How Should Christians Approach AI (Artificial Intelligence)?

1. Reason #1: We probably all use it. (things like Chat GPT, Gemini, Anthropic has one called Claude or Elon Musk has one called Grok). We probably all use it. Even if you say you don’t use it, my understanding is that AI technology is in Apple’s Siri or Amazon’s Alexa; if Spotify predicts what music you would like or Netflix what shows. Google maps use it. Call a big corporation, and it might be an AI customer service rep. We use it. AI can be incredibly helpful. I used it to help me grill a recipe the other day; I used it to customize a workout plan. I had a computer problem the other day and it walked me thru how to solve it. Probably most of us use it like a super-duper search engine, a research assistant.

2. Reason #2: We probably have not seriously thought about it from a theological or biblical perspective. That’s important. With every new technology or anything in life—all needs to be sorted through God’s Word. And to thoughtfully think about this—matters. I want us to be more discerning in all the technology and products we use and take for granted. (we are probably more “is it useful or helpful” rather than “is it Biblical—how would the bible inform my use of this)

3. Reason #3: As Christians, we want everything to be under the Lordship of Jesus. “How can I glorify God in this?” like John talked about last week.

And I want to ask the question, “How should we as Christians approach AI? What does the Bible say about this—how to approach it, think about it, use it?” because it’s everywhere.

Let me give you a definition of AI. (from Notre Dame)

AI “Artificial Intelligence” – refers to any technology or machine that can perform complex tasks typically associated with human intelligence.

Things like problem solving, planning, reasoning, and decision-making. They analyze large data sets, make predictions, identify patterns, and generate texts and images.

A lot of us use with is called Generative AI (Large Language Models or LLM’s) – things like Gemini or Chat GPT. Or Claude. They use algorithms to create or generate new content like text, images, audio, or videos based on patterns found in training data. Though they seem to produce new content, they operate within the boundaries of their training and do not possess general understanding or self-awareness.

You put in what’s called a prompt do to this – “write me a research paper on the topic of why Indiana University athletics is better than Purdue and use at least 5 sources and write it in an academic tone” and you may go back and forth with AI refining that prompt

There is another kind of AI called

Agentic AI – is more proactive not reactive. It breaks down a complex goal, decides what to do, and takes action independently. And it is amazing or maybe scary depending on your viewpoint on how powerful this technology is. The hope is that agentic AI will be able to do your taxes someday or find a new set of clients for your business for you.

One scholar said in terms of inventions—that AI is not your typical invention. It’s not like inventing a new product—it’s like discovering electricity—it will totally change how we think and operate.

Turn to your neighbor—think real quick—what might be a pro of AI, and 1 con of AI. A pro—why it’s useful, and a con.

Pro:

--Bible translation and ministry

--medical advances – one expert estimates AI could help us live longer with its applications to medicine

--I have a research assistant in my pocket—like I am carrying around my own PHD research assistant.

--it can help with a lot of menial tasks – it can help write and edit emails and letters and announcements; it can make a flyer; it can make a budget.

--One person in our church, named Drew Scates—says it helps him with what he calls all the executive functions

--it’s a very powerful tool

Cons:

--some are environmental—it takes a lot of data centers, which require a lot of power and water to run—so is this harming God’s creation, environment

--some are concerned that AI shorts circuits the thinking process, the analyzing, and synthesizing of information, the wrestling with information and the learning process—it’s just making us lazy and uncritical—that’s concerning

--with that some are concerned about what plagiarism and the educational process

--some are concerned about reality—how do we know when something is real or not—AI can make things look real. (Joe Biden and Donald Trump hanging out together)

--some are concerned about creativity—if AI is making and producing all this content—where is the room for writers, musicians, artists, creatives

--some are concerned about the loss of jobs

--some are concerned about how many people are looking to AI for therapy or a counselor, or for spiritual guidance. How can we trust that advice? What worldview is AI finding and sorting for us?

--some are concerned about how people are looking to AI for companionship and relationship even romance—I have a relationship with an AI bot. that’s concerning and points to the epidemic of loneliness.

--some are concerned about pornographic use of AI--

--as a pastor I am certainly concerned about all these things—but perhaps I am most concerned with not how we are using AI but how it is using us…how AI is forming us.

Because we are all being formed, shaped, or dare I say the word “discipled.

During my politics series back at election time, I was concerned that things like Fox News and CNN are discipling us more than our Bibles. Things like social media.

I am concerned that by using AI, we are not slowing down to think what it may be doing to us, how it’s forming us in the process.

So I will confess, I am not an expert on this. Some of you are way smarter and use it way more than I do in my daily life.

But I think where I can help is helping us think through critically how to approach it from a theological and Biblical perspective. If as Christians, Jesus is not just our Savior but Lord—what does a faithful follower of Jesus – what does it look like if they are using AI to the glory of God.

Let me help you think and approach AI in 4 parts.

Part 1 is a broader perspective, and each part zooms in a little more.

Part 1: 3 R’s Approach

You can use this 3 R’s approach with any new technology or even something like the holiday Halloween.

as a Christian we can approach culture and any new technology from the 3 R’s...

3 R’s:

1. Receive it (just receive it and use it uncritically)

2. Reject it (AI is of the “devil”; anything new is horrible—the internet, smart phones, and now AI—all bad)

3. Or Redeem it. (how do I use this for God’s glory?)

This model I will admit is overly simplistic. But can apply to anything in culture. the internet—smart phones, even Halloween. Of course I don’t just receive and practice the evil part of Halloween. Nor do I choose to reject it (but I respect those who have) but we try to redeem it in some way as a good time to connect with the community, our kids love hanging out with their friends and of course eating candy.

Same with AI receive it seems wrong

Rejecting it seems wrong—because AI is here to stay and is incorporated more and more into our work and every day life (and I am skeptical of big corporations and what their ultimate purpose is of AI)

Redeeming it seems the right way, so how do we do that?

Like most technologies—technology is usually morally neutral. It’s all based on how you use it.

Think of a hammer—I can use it positively to build a house, but I could also use it negatively to hurt or attack someone. The hammer itself is not bad.

Similar with AI or the internet—it’s not bad in an of itself but it comes back to my heart.

And so it’s always worth asking, instead of receiving it outright or rejecting it, how can I redeem AI for the glory of God?

And that is a huge discussion we will get back to in a moment.

So part 1 is this approach the 3 R’s

But zooming in a little more is what I call

Part 2: The Genesis 1-11 Approach

We just finished a series on Genesis 1-11.

Genesis 1-11 is the foundation for everything else in the Bible and our lives.

It has what I call all the big categories of life.

Category #1: God! (Gen. 1:1)

Look at Genesis 1:1 “in the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.”

Genesis 1 right away shows us who is God, and what He is like. He has always existed He is the Creator, he is so powerful made all things just by speaking. Everything else is created.

So right away as we apply this category to AI, we realize—that AI as promising as it seems or scary—AI is not God. There is only one God who knows all things. AI doesn’t know all things; it can’t always predict the future. AI promises a lot—but it can’t deliver like God. AI is still a created thing.

And so right away, we are forced to wrestle with if we are going to redeem AI—do we look to AI to guide us or God? I personally don’t think it’s wrong to ask AI spiritual questions…but we have to remember—and be discerning---are the answers actually matching up with Scripture and a Biblical worldview.

Category #2: Humans and the Image of God

We see that we are made.

Genesis 1:26 – “Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness…”

That’s a big deal!

One of the biggest theological categories that AI makes us wrestle with is our humanity, what theologians call anthropology.

And even our identity.

We see that we are not God—He is. He made us—He defines us.

And He makes us in His image—meaning we have value and purpose and meaning.

So as intelligent as AI gets or can get—it will never be made in God’s image. It will never have the same value as us even if robots are made.

As much as AI we fear may be coming for our jobs or may be smarter than us as humans in some ways (not all of course), we realize our identity is not in our performance—but it’s in being God’s image bearers.

Being an image bearer is not something we earn or have to perform for. Sometimes we think it means we have things like the ability to reason, make decisions, capacity for beauty and right and wrong—all true—but those things are not what makes us in the image of God. We are made in the image of God simply because God says so—it is received; not achieved. This is good news—no matter how smart AI gets or if you lose your job. You have a received identity.

And this is good news for those with physical or mental disabilities or end of life care issues—or babies in the womb—all of those people are made in God’s beautiful image; they matter.

Category #3: relationships (that is human relationships) or community. (Gen. 2:18-25)

Genesis 2 shows the creation of Eve from Adam’s side, and we see the first marriage and really the first community shown before sin enters the world. It’s a community that’s in the flesh and embodied.

This is another reminder that as people look to AI or technology to meet relational needs, to fill loneliness, to be in community, that AI is not real relationship or community.

AI doesn’t have a soul.

AI is convenient—we can tell it what to do—and it can meet our needs but it’s a not a real relationship. Adam and Eve have a real relationship – a one flesh relationship.

That one flesh relationship shows up in marriage—but also it’s used of the church family—that we are one body.

Category #4: Sin and the Fall

Genesis 3:6-7 says “When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it. Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they realized they were naked; so they sewed fig leaves together and made coverings for themselves.”

And then we read of all the consequences, the sad results of brokenness with God, brokenness with others, and with ourselves and all of creation.

And so we see the real problem with us—the real issue that is wrong with the world is not our technologies or AI but our sinful hearts. Our rebellion against God.

One theologian says it like this the heart of the problem is the problem of the heart.

And so AI, being morally neutral—AI or any technology is not the problem. It comes back to our sinful hearts and how we use it.

We can either use AI for selfish and sinful purposes or for God’s glory.

I also think in this account with Adam and Eve—they were looking for a created thing—to solve their problems. AI also promises a lot—that we can look for something created, like technology to satisfy us or meet our deepest needs.

In some ways—they thought if they had the tree—they would have perfect knowledge and perfect content (which AI seems to promise but it didn’t deliver)

Category #5: the need for a Savior or salvation. Genesis 3:15

God promises the Gospel for the first time:

He says to the serpent Satan “I (God) will put enmity between you (devil) and the woman (Eve), and between your offspring (devil) and hers; he (the woman’s offspring) will crush your head (devil), and you (devil) will strike his heel (the woman’s offspring).

What a great promise—one day God will deal with our biggest problem—our sin—and Satan—by sending a promised deliverer—whom we know as Jesus. He will be the snake crusher and sin defeater by His life, death on the cross, and resurrection.

AI will not crush the snake; AI will not solve our sin problem; AI will not die for us or deliver us. AI will not give us eternal life. only Jesus can!

Because Genesis 1-11 brings up all the biggest categories of life.

Who is God?

Who are we? Do we matter? Purpose/meaning

What should relationships look like?

What is wrong with the world?

What will put it right?

AI cannot answer those—only God’s Word can.

Part 3: How AI is forming us (Jonathan Sams)

I mentioned earlier that perhaps one of the biggest questions I have is not how we are using AI (although important) but how AI is forming us.

What kind of people it is making us.

Jonathan Sims, theologian says here is what he thinks AI is doing to us—what kind of people it is making us:

He says the real danger of AI is not misinformation but misFORMATION.

What does AI do to us if we are using it consistently all the time—how is it shaping us…

He says Biblical spirituality isn’t mainly about having an instant right answer—it’s about our SLOW formation into Christlikeness by the Spirit, through the ordinary means God gives us like Scripture, prayer, and the life of the church family.

The danger he says is that AI might form us or train us to take shortcuts in the means God uses to form disciples.

And he mentions 3 dangers with how AI forms us:

3 Dangers:

1. Danger #1: Attention atrophy

a. We use the term atrophy with our muscles. If I am sick in bed for a few days or in the hospital, my muscles start to weaken.

b. And he says when we use AI so much, our attention muscles weaken. Instead of looking to God’s Word for wisdom (which takes time!)—we look to AI for answers. Instead of wrestling with and meditating on Scripture—or I am not saying it’s wrong to use AI to get Biblical answers—when we rely on AI to do it and not our study and slowness and silence and stillness before God in Scripture, it short-circuits those muscles and that process. It’s easier to ask AI to explain the Bible to me rather than working on it myself or in community with embodied people.

c. By relying on AI my attention muscles weaken, even my spiritual attention muscles…and I don’t know how to be still before the Lord.

2. Danger: Expectation of less friction in life.

a. AI trains us to get instant answers, instant access to information (which I admit has some good!) but if we are not careful—instant access can train us to think that instant is best and struggle or painful discovery or suffering is bad.

b. This can trickle into our relationship with God.

c. We can assume that growth with God should be quick, instant, and efficient and optimized. There should be no friction or suffering in our growth.

d. But in the Bible, God frequently forms his people through waiting, wrestling, suffering, and obedience, sometimes painfully long periods of time.

e. There is nothing efficient or optimized about this kind of spiritual growth.

f. Just read the Psalms—and the author is struggling—crying out, waiting, desperate, over long periods of time. AI trains us that this should not be the case…but God works through all this.

g. As a pastor I have noticed about myself and others that we have the opportunity for the best growth in and through suffering (even though it is so hard!) through friction in life

3. Danger #3: Dependence on AI for relationships.

a. One of the benefits of AI is you can get personal and life advice….but it takes a lot of discernment—is this advice good?

b. A danger in this—is that it trains you to go to AI first before you go to a friend, or mentor or pastor or therapist.

c. A person could ask AI should I divorce my spouse—and get horrible advice depending on the perspective—discernment is needed, and without ever getting advice from a trusted person.

d. We can use AI to justify anything if we want to.

e. We can also use AI to fill the loneliness epidemic that some of feel.

f. And I can rely on AI to do whatever I want. Relationships in the flesh with people are messy and don’t always meet my needs. AI does right away. The danger in relying on AI is it takes away from relationships.

Part 4: How to be formed by God and not AI

1. Embrace the “ordinary” spiritual disciplines / activities (which have been around for centuries)

a. Some call it the ordinary means of grace

b. Things like silence, solitude, stillness

c. Things like looking to Scripture before AI first. Or maybe there is a way you can use AI to help you find Scriptures—give me some Scriptures on anxiety or depression

d. Pray before you prompt

e. Take time to read Scripture before just seeking AI summaries

f. These ordinary things are extraordinary under God’s Spirit

g. Kind of like if you are trying to get in shape, and you want to skip exercise because it is sweaty, messy, tough, uncomfortable—if you are going to get in great shape and be an athlete you have to go through the daily, consistent grind of growing.

2. Seek spiritual advice in person from someone you trust (someone who can encourage and challenge you and push back on you) (and if you seek advice from AI, use discernment)

3. Be clear on AI’s limits

a. The kind we use generative AI like Chatgpt—it cannot think, do, or learn as humans do, even though they may seem to be that way.

b. It can give lots of data, knowledge and content but cannot evaluate the accuracy or quality of that content.

c. It can give lots of content and provide information (sometimes false) but not true biblical wisdom.

d. AI itself said—it is a great servant but a harsh master.

4. Talk openly with others about how you use AI (and other technology).

I want to close today by giving a chance to practice one for just a moment.

I want to give you absolute silence or stillness for at least a 1 minute or 2. Logan did this a couple of weeks ago.

A couple of resources if you want to go deeper:

1. The Deep Dish Podcast: “AI: Friend or Foe” (with Michael Graham)

2. Silicon Spiritualities Podcast Series (currently releasing some new episodes)

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