I don’t want to make more of things than I should, but have you noticed that tattoos have become about as commonplace as wearing blue jeans? Even in church, you will undoubtedly see a copious display of tattoos on male and female body parts. I know a young man who has tattooed most of his body because he feels it opens up doors for his ministry of evangelism with street kids. So, are tattoos appropriate for Christians?

Only one passage in the Bible addresses the matter. It is found in Leviticus 19. In this command of God to Israel, He specifically forbids the use of tattoos for His people. Today, many Christians teachers and leaders believe this ban does not apply because grace supercedes the law. Perhaps their right, but it also seems to be dangerous ground when we begin to decide for ourselves which of God’s commands are relevant. Some of the laws of Leviticus speak to specific cultural and pre-Christ conditions (such as laws about slaves, specific laws related to entering the Promised Land, and laws related to sacrifices), but which of the laws governing moral standards and practices do we decide are irrelevant because we don’t like them?

Don’t get me wrong, I do not want to make a judgment about those who have tattoos. What I do what to do is challenge those who are followers of Christ to ask themselves what should ‘mark’ a Christian? What do tattoos represent and is there a forum in which we can dialogue and find some answers? I believe that the great call of every believer is to make God look great and glorious in the eyes of those around us. Do tattoos help or hinder that representation of God’s glory and nature?

How does the command of the New Testament to treat our bodies as a temple of the Holy Spirit apply? Yes, the things we eat, the way we treat our bodies in other ways also apply here. Are tattoos exempt from this principle? I know a lot of our grandchildren are into getting tattoos, even if they are only a small one on the ankle or wrist. Why do they want tattoos? After all, this is a mark that can easily be remedied if one decides it is not desirable anymore. Hairstyles can easily be remedied in a short time. Tattoos—not so much. So why would we put something so permanent on our bodies in the first place? What is the identification we are seeking by doing so? Have you ever had this kind of conversation with your grandchildren BEFORE they decide to follow the cultural trend?I’m not interested in this discussion because I want to criticize those with tattoos or establish another legalistic code of conduct as a standard for true Christians. It is always true that man looks on outward appearances, but God looks on the heart. I want to engage in this conversation precisely because it does relate to the matter of the heart, and that is important to all decisions we make about how we use and display our bodies.

Remember that God issued the command in the first place because this was a prevalent practice among the pagans and God wanted His people to be marked differently. They were to be set apart from the rest of the world and marked only by the fruit of His Spirit in us. Chuck Colson once commented that are bodies are not “the raw material on which we simply carve graffiti.”Would not the true, visible marks of a believer be those that spring from the faith, hope and love that are etched upon our souls in Christ? Why should external etchings mark our identity and mark us with a worldly identification? It is a question worthy of discussion and evaluation, don’t you think?

How do you view this issue? It can’t be approached simply from a position of personal preference, much as we do with contemporary music. If it is worth engaging in discussion, it must be because it is important as a means of displaying the glory of God’s greatness, goodness and grace to the rest of the world. Even if some Christians get tattoos like a cross or scripture verse because they want to express their love of Christ, the question for me is this: Is this the kind of mark God wants us to bear, or would He prefer us to carry the true and visible mark of the Christian countenance? I’d like to hear your thoughts.