Having spent the last couple of years courting controversies such as being arrested for driving under the influence of alcohol, charged with vandalism, and trying to take a pet monkey into Germany illegally, Justin Bieber says he's ready to move forward with his life, and wants to speak out about his faith in God.
"At this point, my faith has gotten me to where I am. My faith has brought me to a whole other level. I love talking about my faith," he told Complex in a lengthy interview.
"I'm not religious. I, personally, love Jesus and that was my salvation. I want to share what I'm going through and what I'm feeling and I think it shouldn't be ostracised. I think that everybody should get their chance to share what they're doing or where their journey is headed...I actually feel better and more free now that I know what I can do and what I can't do. My voice, I'm not gonna let it not be heard anymore. I'm gonna use my voice for a reason."
Bieber says he doesn't want to push his faith on anyone, but "I just wanna honestly live like Jesus...He created a pretty awesome template of how to love people and how to be gracious and kind. If you believe it, he died for our sins."
"We have the greatest healer of all and his name is Jesus Christ. And he really heals. This is it," he added. "It's time that we all share our voice. Whatever you believe. Share it. I'm at a point where I'm not going to hold this in."
Having faith in God is a "personal relationship," Bieber said, and church is a place where people can find fellowship with one another. "It's what we're here on the earth to do, to have this connection that you feel there's no insecurities. It think that's where we need to be."
However, "It doesn't make you a Christians just by going to church," he said. "If you go to Taco Bell, that doesn't make you a taco."
Bieber enjoys a close relationship with Hillsong NYC pastor Carl Lentz, as well as lead pastor of Seattle's The City Church, Judah Smith, who apparently texts the pop star Bible verses each day. He was baptised in a bathtub by Lentz last year, and attended Hillsong's annual conference in Sydney in June.
He says he's now learned to rely on God rather than other people. "Love is a choice. Love is not a feeling...I can't lean on people. I got to lean on God. I gotta trust in him through all my situations. Then, hopefully, my other relationships will flourish around me."
Looking to his future, the singer said he feels invincible, because "nothing is bigger than God."
"If God's for me, who can be against me?" he said. "That's helped me in a lot of situations where I feel judged. It gives you confidence and you can carry yourself in a cool way, but it's not cocky. It's a confidence that's a godly confidence."
