From Childhood Fears to Present-Day Faith
As a Christian, I grew up in a home where the Book of Revelation wasn’t just Scripture, it was a frequent and vivid conversation topic. My dad often spoke of the “End Times” with urgency and conviction. I heard about the Antichrist, a one-world government, global surveillance, and a mysterious “Mark of the Beast” ad nauseum. He even watched rapture-themed movies that showed Christians disappearing while puzzled unbelievers were left behind.
Some of these ideas were biblical. Many were not. But to me, a child, it all felt terrifying.
Even now, I tend to avoid studying Revelation. It’s full of symbols and metaphors, like lampstands, beasts, and scrolls. And while I believe it is God’s Word, it also contains mysteries no one fully understands. Jesus Himself said about His return:
“But about that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.” (Matthew 24:36, NIV)
Over the years, I’ve come to believe that speculation over future events is less important than the condition of our hearts today. Obsessing over timelines and symbols can distract us from the daily call to love, serve, and remain faithful.
But lately, I’ve noticed something familiar resurfacing: a new kind of fear spreading through conversations about Artificial Intelligence. To some, AI seems like the next Beast rising from the sea. And just like the “End Times” fears I grew up with, AI is now being wrapped into warnings, prophecies, and questions of ultimate allegiance.
It seems like an ideal time to take a look at what we’re really dealing with.
Is AI Actually “Intelligent”?
Let’s clear this up first: AI is not a mind. It’s math.
The term “Artificial Intelligence” was coined back in the 1950s by computer scientists who dreamed of machines mimicking human thought. But what we have today isn’t some digital soul. It’s a system that processes massive amounts of data and spits out statistically likely responses. That’s it.
It doesn’t know. It doesn’t understand. It doesn’t feel.
So when you hear that AI “wrote a sermon” or “composed a prayer,” don’t imagine it kneeling in reverence. It just rearranged words based on patterns.
“… People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.” (1 Samuel 16:7, NIV)
And AI? It doesn’t even have a heart.
What John Piper Got Right and What We Can Learn
Not long ago, Pastor John Piper asked ChatGPT to write a prayer in the theology of D.A. Carson. The result? Elegant, doctrinally sound, and deeply reverent.
But Piper wasn’t impressed. He wasn’t warning about AI being satanic, either. He was reminding us that while the words sounded good, there was no heart behind them.
“‘These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me.'” (Matthew 15:8, NIV)
True worship, Piper said, isn’t about well-formed phrases; it’s about hearts that feel God’s worth and respond with love.
That’s an important point. AI can help you brainstorm, outline, or organize your thoughts. But it can’t replace you. You are the one who loves, prays, and believes. Just like a hymnal doesn’t sing on its own, AI doesn’t worship. You do.
What About the Mark of the Beast?
Let’s address the elephant in the sanctuary.
Revelation 13 tells us that one day, people will be required to receive a mark on their hand or forehead and without it, they won’t be able to buy or sell.
This passage has launched countless theories. In the 1980s, it was barcodes. In the 2000s, credit cards. Then it was microchips. Now? AI.
When I was a kid, I heard that the mark might be a literal implant, maybe even a tracking device. Some believed it would be connected to a one-world currency, led by the Antichrist (usually whoever was the most notorious in the news at the time). These ideas terrified me.
But here’s the thing: Revelation is apocalyptic literature, meaning that it’s filled with symbols with hidden or allegorical meaning, and it was based on John’s visions. The “mark” may or may not be about technology, but I believe it is about loyalty and worship. It’s about where you place your trust, not what’s in your wallet or on your wrist.
So instead of speculating about chips and scanners, maybe the real question is this: Where is your heart?
AI Is a Tool, Not a Threat
There’s a popular fear that AI will rise up, become sentient, and enslave us all. That’s great movie material but it’s not good theology. AI isn’t alive. It’s not a soul. It can’t choose, repent, or be redeemed.
“For the The Word of God is alive and active …” (Hebrews 4:12, NIV)
AI, by contrast, is just code. Think of AI like a Bible dictionary or a sermon outline. Helpful? Sure. Holy? Nope.
Even the printing press once terrified people and now it’s credited with helping spread the Gospel worldwide. Could AI, used wisely, do something similar?
“You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good …” (Genesis 50:20, NIV)
Faith Over Fear
Jesus didn’t say, “Fear the algorithm.” He said, “Fear not.”
“For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline.” (2 Timothy 1:7, NIV)
The real danger isn’t that AI will become too powerful. It’s that we’ll become too passive. That we’ll stop thinking critically. That we’ll let fear lead us instead of faith.
So the better question is: Are you using AI in ways that glorify God or are you avoiding it out of fear?
If this tool helps you study more, write more clearly, or even reflect more deeply on your faith then maybe it’s not the enemy. Maybe it’s a gift.
Final Thoughts
AI can’t and won’t save your soul. It might help you write your worship, but it can’t and won’t recite it in a meaningful way for us. It won’t stand in your place before God. And it also won’t implant a chip in your head, chant thoughtful darkness over us, or usher in the apocalypse.
It’s not prophecy. It’s programming.
So the next time someone says, “AI is evil,” you might smile and say, “Well, so is my spellchecker on Mondays.”
Instead of worrying about the future, ask: What does it look like to walk in wisdom today?
“And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.” (Colossians 3:17, NIV)
Use wisdom. Use discernment. But above all, use faith. Because no matter how advanced our tools become, our hope still isn’t in algorithms.
It’s in Christ.
