In recent years, the rise of “Christian” movies has been both a blessing and a concern for the Church. While the intention behind creating faith-based films is noble, to spread the Gospel and uplift believers, the execution often misses the mark. Many of these films, rather than exalting the majesty and sovereignty of God, have fallen into the trap of humanizing God in ways that contradict His revealed nature in Scripture. Instead of proclaiming God’s holiness, His sovereignty, and His unsearchable wisdom, they often present a “user-friendly” God, one who bends to human desires, preferences, and happiness. These films become more about catering to the desires of the audience than glorifying God.
Isaiah 55:8-9 reminds us: “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the LORD. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.” Yet many Christian films seem to forget this foundational truth. They reduce God to a character whose main objective is to bring personal happiness or fulfill our ambitions, rather than emphasizing His will, which often includes suffering, sanctification, and submission. This shift from a God-centered to a man-centered focus is where many of these films fall short.
The underlying issue is that many “Christian” films are created with a self-centered theology at their core. They reflect what is popular in mainstream culture, mirroring the humanistic desire for self-fulfillment and happiness rather than the biblical truth of self-denial and submission to God’s sovereign will. Jesus said in Matthew 16:24-25, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.” However, many of these movies promote the very opposite, they glorify personal success, emotional fulfillment, and worldly happiness as the ultimate goal, subtly suggesting that God exists to grant these desires.
Such narratives distort the Gospel by making God a supporting character in the story of human ambition, rather than the Author and Finisher of our faith. This leads to a theology where man’s desires are elevated, and God’s will is diminished. Rather than preaching the necessity of repentance, faith, and submission to God’s authority, these films promote a version of Christianity that is comfortable, appealing, and, ultimately, shallow.
In many cases, false doctrines are subtly or even blatantly promoted. Films that push a prosperity gospel message, where God’s primary role is seen as the one who blesses us materially and emotionally, are particularly concerning. These films teach that faith is merely a tool to achieve personal dreams and goals, not a transformative power against sin leading to a Christ-exalting submission to God’s will. Instead their message aligns more with the flesh and what the world values rather than with the truths of Scripture and are not biblical but more heretical and pushed as “Christian film” by those who have little understanding of biblical Christianity is. They would attempt to separate Christ from the bible, from God’s word. Paul warns in 2 Timothy 4:3-4: “For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths.”
What’s eve more concerning is how these films can leave viewers with a distorted view of God, Christ and Christianity. A god who exists merely to serve human desires is not the God of the Bible. The God of the Bible is holy, sovereign, and all-powerful, and His ways are not only mysterious but infinitely greater than ours. The God we see in Scripture demands our worship not because He provides what we want, but because He is inherently worthy, and His purposes are always higher than our understanding. True biblical Christianity is a call to deny ourselves and to follow Christ, which is to follow his word, as preserved within the bible.
So, what should Christian films look like? They should point to the glory of God, reflecting His attributes, His holiness, His love, His justice, and His sovereignty. They should present the truth of the Gospel in its fullness, including both the beauty of God’s grace and the necessity of repentance and submission. They should echo the truths of Scripture, such as Romans 8:28, which tells us that “for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.” The “good” in this verse is not material success or personal happiness; it is conformity to the image of Christ (Romans 8:29).
True Christian films should be bold in declaring that God is not a means to an end but the end Himself. He is the beginning and end of all things. They should challenge viewers to forsake the world and follow Christ, even when it leads to suffering or self-denial. They should uplift the truth that God is sovereign, and His plans, though often mysterious and beyond our comprehension, are always good and righteous.
We must remember that our primary goal as Christians is not to entertain, but to exalt Christ. Any message that dethrones God by elevating human desire over divine will does a disservice to the Gospel. As Christians, we need to turn away from these Christless “Christian films,” and strive to support and create films that truly seek to proclaim the truth of God’s Word and His ways, in all their glory and in all their mystery at times so that we might honor His sovereignty and truly glorify His name above all else.
