Is it okay to get a tattoo?

Receive God's forgiveness for He has FOREVER overcome sin!

Are We Under "Law"?

Romans 7:7 says "I would not have known sin if it were not for the law." And in verse 12 Paul clearly states that "the law is holy and the commandment is holy and just and good."

But what then of the "end of the law" in Christ?

Well, let's look at this. Romans 10:4 does NOT say that Christ is the end of the law. It says CLEARLY "For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes."

To say Christ is the end of the law is to truncate the sentence. Actually Christ is the end of the law as a means of obtaining righteousness. Paul's remark is a qualified remark, not a blanket remark.

In fact, Jesus Himself said:

Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. For truly I tell you, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished. Therefore anyone who sets aside one of the least of these commands and teaches others accordingly will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever practices and teaches these commands will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. For I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven.
 - Matthew 5:17-20

You see, the law is God's righteousness in the flesh, something none of us can perfectly obtain in ourselves (Romans 3:9-10). The law is for our instruction (Romans 3:20, 7:7, and 15:4).

So, are we under the "Law"? We have ALWAYS been under law (Romans 2:14-15) and the "Law" tells us clearly what is God's will. Because we have failed to follow God's commands, we cannot be justified by the law (Romans 3:23). So, what can we do? Nothing! Only God can impart a righteousness to us that we do not deserve (Romans 3:24-26).

Romans 8:1-4 says:

Therefore, no condemnation now exists for those in Christ Jesus for the Spirit's law of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and of death. What the law could not do since it was limited by the flesh, God did. He condemned sin in the flesh by sending His own Son in flesh like ours under sin's domain, and as a sin offering, in order that the law's requirement would be accomplished in us who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.

No. It is an error to teach that a tattoo is okay, for scripture clearly states in Leviticus 19:28 that we are not to do this. In fact, look at the context of that scripture.

Leviticus 19:26-30
You are not to eat anything with blood in it. You are not to practice divination or sorcery. You are not to cut off the hair at the sides of your head or mar the edge of your beard. You are not to make gashes on your bodies for the dead or put tattoo marks on yourselves; I am Yahweh. Do not debase your daughter by making her a prostitute, or the land will be prostituted and filled with depravity. You must keep My Sabbaths and revere My sanctuary; I am Yahweh.

Preface
Before one attempts to invalidate this matter because of the grooming command, suffice it to say that we don't always understand everything, yet with thought one would conclude that the grooming command indicates that a bizarre style common among animists and pagans--such as Goth in our time, or sorcerers of old and present--would not represent the wholesomeness and clean-cut-ness of God's people.

Back to the Question of Tattoos
Any teaching which states the prohibition against the tattoo does not apply to us is not only an error, but necessarily negates all of these instructions. If it is okay to tattoo the body, then it is okay to prostitute one's daughter and practice divination.

Also, regarding the prohibition against tattoos, the Lord says, "I AM YAHWEH". He also says that after "revere My sanctuary". Why? Because those two things are related.

1 Corinthians 6:19
Don’t you know that your body is a sanctuary of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God? You are not your own.

You see, we are not our own. We are God's and we are not to mark our bodies for we are to revere God's sanctuary, which is our body. God's sanctuary IS OUR BODY! Is it okay to get a tattoo? No. In fact, because of grace we uphold God's Law and therefore do not violate it as Paul teaches us in Romans 3:31 which says: "Do we then cancel the law through faith? Absolutely not! On the contrary, we uphold the law!"

Jesus Himself said:

Matthew 5:17-20
Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. For truly I tell you, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished. Therefore anyone who sets aside one of the least of these commands and teaches others accordingly will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever practices and teaches these commands will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. For I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven.

Any arguments to the contrary are exactly that: arguments, and those arguments are with God Himself for it is His Law, His revelation to man.

But one will say, "Wait, I thought Paul said Christ was the end of the Law." What Paul actually said is in Romans 10:4, "For Christ is the end of the law FOR RIGHTEOUSNESS for everyone who believes". What does this mean? It means that in Christ, there is no more using Law as a means of obtaining righteousness for all of us have failed in that endeavor and Christ has forever provided righteousness to those who believe.

So what about the tattoo? It is a forgivable sin, but it is sin. "I would not have known what sin was if it were not for the Law" (Romans 7:7) and "I agree with the Law that it is good" (Romans 7:16). So it is sin, but it is forgivable, just as Jesus said in Matthew 5:19, "Therefore anyone who sets aside one of the least of these commands and teaches others accordingly will be called least in the kingdom of heaven." He did not say one would be cast out for teaching others to intentionally set aside some of God's Law.

Here is a question for thought
Why did God include grooming and tattoos along with prostituting daughters and sorcery in this series of prohibitions? Because the pagans and animists around the people of God practiced all of those things, just as they do today around the body of Christ.

So what if you already got a tattoo?
Recognize it as sin and repent. Tattoos are permanent, so how does one repent? Don't do it again, and teach others saying, "Hey you know, I thought it was okay, but now I realize it wasn't, so I've asked for God's forgiveness and I am so thankful that Jesus paid the penalties for all of our sins! From now on let's do our best to honor God's perspective!"