Daniel 12:4 says at the end of time, “Knowledge shall increase.” While this is primarily speaking of an increase in knowledge concerning Bible prophecy, advances in the world of AI also seem to fit the fulfillment of these prophetic words. Daily, AI is used to generate more than 34 million images and power self-driving cars. Software platforms such as Turnitin estimate that 22 million papers a year are submitted by high school and college students using AI-generated content.1 This technology assists doctors by analyzing medical scans, patient data, and even genetic information, detecting in seconds subtle anomalies that would otherwise be missed, and saving lives. It’s truly amazing, but there are things that AI can never do.
In Jerusalem many years ago, long before AI was a thing, a woman was caught in the act of adultery and dumped at the feet of Jesus by religious leaders who cared nothing for her. They had hoped to use this woman to trap Jesus because they wanted a reason to destroy Him. But Jesus saw through their plot, and He masterfully disarmed His would-be attackers and her condemners so decidedly that the Bible says that they all dropped their stones and left. Amazing.
He could forgive her because He would pay the penalty for her sin Himself.
Then John 8:11 says, “And Jesus said to her, ‘Neither do I condemn you; go and sin no more.’ ” This was the gospel in 10 powerful words. “Neither do I condemn you.” That’s justification; Jesus completely pardoned her! What hope these words must’ve brought to her heart! Romans 8:1 says, “There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit.” Like the Japanese art of Kintsugi, in which the artist gathers the shards of a broken jar and mixes together a special lacquer of gold to stick the pieces together, so, too, God picks up the broken pieces of our lives, applying to them the gold of His grace. Jesus didn’t condemn this woman, because He knew that soon He would be condemned for her and for us on the cross. He could forgive her because He would pay the penalty for her sin Himself.
But that wasn’t all the good news Jesus had for her! He also said, “Go,” a command, “and sin no more.” That’s sanctification. His grace comes first, and that grace empowers obedience. This is why Jesus promised her His power for the present. The book Thoughts From the Mount of Blessing puts it like this: “God’s forgiveness is not merely a judicial act by which He sets us free from condemnation. It is not only forgiveness for sin, but reclaiming from sin. It is the outflow of redeeming love that transforms the heart.”2
AI can do a lot, but only Jesus can transform your heart and life. To all who receive Him as their personal Lord and Savior, Jesus speaks the same words: “Neither do I condemn you; go and sin no more.” Have you allowed God’s grace to transform your life? Look up in faith to Christ, and you can—right now.
1 https://www.morningbrew.com/stories/students-wrote-22-million-papers-with-ai
2 Ellen G. White, Thoughts From the Mount of Blessing (Mountain View, Calif.: Pacific Press Pub. Assn., 1956), p. 114.
