Jelly Roll: Christian or Not?
As I write this Brandon Lake and Jelly Roll the country artist have released their joint recording of Brandon Lake’s Hard Fought Hallelujah.
In interviews conducted with Jelly Roll in the last year, I have seen a true heart change in his life, as well as seeing him be public about it. To the point of including known christian genre and worship genre songs into his concerts. As well as hearing from his own mouth that he feels God pulling him back to a calling in ministry, and feeling like a “Gateway” to God for the unbeliever. One can ask themselves so many times “Is this real?”
Many people these days are being swooned by the new Popular Music Genre sway in the secular circuit. This “new” genre is the Worship Genre...
We see things like the big christian worship labels out now being recognized at the Grammys, CMA’s and Dove awards. They have brought the worship genre to the forefront of Popular culture to the point of a statement I read the other day of “Christian Worship Genre is 70% more popular in mainstream than it ever has been.” Such as the latest news of Brandon Lake re-releasing his popular single with the Country artist Jelly Roll. Is this good? Is this bad? Many christians wrap themselves up in chaotic mind sets of charisma or even legalistic defeatism to answer that question.
If you are one that struggles with Legalism and defeatism with this question then let’s work through it...
Jelly Roll isn’t a Christian so this is an abomination... Well to play devil’s advocate: Just because you see the way he looks and hear older songs he’s created, or even wrestle with his past life of drug abuse and all that comes with that as well as marrying a stripper(former these days) then how can he be a christian? How can he actually worship God? How can Brandon Lake tie himself to this guy? It’s just a ploy for money and a grab at a grammy for next year...
Hmm…well… What I do know as fact are these things: He went to Capitol Hill to address the real issue of Drug abuse in certain populated areas being even sometimes endorsed by local law enforcement. I know that he has fought hard for the custody of his kids to save them from a lifestyle that he himself got stuck in in his time dealing with hurts from the church. I also know that he has gone back “home” to make amends with the people he has hurt as well as making personal amends with God…Some would call that repentance. But because many of us have chosen to stay hurt by those who we allowed to offend us, we then say that his repentance isn’t genuine. However, i have to say strongly, that is not mine or anyone else’s to decide.
We are told in scripture to examine the fruit of a person and not judge the salvation of people. So if you’ve gone down that road one needs to be careful in their judgment because Scripture also says, in the same measure you judge others, by that same measure you will be judged. So, should we pull back on our legalistic reigns? Hmm maybe so. But maybe they aren’t all wet with this.
Then there is the other band wagon: “God is moving so greatly in this whole thing, I love Brandon and Jelly!! This is awesome!! God is Moving!!” Ok, again…are we fan-girling over this whole thing to the point of giving up absolutely all forms of discernment? We jump on social media and troll the people in the upper paragraph about how legalistic they are and that God is forgiveness, and this is God’s way of showing the Pop world the Love of God...
Again, Hmm, maybe you’re not all wet either because we are supposed to praise God for the things that he does and when we see in Pop culture a flip in character, we tend to get super excited and jump on a bandwagon that usually ends up fighting the opposition view like the Dems fight the Conservatives and vise versa.
Guys and Gals… All over scripture the bible talks about holding our tongue and keeping our thoughts to ourselves and God. So with that said, Examine the fruit over time, give thanks to God for these people being affected by his love, listen or do not listen to the music from Jelly and Brandon, but go to God with everything that we see and pray for the true conversions of people like Jelly. However, we must, must, must…keep our opinions and trolling to a minimum and not slice up the body just because we have differing opinions or perspectives.
Bottom line for me personally, and it’s just my opinion not gospel, God will call whoever he chooses and use the same for his Glory. Who am I ever to get in God’s way? Don't get caught up in the charisma like some did with Kanye West, but dig into these people. Jelly Roll has not been ashamed of his past, or his relationship with God. The Word of God and His purpose will never return void. Think about these things.
