The Passion of the Christ star Jim Caviezel chooses to act in films that will “bring the most souls to Christ,” he said in a recent interview.

During his role as Jesus in the film The Passion, Caviezel had an encounter with God, Who gave him a message. “When [God] came close to me in The Passion when I was on that cross, [He said], ‘They don’t love me. There are very few,'” Caviezel told The Christian Post. “I was like, ‘Well, I’m going to love You, and I’m going to tell You that I love You.’ Tell it publicly, I don’t care. I’m less afraid of ISIS than I am the media.”

God could force himself on people to love Him but that wouldn’t be love, Caviezel explained. “I’m so blessed because I get to convey those stories, but do it in a way … that I know can bring the most souls back to Him, even those that don’t believe.”

Caviezel now plays Luke in the recently released film Paul, Apostle of Christ. “I was honored to play the part of Jesus in the 2004 film The Passion of the Christ,” wrote Caviezel in an article. “Returning to a religious film with Paul, Apostle of Christ has helped me focus once again on the miracle of the Resurrection and the incredible impact Christianity has had on the world and on the lives of untold numbers of believers these past 2,000 years.”

He prayed before he began filming. “Lord, I don’t want the world to see me, I want them to see You. You gotta get closer to me.” Caviezel added, “It’s really like a conversation just like that, and I pray from the heart. Christ is the most authentic thing that ever was and the people that really affected my life were those that I played on screen, and Jesus.”

Caviezel will reprise his role as Jesus in the upcoming sequel to The Passion. The sequel will focus on the Resurrection of Jesus. 

Paul, The Apostle of Christ also stars James Faulkner as Apostle Paul, Olivier Martinez, Joanne Whalley and John Lynch.