Music pretending to be Christian

 Today we must talk about a subtle spiritual poison that many are consuming without a second thought. It is wrapped in beautiful melodies and powerful-sounding lyrics. It is the rise of a compromised, counterfeit gospel—not in some distant place, but right at the top of the Christian music charts. What you hear may disturb you. It might even make you angry. But you have a right to know the truth.

Some of the most popular worship bands in the world are not just making music. They are gateways to dangerous teachings that the Word of God warns us about in the plainest possible terms. We are not here to criticize for sport. We are here to equip ourselves with knowledge. We are here to learn to be as discerning as serpents and as gentle as doves. We have a duty to protect our homes, our minds, and the souls of our children from these clever, destructive influences. Because what you listen to, what you sing in your car and in your church, has a spiritual weight. Every song opens a door in your spirit. You must be the guardian of what comes through your ears.

So now we will expose what is happening. We will look at five famous Christian music groups. We will see the spiritual paths they are connected to. We will examine the truth, and we will apply the steadfast truth of God’s Word to what we see.

Jesus Culture

First, we must discuss the group known as Jesus Culture. They formed under the ministry of Bethel Church in Redding, California. At first glance, their music seems perfectly acceptable. The songs feel energetic, worshipful, and they are filled with all the right Christian-sounding words. Yet, the true danger is what stands behind the music—a theological system with shocking deviations from the historic Christian faith.

The leadership of Bethel Church, from which this band came, promotes practices and beliefs that should make any biblically grounded believer take a step back. First, there is the teaching that Christ set aside his full divinity when he was on earth. This is a very old error known as the Kenosis theory. While the Bible does say Jesus emptied Himself, the church has always understood this to mean He took on the form of a servant, not that He ceased to be God. Christ remained fully God and fully man. He never lost His divine attributes. To teach otherwise is to attack the very heart of the gospel message. If Jesus was not fully God, then His death on the cross could not pay for the sins of the world; it would just be the death of a good man. Yet teachers connected to this movement have made these ideas unclear, opening the door for great confusion about who Jesus really is.

Second, the spiritual environment that produced Jesus Culture has been known for very strange spiritual activities. The most notorious of these is a practice called grave soaking. Some people at Bethel believe that by lying on the graves of dead saints, they can absorb their spiritual anointing. You may have heard of this. Jesus Culture does not sing about this on their albums, but they come from the same source. Scripture is direct about this: anything that even looks like trying to contact or draw power from the dead is an abomination to the Lord. While the band members may not personally do this, the theology that allows such practices is part of their spiritual DNA. It seeps into the entire culture. This makes it necessary for believers to be extremely careful.

Furthermore, Jesus Culture songs can be a clever invitation into Bethel’s other teachings. A church might start using a song that seems safe on its own. Then curious people look up the band and find Bethel’s conferences and school. There they are introduced to more of the same distorted ideas. The Apostle John warns us not to help or promote false teachers, or we will share in their wicked work. We also have to consider the money. Churches that play Jesus Culture songs must pay licensing fees, and a part of that money goes back to support Bethel’s ministry. So when you sing their songs on a Sunday morning, you could be financially supporting a theology that you would otherwise warn people to stay away from.

The Bible commands believers not to be partners with the works of darkness, but to expose them. When we sing these songs without thinking, we risk supporting a bigger agenda. The lyrics of Jesus Culture might seem harmless. They often use common worship ideas like love, giving up our will, and adoration. But the danger is in what they indirectly approve of. They subtly pull unsuspecting Christians toward a ministry full of doctrinal problems. Feelings are not wrong—King David danced with all his might before the Lord—but our emotional highs should never be allowed to switch off our biblical thinking. The prophet Jeremiah says, “The heart is deceitful above all things. It is best to keep our minds firmly planted in the unchanging Word of God.”

If your church uses music from Jesus Culture, do some research. Speak with your leaders about where these songs come from. Ask if the wider Bethel brand is something your church should be connected with. Do not let sweet-sounding melodies distract you from the Trojan horse effect. Once you are inside, it can be much harder to tell the difference between truth and error. Theology is important, and worship music has an incredible ability to shape that theology in the hearts and minds of God’s people.

Elevation Worship

Now let’s turn our attention to another giant in the worship world: a group known for its high-energy songs and massive online presence, Elevation Worship. This group comes from Elevation Church, which is led by the famous pastor Steven Furtick. Their music is played everywhere—you hear it on the radio, on popular playlists, and in countless Sunday morning services. It has a very modern and polished feel. Yet beneath the expert production is a doctrinal base with many red flags for the discerning believer.

One of the most frequent worries is a strong leaning toward an old error called modalism. This is the belief that God is just one person who shows Himself in different ways. It teaches that sometimes He is the Father, sometimes the Son, and sometimes the Spirit, but not three distinct persons at the same time. The biblical account, especially in passages like the baptism of Jesus in Matthew, shows a triune God. The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit exist in a constant relationship. Any teaching that suggests otherwise distorts the very nature of God.

Additionally, Furtick has used phrases like, “God broke the law for love.” This might sound new and exciting, but it is not found in the Bible. Instead of breaking His law, God fulfilled it perfectly through Christ. The teaching at Elevation also sometimes suggests a “little God’s idea,” saying that believers can have the same creative power as God. But the prophet Isaiah makes it perfectly clear that God alone is God. We are not smaller versions of Him, and our words do not have the same power as His.

The problem is not just with their own theology. Elevation Church is also known for approving of or getting close to prosperity gospel teachers. This amplifies the idea that if you just have enough faith, you will get rich or be guaranteed perfect physical health. The Apostle Paul warns of a time when people will gather teachers who say what their itching ears want to hear. This is what happens when worship music becomes more about feeling good and successful than about humbly honoring a holy God.

Elevation is very good at creating emotional moments in their music. They use long musical bridges, repeating the same emotional line over and over with the instruments slowly getting louder. These can be very moving experiences. Yet powerful feelings should never be confused with biblical correctness. The result is often an intense worship high. But as soon as the music stops, believers might be left with a shallow or incorrect view of God’s character. True worship is based in spirit and in truth. It is not just about emotional rushes.

The Trojan horse effect is very strong here as well. Elevation Worship is the attractive outer shell. It draws people into the larger world of Elevation Church. Most people do not know they are walking into a maze of questionable teachings. They have already become attached to the music. “I love those songs,” they say. “So the preaching must be good too.” That kind of thinking can wear down a person’s biblical discernment over time. In the end, Elevation Worship’s brand is as polished as can be. Many of their lyrics might not have an obvious error that jumps out at you, but the source of the music is questionable. That source influences the songs. If you are committed to sound doctrine, you must consider the entire picture carefully.