God and Computers by Greg Smith

“In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.” Genesis 1:1
“… he upholds the universe by the word of his power. …” Hebrews 1:3

Modern computers and computer games give many useful examples that point to what God said thousands of years ago. Of course, life is not a game and God is not a computer. But, Jesus often used every day things as examples of God’s truth. Like a painting or statue, a computer game “world” is just a weak imitation of the real world. A computer image of a sunset may be complicated to make and beautiful to see, but it is nothing compared to the beauty, power and genius of a real sunset. In spite of that, let’s do some comparisons.

In a computer game, the computer can make an electronic “world” where game characters can move around in game “places”, use game “things” and talk with other game “people”. The computer is the creator and upholder of the game world, in a sense. The computer can exist and work without the game, but the game can’t work without the computer. Likewise, God doesn’t need us, but we are totally dependent on Him. So, it was known long ago, “… In him we live and move and have our being …” Acts 17:28 

If the computer closes a game program, the game stops going. Likewise, human life (and the universe itself) can’t exist without God constantly holding it together. So, it is written, “If he [God] should set his heart to it and gather to himself his spirit and his breath, all flesh would perish together, and man would return to dust.” Job 34:14-15. In other words, God could “close the program” of human life and it would immediately stop.

If a game character could think, he could know about the computer by being told about it and even by details about his game world. Again, it is written “… his [God’s] invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. …” Romans 1:20. So although we can’t see God directly, there are things that are known about Him by what He made.

But a character could not step out of the game to experience the computer directly. From the game character’s point of view, the computer would be both far away and at the same time the closest thing of all. It would be everywhere present and nowhere visible. In fact, the computer would also go beyond all bounds of the game world. It would be separate from the game world, but the game world could not be apart from it. This is very similar to what was written long ago, “Am I a God at hand, declares the LORD, and not a God far away? Can a man hide himself in secret places so that I cannot see him? declares the LORD. Do I not fill heaven and earth? declares the LORD.” “… he [God] is actually not far from each one of us,” "… heaven and the highest heaven cannot contain you [God] …” Jeremiah 23:23-24, Acts 17:27, 1 Kings 8:27

Since the computer makes and upholds the game world, it not only supplies the power for them, but it must know and keep track of every detail whether large or small. God also knows all details, as was said long ago: “He determines the number of the stars; he gives to all of them their names.” “But even the hairs of your head are all numbered.” Psalm 147:4, Matthew 10:30

Though the game character can’t come out of the game world to see the computer, the computer could show itself in the game world as an image that the character could see and partly understand. God did something like this by temporarily appearing in a pillar of fire, or like a man or some other form, but the greatest way was in Jesus Christ. Though God forbade people to make an image of Him, He provided a living image of Himself in Jesus Christ. The Bible says, “… the Word was God … And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us … No one has ever seen God; the only God [or Son], who is at the Father's side, he has made him known.” “… [Jesus is] the very image of his substance …” John 1:1, 14, 18, Hebrews 1:3 (ASV). 

God can do anything except deny Himself (see 2 Timothy 2:13). God will not stop being God. A man could never become God. But, nothing stops God from becoming a man if He wants to be both God and man at the same time. God permanently became a man in Jesus, but He didn’t stop being God. Maybe something like a computer could be the computer and yet keep a permanent image of itself in the game world at the same time. So, the Bible teaches that Jesus existed before His human birth and that Jesus is the Creator & Sustainer of the world. If you want to know your Creator, who has all the answers for life & all the power to live, you need to know Jesus. (Bible quotes from ESV except as noted)