A few weeks ago, Disney Celebrity Joshua Bassett made headlines after he was baptized at the nefarious hyper-charismatic Bethel Church in Redding, California.

Bassett, the 20-year-old star of Disney’s High School Musical, came out as a homosexual to his fans in a casual interview with Clevver News, subtly sharing his affection for another man, Harry Styles, and stating, “This is also my coming out video, I guess.” He later confirmed his aberrant sexual lifestyle in an interview with GQ, stating of being part of the LGBTQ+ community, “I wasn’t joking,” and “I stood behind every word that I said.”

Prior to his baptism, he was asked by a pastor at Bethel why he wanted to be baptized. He said, in front of the congregation, that he had grown up Christian but had run as far away as he could in pursuit of “truth.” He revealed that his journey had only led him to addiction, depression, suicidal ideation, eating disorders, and more. However, he went on to state that “No other teacher gave me anywhere near the peace that Jesus Christ did, and I’m here to publicly declare him as my Lord and Savior.”

Now, Bassett is making headlines again after telling a crowd of kids at the Kids’ Choice Awards acceptance speech that God loves them.

“I want to say something,” Bassett announced during his speech. “There are a lot of people here who are burdened, brokenhearted and have been beaten down by life. And I’m here to tell you, for those of you who have lost hope, there is a very real God who loves you more than you will ever possibly know, okay?”

“His promise is peace, and my testimony is my healing. Remember, forgive quickly, love freely and walk courageously. Love always wins in the end. Thank you very much. Have a great night.”

Based on his words alone, it seems he has a skewed understanding of the gospel. Is it possible that the Holy Spirit is working on Bassett? Sure, it’s possible. Yet, his public testimony does not present him as a true convert at this point. So far, Bassett has not mentioned the cross in his testimony and he does not seem to understand what Christ has done for sinners by bearing God’s wrath. Nor does Bassett appear to be bearing fruit in keeping with repentance (Matthew 3:8)—he has yet to renounce his former comments where he affirms himself as a homosexual.

Basset’s understanding of God appears to be motivated by self-interests—it appears to be motivated by his own hardships in life rather than an understanding that he is a great sinner in the eyes of a great, holy, and righteous God. So, again, is it possible that the Holy Spirit is working on Bassett? Yes, it is possible, but we should be cautious before we declare him saved. Remember Kanye West?

Only time will tell, and we should pray for him. But at this point, I see no reason to accept his testimony as genuine.

Here is Bassett’s baptism video from Bethel Church.