I was recently looking for a particular worship song on YouTube. I like to have Christian music playing as I get work done. I couldn't recall the title, so I typed in a line from the chorus (do you ever do that?). What popped up was a different song that had similar name to the line I had typed in. At first, I thought maybe it was another version of the same song. As soon as I clicked on it, I knew it was a very different song, but I wasn't disappointed. It was one of the most beautiful songs I had ever heard. I'll put a link to the video at the end of this post. The song shows two young girls, presumably sisters, dressed in their Sunday best. The older one (pictured below) is singing to her sister about Jesus, and the scene flashes to a group of children in "biblical" clothes sitting around Jesus and being loved by Him. These children around Jesus were of various races, which made it even more attractive and engaging. The second verse of the song goes back to the sisters, but then shows several other children, all dressed up in their Sunday best, running up to them, and they all sang together about Jesus. It was a beautifully recorded video, and the singing was absolutely gorgeous. I do encourage you to watch it, but there is a reason I'm saving the link until the end.
As I often do with a song I hear for the first time, I listened to it a few times. As I did, something about it started to seem just a little bit off. It still appealed to me, but something just didn't seem quite right. The lyrics weren't technically wrong, but they weren't really rich in theological truth.
In this short song, there are five references to feeling or emotion, but no reference to the basis of truth. The song is titled (and the chorus states) I know that my Savior loves me, but there is no basis given to this knowledge in the song. Even simple children's songs about Jesus usually give some basis (IE: Jesus loves me, this I know, for the Bible tells me so... bold underlined emphasis mine). For being a song about "knowing" it really gives a lot more information about feeling. Feelings aren't bad. They do play a part in our lives, and even in our faith. There are times in our Christian lives when we are aware of God's love for us, and feel that connection to Him. God ministers to our emotions. The Psalms testify to this. However, we know the truth because of the Bible, not because of these experiences of emotion (even if they are real, they are subjective, and not the determiner of truth). Christian teachings, whether the lyrics to our church songs, our children's Sunday school lessons, or our pastor's sermons, usually focus more on helping people come to know the truth of God's word. This song just seemed too focused on emotions. The beauty of the singing and cinematography definitely got into my emotions.
In the second verse of the song, the beautifully-dressed children sing about learning the teachings of Jesus. Of course we learn the teachings of Jesus, but as Christians, we usually hear more about learning the Bible as a whole (For I have not hesitated to proclaim to you the whole counsel of God. Acts 20:27). Also, we don't just learn Jesus' teachings--we learn to know Him personally. Just isolating Jesus' teachings without studying the rest of scripture seems more academic than truth-seeking. Again, not wrong, just a little different than what I'd expect in a Christian song.
Another line in the song that started to seem off to me was Parents and teachers will help guide the way. Again, this isn't bad or untrue. Children need the guidance of their parents and Sunday school teachers, and encouraging this is a good thing. It just seemed odd to have that in a song about knowing Jesus. Most Christian leaders I know want to teach children (and adults) to know Jesus for themselves, not remain dependent on their leaders. By itself, this line in the song wasn't wrong, it just seemed a little off. This is especially true when I consider the very next line that follows this: Lighting my path every day. Parents and teachers can enlighten children as they grow, but the Bible is clear that God's word, not people, are a Lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path. (Psalm 119:105).
After it started to seem off, I looked up the producer of this video, as well as the young girl singing (who is the daughter of the producer). They are members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, or the Mormon Church. Their beautifully-produced video seemed deeply Christian, and yet they are part of a religion whose beliefs are vastly different than biblical Christianity. By the admission of the Mormon church's website, churchofjesuschrist.org, Latter-Day Saints do not believe the Bible to be the final, infallible word of God (and if you're familiar with their history and teachings, you know they esteem other books as being higher than the Bible). They didn't say anywhere in this video that they were Mormon. It would be very easy for someone to listen to this and think it was Christian, and be drawn in. I know that a common Mormon tactic is to try to look very Christian, and even call themselves Christian. I've seen some of my Christian friends on Facebook share a Christian-sounding meme they liked, but it was actually taken from a Mormon leader or site (but my friends in those cases clearly didn't know it, but just shared the post they liked). I share this just to illustrate how easy it is to fall into this. Pew Research (which I usually consider reliable) considers Mormonism to be part of Christianity, and therefore considers Utah the most Christian state in the US, due to it's high church attendance. It is so easy to be deceived, not just by Mormonism, but many other false teachings that may look and sound very Christian! A lie is meant to look as much like the truth as possible. We need to be guarded.
As I watched that video after learning of its Mormon origins, my heart broke for everyone involved in it. They think they know Jesus. They call Him their Savior, and claim to feel His love, and yet they are deceived. The death and resurrection of the Jesus they sing about only atones for our sins after we have done all we can do (this is taken from the Mormon scripture of 2 Nephi 25:23--I am not recommending you read it, only referencing what I say so you know I am not pulling it out of thin air). This changes it to a works-based gospel, regardless of how Christian and beautiful it seems. It is my prayer that they will seek to know the biblical Jesus.
There is no finger-pointing at the judgment, saying "I was deceived!" It is our own responsibility to avoid deception. Jesus said in Matthew 24:4, Take heed that no one deceives you. It is our job to be wise, aware, and grounded in the truth. Jesus said in John 8:32, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free. Jeremiah 29:13 promises, You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart. Seek the truth, and follow it. How? Jesus said in John 14:6 that He is the truth. Knowing Jesus is the key. We come to know Him by reading what He has said about Himself in the Bible. God's word is our anchor. We need to be reading it diligently on our own. We need to meditate on it (Psalm 1:2), and hiding it in our hearts (Joshua 1:8, Psalm 119:11). We need to be studying it with other believers, being accountable to them and holding them accountable. We need to be sitting under solid Bible-teaching. We must always remember, though, that we are directly accountable to God ourselves. As Christians, we have the Holy Spirit inside of us, and He guides us into all truth (John 16:13). We should have good Christian leaders, but we are directly answerable to God, not them. They are not perfect or infallible. No leader deserves your allegiance at all cost--except Jesus Himself. We need to surround ourselves with things that enforce our faith. If something seems off, line it up with the Bible. Talk to other believers you trust and gauge their responses.
Don't be taken in by the cheap imitations. Go for the real thing!
The link to the beautiful song I mentioned (which, if you take it at face value, you can enjoy from a Christian point of view) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CDyx2kayhGQ
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