But now you must put them all away: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and obscene talk from your mouth. - Colossians 3: 8 (ESV)
Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear. - Ephesians 4: 29 (ESV)
Let there be no filthiness nor foolish talk nor crude joking, which are out of place, but instead let there be thanksgiving. - Ephesians 5: 4 (ESV)
I had heard of Andy Mineo through all of the Christian youth who follow him. A Christian hip hop artist, Mineo has long captivated the youth in church and this week touched off a firestorm on social media with tweets that indicate that he either does not read his Bible or he simply does not believe it. The problem goes deeper than that however as it reveals that like the former Christian artists Jahaziel and Kirk Franklin before him, Mineo may actually just be another casualty of the Seeker-Friendly, purpose driven church model.
The abuses within this system have been long documented and well chronicled. Rick Warren's vision of growing church buildings has always been at the expense of not growing the actual kingdom of God. When you remove talk about sin and repentance and combine that with a quick and dirty faux sinner's prayer theology the end result can be easily predicted. False conversions. You cannot be converted without regeneration. You cannot be regenerated by a false Christ. It really is that simple beloved. But the churches across this land tell people every Sunday that they are now part of the family of God without having to trade in their carnal thinking. Please understand that I am not speaking about perfection but rather how we view life, this world, and the Savior we profess. If Jesus is your favorite philosopher then you are not saved. If He is your buddy, friend or wingman, you are not saved. Think about this seriously beloved. If Jesus is not Lord over your life then you remain lord over it. It is not a matter of legalistic dos and don'ts that have to be met either. Jesus always forgives a penitent heart. The issue is found in how we view those sins. Mineo tries to dismiss any rational biblical criticisms or guidance by proclaiming those people must live in a Christian bubble and are not ready for uncomfortable conversations, a direct reference to one of his songs. The reality is it is Mineo who is not ready for an uncomfortable biblical conversation regarding the fact that he may have believed in vain.
Let me preface this entire conversation with an admission of guilt. I can use profanity from time to time. If I get caught up in the heat of the moment. If I get caught unsuspecting. If I am simply not being careful or cautious not to. This is not about being a perfect Christian. The difference is when I do let one slip, the Holy Spirit immediately reminds me that the Bible has specifically admonished such language. No matter how Mineo tries to pretend otherwise, the Bible is filled with instruction on this matter and there is no doubt if you are being biblically accurate and intellectually honest. The three key verses are only a mere sampling. As we walk through the various tweets from Mineo we will see the cancerous effect of the seeker friendly model.
If I say "GREAT F#%*ING JOB!" Out of joyful heart bc my boy graduated or if I say "good job" w a jealous/hateful heart-which is pure b4 God? - Andy Mineo
The false logic used by Mineo here highlights his dishonesty. The answer to his question is neither of these presented options are pure before God. You should not have jealousy or hate in your heart and yet you also should not dropping the f-bomb to your children. The choice is asinine and ludicrous. But note what Mineo is trying to do here. He is trying to rationalize his use of profanity. We do this all the time with our sin. We try to find biblical loopholes and make arguments that are logical fallacies. In response to one person's critique, Mineo tweeted this gem:
your idea of Christianity is black and white. One day you'll understand there is grey & it's ok. - Andy Mineo
At this point I start to worry about Mr. Mineo's salvation. This is the very basic understandings of Christianity. The Bible is black and white. There are no grey areas. In fact, it is the world that is constantly trying to insert shades of grey into the Bible so the whole thing can be dismissed out of hand. Maybe the Biblical account of creation was not literal. Perhaps historical narrative was really metaphorical. Jesus never directly spoke about this or that so therefore it must be OK. These are all tricks designed to cast doubt on the inerrancy of Scripture. Once you go down that road the whole Bible can be dismissed. There is grey beloved but it is from the world. But Mineo was far from done:
Sad that so many Christians criticize other ppl on their faith journey. We don't leave space 4 them 2 b journeying. They're either IN or OUT - Andy Mineo
Now we start to see the seeker-friendly, purpose driven teachings come out. This silly notion that faith is a journey. That everyone needs to experience their own voyage with Jesus. There is no space for the journey because the journey is the same. We are either following Christ or we are not. We are either gathering people to Him or scattering them away from Him. Our name is either written in the Lamb's Book of Life or it is not. We will either hear "well done my good and faithful servant" or we will hear "I never knew you." This is what I like to call "The Price is Right Theology." The problem for Andy Mineo and the charlatans he has learned from is there is no curtain number three. There is only the broad path that leads to destruction or the narrow way that leads to life. The journey is towards Christ likeness. But when you have been taught that your experience matters you end up like Jahaziel. Twenty years in the church and he doesn't even know Jesus. Or like Kirk Franklin apologizing for Christianity while collaborating with Kanye West who has openly called himself God. When the final day comes and we all stand before Christ there will be only two choices beloved. You will either be in or you will be out. I didn't say this, God did.
I feel bad for Andy Mineo because someone who has spent as much time as he has in Christian circles and churches should at least know Jesus by now. He should at least understand the basics of the faith and His Word. He should know that there are no shades of grey. He should know that there is no journey other than towards Jesus Himself. He should know that we ought not to be found cursing. Does that mean Christians do not use profanity? Of course not. We are all in flesh and imperfect. But we should not be engaged in trying to defend the indefensible. This is like someone caught in adultery claiming that because King Solomon had 700 wives and 300 concubines, hey what's the big deal?
But Andy Mineo is a victim beloved. He was sold a false Christ and a false brand of Christianity. The same as Jahaziel and Kirk Franklin. A brand that may work well for growing a church building but ruins the kingdom of God for people. A brand that may sell many albums but one where you actually think that it is more important for people to hear your pontifications about the righteousness of saying f*** to your kids rather than hearing what sayeth the Lord. Andy Mineo is not daring for starting this nonsense. He is foolish. It is not brave to spit on Scripture because you fancy yourself relevant, hip or even a superstar. It is stupid. Christian youth everywhere need to pay serious attention to this because it is no small matter. They ought to pray for Andy Mineo that he comes to penitent faith in Jesus Christ so that the Holy Spirit can lead him into all truth. Until then however, they should disconnect from him.
Rev. Anthony.
