Unsaved "Christian" Country Singers Blues

(11/11 update below)

There's always a problem with watching performers I know aren't saved.  I want them to be saved.  I feel bad watching them after a while.  These country singers I've been watching so much lately often sing gospel songs and hymns too, which just makes it worse.  They may have some sentimental attachment to the songs, the music is a part of American culture after all, or in some cases they may even think they believe them.  The biographies I've found don't make that clear. 

Willie Nelson sings Amazing Grace and Were You There When They Crucified My Lord? and others in that vein and there's no hint that he believes any of it, it's just music, just Americana. 

But Johnny Cash claimed to have some sort of conversion, speaks of believing, of trusting in God, of praying to God, of attributing his blessings to God.  That sounds pretty Christian, but it isn't really.  Where is Christ, where is His dying for his sins?  Where is being born again?   I would like to think he believed rightly but I don't see any evidence that he did.

Merle Haggard describes himself as a very religious man, but again there is no hint that he believes the true gospel message of salvation.  He sings one called The Family Bible which is pure American sentimentality, nothing of the true gospel in it.  Country singers often have such feelings.  But there is no sign they are saved. 

The movie Tender Mercies has the country singer marry the Christian girl and get baptized "on profession of belief in Jesus Christ" and, absurdly perhaps, it made me hope for Robert Duvall who played the part.  But there's no hint that he's a believer in any of the biographical notes I found.

You've got to recognize half your life story is sin, guys, got to see it in the light of the cross of Christ, as an offense to God He can't forgive without the sacrifice of His Son.  He has to give you the power to repent of it and receive His death for all of it.  There is no sign of any of that with these guys.

Sad.  There's something more poignant about those who THINK they are Christian than about those who don't have a clue.  Watching them sing can be painful knowing they are not saved.  Want to give them a good shake and preach the gospel to them.  It would be nice to think they might listen.  But I don't think that.  Only thing that can be done is to pray for them and it's too late for Johnny Cash anyway.

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Update:   Some of the best songs of four of the biggest country guys, Willie, Johnny, Waylon Jennings and Kris Kristofferson got played when they were all together as The Highwaymen.   They talk to "the Lord" in some of them here too, especially in a song near the end where they sing how they "know what I am" but alas, they don't know how the gospel deals with what they are, what we all are.  They don't know the gospel at all.  The song goes on about maybe making up for their sins.   No Good News there for sure.  Nothing about how HE made up for their sins and their job is to thank Him by obeying Him from now on.  How did the gospel get reduced to such empty uselessness?

But it's too late for Waylon Jennings anyway.