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.
Bjcorbin's Blog 
Neglecting Our Salvation
September 15, 2026 by bjcorbin
There is an increasingly popular brand of theology that centers on the idea that God has done 100% of the work for our salvation and thus we have no part to play. It comes cloaked in a reverence for the awesomeness of God’s provision yet subversively relieves us of any responsibility in terms of how we respond to that gift. It essentially argues that God’s grace is so great that it covers us regardless of how we choose to live.
These doctrines hang on passages like, “For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no man may boast (Eph.2:8-9)” or “If you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved (Rom.10:9).”
Jonathan Edwards famously said, “You contribute nothing to your salvation except the sin that made it necessary.”
John Calvin went so far as to say that God chooses who will go to heaven, that we have no ability to choose God if He doesn’t choose us, and that we have no ability to resist Him if He does. Again, this theology relieves the beneficiaries of all responsibility (while leaving the unchosen completely without hope and making the Great Commission pointless).
While the originators of such theologies may not have intended for these ideas to lead people away from the narrow path, they breed complacency in our relationship with God and apathy in our relationship to our neighbors. The appeal of these paradigms lies in the concept that nothing is really required of us and that no matter what we do, we cannot lose this awesome inheritance.
There is even a modern worship chorus that goes, “I could never mess it up, I could never mess it up, I’m loved, I’m chosen, Your arms wide open, I could never mess it up” (The Perfect Love of Jesus – LO Worship & Adohan King).
While the Hebrew writer extols the superiority of the covenant Jesus gained for us (Heb.8), he also challenges us to consider the consequences of “neglecting” this great salvation (Heb.2:1-3). To do that, we must consider the full counsel of scripture.
Paul certainly told the Romans that they needed to confess with their mouth (Rom.10:9) and Jesus warned that those who are ashamed to confess His name before men will reap eternal consequences (Mark 8:38, Luke 9:26). But simply confessing Christ isn’t an end unto itself. Jesus said, “Not everyone who says to me, Lord, Lord (i.e., confesses Christ’s name), will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father (Matt.7:21-23).”
Similarly, both Paul and Jesus address the importance of believing (Rom.10:9, John 3:15), but it is still a giant leap to turn those words into the popular “Just Believe” mantra. James chides, “You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that – and shudder (James 2:19), while 1 John 2:4 unequivocally states, “Whoever says, I know Him, but fails to keep and obey His commandments is a liar.”
The scripture clearly states that we cannot earn our salvation (Eph.2:8-9), but Jesus also said that if we love Him, we will obey His commandments (John 14:15). Not as payment for what He did, but as the fruit of our trust in, and fidelity to Him. Likewise, our good works don’t gain us God’s approval, but James makes it clear that a faith that isn’t strong enough to manifest itself into works is dead (James 2:20).
To be sure, God is the One who orchestrated our salvation, Jesus is the One who fulfilled mankind’s part of the covenant, and no one would come to Him without His drawing (John 6:44). In that regard, it is right to say that I had nothing to do with facilitating my own salvation. But the cross demands a response and our failure to respond has implications.
Even the concept that we love God comes with an expectation. When asked about the greatest commandment Jesus certainly placed loving God at the center of our mission (Mark 12:30 – love the Lord with all of your heart, soul, mind and strength). If He had stopped there, our passion for the Lord might be enough. But He went on to command that we love our neighbor as ourselves (Mark 12:31) and before He went to the cross, Jesus raised that bar to loving them as He loves them (John 13:34)
Once again, the full counsel of scripture tells us that if a man says that he loves God, yet hates his brother, he is a liar (1 John 4:20); and that whatever we do unto the least of these, we do unto God (Matt.25:40 & 45).
To be sure, things like believing in God, confessing Christ, being obedient to His commands, good works and loving Him are all a part of walking out our salvation. But simply grabbing a hold of one of those concepts and ignoring the rest of scripture is to our own peril.
Jesus is our example, and He laid down His life in order to reveal the Father’s heart to a lost and dying world (John 14:9). Now, He is asking us to lay down our lives to reveal Him (Col.1:27) to a world that still desperately needs to find Him. He came that we might be reconciled to God and He has left to us the “Ministry of Reconciliation (2Cor.5:18)”. There is no shortcut, it will cost everything (Matt.10:39, Rom.12).
To follow Jesus, we must deny ourselves and take up our cross daily (Matt.16:24). If we try to gain our lives, we’ll ultimately lose them (Matt.16:25). If we refuse to take up our cross, Jesus says that we are not worthy of Him (Matt.10:38).
The cross demands a response and the choices we make reveal our hearts.
Choices to make:
(Deut.30:19) Life and death; blessings and curses
(Josh.24:15) Whom you will serve
(Matt.6:24) God and money
(Matt.7:13) The narrow gate and the broad gate
(Gal.5:16) The Spirit and the flesh
(James 4:6) Friendship with the world and relationship with God
(1Cor.3:19) The wisdom of men or the wisdom of God
Things to do:
(2Cor.4:18) Don’t focus on what is seen
(Prov.4:23) Guard your heart
(Heb.12:2) Fix your eyes on Jesus
(John 15:4-5) Abide in the vine
(1Thes.5:16-18) Pray without ceasing and in all things give thanks
(John13:34) Love others as He loves them
(1John 2:27) Live by the Spirit
God does not demand perfection, but He yearns for sincerity (2Chro.16:9).
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