Trendy Apostasy: Marty Sampson

August 2019: It's become trendy to proclaim apostasy. 

Forty-year-old Marty Sampson has been writing, singing, and producing worship music for the last twenty years. Earlier this month he wrote an Instagram post announcing he’d lost his faith and felt wonderful about it. (source)

A few days later, he made a second announcement explaining that he hadn’t renounced his faith, but it was "on incredibly shaky ground." (source)

I pray Sampson will find the Lord, but I’d like to address some of the arguments he made in his first Instagram post to help others who may have similar questions.

I’ve interspersed my comments (in italics) with Sampson's Instagram statement. 

Sampson: Time for some real talk. I’m genuinely losing my faith, and it doesn’t bother me. Like, what bothers me now is nothing. I am so happy now, so at peace with the world. It’s crazy. This is a soapbox moment so here I go … How many preachers fall? Many. No one talks about it. 

My response: 
Perhaps Sampson's disillusionment in this area is due to the fact that Hillsong's founding pastor Brian Houston failed to report his father's sexual abuse to the police (source).

Christians who don’t practice what they preach are a serious disappointment. But the church will always have hypocrites and failures, partly because God isn’t finished with us and partly because there are false believers in our churches (Philippians 1:6; Matthew 13:24-30). 

But Sampson won't find fewer sinners and hypocrites outside Christianity.

 

Sampson: How many miracles happen. Not many. No one talks about it. 

My response:
Hillsong (where Sampson has served as a worship leader) is a "word-of-faith" church, promising healing and miracles if congregants follow certain principles. This probably contributes to Sampson's disillusionment because word-of-faith teachings don't prove true.

God's forgiveness, grace, comfort, guidance, and redemption are miracles. Sometimes God heals and performs other miracles, but we are unreasonable to demand these signs (Matthew 12:38-40).

For more on this, read these 1-minute devotions from Bible Love Notes:
Heavenly Promises versus Earthly Promises
A Message about Healing from 1 Timothy 5:23
The Power and Limit of Words
Misunderstandings about the Stripes of Christ
Does Faith Heal Us?

Sampson: Why is the Bible full of contradictions? No one talks about it. 

My response:
If Sampson feels the Bible is full of contradictions, he hasn’t studied it well and he hasn’t sought available resources from Bible scholars. This is a major problem in the church: expecting easy answers, neglecting personal Bible study, and giving up without trying. 

And who isn’t talking about it? The Bible has been challenged throughout history and it always proves itself credible. 

For more on this, read these 1-minute devotions from Bible Love Notes:
When the Bible is Tested for Accuracy
Guilty Until Proven Innocent
Unbeaten
Trust Scripture or Become Your Own God

Sampson: How can God be love yet send four billion people to a place, all ‘coz they don’t believe? No one talks about it. 

My response:
It sounds like Sampson considers unbelief insignificant. Does he think a loving God should fill heaven with people who reject Him? 

None of us deserves heaven (Romans 6:23). 

God's plans include things our finite minds cannot understand (1 Corinthians 13:12). But we can trust that His ways are perfect (Psalm 18:30).

If we read the Bible from cover to cover, we’ll be amazed at how many chances God gives men and nations before destroying them, and the same is true regarding hell. 

For more on this, read these 1-minute devotions from Bible Love Notes:
Why Would a Loving God Send Men to Hell?
Why Did God Destroy Entire Nations?
Why Universal Salvation Insults God
Why Universal Salvation Mocks Grace and Justice

Sampson: Christians can be the most judgmental people on the planet—they can also be some of the most beautiful and loving people. But it’s not for me.

My response:
I’m glad Sampson doesn’t lump all Christians into one category, and surely he knows he will find just as many judgmental people outside the church. I've dealt with a great many rude, judgmental atheists on social media.

For examples and ways to respond, read these 1-minute devotions from Bible Love Notes:
Sheeple
Dealing with Existential Angst 
Use Your Brain-Rude Atheist Arguments
Proud Fools: God Can Use Atheists to Teach Christians
Foolish Reasoning
Responding to Atheistic Arguments

Sampson: I am not in any more. I want genuine truth. Not the “I just believe it” kind of truth. 

My response:
I am reminded of Jesus standing before Pilate in John 18. Jesus explained: “The reason I was born and came into the world is to testify to the truth. Everyone on the side of truth listens to me.” And Pilate retorted: “What is truth?”

Genuine truth isn't based on feelings, opinions, or scientific theories. Truth stands in front of Sampson every time he reads Scripture. He can believe it or turn Jesus over to be crucified again (Hebrews 6:4-8).

I suppose God could have given us more proof:

He could have appeared to us in bodily form to get our attention...Oh, yes, He did that!

He could have left us a book of His words that has more validity than any other ancient document…Oh, yes, He did that!

He could have changed the hearts and lives of millions of men and women throughout history, sustaining them in hardship and bringing them peace and joy…Oh, yes He did that!

God's truth is evident to anyone who genuinely seeks it (Jeremiah 29:13; Matthew 7:8).

For more on this, read these 1-minute devotions from Bible Love Notes:
Can Your Trust in God be Tested?
Will You Wait for an Answer?
3 Questions Every Christian Must Answer

Sampson: Science keeps piercing the truth of every religion.

My response:
If you say something often enough, people begin to believe it whether it's true or not. This is one such statement, a common atheistic argument that is not based on scientific fact or scientific method.

Science never has and never will disprove Christianity. Quite the contrary. Science confirms the divine nature of God. People who reject that truth are without excuse (Romans 1:20).

For more on this, read these 1-minute devotions from Bible Love Notes:
The Bible Says they are Without Excuse
4 Proofs of God
Science Can't Deny our God-Shaped Void
Origins Matter
Intelligent Design and Unintelligent Theories

Sampson: Lots of things help people change their lives, not just one version of God. Got so much more to say, but for me, I keeping it real.[sic]

My response:
Christianity isn’t a self-help program. It’s an answer to the problem of sin, the only way we can be saved from eternal death. Anything less is like putting a band-aid on cancer.

Sampson: Unfollow if you want, I’ve never been about living my life for others.

My response:
This is an interesting statement from a man who spent the past 20 years deeply involved in worship for a God he doesn't know.

Sampson claims he wasn't trying to influence anyone with his Instagram statement (source). However, after Josh Harris' publicity a few weeks earlier, he had to know it would bring him great attention.

Fellow musician John Cooper wrote a fitting rebuke (source).  

Sampson: All I know is what’s true to me right now, and Christianity just seems to me like another religion at this point. I could go on, but I won’t. Love and forgive absolutely. Be kind absolutely. Be generous and do good to others absolutely. Some things are good no matter what you believe. Let the rain fall, the sun will come up tomorrow.

My response:
If Sampson thinks Christianity is just like any other religion, he has neither studied Christianity nor any other religion. 

Christianity is the only faith that adequately explains the cause and solution to mankind’s sin problem. Christianity is the only faith that offers forgiveness based on belief, not works.

If Sampson continues to judge Christianity by fallen pastors, difficult questions, personal feelings, and popular opinions, he'll arrive at the same conclusions as Josh Harris. 

If he judges Christianity by the person of Christ and the teachings of Scripture, he'll know the true meaning of love, faith, and truth.

For more on this, read these 1-minute devotions from Bible Love Notes:
5 Theories of Life After Death
Can all Religions "Coexist"?  
Is Jesus the Only Way?
and one of my 4-minute posts:
Are There Many Ways to Heaven?  


This is one of my longer articles. Typically, I write 1-minute devotions.

If you would like to read 1-minute devotions that challenge, encourage, instruct, and inspire you in your faith, please sign  up for a free subscription to Bible Love Notes. Act now and receive a free e-booklet that will help you add joy and depth to your Quiet Time. Find out more HERE.

Bible Love Notes