Pop singer Justin Bieber is once again using his massive social media platform to proclaim his faith in Jesus Christ.
On Instagram, the 23-year-old "I'm the One" singer simply posted a screenshot of the words: "I follow Jesus" to his 86.8 million followers. The post, published Tuesday afternoon, has already garnered over 1.3 million "likes", with many commenting words of encouragement and prayers for the young star.
"Amen! You have decided to follow Jesus, and no turning back," wrote one commenter.
"Can't believe there are still artists like you who have faith in Him! and because of that, I adore you," wrote another.
This is not the first time Bieber has used social media to proclaim his faith; earlier this month, he shared a photo from his troubled past and openly thanked God for bringing him out of the darkness.
"LOVE THIS because it reminds me I'M NOT EXACTLY WHERE I WANT TO BE BUT THANK GOD I'M NOT WHERE I USED TO BE! THE BEST IS YET TO COME DO YOU BELIEVE IT?" Bieber wrote on his Instagram page with a side by side photo of his 2014 mugshot and a photo of him now.
Bieber's past is anything but spotless: In 2014, he was arrested following a drag racing incident, and in 2015, he was found guilty of assault and reckless driving after his vehicle collided with a minivan in Canada. He was also placed on probation for two years following a plea deal for vandalizing his neighbor's home with eggs.
In the midst of his public downward spiral, Bieber turned to Jesus for help, and was baptized by Hillsong NYC pastor Carl Lentz several years ago. Since then, the singer - who is currently on his Purpose Tour in South Africa - has spoken publicly about his faith on a number of occasions.
Earlier this month, the singer promoted his Christian faith while performing in Sydney, according to the Daily Mail, emerging onto the stage in a transparent box displaying the hand-written words: "Mark my words Jesus loves you!!!!"
Bieber, who recently made history as the first artist to ever earn new Billboard No. 1 singles in back-to-back weeks, recently told Complex: "I just wanna honestly live like Jesus. Not be Jesus - I could never - I don't want that to come across weird. He created a pretty awesome template of how to love people and how to be gracious and kind. If you believe it, he died for our sins.
"Sometimes when I don't feel like doing something, but I know it's right, I remember, I'm pretty sure Jesus didn't feel like going to the cross and dying so that we don't have to feel what we should have to feel. What Jesus did when he came to the cross was basically say, 'You don't have to feel any of that stuff.'
"We could take out all of our insecurities, we could take away all of the hurt, all the pain, all the fear, all the trauma. That doesn't need to be there. So all this healing that you're trying to do, it's unnecessary. We have the greatest healer of all and his name is Jesus Christ. And he really heals. This is it. It's time that we all share our voice. Whatever you believe. Share it. I'm at a point where I'm not going to hold this in."
