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Artificial Truth

I believe that it is worthwhile to remember that the fruit mankind chose in the garden was the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.  It’s what facilitated man’s moral autonomy to decide for himself what is good and what is evil, which ultimately freed him from dependency on God’s perspective.  So when well-meaning Christian folk declare that something is evil, without specific insight from the Lord, we might inadvertently be exercising this autonomy rather than reflecting the Father’s heart.  

Indeed, Peter felt as though he was being a guardian of orthodox religious practice when the Lord chastened him, “do not call anything impure that God has made clean” (Acts 10:15) and Saul was sure he was doing the Lord’s work when God knocked him to the ground and chided, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me” (Acts 9:4).  Thus, I also need to choose my words carefully, as I share a warning that I do believe comes from Him.

As technology continues to advance at a rapid rate, mankind’s confidence in itself, and in what it thinks it knows, seems to grow; as Humanism has become the prevalent ideology within western culture.  We have rationalized that our “evolution” as a society somehow exempts us from the lessons of human history, and embraced a faith in technology, which has come to embody our hope for the future.  Much like the tower of Babel (Gen.11:1-9), mankind continues to try to make its own way to heaven apart from “the Way” (John 14:6) that God ordained for us. 

Perhaps nothing reflects this pursuit more clearly than the rise and application of Artificial Intelligence (AI).  With alarming ease, AI has quickly ascended to a place of prominence within our culture and established its presence in our daily lives.  It has largely been welcomed like an old friend and has rapidly become the go to resource for information.  Many would rationalize that it is simply a tool, and there is certainly some amount of truth to that.  But like every “tool” man creates, it has the very real potential to be corrupted and even weaponized.

The “artificial” component of artificial intelligence is that it only knows what it has been told, and it only sees what it is programmed to look at.  In that regard, the output is highly susceptible to manipulation.  More importantly, for those who count themselves as spiritual beings, AI is a soulless and spiritless entity.  It has no conscience nor any spiritual discernment (1Cor.2:14).  For those who ascribe to a biblical worldview, that ought to be problematic (Gal.5:17-18).  

Some might argue that it is simply information, like a really good set of encyclopedia’s.   But I have already witnessed folks (young and old) consulting ChatGBT for relationship advice, seeking guidance on significant life decisions, attempting to arbitrate disagreements and even with regard to spiritual matters.  These “tools” have been strategically positioned to become our source for truth, and there is mounting evidence that they are being embraced as such.  

But genuine truth has a spiritual dimension that transcends information that could simply be classified as factual.  Indeed, only Christ has the words of life (John 6:68) and only He can do exceedingly, abundantly more than we could ask or imagine (Eph.3:20-12).  Paul warned against succumbing to “human wisdom” and exhorted that through the Spirit we have been given access to the “mind of Christ” (1Cor.2:6-16), just as John spoke of an anointing that is meant to teach us “all things” (1John 2:27).  Nevertheless, it will always be easier to pull up an app on our phone than to access the things of God.

Am I saying that AI is evil?  No, it really is just a tool.  Which is not to say that there aren’t forces at work behind the advancement of AI, who may well have dubious intentions.  To be sure, a tool that can be used for our benefit can also be aimed toward our destruction. 

Am I saying that using ChatGBT is immoral or unbiblical?  Not necessarily.  Within the right context, it is perfectly reasonable to take advantage of this technology (e.g. to expedite research).  

But for those born of the Spirit, these things cannot become our Source, or even a source, for truth (John 14:6).  Devoid of the Spirit, the best they can deliver is rooted in hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the elemental spiritual forces of this world rather than on Christ (Col.2:8).  They are ultimately an accumulation of the way that seems right to mankind, which amounts to foolishness to God (1Cor.1:25) and pushes us toward death (Prov.14:12).  

Just as this intelligence is classified as artificial, so too should the “truth” which is derived from it.

The pounding against the back of my eyes shakes me awake, as the grinding of dry gears drills into my head.  I feel like I’m falling backwards and instinctively, I clutch for my pillow.  After several spins around the room, I crack my eyes open to the blinding light of a new day.  My brain throbs in protest.  I feel certain that any movement will be painful, but my bladder demands a genuine response.  As I push myself off the bed, a wave of nausea rises up to meet me, and I choke back the spasm in my throat.  The thought of dying seems preferable to the concept of vomit.

As I stumble through the kitchen, I notice that my purse is spilled out on the counter, and I wonder whether I’ve been rolled again.  It’s bad enough the residue these guys leave behind, but they want to steal my money too.  I suppose I could call the law, but how would I describe him.  My mind cramps as I try to picture his face.  I have a vague recollection that he was tall, but maybe that was the guy from last Tuesday.  I think his name was Ken, or maybe Jim.  It was loud and I couldn’t quite make that out.  In a wisp of clarity, I realize that maybe I just spent all that money, so I let go of that rope.

I hold on to the wall as I make my way back down the hallway and a surge of panic courses through me as I realize that I’m not sure what day it is.  I can’t afford to lose another job.  I fumble for my phone on the bedside table, noticing that it only has 15% charge, that I have six missed calls from my mom, and that it’s Sunday.  “Thank God” slips from my lips, but then I chuckle at the irony (Alanis Morissette would be proud of me).  My hands shake as I struggle to grip the bottle of my mental health meds.  I take two, knowing that I’m in for a rough day.  I swallow them down with a gulp from a glass of some lukewarm liquid from the windowsill.  My throat once again clinches back a spasm.

As my head crashes back to the mattress, I once again wonder about last night.  I seem to remember a guy, but maybe that was last Tuesday.  As my mind reels, the smell of the sheets cast a vote, and I lose any doubt about what transpired.  Indeed, the stains on these sheets testify to all the times I’ve passed out next to someone and woke up alone.  I try to console myself that it’s better this way.  No complications.  No messy relationship drama.  But the chasm between those who are willing to come home with me, and those who are willing to stay echoes in my soul.  They act like they want me, but they never actually chose me.  Somehow that seems even more hollow than being alone.  I feel like I want to cry, but my meds are doing their blessed work, as the numbness takes hold.

For now, I just need to sleep.  Maybe later, I can grab something to eat and by tonight I should be ready to go again!  See page 405 for details.

In order to share God’s heart with people (Matt.28:19-20)

I must first have God’s heart for people


In order to have God’s heart for people (John 13:34-35)

I must be connected to God’s heart (John 15:5)

In order to stay connected to God’s heart

I must be willing to forfeit the prejudices of my own heart (Matt.16:24-26)


If I am not doing that on a daily basis,

I will simply promote the way that seems right to me (Prov.14:12)


And try to justify it with Jesus’ name (Matt.7:21-23)

We as humans seem to love to tell our story, especially when we feel as though we’ve been wronged.  Often times people will claim that they’re just venting, but there is a marked difference between “Venting” & “Replaying”. 

Venting involves releasing and relieving the pressure of a given situation.  It is part of the process of letting go of the hurt, frustration and bitterness.   If this is our intent, we will generally seek someone who will push us in a positive direction

Replaying is simply recounting the story for anyone who will listen and often entails revisiting / reliving the trauma of the experience.  In such instances, we will normally look for someone to agree with us, feel sorry for us and help us to feel justified in our anger and/or hurt.  

One pushes us to get past the difficult moment, while the other helps us to remain stuck in that moment. (Jer.17.9)

Forgotten Fruit

I believe that anyone who has raised a child would attest to the fact that babies are completely self-centered.  When they are hungry, tired, bored, cold… they will let you know with no regard for the situation or those around them.  As toddlers, they continue to want what they want, when they want it, the way they want it. 

They don’t naturally share well, they often feel as though they are being treated unfairly, and they are prone to jealousy and tantrums.  When they are hurt by a playmate, they regularly assume that it was done “on purpose” and they easily become competitive and manipulative with one another. 

I believe that much like an unfinished/untreated piece of wood, this is a picture of our unvarnished human nature.  Before we learn what is acceptable or what works or what is right, this is who we are at our core.  And without a conscious and consistent effort to grow beyond these traits, this is our default position.  I don’t sense that we need to choose these things, we simply need to let go of the proverbial rope, and this is where we’ll naturally fall back to.

In theory, we grow out of this phase as we get older, but not necessarily.  The Apostle Paul said, “When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child; but when I became a man, I put away childish things (1Cor.13:11)”.  Part of putting away childish things is the development of self-control (Gal.5:22-23).

It is a frustrating aspect of human nature that we are prone to try to control things that God has not given us authority over; while forsaking the one thing He has given us charge of.  The scripture warns that there is a way that naturally seems right to a man, but that it ultimately leads to death (Prov.14:12). 

In a culture that celebrates the idea of casting off all restraint, it is not surprising that the issue of “self-control” (Gal.5:22-23) is rarely addressed in the western church.  Yet, without it we are unlikely to walk in the fulness of the things God has called us to. 

Listed below are just some of the scriptures that require us to exercise self-control.

  • (Luke 9:23)  Deny yourself and take up your cross daily to follow Him.
  • (Luke 6:31) Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.
  • (James 1:19) Be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to become angry.
  • (Exodus 20:17) Do not covet thy neighbor’s house, wife, servants, ox or anything else.
  • (Pro.6:16-19) Don’t lie, don’t be arrogant, don’t create division.
  • (Rom.1:29) Don’t envy or gossip.
  • (Phil.2:3-4) Esteem others above yourself.
  • (Luke 6:37)  Don’t judge others.
  • (2 Cor.10:5) Take every thought captive and make it obedient to Christ.
  • (Col.2:8)  See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophies, which depend on human tradition and the elemental spiritual forces of this world rather than on Christ.
  • (Rom.12:17)  Do not repay evil for evil.
  • (Matt.6:14-15)  Forgive others
  • (Rom.12::18)  As far as it depends on you, live in peace with others.
  • (2Cor.4:18)  Don’t fix your eyes on what is seen, but on what is unseen.
  • (2Cor.9:7)  Be a cheerful giver.
  • (Matt.5:43-44)  Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you
  • (Matt.7:5)  Take the log out of your own eye before looking for the speck in your brother’s eye.
  • (Phil.4:8)  Whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable. – if anything is excellent or praiseworthy – think about such things.
  • (Heb.12:2)  Fix your eyes on Jesus
  • (John 13:34)  Love others as God loves us.
  • (John 15:4-8)  Abide in the vine
  • (1Pet.4:13)  Rejoice when you share in Christ’s sufferings.

None of these things come naturally to us and without some type of commitment to the transformation process we are unlikely to walk in any of them.  Scripture admonishes us to be partakers of the divine nature (2 Peter 1:4), but that is ultimately a choice which must be made daily.  Paul speaks of the war between the flesh and the spirit (Gal.5:17-25), and that is also a battle that we must engage in minute by minute.

We are fond of declaring ourselves as, “saved, sanctified and going to heaven” but this implies that all the work has been done, and that we are simply waiting on the bus to heaven.  But the scripture does not support this illusion.  The fall of so many gifted and called leaders within the church is evidence that we have grossly underestimated the power of our flesh and correspondingly overestimated our sense of spiritual maturity.

As with all things, Christ is our model and He demonstrated the way for us.  Here are just a few examples of His self-control:

  • Jesus got frustrated, but sinned not (Mark 8:17-21, Luke 9:41, Matt.26;36-46, Matt.16:23, Matt.17:17)
  • (Phil.2:6-11) Jesus didn’t consider equity with God to be a thing to be grasped or used to His advantage.
  • (Matt.26.53) Jesus acknowledged that He could have had His Father dispatch 12 legions of angels, but He forfeited that right in order to serve His Father’s purposes
  • (John 5:19) Jesus refused to act without the Father’s specific guidance.
  • (Heb.5:8) Jesus engaged in the process of becoming obedient through suffering
  • (Matt. 26:36-46) Jesus agonized over the crucifixion, yet surrendered His will to the Father’s
  • (Mark 14:53-65)  Before His accusers, Jesus remained silent
  • (Heb.12:2) Jesus endured the cross even though He “despised” it’s shame.

Repeatedly we see Jesus yield the natural tendencies that come with sharing in our humanity, so that He might reflect and magnify the heart of the Father.  His representation was so faithful that at the end of His ministry He was able to say, “If you’ve seen me, you’ve seen the Father (John 14:9).” And now He has placed that mantle upon our shoulders, as it is Christ in us that is the hope of His glory (Col.1:27).  If we are not willing to die, we have no claim to His resurrection power (John 12:24).

If you came upon a rotting carcass (e.g., dead, diseased, covered in flies…) on the side of the road would you put it in your pack and carry it with you, or would you leave it along the berm to decay back into the earth. This is a picture of the decision to forgive.

There is a significant difference between telling and teaching. Devoid of context and understanding, information drifts aimlessly without a pier to anchor to. We can tell our kids to clean up their room, but unless we’ve taught them what that means, we won’t likely get the results we’re looking for.

Scripture admonishes that in as much as it is up to us we should live in peace with others (Rom.12:18), but in order to do that we must overcome our natural compulsion to withhold peace in the hope of leveraging situations in our favor. Peace is held hostage when we demand the ransom of having things our way

The scripture speaks of a voice that accuses the brethren night & day (Rev.12:10) and of another that intercedes for us at God’s right hand (Rom.8:34). We must examine our thoughts & words to discern which one is having more of an influence in our lives.

As humans we seem to be drawn to the epic gesture (Luke 9:54), but for God it is often the smallest of things that matters most (Matt.25:40)