There are many Christian celebrities in today's world. As Christians, it can feel comforting to know that there are some celebrities in the world who are Christians. While they are rare, we have been given the message that there are Christians in the Hollywood scene today.
In movies, television shows, and the music industry, we have been given the idea that there are many Christians in these various fields.
The idea behind this is to attract Christian viewers and listeners because the business behind it knows that the Christian community is very large and can help further their financial motives. This is one of the many reasons why we need to be wary of Christian celebrities.
Just because they claim they are Christians does not mean they actually are Christians. It could be they are only claiming to be Christians because they want to attract a specific audience, or they feel safer by sticking with Christian industries.
With that being said, it is important for us as everyday Christians to be wary of Christian celebrities. We have to be curious and careful when we see a new celebrity come out as being a Christian.
We have to look at their actions, what they do, and their personal life to see if their actions connect with their profession of faith.
Do not believe everything you read or see about Christian celebrities because it could be that they are only identifying as a Christian due to an ulterior motive.
I have personally been suspicious of Christian celebrities for many years since I became a believer myself. Especially within the music industry, I have found many Christian artists to have vague songs that seem to have nothing to do with Jesus.
One of the most recent Christian artists to come out as not being a Christian was the lead singer from Hawk Nelson. Ever since this happened, I have wondered how many other Christian artists are not true Christians.
Maybe you have also wondered the same thing and it causes you to worry about the future of Christian music.
Know that you are not alone and that there are many people who are also worried about this. We need Christian artists who worship God and sing praises to His Name.
We don't need artists who only choose to do Christian music because they could not make it in the regular music industry. Without further ado, here are five reasons to be wary of Christian celebrities.
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1. They Are Not Really Christians
One reason to be wary of Christian celebrities is that they might not be real Christians. As spoken above, the lead singer of the band Hawk Nelson was not a real Christian despite singing about Jesus for many years.
How many other Christian singers and artists are in the same boat? They are singing praises to God in their music, yet their hearts are far from Him. This is something we need to consider before we support any Christian celebrity because it could be that they are not really Christians.
We can be careful about who we choose to support by looking at their music, at the movies they are in, or how they live their personal life.
If an artist claims to follow Jesus and claims to love Jesus, yet has inappropriate content and profanity in their music, this might be a telltale sign that they might not be faithfully following Jesus.
In the same way, if a Christian celebrity is in a lot of secular movies with inappropriate scenes or bad content, this could also make us question whether they are Christians or not.
By looking at their personal life, we will also be able to tell if they are faithful to the Lord because a Christian is not only a Christian on certain days of the week. Rather, they are a Christian every day because they love the Lord and follow Him with their entire heart.
If a certain Christian celebrity has been caught doing illegal activity, committed sexual abuse, or was caught with pornography, one could assume that this "Christian" celebrity likely is not a real Christian.
Now, this doesn't mean a person cannot be a Christian and yet struggle with these various sins; however, true Christians would want to turn away from this lifestyle to live a life to bring glory to God.
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2. They Have an Ulterior Motive
A second reason to be wary of Christian celebrities is if they have an ulterior motive. Even before I was a Christian, my mom used to have my sisters and I look at any ulterior motives actors, singers, or other celebrities might have.
My mom was always interested in the personal lives of celebrities and would often search for them on the Internet to learn a little bit more about their life.
Ever since then, I also have been interested in learning about people and this has since evolved into looking at any ulterior motives people might have at any given time.
This line of reasoning applies to the discussion at hand because many Christian celebrities might have an ulterior motive in claiming they are a Christian.
Their ulterior motives could be that they feel safer in a Christian environment within the film and music industry even though they are not actually believers. While this is understandable, it is not okay to lie about being a Christian.
It would be amazing if they would come to know Jesus by working on Christian films and other projects; however, we cannot be dogmatic to say every unbeliever who works on a Christian film or is involved with a Christian song is a true Christian.
It is best to allow room for the Holy Spirit and pray for Him to help more people come to know the Lord.
Recently, I was listening to a few songs by Lauren Daigle. A friend from England had recommended it and upon listening to one of the songs, I noticed one of the co-writers of one of the songs was Nate Ruess.
As you may know, Lauren Daigle is one of the most successful Christian artists right now, but many are not sure of her true allegiance to Christ. Nevertheless, when I saw Nate Ruess as being listed as one of the writers, I became more suspicious of the influence of the song.
While I am a fan of Nate Ruess's music and I have been for a long time, he is in no way a Christian. In fact, many of his songs are anti-God and very derogatory to the Lord.
As we can see, it is right to be suspicious of Christian artists because they could have an ulterior motive. Maybe it could be fame, wealth, or popularity.
As Christians, we need to be careful about who we support because it could be we are not truly supporting those who are praising the Lord. It could be they are just doing music in the Christian industry because they could not make it in the regular industry.
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3. They Might Be in the Christian Industry Only for the Money
A third reason we need to be wary of Christian celebrities is because they might be in the Christian film and music industry for the money. Closely connected to the former point, it is very probable that these individuals could only be in it for the money.
Maybe being in the secular industry felt unsafe or uncomfortable, so they chose to go into the Christian industry. While not all artists do this, there are many. It is important to note that when we weed out the celebrities who are not Christians, we don't weed out the true Christians.
It can be easy to throw the true Christians out because when we get suspicious, almost everyone starts looking suspicious.
When you are trying to separate the real Christians from the fake Christians within the realm of celebrities, look at their lifestyle, their music, and the films they are in. As mentioned earlier, this will tell you a lot about their own personal beliefs.
Many Christian artists only get a small amount of money for their music, whereas, others perform for free. I have followed a Christian artist named Benjamin Hastings for several years now. He is part of Hillsong United, yet he has recently come out with his debut album.
Last year, he gave free concerts in a parking lot in order for more people to hear about Jesus in his music. His songs are unlike other Christian songs I have heard because he is not in it for the money.
When his album came out, it was not even released as a physical album. It only came out in streaming formats. If he really wanted to make a huge financial profit off his music, he would have sold physical copies of his album.
As it is, his music is free for streaming for all people because he wants more people to hear about Jesus through his songs.
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4. They Could Be Lying about Much More
A fourth reason Christians should be wary of Christian celebrities is that Christian celebrities could be lying about much more. If they are already lying about being a Christian, they could lie about much more.
It could be that they support causes that are not biblical, such as abortion or racism. As believers, we need to be wary of all celebrities because they can lie about anything and everything.
If a Christian celebrity keeps changing their views in order to keep up with the ever-changing views of the world, it could be that they are lying about their own beliefs in order to stay relevant with the times.
Real Christians would rather bow out than stand for a cause they don't believe in. Not to mention real Christians would not lie about their relationship with Christ.
Christian celebrities need to be looked at with a careful and suspicious eye because one cannot ever fully know if they are truly a Christian or not.
If they lie about being a Christian, they most likely will lie about many more things. Once a person starts lying, they will not be able to stop because another lie will have to cover up the original lie and so forth.
This is why it is best for us to be wary of Christian celebrities. While the idea of Christian celebrities sounds fabulous, sometimes it is not true. We should not be quick to support a singer, actor, actress, or director just because they claim to be Christian.
Christian might mean something different to them or they might just be a cultural Christian in the sense that they don't take their faith seriously.
As true Christians, we need to be wary of these individuals and not place them on a pedestal because, under all the glitter and gold, they are only human just like us.
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5. They Might Reject Jesus Later Down the Road
A fifth reason we need to be wary of Christian celebrities is that they could publicly reject Jesus later down the road.
Yet again, just like the lead singer of Hawk Nelson rejected Jesus after he had been part of the band for many years, there are others who might reject Jesus in a few years.
This is a sad reality; however, it shows that they were never Christians to begin with. True Christians would never reject Jesus because He is our Savior and Lord. Unfortunately, those who do not truly know Him as their Savior and Lord can reject Him.
Whoever are your favorite Christian celebrities, keep watch on them over the next few years. Hopefully, they won't reject Christ and turn away from Christianity; however, it could happen.
There is a rather large chance that they might reject Christ in the future and face the truth that they were never Christians, to begin with.
They might be honest and say they only stay with the Christian industry for a certain reason, or they felt they had to go into Christian music, film, writing, etc. because of their family.
True Christians would not turn away from the Lord. Instead, they would continue to praise Him and worship Him in their life. If a Christian celebrity turns away from God and rejects Him, you know that they were never Christians in the first place.
Therefore, you can have favorite Christian celebrities, but don't hold them too tight. Don't place them on a pedestal and don't assume they are Christian just because they claim to be.
Be cautious and look at the reality of things. It could be that they might come out as never really being a Christian in the first place.
Christians need to be wary of Christian celebrities for many reasons. By knowing these reasons, we will be able to better know who to support in film, writing, and music.
For further reading:
5 Christian Celebrities Who Live Out Their Faith in Hollywood
What Is a Profession of Faith?
What Are Some of the Signs of Genuine Saving Faith?
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Originally published Wednesday, 01 November 2023.