Christ Jesus is Lord over heaven and earth. His atoning death, bodily resurrection, and ascension place all things under his feet for the sake of his church and his Kingdom (Colossians 1:15 to 20, Ephesians 1:20 to 23). This includes the tools and systems we call technology.
Followers of Jesus must not approach technology as neutral or autonomous. We must approach it as stewards who have been redeemed by grace through faith, commanded to love God and neighbor, and sent to make disciples of all nations, teaching them to obey all that Christ has commanded (Matthew 22:37 to 40, Matthew 28:18 to 20).
The question is not whether we will build. The question is how we will build, for whom, and to what end. The Christian answer is that we build for the glory of God and the advancement of the Kingdom of Christ.
The Cultural Mandate and Human Making
From the beginning God created humanity in his image and entrusted to us a vocation of fruitful cultivation. We are to be fruitful, multiply, fill the earth, and exercise dominion as wise gardeners and guardians of creation (Genesis 1:26 to 28).
Adam was placed in the garden to work it and keep it, which implies craft, care, and development that fits God’s design (Genesis 2:15). Technology arises from this calling. It is the shaping of creation’s raw potential into tools, systems, and crafts that serve human life under God.
The biblical story moves from a planted garden to a cultivated city. The New Jerusalem is a garden city filled with the glory of God and the fruit of redeemed human labor brought in as honor to the nations (Revelation 21 to 22).
The trajectory of God’s purpose for humanity invites creative development that harmonizes with his law and reveals his wisdom.
The Misuse and Idolatry of Technology
Because of sin, human making is often turned against the Maker. Cain’s city was marked by violence (Genesis 4). The tower of Babel was an exercise in pride, techno-religion (bricks may have been the technological advancement making this possible), and self exalting security that defied God’s name and mission (Genesis 11:1 to 9).
Tools that should bless neighbors can be turned into instruments of oppression. Crafts that should beautify can distract from the worship of the living God. The fall does not destroy human creativity, but it corrupts motives and outcomes.
Therefore technology must never be treated as morally neutral or as a savior. It must be tested by the Word of God, restrained by the law of God, and redirected by the Spirit of God toward justice, mercy, and faithfulness (Micah 6:8, Matthew 23:23).
Christ the Lord of Makers and Methods
In Christ, the Father reconciles all things to himself, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of the cross (Colossians 1:20). Entry into this Kingdom comes only through profession by mouth that Jesus is Lord and belief in the heart that God raised him from the dead (Romans 10:9-10).
No amount of innovation or cultural achievement can save a soul. Yet those who are redeemed are created in Christ Jesus for good works that God prepared beforehand, so that we should walk in them (Ephesians 2:8 to 10). This includes the works of building, coding, designing, governing, healing, and crafting that serve our neighbors and display the character of our King.
As we abide in Christ the true vine, he bears fruit through us by his Spirit. He gives wisdom, skill, and perseverance to make tools that help communities seek first the Kingdom of God and his righteousness (John 15:1 to 8, Matthew 6:33, Philippians 2:12 to 13).
God’s Word and the Craft of Technology
Only under the law of God are the glory and flourishing of his Kingdom advanced in human culture. Scripture is the only infallible rule for faith and life, and it governs the way we create and use technology. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, which means that technological wisdom begins with reverent submission to God’s Word (Proverbs 1:7).
The Scriptures train the people of God to be complete and equipped for every good work, including the work of making and deploying tools that conform to truth, love, and justice (2 Timothy 3:16-17).
This brings clarity to questions of design and deployment.
Does this tool tell the truth or propagate falsehood?
Does this platform encourage covetousness, lust, and rivalry, or does it cultivate contentment, chastity, and peace?
Does this system protect the weak and uphold justice, or does it exploit the poor and obscure responsibility?
The Spirit, Skill, and Sacred Craft
The Spirit of God equips people with skill for holy craftsmanship. The Lord filled Bezalel and Oholiab with the Spirit of God, with ability, intelligence, knowledge, and craftsmanship to build the tabernacle and the instruments of worship in a way that fit God’s pattern and displayed his beauty (Exodus 31:1 to 11, Exodus 35 to 36).
Their work was not secular in the sense of being spiritually neutral. It was an act of worship shaped by revelation. This pattern informs Christian makers today. Whether you are an architect or a software engineer, a farmer or a physician, a designer or a machinist, the Spirit can sanctify your skill for the service of Christ’s church and the good of your neighbors.
Excellence, integrity, safety, and beauty are not optional adornments. They are moral obligations that flow from the holiness of God.
The Church and the Making of Makers
Local churches are responsible to preach the Word, pray, worship, baptize and commune, disciple, and practice discipline. Through these means of grace the people of God are formed in the covenant keeping ways of the Kingdom of God.
Makers need pastors, elders, and congregations who will shepherd their hearts, test their ideas, and hold them accountable. A church that catechizes its people in the commandments of God, the Gospel of grace, and the wisdom of Christ will send engineers, artists, educators, entrepreneurs, and civil servants into their vocations with conviction and clarity.
Without the ministry and accountability of a local church, believers will lack the unity and direction necessary to serve the Kingdom of Christ in every area of life.
Good Neighboring Through Technology
The demand of love is universal. We must love our neighbors as ourselves, whether they confess Christ or not. Technology that advances the Kingdom therefore seeks the temporal and spiritual good of all.
A platform that amplifies the voices of the vulnerable, a medical device that lowers barriers for the disabled, an agricultural tool that stewards soil and increases fruitfulness for small farmers, or a data system that makes public accountability more transparent, each can be an expression of neighbor love.
Christian makers aim for accessibility, privacy, clarity, and truth telling because these serve real people made in the image of God. We build for the neighbor in front of us and for the neighbor we will never meet, trusting that the Lord uses even small acts of faithful making to bless communities and open doors for the Gospel.
Guarding Against Idols in the Workshop
Two idols often tempt the maker. The first is technicism, the belief that technique and innovation can solve the deepest human problems. The second is profit absolutism, the belief that revenue justifies any design, feature, or business model.
The Gospel exposes both. Sin is not a technical flaw. It is moral rebellion that only Christ’s atonement can cure. Profit is a good servant but a cruel master. The law of God sets ethical boundaries that no quarterly report may cross.
Christians must therefore refuse designs that addict, deceive, or destroy. We must reject surveillance that violates legitimate privacy, algorithmic decisions that hide injustice, and incentives that reward exploitation.
We must also refuse fearfulness. Tools are not gods or demons. Under Christ’s reign they can be received with thanksgiving, refined by wisdom, and used for good (1 Timothy 4:4 to 5, 1 Corinthians 10:31).
Vocation, Office, and Sphere
The Kingdom of Jesus advances as the visible church lives a covenant keeping way of life across all callings and offices.
In the family, parents model temperate and wise use of devices, cultivate face to face communion, and teach children to love truth and beauty.
In business, leaders design products and pricing that are honest, sustainable, and just, and they build teams that practice Sabbath, honor the dignity of workers, and refuse corruption.
In government, officials use technology for transparency, due process, and the protection of the innocent.
In education, teachers and administrators integrate technological tools that serve true learning and moral formation rather than outsourcing attention and judgment.
In the arts, makers employ new media to tell the truth and to invite audiences into wonder that leads to worship.
In the sciences and medicine, practitioners devise and deploy tools that heal without violating created limits for the sake of convenience or prestige.
In every sphere Christ’s lordship is public, and the fruit of abiding in him is visible.
Design Principles That Follow the Law of Love
Several enduring principles flow from the commandments of God and guide Christian making.
Truthfulness requires that our systems resist deception and manipulation, whether in marketing claims, data reporting, or user interface patterns.
Justice requires that the burdens and benefits of a tool do not fall unjustly on the poor or voiceless, and that responsibility is traceable and accountable.
Chastity and honor require that we design against lust and humiliation, and that we dignify the body rather than make it a commodity.
Stewardship requires that we consider energy use, waste, maintenance, and the long term effects on creation’s fruitfulness.
Sabbath requires limits, humane schedules, and defaults that respect creaturely rest.
Generosity requires open handed sharing of knowledge and tools when possible, especially for the relief of the needy.
Neighborly love requires accessibility for the disabled, clarity for the young, and care for those prone to harm.
From Workshop to Worship
For Christians, making is an act of worship. Whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him (Colossians 3:17).
We begin our day in prayer and the Word, seek the counsel of wise pastors and peers, and submit our plans to the Lord. We commit requirements, prototypes, and policies to him. We repent of pride and impatience. We receive correction.
We give thanks for coworkers, vendors, customers, and critics. We rest in the finished work of Christ when projects fail and praise him when they succeed. This posture does not make our work perfect, but it makes it faithful.
The Role of the Gospel in the Tech Economy
The Good News of the Kingdom of God exposes the false gospels that often animate the tech economy. Salvation is not found in novelty. Redemption is not secured by disruption. Resurrection life does not arrive by exponential growth curves.
Only Jesus saves. The glory of his Kingdom does not erase culture. It renews culture under his Word through the everyday faithfulness of his people. When a team of believers writes secure code that protects the poor from fraud, when a product manager refuses dark patterns that prey on addiction, when a board aligns incentives with public good, when a researcher shares findings to serve public health, Christ’s light is made visible.
These good works do not justify us before God. They are fruit that flows from our union with Christ and they adorn the Gospel that we speak with our lips.
Personal Salvation and Public Witness
Because the Kingdom requires personal salvation, Christian makers must keep evangelism and discipleship central. We are not cultural saviors. We are ambassadors who implore friends and colleagues to be reconciled to God.
The integrity of our products and the clarity of our witness belong together. We serve our teams as good neighbors, and we speak of Christ crucified and risen as the only hope for sinners.
In the workplace we practice patience, kindness, and courage. We refuse dishonest gain. We tell the truth when it may cost us. We receive suffering with hope. In these ways we commend the Gospel to those who see our good deeds and, by God’s grace, give glory to our Father in heaven (2 Corinthians 5:20, Matthew 5:16).
From Garden to City Under the Kingship of Christ
The final vision of the Bible is not the abandonment of the world but its renewal under the lordship of Christ. The kings of the earth bring their glory into the city of God. The nations walk by its light. There is no curse, and the throne of God and of the Lamb is in the city, and his servants worship him (Revelation 21:24 to 27, Revelation 22:1 to 5).
In that day the tools of war are beaten into plowshares, and learning is turned wholly toward the knowledge of the Lord (Isaiah 2:4, Habakkuk 2:14). Our best tools today are temporary and partial, yet they can anticipate that day.
When we build in obedience to Christ’s commands, our work participates in the first-fruits of the Kingdom that is already present by the Spirit and is coming in fullness at the return of our King.
A Charge to Makers
Therefore, beloved brothers and sisters, come to Christ if you have not yet trusted him. Receive forgiveness, new birth, and the gift of the Spirit. Be joined to a local church where you will be taught, corrected, and nourished at the Lord’s Table.
The offer your body as a living sacrifice. Take up your tools with humility and courage. Learn the law of God and the wisdom of Christ. Seek the good of your neighbors. Build truthfully, justly, and beautifully.
Let your code, your circuits, your policies, your designs, and your budgets be instruments of neighbor love. Pray that your work would make it easier for people to obey Jesus and harder for them to sin. In all things aim at the glory of God!
Man was made to make.
In Adam we twisted that gift, but in Christ the second Adam we are freed to use it rightly. Under the lordship of Jesus we build for worship, witness, and love.
With Scripture as our standard, the Spirit as our strength, the church as our home, and our neighbors in view, we can create technology that adorns the Gospel and advances the Kingdom of God in the everyday realities of culture.
May the Lord establish the work of our hands, and through our ordinary faithfulness may he cause many to see and savor the true King.