Oprah Winfrey told Pastor Carl Lentz in her "Super Soul Sunday" show that she is quite amazed by the Christian transformation of international pop star Justin Bieber, who was baptised back in 2014.
Still, a lot of people doubt the veracity of Bieber's faith. Lentz then gave an account of Bieber's journey of faith. He shared that they became acquainted with one another when his friend and fellow pastor Judah Smith told him he was "working" with Bieber and hoped for them to connect.
"Through Judah, I was able to become a friend of Justin. To make a long story short, his baptism was a moment where he was going through it and he was pulling himself up," Lentz said, according to The Christian Post.
Lentz said Bieber was going through a tough time then trying to figure out who he is, the choices he's made in life, and what next steps he needs to undertake. The singer wanted a fresh start. Smith explained to Bieber that being baptised is actually "an outward sign of what's God's doing [inwardly]."
"Jesus did it, He commanded us to do it and if you're for real, we'll baptise you," Lentz recalled telling Bieber. The pastor added it was impossible not to be moved by Bieber's baptism because the moment was just so real. "That's why baptism is such a big deal because you don't fake a baptism," he said.
After his baptism, Bieber became a dedicated Christian, Lentz said. Bieber has known Jesus ever since he was a young boy, and it's all thanks to his mother. But Lentz said everybody gets to a point "where it goes from being your mama's relationship or your grandmama's religious background to yours."
For people who question Bieber's faith, Lentz has this to say: "He's serious. People say, 'What does it mean to be a serious Christian?' Look at Justin, he's a work in progress. He's never said he's perfect, he's never said he is the representation of Christianity, but I'm proud of him for admitting he's a Christian in the middle of and knowing he's going to have more problems. I love that about Justin."
