Body

This is a Bible study on the Body.    Click here for a printable Bible Study Guide.

• What is the body?

• Who created my body?

• Who can give life to a body?

• Who owns our bodies?

• What are we to do with our bodies?

• When does the body die?

• What happens to our body after we die?

• What separates from our body when we die?

• Can anyone prevent their body from dying?

• Why aren't our human bodies saved from dying?

• Why do I need a different body to enter Heaven?

• Will my body in Heaven look like my old body on earth?

• What is wrong with altering my body?

• What is God's truth about tattoos?

• 12 Reasons not to place marks on yourself

• Will God forgive me for altering His body?

The body is the material substance of a person.  Our bodies consist of flesh, bones, blood and water. 

Our beings consist of body, spirit and soul.  We are to love God with our whole being - body, spirit, and soul.

Our bodies are mortal and they will all die, but our spirit and soul are eternal (2 Corinthians 5:8).

Our body, in the Bible, is referred to as our body, mortal flesh, vessel, earthly house, flesh and bones, house of clay, and for those who are saved the temple of God.

Our bodies are earthly containers - earthen vessels - for our spirit and our soul (2 Corinthians 4:7). 

Every person consists of a natural body and a spiritual body (1 Corinthians 15:44), a mortal man and a spiritual man (Job 4:17).

Our mortally is promised by God.  Every person's body will die.  Our flesh, our bodies are mortal (2 Corinthians 4:11).

Spiritual immortality is offered by God through faith His Son, Christ Jesus (Romans 2:7).

God alone created your body.  God forms all bodies.  Everything made is created by God, God is the Creator of all things (Isaiah 40:38; 43:15).

It pleased the Almighty God to create us.  We were created for His good pleasure.  We were created by God, out of love and because God is love.  We were created so God could give us His love, and so that He could receive our love.

We were created in love, for love, by love for God Himself.  All of us, from the top of our head to the bottom of our feet and everything in between was created because of the love of God, because God is love, and because God loved us first.

God loved us before we loved Him.

We are to know and believe the love that God has toward us (1 John 4:16).

Life comes from God alone.  God breathes life into every living creature.  The breath of life comes from God alone.

God alone has supreme power.  No one has greater power than God.

No one is alive except by the grace of God.

God owns our bodies

God owns all things, because He is the Creator of all things. 

We do not own our own body, God does.

We own nothing in this world.  We brought nothing into it, and we take nothing away from it when we die.

Glorify God in your body

Present our bodies to God as a living sacrifice

Live in righteousness, not sin

We were not given our bodies for sin, but for the Lord.

Restrain and control our bodies

We are to give rule and complete control over our bodies to God alone.  We are to control and keep our bodies under the rule and guidance of the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 9:27).

We are not to give in to every whim of our flesh.  We are not to submit to every lust of our flesh.  Through Christ we have the power and strength to overcome the lies of satan.

Manifest and magnify Christ Jesus in our body

As believers of the Most High God we are to let the light of Christ shine through our bodies to the unsaved world.

Live separate from the world

As believers of the Most High God, we are to walk in the ways of Christ, live in faith to God, be separate from the sin of this world (2 Corinthians 6:17).

We are separated from worldly, selfish, self-centered, vanity, and unrighteousness.  By studying the word of God, by living in faith and in love toward God every day, we can know the truth of God and escape the traps of bondage to sin.

Our bodies are in the process of dying now, but they do not die until the spirit leaves the body.

When our spirit leaves our earthly body, our earthly body dies.  The body without the spirit is dead.

Our spirit separates from our body when we die, and our spirit returns to the Lord.

God makes it very clear in His Word what happens to our earthly bodies after they die.

The LORD God formed man out of the dust of the ground, breathed life into his nostrils and man became a living soul.  Mankind was formed from the dust of the earth, which was created by the word of God.  We live until we die, for dust thou are and unto dust shalt thou return - all are of dust and all turn to dust again.

Our earthly bodies are fragile, temporal and are not eternal.  Our bodies decay, wither and die, and turn to dust again.

When we die, our spirit is separated from our flesh and bones body.  Our spirits are eternal but our earthly flesh and bones bodies are not.  Our dead bodies remain on earth and await their resurrection.

God promises that one day, if we have died here on this earth, and if we have received His gift of salvation before we died (the dead in Christ), that God Himself will resurrect our bodies and change them in an instant into a heavenly body, like that of Christ's resurrected body, our new translated bodies will join our spirit with the Lord in the clouds, and so shall we ever be with the Lord (1 Thessalonians 4:16-18).

Our spirit and our soul separates from our body when we die and return to the Lord.

We, our being, our person is with the Lord when we die - and the spirit shall return unto God who gave it (Ecclesiastes 12:7). 

Death occurs when our spirit separates from our mortal bodies.

Our earthly bodies our mortal, but our spirit and our soul are eternal.

No human being has the power to prevent themselves from dying, because God alone holds our life in His hands.

Created from the dust and returned to the dust is the perfect plan of God (Genesis 3:19). 

Our earthly bodies are not saved from dying, because this is the plan of God for humanity.

Our earthly flesh and bones bodies are made temporal for life on this earth, not to last for all eternity, as this is the perfect plan of God. 

Fore the dead in Christ, one day our bodies will be resurrected and reunited with our spirits, but to last for all eternity they must be changed.  God holds all power and He will change our temporal earthly flesh and bones bodies into a heavenly everlasting body, that is like unto Christ's heavenly body, one that will last for all eternity - and we will forever be with our Lord.

Our earthly bodies are not saved from dying because this is the perfect plan of God.  God sees the beginning from the end and the end from the beginning (Isaiah 46:9-10).  God's ways are not our ways.  We must trust and have faith in God that He is for us, that He knows what is best for us at all times.

God says that our fleshly earthly bodies are not able to endure eternity with Him.  Our earthly bodies must be altered, changed, replaced, in order to endure for all of eternity.

God says that our flesh and bones human bodies are corrupted and must be changed into an incorruptible body to endure eternity with Him.

God says several things regarding the new body that He will give us.

First, our heavenly body will be like Christ's heavenly body.

Second, our heavenly body will be familiar to others. 

It will be like Christ's heavenly body and familiar to others we see in Heaven.  After Christ was resurrected, His heavenly body was seen and recognized by those who knew Him, although it was changed He retained His appearance that others knew Him.

We will be changed completely to receive all the inheritance of God.  Our mind will be changed to accept all the fullness of God.  What we are unable to comprehend here on this earth will be revealed in Heaven to us through Christ.  We will know all the saints in Heaven and they will know us.

Our bodies do not belong to us, our bodies belong to God, only God has the creative right to alter our bodies.  This does not mean that we cannot have surgery if we are injured, or that one should not wear prostheses so that they may walk.  But one should not alter one's body for vanity's sake.

God made us

God created us, our life and our bodies belong to God alone.  God created our bodies unique to us for Himself.  We do not own our bodies, God does. 

God is the Creator and owner of our bodies.  Since we do not own our bodies, we should not alter our bodies for vanity sake.

God does not make mistakes.  He created each body exactly the way He wanted.  All things are for His good pleasure.

We should never second guess the plans of God.  His thoughts are not our thoughts, and His ways are not our ways (Isaiah 55:8).

We should be content in Christ Jesus.  Our joy and hope is in Christ Jesus, not the way we look.  We are to place our trust in God, not in our looks.

You are God's masterpiece.  He placed every single hair on your head.  He formed you just the way He wanted you to be, in your mother's womb.

Do not be deceived into thinking that you know better than God.

God created us in His image.  Do you really think you should alter the image of God?  Who thinks they are better than God?  That's right, satan.

Tattooing was not invented in our lifetime.  People have been tattooing their bodies since the beginning of time.

Tattooing is an old practice of people all around the world.  Some people tattoo their bodies because they are rich and some because they are poor, some for religious reasons, some for regional reason, some for association with a certain tribe of people, some for political reasons, some for cultural reasons, some for vanity, some to shock, some to fit in a certain crowd, but all think they have a reason.  For many people there is always a reason for the sin they are in based on their perception of their reality.

Just because a person justifies their sin with some reason, this does not mean their sin is justified with God.

There are as many reasons for getting a tattoo as there are people who get them.  When one justifies their sin with reasons, this does not make their sin justified with God.  There is never a right way to do something wrong.  

There are many reasons why someone should not be tattooed, just as there are many justifications for people as to why they are tattooed.

Let's look at what is written in the word of God.   A lot of misinformed people like to say that there are not scriptures in the bible regarding tattoos, but this is incorrect.  The word of God is complete instruction for man on fulfilling the will of God.   Nothing is left out, not even tattoos.

12 reasons NOT to get a tattoo.

Twelve reasons not to place marks on yourself:

1.  God says NOT to print any marks on ourselves

Printing marks is tattooing and God says that we are not to do it, because He is the LORD.

God loves us and tells us all not to tattoo - not to cut or print any marks on ourselves. 

God made us and God loves us more than anyone else, even ourselves.  God gives us rules, commandments to live by because He loves us so much.   If He didn't love us then He would let us do things that would ultimately harm us.  All good parents who love their children instruct their children, teach their children, correct and discipline their children and lead them away from harm.

God is for us and everything He tells us to do or not to do is for our benefit, so that we will not be harmed, so that we may live in peace with Him and be at peace with ourselves.

We should never let anyone or anything - like tattoos - come between us and our Lord God.  One of the 10 Commandments given to mankind from God is "Thou shalt have no other gods before Me" (Exodus 20:3).  Anything placed in our hearts that we highly esteem can become an idol to us, even tattoos.

No other gods. Other gods include other deities and anyone or anything else that we place above God.   Idolatry is not only the worship of other gods, but the worship of things, anything that becomes an obsession in your life takes you away from God. 

We are to be very careful where we place our affections, where we lay up our treasures, because the Scripture tells us all that where your treasures is, there will your heart be also (Matthew 6:19-21).

Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.  Matthew 22:37-38.   If we love God then we obey God (John 10:27; John 14:15; Jeremiah 7:23; 1 John 5:2).

2.  God says that we are to abstain from all appearance of evil

God says that we are to hold onto good and to abstain from all appearance of evil.

I understand that not everyone holds to the thought that tattoos are evil looking, but then again you must admit that many people do.

God asks us to preserve blameless our whole spirit and soul and body until we see Jesus face to face.  This is something we can do for the one who gave us life eternal.

The history of tattooing is ancient.  The history of tattooing practices are attached with evil, witchcraft, debauchery, worshipping other gods, and satanic ceremonies.  Do you really want to be attached in any way, shape or form to satanic ceremonies?

Many will say, "but I disagree, I believe my tattoos are beautiful and good".  Again this is your way of thinking, not God's way.  We are to seek and follow the will of God, we are to yield to the direction of the Holy Spirit, as the children of God we are to follow Jesus, we are to follow and obey God in all things concerning this life.  The truth is that the children of God surrender their heart, mind, soul and body to God, for His work, to be used by Him. Our bodies are not our own to do with as we please, as children of God our bodies belong to God.

3.  Our body is not ours to tattoo

Our bodies belong to God - we don't own them.  Our body is not ours to tattoo.  I believe if people would understand this point alone, really grasp this truth from God, that there would be no tattooing at all.

Why do a lot of people get tattoos?  Because they say, "it is my body and I can do with it whatever I please".  But we know through Scripture this is NOT true.

The truth is that our body is not our property, because all things belong to God.

I find it odd that most people would NOT think about grabbing a paint brush and start drawing on their manmade car, but they don't think twice about marking up one of God's most precious creations - mankind.

How dare we think we have the right to anything and to do anything that we please.

God will recompense, and He will exact His judgment one day on all people, for tampering, defiling His creations.

4.  Adorn ourselves with the doctrine of God

When we place a mark on our bodies, we are adorning our bodies.  God says that we are to adorn ourselves with the doctrine of God our Saviour in all things (Titus 2:10).

Our focus should never be on ourselves, because this is vanity.  (Vanity vanity all is vanity - read Ecclesiastes).  Our focus is to be on Christ Jesus our Saviour.

We are to glorify God in all things ... that God in all things may be glorified.  1 Peter 4:11

We are to glory in God - NOT in our flesh.  We are to promote Jesus - NOT our flesh.  We are to lead others to Christ - NOT to our bodies.

Some people may say, What if I only have religious tattoos?

So you think your tattoo is justified because it is religious?  Sinning for God is still sinning.  God does not condone any sin for any reason.  There is no such thing as sinning for God, because the one cancels out the other. 

God doesn't want anyone to sin for any reason.  All unrighteousness is sin (1 John 5:17).  There is no such thing as a godly sin.  God has no sin (1 John 3:5), and God has no part with sin.  All sin is sin.  Sin cancels out righteousness.  This kind of thinking is like thinking you are doing God's work by killing someone to keep them from sinning, for by killing them you have committed the worse sin yourself.  No sin is ever justified in the eyes of God.

Do not be deceived, marking up your body is for yourself, because of your pride, because of your vanity, and marking your body has nothing to do with God.  God does NOT want you to mark up your body (Leviticus 19:28).

5.  It is vanity

Many people tattoo themselves so other people will look at them. 

I do not know your reason for your tattoos, but God does.  God knows every thought you have ever had, every thought you have right now, and will ever have in the future. 

Some people hide their tattoos from the world, but God still sees them, because nothing is hid from God.

Vanity and pride are sins against God.  All things we think are important or necessary in this earthly existence are all vanity.

The important and necessary things are not here in this world, cannot be found in this world, and are not things, but is Christ Jesus.

6.  It is Pride

People are usually very proud of their tattoos. 

Pride says that "I have a right to do with my body whatever it is I want to do with it".   Pride says that "I don't care what people think, and I don't even care what God has to say about the matter".  Pride pushes self - self righteousness, self importance, self gratification - above anyone else, even above God.

There are many things wrong with pride, the most important is that pride separates anyone from God.

Through pride we seek our own ways instead of the ways of God.  Through pride we place trust in ourselves instead of trusting in God.

Pride hardens our hearts and deceives our minds into believing we know things better than God.  (Mark 7:21-23)

Pride has nothing to do with God; pride is from the devil himself (1 Timothy 3:6).  Do not be deceived, selfish pride separates anyone from God.

7.  God says that we are to prove all things

God says that we are to prove all things (1 Thessalonians 5:21). 

What is the real purpose of your tattoo?  Why are you getting a tattoo?  What is its purpose?  What is the justification to God for your marking up His creation?  A tattoo at most is vanity, satisfying the desires of the flesh, and self-will manifested, not God's will manifested.

Can any tattoo be for the glory of God?   No, it cannot be because God already said for us not to print marks on ourselves (Leviticus 19:28).  Do not be deceived.  No tattoo is acceptable to God.   No tattoo is accepted by God of anything or for any reason.

We are to do all things for the Glory of God in Heaven (1 Corinthians 10:31).  We are to live to the will of God - not self (1 Peter 4:2).   Just as Jesus, we too are to seek out God's will and we are to do the will of our Father in Heaven (Luke 22:42).

We are not to bring glory to ourselves but glory to God (Luke 2:14).  Let him glory in the Lord (1 Corinthians 1:31; 2 Corinthians 10:17).  God forbid that I should glory (Galatians 6:14).  Let us not be desirous of vain glory (Galatians 5:26).  Therefore let no man glory in men (1 Corinthians 3:21).

God shares His Glory with no man (Isaiah 42:8).  There will only be God's glory in Heaven; tattoos will never enter into God's kingdom.  We brought nothing into this world and it is certain we can carry nothing out of this world (1 Timothy 6:7), for he shall carry nothing away: his glory shall not descend after him (Psalm 49:17).   All the things that we think we have and own, the superfluous, will not be taken with us into God's Glorious Kingdom of Heaven.  The things that bring us high in our own mind - our pride, our vanity, and our self importance - will not transcend with us when we die.

We are never to waste our time and energy with things that do not transcend with us into God's glory, the temporal things that do not last, but we are to do the will of God, focus on and do things in this life that have Kingdom purpose, that will transcend into glory.  The treasures in heaven is what matters, not the treasures of this earth (Matthew 6:19-21).

We don't want people to notice our flesh - what is on the outside - but who is on the inside - namely, Christ Jesus.

We are not to worship our own flesh - praise, love and adore our own flesh - fuss about our flesh - mark up our flesh - but we are to worship and adore God.  

Our flesh is just that - mortal flesh - that will one day die.  We owe our flesh nothing but we owe Christ everything.   Our salvation through faith in Christ Jesus separates us from the flesh, from worldliness; we are believers in Christ - in the Spirit of God - not in the flesh (Romans 8:1-13).

Tattooing is minding the things of the flesh in a very visual and permanent way, and cannot please God (Romans 8:6-8).  

When we are minding the things of the Spirit of God, we will NOT be even thinking about tattoos (Romans 8:9-14).

We are to mind the things that are God's - the eternal things - the heavenly; we are to gather to ourselves heavenly treasures that will not be taken away (Matthew 6:19-20), for God says that were our treasure is, there will our heart be also (Matthew 6:21).

8.  God says we are His temple

If we would allow God's word to sink into our little minds and understand that God says we are His temple - God chose mankind to be His temple - we are given the honor above every other creation to be "His temple" - then we would never ever think of placing any mark, not one mark upon our bodies.

We have laws to protect manmade works of art, but there is no law to prevent man from defiling God's most precious creation - mankind.

Those who have chosen to accept God's free gift of salvation - through faith in His Son Christ Jesus - are the children of God (Galatians 3:26).  God loves His children so much that He chose to dwell inside of us, protecting us and guiding us on our journey home to Him.

God says that we are His temple.   How are you honoring God's temple - the body that He created for you?

We have a just duty to keep God's temple pure and holy and undefiled.

The Scriptures tell us all that if we love God, if we truly love God with all our heart, with all our soul, with all our mind, with all our strength - as we say that we do - then we will do what He asks of us.  We demonstrate to God, to ourselves, and to the world our love toward God in how we keep His word, when we do the things that He asks of us to do.  Deuteronomy 7:12, 29:9; Psalm 103:17-18; Ezekiel 11:20; John 13:17.

9.  God says that we are to follow Christ

We are to follow after Christ, not the ways of other men (Matthew 16:24).  The only marks Jesus had on His body were the marks in His hands, in His feet, and in His side, that He received on the cross for our sins, so that we might be saved.

Your piercings, your marks do not take away the sins of the world and cannot save anyone.  It is not a good thing to compare yourself in the least way with God Almighty.

Only the marks and piercings of Christ Jesus were able to destroy sin and save the world.

Tattooing is bondage.  When you receive a tattoo, you are bound with that tattoo.  I find it ironic that many people claim that their tattoos represent freedom, when it is clearly bondage.  Only satan claims freedom and gives bondage.

We are to attach ourselves to God, not tattoos.  There is only One who can set you free, truly free, free from all sin and death; true freedom and victory over this life is found in only One, who is Christ Jesus the Lord and Saviour (John 8:34-36).

No man can serve God and serve sin.  No man can have two masters.  You cannot serve your flesh and serve God.  There can be only One who is in control over your life, to receive the promises of God.  No man receives the promises of God without following His Word.  Without surrendering your mind, body, spirit and soul over to Christ Jesus you cannot receive eternal life.  Your idea of "having it all" is nothing at all, compared to what God has planned for your soul in Heaven.

The insignificant brief sinful pleasures of this life in this world, pleasures of sin for a season (Hebrews 11:25), are not worth your eternal salvation and cannot be compared to the eternal riches and glory with God for all eternity.

10.  God says that we are to be separate from the world

I don't know where you live, but where I live it seems everyone I see has a tattoo today.  I was recently dining out and across the room were a man and a woman with two very small boys and they all had tattoos.  I hope that the tattoos on the children were just wash off ones.

As believers of the Most High God, we are to be separate from this world, stand out from the world, we are not be like everyone else, doing what everyone else is doing.

Our bodies are to be given to God as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God.  What will you tell God when He is given yours all marked up?  Will He ask, "what have you done to My creation"? 

Keeping ourselves unmarked by this world is our reasonable service to God.  What can we do to show God how much we love Him? We can obey His word.

11.  God says we are to seek Him first

We are not to make any decision without God.  We are to seek God in all things.  Pray without ceasing (1 Thessalonians 5:17). 

Do not be deceived.  God warns us about receiving marks in the last days.  Yes, the infamous 666 mark from the antichrist (Revelation 13:16-18).  I would believe with hell fire being the reward for receiving the 666 mark (Revelation 19:20), that no one would receive any mark whatsoever on themselves for any reason.

Think about it.  Maybe satan is priming people to be receptive to his mark by all the tattooing that is going on today.  People will just say, "well what's one more tattoo, I really don't care," what a sobering thought.

Do you understand now why you should NOT get a tattoo?  If you still don't, you need to seek the LORD.

God will tell you all things, if you will listen to Him.  All sin is against God.  God does not condone any sin for any reason.  There is NO sin - not one - that is exempt or okay.  God will never tempt anyone to sin, for any reason (James 1:13).  If you are tempted to get a tattoo, that temptation is NOT from God.

Tattooing is NOT of God.  If you are tempted to get a tattoo the inner voice you hear telling you to markup your body is NOT God. 

Do not be deceived.  God will never ask you to get a tattoo because the Word of God does not change, because God stated in His Word - do not mark yourselves (Leviticus 19:28) and what He said in His Word He stands by.   The Word of God is infinitely unbreakable and unchangeable.  God is the same yesterday, today, and forever (Hebrews 13:8).

Being tempted is not sin, but yielding to temptation is when sin becomes sin.  God promises that there is no temptation given to men that God is not able to make a way for us to escape (1 Corinthians 10:13).  We do not have to rely on our own will power to stay away from sin but we do have to trust in God's power to avoid all sin (James 4:7).

12.  I love God

I love God more than anything else.  Do you truly love God?

I love God with all my heart, with all my soul, with all my strength, with all my mind, and with all my body.

I do not want anything to come between the relationship I have with my Lord God.  Sin separates anyone away from God.

The right relationship with God is the most important thing in my life.

The scriptures tell us that we show God that we love Him when we obey Him, follow His commandments, abide in Him, remain separate from this wicked world, don't go along with the sins of this world, when we are separated unto Him and continue in the faith of Christ Jesus all the days of our lives.

Do not be deceived.  Deception is from satan.  God cannot sin and God will never ask anyone to commit sin.   If you believe it is okay to sin, go against the word of God, then you are not listening to God, but you are listening to someone else.

Our body is not ours - it belongs to the Lord.  When we realize that our body does not belong to us, but belongs to the Lord, we can understand why it is wrong to mark it up with tattoos, endless piercings, cuttings, marks, and the like.

Our body is the temple of God.  When we defile God's body with markings, cuttings, mutilations, will God forgive us?

Forgiveness from God is available to anyone through genuine repentance. 

Repentance is change.  Repentance is turning from sin and turning to God.  Turning to God away from sin.  Repentance is asking forgiveness from God for committing sin against Him.  Repentance is vowing, pledging to God to turn from sin and walk in His ways.

God promises to forgive all sin from all people who come to Him with sorrowful repentance.  God knows what is in your heart, if you are genuine.  You cannot fool God.

God speaks of two types of repentance in His word.  God says genuine repentance is not like the world repents, who say they are sorry but their heart has not changed (2 Corinthians 7:9-10).  True repentance is always change, turning away from sin and turning to God.  Genuine repentance is godly sorrow.

The world does not repent to God, they are sorry that they are caught and might say they are sorry, or say they repent, but they do not repent in their heart, their heart is not changed, their heart is not turned to God.  God knows our hearts and He knows who has godly sorrow, true genuine repentance.  We can see who has genuinely repented to God, by their change of heart.

Godly repentance and forgiveness of sins are joined, one is not received without the other.  Forgiveness of sins by God follows godly sorrow and true repentance.

Repentance is action.  Repentance is turning from unrighteousness and turning to God's righteousness.  Turning from living in sin and turning to living in the righteousness of God.  Repentance is toward God, turning away from sin and turning to God, through faith in Christ Jesus (Acts 20:21; 26:20).

God places the earnest need for repentance into your heart.  God urges us to repentance through knowledge of the truth which He places in our hearts (2 Timothy 2:25-26).

God is waiting to forgive your sins.  God is waiting on you to ask Him for forgiveness of your sins, waiting on your godly repentance, so that He may forgive all your sins, clean your heart, and make you right with Him, so that you may live in peace and with Him.

Through repentance (change) we are forgive, when we ask God for His grace and mercy, His forgiveness, He promises to cleanse us from all sin.

For more information see - FORGIVENESS   and   REPENTANCE

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