A few months ago, Marty Sampson, who has written several popular praise songs while part of Hillsong Church, wrote on Instagram that he was “leaving” Christianity. I may discuss his reasons later; what I’ll focus on here is his songs. Can we still sing them? It’s not a question that is unique to Sampson; Horatio Spafford famously wrote the hymn “It is Well With My Soul” after losing four daughters in a ship accident. Unfortunately, he eventually started what seems to be a cult and preach heresy. So the question can be stated a bit more broadly: Can Christians use songs written by apostates or heretics?
My short answer is yes: What makes a song biblical is not so much the writer but the text itself. It is the message that takes precedence, and even people who are very wrong in many areas can get things right. On the flipside, it is worth pointing out that there may be genuine Christians who make mistakes on song lyrics, making them dubious things to use.
Paul in Philippians 1:15-18 notes that there are envious preachers teaching with bad motives, but he rejoices anyway because the gospel is being preached. Paul’s point is this: What ultimately matters is the message. Of course, it is far more preferable that the person sharing the message also embodies it, which is why the Bible also teaches that we should have good character. Nevertheless, what ultimately matters is God’s truth and not who the speaker or writer is.
Thus, while it is not ideal for people who do not exemplify strong faith to convey the message, that does not mean that the truth itself changes. Episodes like this remind us that our final allegiance and trust should be on Christ alone and his Gospel, not mere human leaders who will fail.
As I look at Sampson’s song list, I see songs that don’t have anything wrong with them lyrically. There are a few that are pretty Gospel-focused, like Sampson’s “O Praise the Name.” Even if you believe that Sampson was never a Christian, he at least grasped some basic doctrinal points and was able to craft songs around them.
It is sad what happened to Sampson, and I hope and pray that he finds some good Christian resources, reads his Bible, and finds his way back. Regardless, if a song that he has written is theologically sound, I don’t think we should guilt-trip Christians who use it. It is very possible that the song still teaches something true, even if the songwriter has fallen way short. It is a reminder that at the end of the day, it is the message that matters, and it is Christ alone on whom we should put our allegiance. -EM Pastor Isak Lee
One Light Church 