Divine Intelligence

EIBC Devotional #20 - “Divine Intelligence”

Emerald Isle Baptist Church

Pastor Zach Emory

Scripture - Colossians 1:15-17

15 [Christ] is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation; 16 for in him all things in heaven and on earth were created, things visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or powers—all things have been created through him and for him. 

We are well-familiar with the discourse concerning human intelligence vs. artificial intelligence in 2026. These systems were trained on an enormous collection of human writings, images, and other information. They learn patterns in our language and ideas, and this allows them to reason and communicate in remarkably human-like ways. Their underlying software was even inspired by the neural networks in the human brain. A.I. is in some ways a replica of humanity, but it is obvious that it is not a perfect image. A.I., despite all of its capabilities, is missing something integral about the human experience.

Artificial intelligence is our creation made in our image, but it is not fully us.

Humanity is God’s creation made in God’s image, but we are not fully God.

And then we encounter Christ. Colossians 1:19 tells us that “in [Christ] the fullness of God was pleased to dwell.” Jesus tells us, “If you have seen me, then you have seen the Father” (John 14:9). All other manifestations of God’s image are mere shadows; Jesus was the physical manifestation of the Light Itself. He is not a replica of the Source; he is the Source Itself. May we remember the tremendous power and authority and privilege of the living Christ as God’s Son and honor Him in His rightful place at the side of the Father.

Questions for Reflection

What separated Jesus from all other human beings?

What does Jesus reveal to us about God’s nature and character?

Prayer - God, Our Father, we honor You. God, the Son, we honor You. May Your Spirit manifest Itself in each one of us. In Christ’s name. Amen.