Justin Bieber’s Views and Faith in Christianity

Justin Bieber’s public faith is centered on his belief in Jesus Christ, his need for God, and the idea that Christianity is more than attending church. He has spoken openly about prayer, repentance, healing, forgiveness, redemption, and finding an identity beyond fame and the music industry.

Although his Christian journey has developed through different stages and has included doubts, criticism of Christians, and changing relationships with churches and pastors, Bieber continues to describe Jesus as the source of his healing and restoration. His faith has also been an important part of his marriage to Hailey Bieber and their shared life within a church community.

Justin Bieber’s public Christian journey

Seemingly, Bieber’s pursuit of the Christian faith publicly began in 2014 when he was baptised by Carl Lentz. Justin was baptised by renowned (if now controversial) pastor Carl Lentz back in 2014.

With previous connections to former Hillsong pastor Carl Lentz to even singing songs with gospel artist Chandler Moore, the 31-year-old is clearly on a Jesus journey that he wants the world to know about. Though his public journey hasn’t been straight, like anyone, over a period of time he seems to be using his platform to document his journey and tell others about the work God is doing in him.

Carl Lentz, who baptised Justin and was pastor of Hillsong Church New York until 2020, commented that “his mom did a great job doing her best to plant the right seeds. But you can get to a point as a man where it goes from being your mama’s relationship…to yours.”

Although raised as Christians, both celebrities struggled with their relationship with God during their teenage years. Bieber’s early fame also shaped the way he understood himself, his work, and his relationship with God.

His belief that everyone needs God

In a recent interview with Complex magazine, Canadian pop singer Justin Bieber shared some of his thoughts on God, Christians, and going to church. In the interview, Bieber begins by acknowledging the need for God, saying “If we can understand that we’re all imperfect, let’s come to God and come for his help. You’re not weak by doing that.”

His statement presents dependence on God not as weakness, but as an honest response to human imperfection. Bieber’s view is that people should recognize their limitations and turn to God for help rather than treating faith as something shameful.

In 2022, Justin was diagnosed with Ramsay Hunt syndrome - a rare condition that can cause facial paralysis. Taking to Instagram, the singer made a public request to his fans to “keep me in your prayers”, going on to say: “Jesus continues to remind me that he is with me in the midst of the storm.”

This statement shows how Bieber connects faith with personal suffering. Prayer, in his understanding, is not merely a public religious practice but a way of seeking support while facing fear, illness, and uncertainty.

His criticism of Christians and church culture

While Bieber has spoken positively about God, he has also expressed discomfort with Christians and some aspects of church culture. Bieber goes on to make a generic statement about Christians, “Christians leave such a bad taste in people’s mouths, even myself. I was like, I’m not gonna go to church.”

He then addresses church: “It doesn’t make you a Christian just by going to church. I think that going to church is fellowship, it’s relationship, it’s what we’re here on the earth to do, to have this connection that you feel there’s no insecurities. I think that’s where we need to be. Like I said, you don’t need to go to church to be a Christian. If you go to Taco Bell, that doesn’t make you a taco.”

For Bieber, church attendance by itself does not define a Christian. He distinguishes between physically entering a church building and having a genuine relationship with God.

At the same time, his comments do not present fellowship as meaningless. He describes church as a place of relationship, connection, encouragement, and freedom from insecurity, even while arguing that attendance alone cannot create Christian faith.

The first point I think Bieber brings to light is that many people have had experiences that leave them feeling like Christians are hypocrites. Perhaps they have been burned by a judgemental person in the name of Jesus. Or maybe they visited a church that was particularly unwelcoming.

His criticism therefore reflects a tension between faith in Jesus and disappointment with the behaviour of some Christians. Bieber appreciates the need for God while questioning whether Christian communities always represent that faith well.

Church as fellowship and spiritual community

Secondly, I think Bieber reveals an underlying belief that the church is disposable. As long as we have relationships and connections, we don't need church. Perhaps church is an insitution that just complicates things.

Yet Bieber also describes church as fellowship and relationship. His comments leave open a distinction between rejecting an institution that feels unhelpful and valuing a community of believers who come together for mutual support.

His remarks prompted important questions about how Christians can respond to public criticism. Some of the questions that this interview leaves me with include: How do we work towards removing the cultural stigma attached to the word "Christian"? How do we show the value of the church-of committed believers regulary coming together to offer encouragement and collective spiritual growth? How would Jesus respond to Bieber's sentiments?

Faith, marriage, and Hailey Bieber

The couple’s Christian faith has long been in the public eye. Hailey has made no secret of being raised in a Christian home and her actor father is outspoken about being a born again Christian.

Indeed, after a period of separation from one another (what Hollywood romance is without its breakups?) Hailey and Justin rekindled the flames of their relationship after bumping into one another at a church conference in Miami in 2018.

The couple married in 2018. Their relationship has frequently been discussed in connection with shared Christian beliefs, prayer, church involvement, and their understanding of marriage.

Choosing celibacy before marriage

Justin and Hailey’s faith gained further media attention when it was reported that they were waiting until they were married to have sex with one another. Starkly counter-cultural for typical Hollywood stars, their commitment to living out a chaste relationship got tongues wagging.

Justin opened up to fans on Facebook Live about his life choices and regrets, candidly telling them: “If I could go back…I probably would’ve saved myself for marriage.”

Speaking of his decision to practise celibacy before getting hitched to Hailey, Justin added: “I wanted to rededicate myself to God in that way because I really felt it was better for the condition of my soul.”

His explanation connects sexual boundaries with spiritual renewal. Bieber presented the decision not simply as a relationship rule, but as part of his desire to rededicate himself to God and make choices that he believed were better for his soul.

Shared faith as the foundation of their relationship

Their Christian faith has been a key feature of their marriage. In an interview with Elle magazine, Hailey spoke of their shared faith, saying: “Being able to share that with each other-to have that bond of faith and spirituality-is so [critical] for us. It’s the most important part of our relationship, following Jesus together, being a part of the church community together. It’s everything.”

Hailey credited her faith with helping her and her husband navigate a “tough” first year of marriage. Their faith has therefore been presented as both a shared belief and a practical source of support during difficult periods.

Similarly, Hailey told Elle that, as she got older, it became ”harder to follow church and the Bible because it felt very adult. I don’t want to sound wrong, but it was boring.” It was only after attending Hillsong Church in New York City that Hailey began to develop her own relationship with God separate from that of her parents.

Her experience illustrates the movement from inherited belief to personal faith. Although she was raised in a Christian home, she described developing her own relationship with God only later, after struggling with the way church and the Bible felt during her teenage years.

Prayer during health challenges

Stephen Baldwin made headlines last week when he asked for prayers for his daughter, Hailey and her husband, Justin Bieber. Last week, actor Stephen Baldwin, father of Hailey Bieber, made headlines when he shared a (now deleted) Instagram reel that asked for prayers for his daughter and her husband.

The reel originated from Victor Marx, the founder of All Things Possible Ministries, and asked “Christians, please when you think of Justin and Hailey, take a moment to offer a little prayer for them to have wisdom, protection and to draw close to the Lord.”

This understandably prompted concern, especially as it comes after a couple of years of health challenges for the pair. In 2022, Justin was diagnosed with Ramsay Hunt syndrome - a rare condition that can cause facial paralysis.

That same year, Hailey was hospitalised with a blood clot on the brain. The couple were photographed headed to church together two days later.

It is not known why Stephen Baldwin asked for prayers for his daughter and son-in-law specifically. However, prayer has long been part of the way the family publicly discusses faith, protection, wisdom, and spiritual strength.

Jesus, healing, and restoration

Justin Bieber is reflecting on his faith in Jesus this holiday season. The singer took to Instagram ahead of Christmas, reflecting on how lost he once felt in the music industry while navigating fame.

“Christmas time is that time to reflect and ask yourself what you really want. What truly fulfills?” the 31-year-old captioned one of the posts.

In a note shared with his 292 million followers, Bieber described growing up in “a system that rewarded my gift but didn’t always protect my soul.” “There were moments I felt used, rushed, shaped into something I didn’t fully choose,” the star admitted.

“That kind of pressure leaves wounds you don’t see on stage. “I’ve carried anger,” wrote Bieber. “I’ve asked God why. But Jesus keeps meeting me in the middle of the pain - not excusing what hurt me but teaching me how not to become bitter.”

These reflections connect Bieber’s faith with the emotional consequences of childhood fame. He describes a conflict between receiving recognition for his talent and feeling that the system around him did not adequately protect his wellbeing.

The singer’s breakthrough came with his 2009 EP “My World.” He was 15 years old. He rose to superstardom in 2010.

“I’ve been through pain that shaped me before I had the words to name it,” Bieber wrote. “I was in a system that took more than it protected. But I’m not speaking as someone still broken - I’m speaking as someone Jesus has already healed.”

“What happened to me was real,” he explained. “But it doesn’t get the final word. Jesus didn’t just help me cope - He restored my identity. I’m not a product. I’m not what the industry demanded. I’m a son.”

In these statements, Bieber describes salvation and healing through the language of identity. He does not define himself primarily as a celebrity, a product, or a person shaped by the demands of the entertainment industry. Instead, he describes himself as a son whose identity has been restored by Jesus.

Forgiveness without excusing injustice

Because I’m healed, I can forgive - not to excuse injustice, but to make sure it doesn’t keep reproducing itself through me. Justin Bieber’s understanding of forgiveness does not require him to deny that harm occurred.

“Because I’m healed, I can forgive,” he wrote. “Not to pretend injustice didn’t happen, but so it doesn’t keep living through me. I don’t want revenge. I want redemption.”

He coupled this with the Bible verse “Luke 23:34” which reads: “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing”. Another quote from the post reads: “Because I am healed, I can forgive. Not to pretend injustice didn’t happen, but so it doesn’t keep living in me”.

He paired this with the scripture Romans 12:21 which reads: “Do not overcome evil, but overcome evil with good.”

These biblical references reinforce Bieber’s emphasis on forgiveness, redemption, and overcoming harm without reproducing it. His stated goal is not revenge but transformation.

Changing the music industry

“I don’t want to burn the music industry down,” he stressed. “I want to see it made new - safer, more honest, more human.”

“Jesus didn’t just heal me for myself,” Bieber wrote on social media. “He healed me so I could help change what once hurt me. I didn’t come out of this untouched. I grew up inside a system that took more than it guarded. The pain was real - but it doesn’t define me anymore. Jesus does.”

“I’m not speaking as a victim still bleeding - I’m speaking as someone restored.” His words present personal healing as something that should lead to responsibility toward others, rather than remaining only a private experience.

Justin Bieber has previously spoken about how the music industry has shaped his identity, as he became a success as a teenager. He said the music industry: “didn’t always protect my soul”.

His recent Instagram posts will have fans wondering what plans he has to help change the music industry. The post was met with welcoming arms as comments ranged from; “so proud of you for wanting to rebuild an industry that’s been broken and let you and countless others down many times. It’s time for change” to “Love you so much. You’re amazing and inspirational. Speak your truth, it’s helping so many others”.

Identity in Christ

In the “Baby” singer’s Instagram post, he touches directly on his identity in Christ, stating: “Jesus didn’t just help me cope - he restored my identity. I’m not a product. I’m not what the industry demanded. I’m a son.”

This scripture was paired with 2 Corinthians 5:17 which speaks about becoming a new creation in Christ.

For Bieber, Christian faith is therefore closely connected to a new understanding of self. His past remains real, but it is not presented as the final authority over his life.

In todays cancel culture, Bieber’s message comes at a particularly timely moment, especially with many of his audience being Gen Z/ Millennials. It highlights that regardless of someone’s past, Jesus offers hope for redemption and therefore we cannot have eternal despair as Christians.

Faith and the question of public accountability

The dark side of the music industry has been exposed in 2025 particularly with P. Diddy’s conviction. He was a mentor figure to Justin Bieber at one point early in his career through his relationship with Usher.

Bieber’s representative released a statement via his sharing that while he is aware of the allegations against Diddy, he was not among the record producer’s victims, emphasising the validity of victims’ experience.

These circumstances have made Bieber’s comments about protection, harm, forgiveness, and reform especially significant. His public faith does not focus only on personal comfort; it also includes the desire to see harmful systems made safer, more honest, and more human.

Faith as an ongoing journey

But just because the Biebers have made the decision to follow Jesus for themselves, it does not mean that their parents’ prayers are not needed. Their faith has seen them through rough patches before.

If they’re navigating another turbulent time, we know that, by turning to Jesus, they will pull through stronger once again. The couple’s public statements and actions portray faith as an ongoing process rather than a finished achievement.

As we grab hold of 2026, Justin Bieber’s message is one to cling onto. No matter how 2025 went for you, 2026 is a new season and opportunity to allow God to do a new thing.

As Isaiah 43:19: says: “See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland.”

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