(Originally written September 21, 2005 in Book 1).
Can Man Live Without God?
Ravi Zacharias
1994
Chapter 10 - Love's Labor Won
Components of meaning:
-Pursuit of wonder
-Knowledge of truth
-Love
-Security
The consummation of love comes in young adulthood.
Chapter 11 - Crossing the Bar
The search for security comes in maturity.
Chapter 12 - Getting to the truth
Modern times has seen the death of truth because truth is absolute and all absolutes are nowadays discredited. That's an absolute spoken to discredit all other absolutes. Ironic isn't it?
Three tests to see if a system is true:
1) Logical consistency
2) Empirical adequacy
3) Experiential relevance
Chapter 13 - Humanity's dilemma
Man is not intrinsically good and any optimistic philosophy that bases their views on this presupposition is sadly proved wrong by history time and time again.
The heart of man is desperately wicked.
Christianity insists God created man to be equal in dignity and essence, but not all ideas are equal. Some ideas are better than others.
"Greatness in the eyes of God is always preceded by humility before him".
Conviction of sin comes when we compare ourselves to God. Earthly greatness comes when we compare ourselves to other's low standards.
Chapter 14 - The Philosopher's Quest
Out of diversity comes unity.
The Trinity is diverse and unified. It is diverse in their personalities and unified as an all-powerful, all-loving God.
One of the great longings of humanity is to worship. Worship should involve both the spirit and truth.
Worship needs the constraints of truth so it doesn't become superstition or be reduced to mere ceremony. The truth which defines and creates something to worship is God.
Worship is coextensive with life.
Worship provides unity within all of life's diversity. It gives life the necessary tools for the ultimate fulfillment.
The pattern for unity in diversity is the Trinity.
The philosophical quest for truth and the answer of unity is found in Christ.
Chapter 15 - The Historian's Centerpiece
Christ fused the past, the present and the future together to form a Holy lifestyle. It remembers the past and looks to the future, but it acts during the present.
Christ's death provides the key to life.
Chapter 16 - The believer's treasure
"Why are we so unhappy" (as a society)? "We are a troubled civilization because the loss of a moral and spiritual center" (Zacharias, 169).
The difference between manmade utopias and heaven is the cross of Christ. Christ took on all the pain and suffering so that we could go to heaven. In manmade utopian settings suffering and pain is eliminated without being accounted for.
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