There’s no question about it, the internet has changed our lives forever. The amount of information available, the instant communication and the resources that we can find there have changed the way we live our lives and do business. It has even had an impact on how the church reaches the world.
Social media has made a huge impact too, especially on the younger generations. Since MySpace first came out in the early 2000s, social media has grown to include a number of major platforms, including Facebook, YouTube, Instagram and TikTok. Kids and teens today spend somewhere between five and seven-and-a-half hours per day on social media, interacting with their “friends” more online, than in person.
If we look back, we can see a bit of a fad growth in these online platforms. When MySpace came out, it was the only game in town, so it had a huge following. But then, when Mark Zuckerberg went commercial with Facebook, a lot of people abandoned MySpace, switching to the newer platform. In turn, Instagram has stolen a lot of traffic from Facebook. Now, it looks like TikTok, a Chinese company, is the hottest thing in social media, at least amongst the younger generation, as they migrate towards the new platform.
What is TikTok?
TikTok is the newest social media platform to gain major recognition. It is a video platform, featuring videos that range from 15 seconds up to a maximum of 1 minute, with most being in the 15 to 30 second range. Currently, 41% of TikTok’s users fall in the 16 to 21 year-old range, with a slow growth amongst older users.
The idea for TikTok came from Musical.ly, which was closed down by its owner. Part of the reason for that was problems on the platform, but the main reason was that the technology was transferred to TikTok, making the new platform possible. Accounts belonging to users of Musical.ly were automatically migrated to the new platform when it went live; giving TikTok a good head-start.
Originally, TikTok, like its namesake Misical.ly was all about music; people posting videos of themselves singing, whether original music, lip-syncing, dancing to music or whatever. But the platform isn’t limited to music and is currently being used for a wide range of other material, including Christian material. The major limiting factor for content, besides not violating their terms of use, is that videos can’t be longer than 60 seconds.
Viewers on TikTok are seeking a wide variety of different material, ranging from music, to dance, to people ranting about a wide variety of topics. As the platform grows, we can expect to see more people finding ways of making it useful, expanding the offerings currently available. That includes commercializing the platform.
There is a small, but growing, amount of Christian material on TikTok as churches seek ways of expanding their social media presence and make use of this new outlet. This material varies considerably in its quality and its adherence to biblical accuracy. Just like anywhere else, it is possible to find “preachers” who preach any viewpoint one wants, including many which are clearly contrary to that which is written in the Word of God.
Is Using TikTok a Sin?
Searching in the Bible for TikTok is not going to result in finding anything. The same can be said for any of the social media platforms. So, there is no direct prohibition to the use of TikTok or any other social media platform to be found in the Bible. If someone says there is, it might be a good idea to ask what translation of the Bible they are using.
God makes it clear that we are not to add anything to the Word of God or take anything away from it; but rather, just accept it as it is.
You shall not add to the Word which I command you, nor take from it, that you may keep the commandments of the Lord your God which I command you. – Deuteronomy 4:2
For I testify to everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: If anyone adds to these things, God will add to him the plagues that are written in this book. 19 And if anyone takes away from the words of the book of prophecy, God shall take away his part from the Book of Life, from the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book. – Revelations 22:18-19
This is not to say that TikTok is good, just because the Bible doesn’t list it as evil. TikTok is a thing, or we could say it is a tool, and as such, it doesn’t have a character or morality of its own. Rather, it is up to the people using that tool to determine whether they create good or bad content; content which glorifies God or what which glorifies sin. I’m sure that both can be found on TikTok.
An Old Question About a New Platform
Actually, this question is not a new one; but rather, one that has been raised many times. Every time there is a breakthrough in technology, there are those within the Body of Christ who question it, even calling it something of the devil. Why? Because they see the potential for sin when people misuse that technology. But then, just about anything can be turned into sin, when it is misused.
- When telephones started becoming popular, they were decried as ungodly, because they could be used for gossip. The Amish people still won’t have phones in their houses, but rather have phone booths in every neighborhood, in order to reduce the temptation to use them for gossip.
- When television came out, there were many preachers who saw the potential for sinful actions and attitudes to be spread through television, so preached against it. This allowed Hollywood to buy up all the air time, which they fill largely with programs showing people doing sinful things.
- When the internet sensation started, pastors once again preached against the new technology, not recognizing the value in using it for the gospel. This left the internet for pornography and those who use it to make a financial profit.
I’m sure there are other examples, but this is enough to show the pattern I’m referring to. Calling TikTok evil, just because it is something new that is not fully understood, isn’t biblical. Rather, it is acting in fear of what the platform can become, if it is left to those who would use it for evil purposes.
But What About Instant Gratification?
Some might say that TikTok is bad, or even evil, just because it promotes instant self-gratification. People post their videos to it, others like those videos and they feel good about it. That can become addictive, pushing the person posting the videos to produce videos that are more and more extreme. Depending on the direction they take, that could lead into posting videos showing them committing sinful acts.
That’s essentially what has happened in Hollywood. They can’t make movies and television shows that depict everyday life; nobody would watch them. Rather, they have to take things to the extreme, either to make them humorous or to shock us, in either case, it is to attract and hold our attention.
As for self-gratification itself, that speaks of the desires of the flesh, which the Bible does say a lot about, mostly warning us against it.
I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. 17 For the flesh lusts after the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish. – Galatians 5:16-17
But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed. 15 Then, when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, brings forth death. – James 1:14-15
Basically, if we are focused on self-gratification, especially instant gratification, then we are likely to be dragged into sin by our own desires; the desires of our fleshly nature. As believers in Christ, our goal should be to work ourselves further and further away from those fleshly desires, drawing closer to God.
It really boils down to our motives for using TikTok or any other social media platform. If our desire is to follow after the ways of the world, then they are dangerous. But if we can find a way to use them for godly purposes that are in agreement with the Bible’s teachings, then we can look at TikTok as just one more tool to use in our own Christian growth and spreading the Gospel message.
Watch Out for Wolves in Sheep’s Clothing
We must realize that not everything that purports to be “Christian” on social media lines up with the Bible. There are false teachers today, just as there have been since the time of the Early Church, when Paul wrote so many admonitions about watching out for them. They can sound excellent, even quote scriptures from the Bible; but that doesn’t mean that they line up with what the Bible says.
It has been said that anything can be proven with the Bible. That’s true, as long as people take things out of context and misinterpret it. We should be cautious whenever someone is coming up with a “new” interpretation of the Bible, which goes against that which we already know. That’s not to say that we should automatically assume that it is wrong; but rather, hold what they are saying up against a high standard of proof. If they cannot prove it unequivocally from the Bible, then it should likely be rejected as a false teaching.
Preachers and teachers come up with things that the Bible doesn’t clearly say all the time. Some of this is legitimate; but much is what the Bible would call, “private interpretations.” One of the easiest ways of doing this is to claim historic relevance, where there is none, saying that in the Jewish culture, what is stated in the Bible actually meant something else. What makes them an expert on that? What are their sources? Don’t be afraid to ask questions like that. If they can’t back it up, throw it out.
Much of this false teaching is aimed at changing the church to be more like the world. That should be a red flag to all of us. Any teaching that tries to say that something is okay, which the church has traditionally condemned, is probably an attempt to change the church, through trying to say that the Bible says something that it clearly does not.
Would Jesus Have Used TikTok
We already know that Jesus didn’t say anything about TikTok; mostly because it didn’t exist in the time He was walking on the earth. This leaves us having to guess, based on other things He said, as to whether or not He would have used the social platform for His ministry.
While there is content on TikTok which I am sure Jesus would have found objectionable and even offensive, that doesn’t mean that He would have called the entire platform sinful and avoided using it for that reason. Rather, I believe He would have seen it as a place full of sinners who needed to hear the Word of God. Just like he went to the home of a tax collector to eat, he would have utilized the opportunity to share His message with all who would listen on Tik Tok.
Now it happened, as Jesus sat at the table in the house (Matthew the tax collector who became one of His disciples house), that behold, many tax collectors and sinners came and sat down with Him and His disciples. 11 And when the Pharisees saw it, they said to His disciples, “Why does your Teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?” 12 When Jesus heard that, He said to them, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick.” – Matthew 9:10-12 (also Mark 2:15-22 & Luke 5:29-32)
Jesus wasn’t ignorant of the sin of those who sat at table with Him, nor did He wink at their sin. Rather, He saw the opportunity of eating with them as a way to minister the truth to them, calling them away from their sinful life. Likewise, He would have done the same on Tik Tok or any other platform that we have available to us today.
I’d go so far with this as to say that Jesus would likely have had a social media manager and possibly even an entire staff. Either that, or He would have trained some of His disciples to utilize those means of communication to reach the multitudes with His message, while preparing them to do the same once He was gone.
The mission that Jesus came to fulfill was to reconnect as many people as possible with His Father. That involved teaching them about God, demonstrating God’s power to them, and preaching a message of repentance. While ministering such things in person is always more effective; He would have recognized the value of those tools and made the best use of them possible.
Should the Church Use TikTok?
We live in a time when the world needs Jesus, at least as much as it did any other time in history. Having said that, it only makes sense for us to utilize every tool at our disposal, in order to get the gospel message out. If even one soul is won to Christ through the use of TikTok, then it is worth the effort. If even one backslider is brought back into serving Christ, that is worth the effort too.
Today’s young people are more and more connected electronically than any generation before. They don’t even communicate face-to-face with one another, let alone with anyone else. To them, communication means text messages and sound bites. If we want to get any message across to them, that’s the most effective way to do so.
With that in mind, TikTok is an almost ideal platform for reaching young people today. This will likely require learning some new ways of communicating, as the message has to be condensed into a minute or less. But a lot can be said in a minute or even 30 seconds. Just look at what the advertising industry can do in a 30-second commercial. If they can do it, we can learn to do it too.
Care must be taken when using a platform like this, because of the amount of ungodly material that is already there. We must remain aloof from that, not allowing it to affect us. When walking in the world with sinners, it is easy to step in the mud and fall into sin ourselves. Constant prayer and vigilance are necessary to protect ourselves from any traps the enemy might lay. Work together with a team, so that you can keep an eye on each other, covering each other in prayer.