CHRISTIAN TATTOOS?

Lesson 2

Do You Have The Right?

One common misconception propagated by the spirit of the world and heathen is that your body is your own to do with as you please. This lie feeds the sins of fornication, abortions, and body vandalism. Biblically, your body belongs to God and it is to be a living sacrifice.

YOUR BODY IS NOT YOUR OWN

• What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s.  – 1 Corinthians 6:19-20

• Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you? If any man defile (destroy) the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are.  – 1 Corinthians 3:16-17

Vandalism is defined as deliberate destruction or damage to public or private property. Even today, vandalism is an offense punishable by the courts of law. Art without permission is vandalism. Our bodies are God’s sanctuary. If we graffiti it without His permission, it is tantamount to temple vandalism. His court of law will have plenty to say about it.

LUST AND INSECURITY – THE HEART OF THE ISSUE

• If a man therefore purge himself from these, he shall be a vessel unto honour, sanctified, and meet for the master’s use, and prepared unto every good work. Flee also youthful lusts: but follow righteousness, faith, charity, peace, with them that call on the Lord out of a pure heart.  – 2 Timothy 2:21-22

The context of this passage is what kind of Christians are in the house of God. According to Paul there are only two types of vessels in the Church: vessels of honor and vessels of dishonor. Paul states if you want to be a vessel of honor, then you must purge your life from the dishonorable or dirty vessels. This means you get the dirty Christians out of your life. This leads into verse 22. Paul is basically saying “flee dirty Christians.” Then he says, “flee also youthful lust.”

Youthful lust isn’t just sex. What is the one thing all young people long for? Acceptance. To be judged as “cool.” Youthful lust is the desire to be unique and individual. The desire to be accepted is the reason young people will smoke, fornicate, pierce themselves, tattoo themselves, etc. This strong desire to be accepted is what drives immature people to be cool, to be accepted, to make a statement, and to rebel.

TATTOOS AS A STUMBLING BLOCK

• But take heed lest by any means this liberty of yours become a stumblingblock to them that are weak . . . Wherefore, if meat [or tattoos] make my brother to offend (stumble), I will eat no flesh while the world standeth, lest I make my brother to offend (stumble).  – 1 Corinthians 8:9, 13

The Greek word for “offend” in these verses is skandalizo. This is where we get our English word scandal or scandalous.

This word means:

• to cause to trip and fall

• to entice to sin

• to cause a person to distrust and desert one whom he ought to trust and obey

• to see in another what I disapprove of and what hinders me from acknowledging his authority

These definitions definitely describe the result of tattooing in the Church today. Would a pure and clean Christian be involved in anything scandalous? Scandals are for heathen politicians, actors, musicians, and such the like.

• But whoso shall offend (skandalizo) one of these little ones which believe in me, it were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and that he were drowned in the depth of the sea.  – Matthew 18:6

Here, Jesus states, if your lifestyle or choices as a believer in Jesus Christ cause another believer in Jesus Christ to go astray or sin, then it would be better for you if you were to be drowned in the sea.

• Abstain from all appearance of evil.  – 2 Thessalonians 5:22

What is the atmosphere of a tattoo parlor? Who had what tattooed where on them before you sat in the chair? Who had what pierced in the chair before you laid back to get inked? Don’t forget you are spending God’s resources on this tattoo. What is the spiritual condition of the man who is about to touch you and what was he doing last night?

SELF CONTROL – IT’S STILL A FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT

Lay’s Potato Chips has a slogan: “Bet you can’t eat just one!” It seems this maxim holds true for tattoos. Many have testified how addictive they are.

• But the fruit of the Spirit is love . . . temperance (self-control or self-restraint): against such there is no law.  – Galatians 5:22-23

One of the fruit or evidences of the Holy Spirit working in your life is self-restraint. The Holy Spirit will anoint you to control your flesh. Anyone given over to tattooing demonstrates an obvious lack of self-restraint.

NT SCRIPTURES ERRONEOUSLY OFFERED AS SUPPORT FOR TATTOOS

Christians who want to sin will always find a Biblical justification.

• Jesus had piercings.

  • • If you want a Jesus type piercing, you need to have railroad spikes driven into your hands and feet and you need to have a spear pierce your side, through your diaphragm and lung and into your heart.

• Jesus has His name written on His thigh (Revelation 19:16).

  • • And out of His mouth goes a two-edged sword. Will we start sword swallowing as well?

• Paul bore in his body the marks of the LORD (Galatians 6:17).

  • • These marks (stigmata) are references to the literal flesh branding or flesh carving a master would inflict on his slave. The slave could also be branded by having a metal collar welded around his neck. (This collar would have the owner’s name inscribed upon it.) We understand Paul to speak of the scars his body had incurred for preaching the Gospel of Jesus Christ. These scars of persecution were a natural, outward proof that Paul belonged to Jesus Christ. Many pagans have Christian symbols tattooed on their flesh proving nothing.

• Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you, And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.  – 2 Corinthians 6:17-18