14 I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.
15 Therefore let us, as many as are mature, have this mind; and if in anything you think otherwise, God will reveal even this to you.
16 Nevertheless, to the degree that we have already attained, let us walk by the same rule, let us be of the same mind.
God is calling us to spiritual growth, and there are many resources that He makes available to us in order to bring that about in our lives. First and foremost, we have God's Word, which can teach us and contains the power to actually produce fruit consistent with the character of Christ. We have the Spirit who empowers us. We have fellow believers who can encourage us and challenge us. Overall, we have the ability to walk with Jesus in a devoted manner each day.
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After listing a number of types of sinful behavior that can characterize an individual apart from God, Paul writes in 1st Corinthians 6:
11 And such were some of you. But you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God.
12 All things are lawful for me, but all things are not helpful. All things are lawful for me, but I will not be brought under the power of any.
When you hear what I am calling, "Celebrity God-Talk," it does make my spiritual antenna tune in a little closer, and it could just provide a basis for evaluating our own walk with Christ.
So, you have an R&B star by the name of Chris Brown, who has apparently had enough. An article on The Christian Post website announced:
In what appears to be a public cry for help to God, popular R&B singer Chris Brown recently lamented his life as a burden that would make the "average man" commit suicide and says he's tired of the devil ruining his life.This came from an Instagram post that included some expletives. Brown wrote that he thinks the average man would have committed suicide if he had to endure what he has to deal with on a daily basis and says he heard "God speak for the first time."
He added, "Most won't understand the genius and beauty in change and learning and the people who have devilish intentions will win in the short term. My soul will always be pure of heart. What's on the surface always looks like one big party but inside there is a little boy looking for help and guidance." He also said, "I don't have any more patience for anything that will cause me to self destruct!!"
One Instagram response stated, "You feel this way because your life does not match up with the Bible. You say you love God bro, but your actions do not prove it fam. Also you need accountability, there are not many people around you who tell you the truth about yourself, only what you want to hear. God has a plan for your life bro, but you must be willing to give up EVERYTHING. Not some things, everything. That's what he is calling you to do."
And, recently, another celebrity who seems to be searching for spiritual truth was spotted in Australia at the Hillsong conference. That would be Justin Bieber. ChristianHeadlines.com quoted a statement from Hillsong Church, which said, "Justin is here, like tens of thousands of others, as a delegate who is seeking to build stronger foundations into his life.”
The church added, “The purpose of the conference is to honour God, and our hope for all attending is that their lives are enriched.”
The church added, “The purpose of the conference is to honour God, and our hope for all attending is that their lives are enriched.”
It is easy to dismiss these public figures' pronouncement of faith, especially in light of the lifestyles in which they seem to be involved. There were some reports surrounding Bieber's trip down under that seem to be inconsistent with a Christian life devoted to holiness - but, I have to say, that he's still hanging around Christian activities; Chris Brown seems to indicate that he's tired of the way that his life is going and may be hinting at a change of direction.
So, for us, what can we take away? I think first of all that when a high-profile person makes a faith statement, that should not be automatically discounted. Just think about actors and athletes in whose lives the Lord has made a dramatic impact. And, as the apostle Paul writes in 1st Corinthians 6: "Such were some of you," making reference to past lifestyles of the Corinthian believers. And, in this world of social media where people are all-too-willing to make public statements for all to see, it becomes a public expression of what may be going on in a person's heart.
Everyone has the potential to change; and when Christ is involved, that means that His presence can result in transformation. And, unfortunately, when celebrities' lives are on display so frequently, it's hard to know what's going on in the heart - bad judgment should not be mistaken for a lack of good seed that may be taking root in a person's life.
I want to return to Mr. Brown's party persona, if you will. He makes reference to a little boy inside, beneath that outward veneer. I think he speaks for so many that do not want to grow up, who do not take responsibility, and who play around without any serious pursuits in their lives. I have to think there's a message for each of us, from a spiritual standpoint - the Bible directs us to grow in Christ; we are called to spiritual maturity and to put away childish things. It's easy to point fingers at celebrities behaving badly or childishly, but we have to be challenged to put aside childish thought patterns; areas of selfishness that hold us back from growing spiritually. God is calling us to grow - none of us have arrived, but through abiding in Him, we can see the seed in our hearts bear fruit for His glory.
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