The Four Fundamental Questions...with Answers

Ravi Zacharias always does a great job articulating profound truths in such a way it compels the seeker to continue on the path.

His presentation of difficult subject matters in open forums on college campuses and other high intensity settings often result in people wanting more, not less, of truth.

Are people afraid of the truth? Seeking truth leads to disagreements. The trajectory of truth leads to devaluing and de-personalizing the people with whom we disagree, if we do not have a healthy dose of grace & mercy covering all facets of truth presentation and seeking.

Truth > Love ----> Fight
Love > Truth ----> Flight

He has covered the 4 Questions in many books and speaking engagements, but I wanted to get them down for posterity sake.

Here are the Big Four Questions he spoke about at the University of Florida in his talk, Absolutes in a Relativistic World.

Origin

How did all of this get here? 

1. God made it.

2. Universe came into existence from nothing with no explanation. 

3. Universe has always existed, extending back in time, with no explanation.

All of these options are extraordinary, supernatural! We live in a miraculous world! Everyone believes in the virgin birth. Christians believe Jesus was born of a virgin. Alternatively, atheists do, too. Here is a quote from Stephen Hawking:

...the universe can and will create itself from nothing. Spontaneous creation is the reason there is something rather than nothing, why the universe exists, why we exist. 

Here is Quentin Smith:

The fact of the matter is that the most reasonable belief is that we came from nothing, by nothing and for nothing...we should...acknowledge our foundation in nothingness and fee awe at the marvelous fact that we have a chance to participate briefly in this incredible sunburst that interrupts without reason the reign of non being.  

Virgin Birth! Which one do you believe in?

Meaning

What is the meaning of life? Piper quote I ran across this week:

God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in Him

A classic catechism line found at the beginning of the book states

The chief end of man is to glorify God and enjoy Him forever.

Yes! We seem to forget the last part, to enjoy Him forever. How in the world does one enjoy God? Aren't we supposed to obey and vie for God's favor and love?

Randomness is the enemy of meaning. Meaning is only meaningful if there was intent behind the result of an intelligent being. There are many events at the beginning of creation, if not precisely executed, would have resulted in no creation. Many factors exist, and have existed, for life to continue to be possible that could not be any other way. Imagine playing cards and getting 12 straight royal flushes! That is the probability of many of the factors making life possible here on earth and us being sustained by it existing.

The Bible says we are more than a random set of genetic information. In the Bible, the greek word Poema is found and it describes only two things: Natural world and Us. Sestina is a highly expressive, rhythmical literary piece. Are you a sestina?

Morality

We all believe in universals and we impose the universals on others daily. There is one thing equally true for each of us, immutable and fundamental to human nature - The Love of God.

Robert Adams defines grace:

Grace is a disposition to love which is not dependent on the merit of the person loved. A gracious person sees what is valuable in the person he loves, and does not worry about whether it is more or less valuable than what could be found in someone else he might have loved.

How could we ever deserve another person?  Compete or enjoy love? God's love is the same for you on your best day or your worst day. It would be akin to asking me, "Why do you love your sons?". What does that even mean? I can't even begin to justify an answer! Incredulity would set in.

Our natural endowments are not equalizers.

Love is not earned, it is returned. God's love gives us our identity and value and is at the foundation of morality.

Destiny

Where are going and when will it end? God offers the ultimate dream and the fulfillment of that dream. The dreams of God are enormous and unfathomable.

We are not as we are going to be.

Nabeel Qureshi, a philospher/apologist with Ravi Zacharias ministries, died a couple of years back in his mid-30's of cancer. Here's what he had to say about life:

If the resurrection is true, then what that means for you is if it comes to a point in your life where it seems like there is no hope, if it comes to a point in your life where it seems like even death is inevitable, and there's no way to escape it...well, death is not the end. There's more. There's hope no matter what.

Can we trust the One giving the answers? The Cross answers every question we could possibly have. 

The one who suffered with you, died for you or in the place of you.