John Hines

One of the questions that younger people always have is about our topic. One of the places in scriptures that speaks about things along these lines is Leviticus 19:28 - “You shall not make any cuttings in your flesh for the dead, nor tattoo any marks on you: I am the Lord.” Of course, the argument that is made, and rightly so, is that we are not under the old covenant according to Hebrews 10:9.

But what we need to understand is that the Lord did not want the Israelites to be like all the pagan heathens of the world. He wanted them to dress differently, to eat differently, to worship differently, to live differently. The heathen of the world would cut and tattoo themselves as part of their heathen lifestyles and God did not want His children to behave like the heathens.

God wants the same thing for us in the New Covenant. “’Come out from among them and be separate,’ says the Lord. ‘Do not touch what is unclean, and I will receive you’” (2 Cor 6:17). Consider the following thoughts about our subject:

• Are we interested in God-glorification or self-glorification, namely, are tattoos and piercings just a way to draw attention to ourselves. If you think that these things are a manifestation of humility you're mistaken. In 1 Timothy 2:9 we read of the need for, “modest apparel, with shamefacedness and sobriety”. Not many women, or men, truly understand the underlined word today. It means “bashfulness”. Most are too busy saying “LOOK AT ME!!!”. Tattoos and piercings fall into this category as well. It brings no glory to God.

• Many times these things have a sexual aspect. Young women get tattoos is inappropriate places and then wear clothing that is just revealing enough to      draw your eye to places it need not go. Piercings can also convey sexual ideas. Is that the sort of things Christians should be associated with? No. Intimacy is a good thing in the right situation. Our sexuality is meant for one person and one person only, our spouse.

• These things are associated with rebellion. Teenagers want to do something that mom and dad don't know about. Christians are called to honor their parents (Eph.      6:1-4), not try to rebel against them trying to push the envelope as far as they can. For some, rebellion is a phase that is never grown out of.

The world behaves this way. We don't want to behave like the world, do we? No. Whatever we do, it better be in the name of Jesus giving thanks to God. Given that, we might also ask where these things are authorized, and remember, “Where does it say not to?” is not how authority works. We need to set our mind on heavenly things, not earthly (Col 3:2). We've spent enough of our time walking like the world. Now we are different. We have been sanctified for a purpose, and it is God's purposes. Let us glorify God, even with our bodies (1 Cor. 6:19,20).