If you haven’t listened to Kanye West’s new album, Jesus Is King, yet, you really should. If you have followed Jesus all or most of your life it might elicit the following responses:
– Is Kanye ACTUALLY a Christian now?
-Why is God using him? He’s a sinner! His life doesn’t honor the Lord.
All very real emotions and very human responses to one of the world’s most popular secular artists releasing a Christian album. But both have somewhat or entirely missed the mark of what a Christian’s response should be.
Here’s why:
Response 1: Is Kanye ACTUALLY a Christian now? Is he for real? Has he really changed?
Remember when I said all of these responses are real and human? If you thought this, know you’re not alone.
Consider this response instead: Since when is it our place to determine this any way?
We are not the judge and that’s something we should be grateful for.
Oftentimes when a celebrity (or anyone for that matter) speak out about Jesus being Lord of their life we flock to their Instagram looking for evidence to determine for ourselves whether or not they are really a Christian rather than to celebrate that they’ve claimed God is working in their life.
Sometimes our natural inclination is to question the motives for someone with such a large platform to make these claims rather than to promote or share their transformation story.
This actually draws a strong parallel to another person: Paul. As in the guy who wrote half the New Testament but used to persecute Christians. The guy who, when he had a life changing encounter with the one true God, people assumed he was using it as a tactic to enslave Christians and carry out the mission of those in power at the time.
Is everyone who expresses their faith publicly that they are a Christian truly saved? Maybe. Maybe not. We’ll likely never know on Earth. And we aren’t the judge anyway.
Here’s what I do know. Kanye’s lyrics in Jesus Is Lord are as simple as “every knee will bow, every tongue confess, Jesus is Lord.”
Romans 10:9 “If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.”
Romans 14:11 “As surely as I live, says the Lord, every knee will bow to me, and every tongue confess to God.”
The appropriate response is to be grateful that someone is sharing this truth on a platform as big as Kanye’s and not concern yourself with what his past looks like, what his wife looks like, or whether or not he’s “for real.”
Too many times as Christians we feel we have to approve of the person God uses to speak conviction or truth into our lives. Pastors are under a similar level of scrutiny. When in actuality, we should not care what kind of package the voicing of the Gospel happens in so long as it aligns with Biblical truths.
Which brings me to the next likely response….
Response 2: Why is God using him? He’s a sinner! His life doesn’t honor the Lord.
Consider this: God can use anyone – a life-long Christian, a recommitted Christian, a person who knows nothing more than the salvation prayer they just prayed, or an atheist to bring about his purposes.
See, the thing about God using people is that it’s never anything they’ve done in their own power anyway. It always speaks to the power of the one true God working through them.
Have you ever wondered why you hear about churches with pastors who have had moral failures whilst their church has had exponential growth?
It usually shocks people. “How could God use someone who is living in sin to do such great things for Him?” It feels counter intuitive because our goal is to be Christ-like. Somehow we think we can earn more from God if we’re holier than our neighbor.
I don’t have the Biblical or theological background to do this explanation justice this brings two thoughts to mind.
The first thought is that any move of God is through Him and only Him. It was never about the pastor or the church but rather the power of God moving through someone or something. What we’re witnessing in Kanye I believe is the working of God and only God in His life.
The second thought is that there are not levels to sin. Are we really trying to argue that God only uses those who commit “little sins,” or maybe “private sins,” or “sins that are common,” or “sins that you could justify in the moment?” Sin keeps us from God. Don’t be confused in thinking that sin has enough power to limit or impede God’s ability to do anything – especially His ability to use us.
I know. You can be mad at me for saying that. And I don’t mean to down play sin in saying this.
Certainly we should be doing everything to adhere to Biblical principles but the reason is because it brings us to nearness with God. It is not because we’ve climbed some kind of perfection ladder we created for ourselves. That is the message of achievement-based religion. The message of the gospel is that Jesus has achieved everything for you.
The point of Christianity is nearness with God through Jesus Christ. Not riches. Not self gratification for measuring up to what other people (or, yourself) deem as “good.” Not self-satisfaction for helping others. Not self-pride for being a part of “God’s team.”
When you fully grasp that there is absolutely nothing you can do or achieve to be right with God and yet, you have that rightness and freedom only through Jesus Christ, Kanye’s response of:
“Jesus brought a revolution
All the captives are forgiven
Time to break down all the prisons
Every man, every women
There is freedom from addiction
Jesus, You have my soul”
Is not only the Biblically founded response, it is the most appropriate response by someone who fully recognizes what Jesus has done for them.
LVL 