9 Things on Which Justin Bieber and Jesus Agree

Justin Bieber’s comeback has been unique; perhaps most famously for his inclusion of his faith as a now-guiding principle in his public appearances and songs. After falling from his sweet innocence into public shame the past couple years, this turn is somewhat surprising. Nonetheless, Justin is a self-proclaimed Christian saying, “I just wanna honestly live like Jesus.” So, without out further ado, here are some nuggets from Purpose that track his progress:

1.     Humanity

“’Cause life’s not easy, I’m not made out of steel/Don’t forget that I’m human, don’t forget that I’m real” -“I’ll Show You”

“I quickly found out that, I wasn’t going to get the recognition that I wanted or that I needed/Because, because people aren’t perfect/And, by not being perfect you, you sometimes can disappoint people” -“Purpose”

2.     Forgiveness:

“’Cause I just need one more shot at forgiveness/I know you know that I made those mistakes maybe once or twice/By once or twice I mean maybe a couple a hundred times” -“Sorry”

“Talking to my conscience/I made a few mistakes/I did it to myself/I’m the only one to blame” -“No Pressure”

“Ask you to forgive me for my sins, oh would you please?”-“Purpose”

Some have called this album one massive apology, and they’re not wrong. But Justin’s repeated plea for forgiveness matches perfectly with Jesus repeated offer of it. He declared that people were forgiven a whole lot.

3.     Women

“It ain’t the same when I’m without you, boo/Been around a million stars/None of ’em shine brighter than you/The sky be so dark now without you” -“No Sense”

In Genesis, God says it was not good for man to be alone, so He gave Adam a female companion. Justin knows that his girl makes the world a better place.

4.     Truth

“Trying to find the truth/Sometimes the heart is deceiving” -“The Feeling”

“The truth don’t make us relevant” -“We Are”

The disciples said to Jesus, “You do not show partiality but teach the way of God in accordance with the truth” (Lk 20:21).  Justin knows his heart gets binded by the world, and that sometimes his romantic side gets the best of him.

5.     Judgment

“People make mistakes/Only God can judge me” -“Life is Worth Living”

Jesus said of the sinful woman, “Let any one of you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her” (John 8:7).  He basically said the same to Justin, and Justin knows it.

6.     Prayer  

“I gave you attention when nobody else was payin’/ And I was on my knees when nobody else was prayin’, oh Lord” -“Where Are U Now”

Jesus set the bar high for being on His knees when nobody was praying in Gethsemane, when all His friends were anticipating His death. But Justin’s is valiantly trying to echo this when he faces troubles of his own.

7.     Commitment

“Do you believe enough to die for it?” -“Children”

“Don’t do nothin’ ‘less your heart’s in it/Heart’s in it, heart’s in it” -“All In It”

Jesus’ cause was sacrificial love for the world. He clearly acted from the heart, and was literally willing to die for that cause. Regardless of what Justin’s cause is, he picked up on the importance of commitment like that.

8. Future

“He gave you direction/Showed you how to read a map/With a long journey ahead/Said it ain’t over/Oh, even in the midst of doubt/Life is worth living” -“Life is Worth Living”

Jesus talked about God’s will a lot, especially to his disciples. Though sometimes they doubted its goodness, they never ceased to follow him. Justin, like the disciples, knows he’s being called to something good, even when the going gets tough.

9.Relationship with God

“I put my heart into your hands/Here’s my soul to keep/I let you in with all that I can/You’re not hard to reach/And you bless me with the best gift/That I’ve ever known/You give me purpose” -“Purpose”

“And with God, it’s like he’s perfect and he never disappoints, so I just get my recognition from him, and give him recognition” -“All In It”

Jesus said the most important commandment was to “love the Lord your God with all your heart” (Mk. 12:30). This album is in many ways, Justin’s explicit attempt to let the world know he does just that. Justin loves God, and God gives him Purpose.