your neighbors, do those and everything else will fall into place. God bless,
This is so good Andy. I am truly glad you commented. No Christian should be deciding for another Christian what they ought to or ought not to do unless and only unless it affects the Body of Christ, the church. We should be agents of grace and I have had some treat things like tattoos as open, rebellious sin. I remember what Jesus said that it is not what goes into (could we also say what goes onto?) the body that defiles a man but what comes out of the mouth. I am glad you found this article useful. I do hope you come again to visit and read other articles here my friend. God bless you Andy.