You Must Be Born Again

Biblical Counselors have long recognized the importance of the heart, for, from a biblical perspective, the heart is the seat or control center of each person, consisting of the mind and will, not just emotion. 

The Old Testament affirms that God transforms the heart. 

And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. Eze.36:26, ESV

Heart and spirit are not two different things; they are a way of emphasizing the newness of the heart.

The New Testament affirms that God transforms the heart.

Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. ⁶ That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. ⁷ Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’ ⁸ The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.” Jn. 3:5-8, ESV

We are given a new heart when we are born again.

So, what about Kid Rock?

I watched the Turning Point presentation with the understanding that Turning Point is not the same thing as the church, but rather a coalition of people who value faith, family, and freedom. In other words, the presentation represented traditional American values, unlike a Spanish-speaking guy who sometimes wears a dress and sings songs in Spanish that are obscene.

Kid Rock was the main attraction in the alternative Super Bowl show. I was not a fan, but I was familiar with his wild-man reputation and his frequent use of F-bombs. He seemed to be the personification of sex, drugs, and rock and roll.

When he came out for Trump, I interpreted him as the rare celebrity with conservative leanings, especially when it came to love of country. But love of country does not make one a Christian anymore than a person standing in a garage makes one a car.

What surprised me was Kid Rock’s set at the Turning Point event.

His opening number appeared to feature the old wild man. I learned later that the number was his first hit. I couldn’t understand the lyrics, but I assumed they differed from the original.

Then there was a 2024 video featuring Kid Rock on the Joe Rogan Experience. Kid Rock stated that he believed Jesus is real and the Son of God. Rogan (an agnostic) replied something along the lines of “yeah, that would be something.”

What followed in the Turning Point event was a beautiful musical interlude featuring a violin and a cello. It seemed out of place, but it did serve as a break between Kid Rock’s two performances.

After the interlude, Robert Richie, Kid Rock’s real name, sang a song about loving America, loving football, and loving Jesus. His gospel presentation was very good.

I confess I was a bit skeptical because celebrity conversions often don’t seem to be what they seem. We follow Jesus, not celebrities. 

For me, it was not a question of whether God could change the heart, but whether He did. I recognized that God had changed my wretched heart, but I also recognized that time would tell whether the heart change was real.

Biblical Counseling is discipleship that targets the heart, teaching us to fight sin and to follow Jesus. It works because with a new heart, there are new desires to love God and be more like Christ. 

My prayer for Robert Richie is that he finds a solid church that teaches heart change, so that his proclaimed love for Jesus shines through.

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