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When Testimony Becomes a Platform: Discernment in an Age of Christian Influencers
By Drew von Neida
We live in a strange moment in church history. Never has it been easier for someone to publicly declare, “I am born again,” and immediately gather an audience. Social media has turned testimonies into platforms, sanctification into content, and personal transformation into a brand. With a single post, anyone can present themselves as a voice for Christ, a guide for others, or an influencer to be followed.
But public declarations do not equal discipleship. And a viral testimony is not the same as a transformed life.
Scripture calls believers to walk with discernment, to test everything, to weigh fruit, and to avoid being tossed about by every wind of doctrine. In an age when personality often outruns character, Christians need that discernment more than ever.
The Christian Life Cannot Be Lived on Camera
Jesus warned about practicing righteousness to be seen by others. Yet for many aspiring influencers, the temptation is strong to display everything. They video document every emotion, every “God moment,” every step of their journey. Their feed becomes a curated highlight reel of spirituality.
But sanctification happens in the hidden places. In repentance, obedience, accountability, in consistent submission to Scripture, and in the quiet corrections made by older saints who walk closely with Christ. None of this plays well on camera, so it rarely makes an appearance.
A Christian who documents every step of their “growth” but has no local pastor, no godly mentors, and no church family is not modeling discipleship, they are modeling spiritual individualism.
Testimony Is Not Proof of Regeneration
Social media rewards the dramatic. Sudden lifestyle shifts, emotional highs, and powerful conversion stories attract viewers. And praise God, He truly does save in dramatic and surprising ways.
Yet the Bible never treats testimony as the measure of salvation. Jesus said the evidence of new birth is fruit, growth, perseverance, and obedience. Not likes, followers, or emotional storytelling.
The danger is simple, some people fall in love with the spotlight faster than they fall in love with Scripture. They want influence without instruction, exposure without accountability, and a platform without a pastor.
The New Believer Does Not Need an Audience, They Need a Church
When someone is genuinely born again, their first need is to be nourished by the Word, surrounded by mature saints, and taught to obey everything Christ commanded. They need shepherds, not subscribers. They need elders, not algorithms.
The New Testament pattern is clear. New converts were discipled, instructed, grounded, tested, and shaped by godly leadership before they were entrusted with teaching others. But today, many hand themselves the microphone on day one. And Christians, eager for good news and moved by emotional stories, often amplify immature voices that have not yet been tested.
Discernment Protects Both the Church and the Newly Converted
Discernment is not cynicism. It is not doubting every profession of faith or refusing to rejoice in the salvation of sinners. Discernment simply means evaluating claims by Scripture, not by excitement.
When we put immature believers on pedestals, we harm them. Many crash under the weight of expectations they were never meant to carry. Some drift. Some fall publicly. And the watching world mocks the name of Christ.
We cannot confuse spiritual infancy with spiritual influence. That is a burden the new believer is not meant to bear.
A Call to Slow Down, Listen Longer, and Watch for Fruit
Paul warned Timothy not to lay hands on anyone hastily. The same principle applies today. Do not hand out trust, endorsement, or authority too quickly. Do not let emotional testimony override biblical sobriety.
If someone is truly born again, time will reveal it. Humility will show it. Repentance will confirm it. Perseverance will prove it.
The Christian life is long, steady, and often unseen. The desire for instant visibility is rarely a sign of maturity.
Christ Is Not Seeking Influencers, He Is Making Disciples
The church does not need more spiritual celebrities. It needs faithful saints whose lives shine quietly through obedience, holiness, and perseverance. The world does not need more personalities; it needs more people who resemble Christ.
Celebrate every conversion. Praise God for every heart awakened. But do not confuse a public journey with spiritual depth, and do not trade discernment for excitement.
Guard your heart. Test everything. And remember that genuine discipleship always grows in the soil of Scripture, accountability, humility, and the local church, never in the glow of a camera lens.
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Drew is a regular writer at Servants of Grace and is a regular contributor to the Warriors of Grace podcast. He holds a Bachelor of Science in theological and biblical studies and a Master of Arts in Biblical exposition, both from Liberty University. He lives in Taylorsville, Georgia with his wife Brandy and their three children.
