Let’s deal with the issue of tattoos and reaching heaven. Do people with tattoos have no chance of going to heaven, or what is the situation?
Do people with tattoos go to heaven? People with tattoos can go to heaven. However, this is not because of the tattoo, but because of the attitude toward Jesus Christ.
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Do you always go to heaven or hell if you have tattoos?
To make one thing clear: Tattoos are in principle no obstacle to heaven. People with tattoos are not generally barred from heaven, and they also have the opportunity to spend eternity with God.
It is not important what is on the skin, but what is the personal attitude to our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Only through this can people get to heaven. This is true for all people all over the world.
Those who do not accept Jesus as their personal Savior – tattoo or non-tattoo – will go to hell.
This is the simple answer. But there are always objections to this attitude, which I would like to deal with here.
Does the Bible say tattoos are wrong?
The idea that people with tattoos go to hell stems, on the one hand, from a false image of Jesus Christ’s redemption. On the other hand, a verse in the Old Testament about skin carvings.
In the Old Testament, there is a brief account of a cult that does skin carvings on their skin out of worship of God. Here, however, it is not the God of the Jews (i.e. our God) that is being worshipped, but a completely different idol. Therefore God forbids the skin carvings. Because it is just clearly a sign to worship this, today unknown, God.
On the one hand, one can argue that skin carvings are not necessarily identical with tattoos. In both cases, however, the skin is scratched, so that one can clearly recognize a parallel at this point, if one wants to.
But with Jesus Christ we stand in a new covenant with God. In this covenant, the laws in the Old Testament no longer have the validity they had for the Jews of that time.
We are simply free from these laws and do not have to keep them. They are “only” still mirrors so that we can recognize what is “broken” about us. Or to put it more lightly: If it is not explicitly stated in the New Testament, personal conscience and loyalty to God decides.
This is of course a great simplification;- in the practical application of the new covenant we must not ask ourselves what we are allowed to do and what we are not allowed to do, but we should ask ourselves why we should do or not do something.
How to get to heaven with a tattoo
At this point I would like to address a topic that is not very often addressed. Very often, the tattoo is seen as a personal decision that does not concern anyone – except God. However, this is not completely true.
There is an example in the New Testament of how to deal with dietary laws. The redemptive work of Jesus allows us to eat any food we like. Nevertheless, if your brother is still so weak in faith that he would rather listen to these commandments, then you should let him and, if necessary, support him in such a way that you do not impose the corresponding freedom on him.
Transferred to the tattoo, it can be seen as follows: Everyone is free to have a tattoo or not. However, the person should take care not to blaspheme God. However, if this disturbs others in their faith, measures should be taken to cover this tattoo or not to have it done in the first place. This could lead the other person away from his faith in God.
If i get a tattoo will i go to hell?
So in the case of the tattoo, we should ask ourselves why the tattoo is on the skin. These rules apply only to professing Christians. People who are not Christians will certainly not go to heaven.
- Possibility 1: The tattoo is still from the “old” life. Here applies: No matter what motive, Jesus has forgiven you! However, if you have concerns about the effect the tattoo might have on others, or if you are more or less accidentally advertising for Satan, you should take measures to hide the tattoo. However, this has nothing to do with salvation, but with a Christ-oriented life.
- Possibility 2: With the motive of the tattoo you honor Jesus Christ. No matter if you are a Christian or not: I think this is good and it can stay. If you have not accepted Jesus as your savior, then the motif does not matter.
- Possibility 3: Your motive is a neutral or personal motive that does not fit into the above categories. In this case, ask God and your conscience and act accordingly. If you have a bad conscience before God, then don’t do it!
Summary: Can i still go to heaven if i have tattoos?
So it applies here as well: It is not the tattoo itself that distinguishes between heaven and hell. It is much more the attitude towards Jesus: Is he your only savior? If so, then heaven is yours for sure.
