The Mysterious Blessing of Purpose
Wolves are fascinating creatures, and even more so due to the recent changes to their population in North America.
In 1995, grey wolves were reintroduced into Yellowstone National Park. Knowing that wolves are predators and typically at the top of the food chain, common expectation was that elk, beaver, rabbit, and other prey populations might decrease due to the predatory prowess of the wolves — you know, the whole "circle of life" effect.
But the reverse has actually been the case. There was only one beaver colony in the park in 1995, but by 2019 there were nine colonies! What possible impact did the reintroduction of wolves have on the beaver population? Well, as the wolves chased the elk they began moving around more, spreading throughout the park. This disbursement of the elk population allowed beavers and other animals to enjoy a greater share of the vegetation they need to eat for survival. And since the beavers were now able to not just survive, but to thrive, they built more dams, which in turn has benefitted the fish, bird, and bear populations.
... [T]he reintroduction of wolves continues to astonish biologists with a ripple of direct and indirect consequences throughout the ecosystem. ... It is like kicking a pebble down a mountain slope where conditions were just right that a falling pebble could trigger an avalanche of change. — Doug Smith, a wildlife biologist in charge of the Yellowstone Wolf Project
You see how this works? What was feared as an irritant, a disruptor, a destroyer, was actually a catalyst for immensely powerful and positive change.
Just as wolves have their place in the economy of wildlife ecology, they likewise have their place in the economy of the Kingdom.
For example, Saul of Tarsus perceived the bold and fearless testimony of Stephen as a wolf, an irritant, a disruptor, a threat to the status quo of Jewish life and culture. So he had him stoned to death. Yet in doing so, he didn't protect anything. Instead, Acts 8:1-4 tells us:
"On that day a great persecution broke out against the church in Jerusalem, and all except the apostles were scattered throughout Judea and Samaria. Godly men buried Stephen and mourned deeply for him. But Saul began to destroy the church. Going from house to house, he dragged off both men and women and put them in prison."
YET! ...
"Those who had been scattered preached the word wherever they went."
This great irritant, this great disruption to the status quo, proved instead to be the catalyst for the early believers to be scattered, and for the Gospel message to be spread and thrive throughout the entire known world.
On the flip side of that coin, the Church perceived Saul of Tarsus as a wolf, a great irritant, and disrupter of the survival of the fledgling Church. Yet the events following the death of Stephen became part of the amazing story of the transformation of Saul of Tarsus into the Apostle Paul, the Apostle to the Gentiles, whose life and ministry remains one of the greatest catalysts for the growth of the Church even to this day.
Brothers, in this world there WILL be wolves. Don't run in fear from them. Embrace the struggle. See the struggle as potential for great personal, and even corporate growth. Just as the introduction of the wolves into the park forced the animals to spread out, the disruption brought greater growth and potential. So, along with that Yellowstone biologist, choose to see the potential from the struggle with disruptors as "a ripple of direct and indirect consequences throughout the ecosystem."
The Paradox of Purpose
Mosquitoes get a bad rap.
"It’s often said that mosquitoes serve no purpose other than to annoy humans. This is easy to believe as we are swatting away these bothersome insects while trying to enjoy the outdoors, but," according to the National Wildlife Federation, "it is not true."
There are over 3,500 mosquito species and not all of them bite humans, either because they don’t live in places that people frequent or because they prefer to feed on other animals.
Only some species are considered pests. But what purpose do mosquitoes actually serve?
Believe it or not, mosquitoes are pollinators. In fact, mosquitoes’ primary food source is flower nectar. Just like bees and butterflies, mosquitoes transfer pollen from flower to flower as they feed on nectar, fertilizing plants and allowing them to form seeds and reproduce. It’s only when a female mosquito lays eggs does she seek a blood meal for the protein. Males feed only on flower nectar and never bite.
Beyond pollination, mosquitoes are part of the food web, serving as important prey in both winged adult and aquatic larval form for several other wildlife, from dragonflies and turtles to bats and birds.
So, though annoying to us humans, like all species in existence, mosquitoes do have a purpose! It's paradoxical, but purpose nonetheless.
In Acts 6:8-8:3, believers were being a real nuisance to the establishment, specifically, Stephen. He stood as a bold witness, refusing to yield to the threats to just shut up and go away. Instead, he chose to humbly continue living out his calling and purpose.The powers that be swatted at him, sprayed him, cursed him, and finally smacked him dead ...
"At this they covered their ears and, yelling at the top of their voices, they all rushed at him, dragged him out of the city and began to stone him ..." (Acts 7:57-58, NIV).
But they weren't satisfied to try to squelch one annoying mosquito ...
"On that day a great persecution broke out against the church in Jerusalem, and all except the apostles were scattered throughout Judea and Samaria. Godly men buried Stephen and mourned deeply for him. But Saul began to destroy the church. Going from house to house, he dragged off both men and women and put them in prison" (Acts 8:1-3, NIV).
But the persecution did little more than to scatter those annoying believers ...
"Those who had been scattered preached the word wherever they went" (Acts 8:4, NIV).
Some would try to have us think that obeying the Lord and fulfilling our purpose makes life easier. Yet, while Scripture suggests fulfilling our purpose makes life simpler, Scripture does not suggest it makes life easier.
Fulfilling our purpose tends to attract negative attention from the world, the Devil and his demons. And just as with mosquitoes, they will try to swat at us, curse us, or just downright smack us dead,
But also like the mosqitoe, as annoying as we might be to the world, we have specific roles to play. Embrace your role!
Heaven Series--Surprise #7: The People We Will Find In Heaven
It’s hard to imagine a scene dripping with more irony than the one we find at Calvary. What is God doing on a cross, a symbol of shame and condemnation? Why does Jesus promise a place in Heaven to an undeserving thief hanging on the cross next to Him? And how is it possible that the High Priest of Israel, Caiaphas, would plot the death of Israel’s Messiah? The characters all appear to be bizarrely miscast.
There’s an important spiritual lesson to be learned from this upside down tale. When it comes to the outworking of God’s grace, don’t assume anything, and be prepared for paradox.
With this in mind, we turn our attention to a subject that should be of interest to all of us. Who among us will make it into Heaven? Should we anticipate surprises here, as well?
Our Odds Of Getting Into Heaven
There are few institutions more prestigious, more sought after, or that hold a higher standard for membership than Harvard. The Cambridge, Massachusetts, school only accepts about 5% of the extremely qualified people who apply for entrance. In fact, the president, Drew Gilpin Faust, has said, "We could fill our class twice over with valedictorians."
Understandably, most of us would never give a serious thought to our chances of being accepted into Harvard. And yet, the vast majority of people seem to think that they’re a shoo-in to get into Heaven! But does such an expectation make sense? After all, no institution, not even Harvard, can be said to be more prestigious or to hold a higher standard than Heaven.
So what does the Bible say about our chances of getting into Heaven? The straightforward answer is found in a passage from Paul’s epistle to the Romans, which reads, “For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God's glorious standard” (Romans 3:23, NLT). God has a benchmark, and we all fall short of it. All of us have sinned. Not one of us meets “God’s glorious standard.” That’s a 0% acceptance rate!
Of course, many will object to being called a “sinner.” But that’s only because they fail to understand how the Bible defines a sin. Put simply, a sin is any violation of any of God’s commands. The Apostle John wrote, “Everyone who sins is breaking God's law.” (1 John 3:4, NLT). So, if you have ever lied, or stolen, or taken God’s name in vain, to name just a few, you have disobeyed one (or more) of God’s commands; therefore, you are a sinner.
Also, you should know that sins of the heart are considered “real” sins. Jesus said, “But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart” (Matthew 5:8). So, if you have ever lusted after someone to whom you are not married, or held murderous hate in your heart, you have violated one (or more) of God’s commands; therefore, you are a sinner.
Finally, it’s important to understand that there is no hierarchy of sin so far as God is concerned. We tend to view some offenses as more weighty than others. It’s certainly true that some carry more grievous earthly consequences than do others. For example, adultery might destroy a whole family, while a lie that’s told to cover up a fault might not appear to hurt anyone.
But with God, every violation, no matter how minuscule it may seem, bears exactly the same spiritual consequence. Every sin causes a break in our relationship with God. In fact, the Bible says, “For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it” (James 2:10). If breaking any of God’s laws is equivalent to breaking all of them, then each one is of equal importance. The Law of God stands or falls as a unit. So, if you’ve ever broken any of God’s commands, whether in action or intent, you are guilty of violating all of them; you have fallen short of “God’s glorious standard;” therefore, you are a sinner.
On this basis, I think it’s safe to say that no one meets the standard of sinless perfection required to get into Heaven. But you might say, “Wait a minute! I know I’m not perfect, but I’m not a bad person. I’m better than most!” That’s great! But just because you are not as bad as you could be doesn’t mean that you are as good as you need to be. According to the Bible, no one, not a single one of us, is as good as we need to be!
But here’s the truly astounding thing: Despite the clear statements we find in the Bible on this topic, the most persistent misconception about Heaven is that it’s inhabited by people who deserve to be there! Exactly the opposite of what God has repeatedly said! Why is that? It seems that we are convinced that God is too loving to turn a well-intentioned person, like ourselves, away.
Certainly, God does love each of us. In fact, the Bible says, “God is love” (1 John 4:8). He is the origin and the essence of real love, so much so that God can’t be separated from love any more than love can be separated from Him. That would be like separating wet from water. To possess one is to possess the other. Likewise, to be separated from one is to be separated from the other (1 John 4:16). We can’t both hold God at bay and remain safe in the arms of His love.
This is why sin is so destructive. It causes a separation between the sinner and God, which means it also causes a separation between the sinner and divine love. That doesn’t mean that God stops loving us when we sin. But by separating ourselves from God, we lose contact with His love. Just as a river that has been cut off from its source is reduced to a series of stagnate puddles, so our capacity to love is dramatically diminished when we are cut off from the only true source of love—God Himself.
Proof of this is apparent when we compare how God loves to how people love. God’s love is unconditional; our love comes with strings attached. God’s love is free; our love must be earned. God’s love puts others first; our love puts self-interest first. God’s love never gives up on others; our love is impatient. God’s love never fails; our love gives way at the moment it’s most needed. God’s love is impartial; our love is highly selective.
God knows all too well that if He allowed us into Heaven as we are, His “glorious standard” would be destroyed and Heaven would be no different than the mess we find here on earth. He can’t allow that to happen! Real love doesn’t allow real love to be destroyed. Instead, it does something more wonderful than our "stagnate puddle" hearts can even begin to fathom.
Even though we have demonstrated that we habitually choose our own will over God’s, God has demonstrated that He loves us more than His own life. Jesus came to live in our place and to die in our place so that He might give His righteous life in exchange for our sinful lives.
By doing this, Jesus offers to reintroduce divine love into the life of every person who places their trust in Him for salvation. They become, as Jesus described it, newly born (John 3:3), having their capacity to experience and live in light of God’s love kindled.
The Apostle Paul summed things up when he wrote, "God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can't take credit for this; it is a gift from God" (Ephesians 2:8). Not a single soul who makes it into Heaven can take credit for it because this only happens as a gift of God’s grace.
So, which is harder to get into, Harvard or Heaven? The answer depends on how one applies. If you hope to get in based on personal merit, then Heaven is far more exclusive, far more difficult to get into than any human institution, including Harvard. The rate of acceptance for those who rely on their own merit is 0%!
If, however, you have placed your hope in Jesus as your personal Savior, then Harvard is much harder to get into than Heaven. The Bible says, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved." That’s a 100% matriculation rate!
So, don’t be surprised when you get to Heaven and you meet those who were prostitutes and prison inmates, drug dealers and derelicts, liars and lunatics. Anyone and everyone who admits their own inability to meet God’s holy standard, and humbly receives the gift of God’s grace, will be in Heaven.
Think of it! The very sins that disqualify us from earning a place in Heaven, actually serve to qualify us for the gift of God’s grace! Even though no one should be there, anyone could be there. That includes a thief who died on a cross! It also includes you and me!!