Tension

This response responds to a question from a blog reader.

 

The True Currency of Heaven: Grace at the Cross, Faith in Christ, and the Watermark of Obedience

Some of the most sobering and most liberating passages in Scripture sit side by side:

• “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom…” — Matthew 7:21
• “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” — Romans 10:13
• “If it is by grace, it is no longer by works…” — Romans 11:6

At first glance, these verses seem to pull in different directions. But place them beneath the shadow of the cross, and the tension resolves beautifully. They reveal the root, the response, and the evidence of true salvation.

And nothing illustrates this truth more vividly than counterfeit money.

 

1. Grace: The Only Real Currency — Minted in Blood

Every nation recognises its own currency. Anything else—even if convincing—will be rejected. Heaven is no different. Grace alone is the currency God accepts.

But this currency was not printed on paper; it was forged on the cross of Jesus Christ. His obedience was perfect, His righteousness spotless, His suffering sufficient, His resurrection victorious. Salvation cannot be earned, improved, or patched with human effort—any attempt to add works makes the note counterfeit. Grace + works ceases to be grace.

The cross proves it: salvation is all of His work, and none of ours.

 

2. Faith: The Empty Hand That Receives the True Note

Paul says, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” Faith is the empty hand extended to the One who has already paid the full price. It is not a ritual or a magic phrase—it is a cry of a bankrupt soul:

“I have nothing to offer. My righteousness is counterfeit. Only Christ can save me.”

Faith does not earn salvation; it receives salvation. It is the act of trusting the currency of grace that Christ produced at Calvary.

 

3. Obedience: The Watermark That Shows the Note Is Real

Matthew 7:21 warns that many will speak and act like believers—saying, “Lord, Lord,” performing religious duties, moving in Christian circles—but their faith is counterfeit. When Christ holds their profession to the light, the watermark of genuine transformation is missing.

Obedience does not save.
Obedience reveals.
True faith, empowered by the Spirit, produces lives that align with God’s will—not to earn salvation, but as proof that the cross has taken root in the heart.

 

4. The Cross That Changes Us: Repentance, Not Perfection

When the crucified Christ becomes our Treasure, sin loses its charm, and His will begins to become our delight. But this does not mean perfection suddenly blooms. The cross creates repentant people, not flawless ones.

We still stumble. We still wrestle with temptation. We still sin.
But the Spirit reshapes our desires: sins we once defended, we now grieve; habits we once excused, we now confess; temptations we once chased, we now drag to the foot of the cross.

Repentance becomes our daily rhythm, not a one-time event. Grace empowers the ongoing battle against sin. The counterfeit believer sins comfortably; the true child of God sins with grief and turns back to Christ continually.

 

5. God Disciplines His Children — Not the Counterfeit

One unmistakable sign of true salvation is the Father’s discipline. Hebrews 12:6 says:

“The Lord disciplines the one He loves…”

Discipline is not punishment—the punishment for sin was paid in full on the cross. It is proof of belonging. The true believer feels conviction, correction, and restoration, whereas the counterfeit feels no Fatherly hand.

Grace trains, refines, and restores. Sin no longer holds its charm, because the Spirit will not let His children remain in darkness. The counterfeit may drift without correction; the child of God will sense the Spirit’s tug, guiding them back to the cross.

 

6. The Three Verses United: Christ at the Centre

• Romans 11:6 — Grace is the currency forged at the cross.
• Romans 10:13 — Faith receives that currency by calling on Christ.
• Matthew 7:21 — Obedience is the watermark proving that the cross has taken hold.

The root is Christ’s work.
The hand that receives is faith.
The fruit is obedience.
The heartbeat is ongoing repentance.
And the glory belongs to Jesus alone.

 

Conclusion: Nothing but Christ

At the end of the age, when every soul stands before Him, the question will not be, “Did you work enough?” or “Did you perform well enough?” It will be, “Did you receive My Son?”

For those who have—those who cling to His cross, treasure His presence, repent daily under His mercy, bear the Spirit’s watermark—the verdict will echo through eternity:

“You are Mine.”

Not because we were perfect,
Not because we paid,
Not because our hands were strong.

Because He was, He paid, He is, and He continues to work in us.

The cross produces no counterfeits.
It produces children.

And every child bears the watermark of the Treasure: Christ Himself.

 

Grace to all who call upon the name of Jesus.

 

Signing off

 

Tyrone