WHAT ABOUT TATTOOS?
Let’s go ahead and say it straight: No, it is not a sin to have a tattoo. What matters to God is not ink on your skin but the condition of your heart. This doesn’t mean we throw out wisdom or do whatever we want. But if you’re in Christ, you are under grace, not a list of religious rules meant to manage outward appearances. You belong to the Lord, and your identity is found in Him.
The one verse that usually gets pulled into this conversation is from Leviticus, where it says not to mark your body for the dead or tattoo yourselves (Leviticus 19:28). But that command was given to Israel in the Old Testament as part of a larger law that also includes not trimming your beard a certain way or wearing clothes made from two kinds of fabric. These commands were about separating Israel from pagan nations that used body markings as part of idolatrous worship. It wasn’t about modern tattoos and it wasn’t meant to carry into the new covenant.
Jesus fulfilled the Law perfectly. Believers are no longer under the old system but are called to walk in the freedom and holiness that comes through the Spirit (Romans 6:14, Galatians 5:1). That means the question isn’t, “Does God hate tattoos?” but “Does what I’m doing honor Him?” God looks at the heart. That’s what He told Samuel when He chose David. People look at the outside, but the Lord looks at the heart (1 Samuel 16:7).
In the New Testament, the focus is always on motives, not man-made traditions. Paul said that whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all to the glory of God (1 Corinthians 10:31). So if you’re getting a tattoo to express your faith, remember a loved one, or mark something meaningful that honors the Lord, your freedom in Christ allows it. But if your motive is to rebel, show off, or draw attention to self, then it’s worth checking your heart.
What we wear, what we look like, and yes, even if we have tattoos—none of these make us clean or unclean before God. Jesus made that clear when He said it’s not what goes into the body that defiles us, but what comes out of the heart (Mark 7:15). A tattoo doesn’t make someone more or less holy. What matters is whether Christ lives in you. The fruit of the Spirit is not ink-free skin. It’s love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control (Galatians 5:22–23).
So if you’re a believer and you have tattoos, you’re not second-class. And if you’re considering one, seek the Lord in prayer. Ask for wisdom. Ask yourself why you want it. And whatever you do, do it as someone who belongs to Jesus, bought with a price, and filled with the Spirit of God (1 Corinthians 6:19–20).
In the end, it’s not the markings on your skin that tell the world who you are. It’s the mark of Christ on your life.
Bryan Dewayne Dunaway
