What is the Currency of Heaven?
Imagine stepping into a foreign land where the language, customs, and values differ from what you’re used to. We quickly learn the importance of currency exchange. But have you ever stopped to ponder what the currency of heaven is? Is it wealth, time, intellect, or success? Take a moment to reflect on this question. What would your closest companions say is the most valuable thing you have to offer?
In the bustling marketplace of life, where investments of money, time, knowledge, and identity are made daily, there exists a currency that defies conventional value. The currency of heaven cannot be earned, it can never be depleted, but it will cost us everything.
In the high priestly prayer of Jesus found in John 17:26, we discover a profound truth: “And I have declared unto them thy name, and will declare it: that the love wherewith thou hast loved me may be in them, and I in them.” Love existed before anything God created. The love of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit is the prayer that Jesus offers to all who will follow Him. Love, by its very nature, cannot be bought or earned. The moment we attempt to purchase it, it evaporates like mist. Picture trying to pay for an act of kindness – the essence of genuine love vanishes.
Love – Cannot Be Earned
God’s love stands as a testament to this principle. Romans 5:8 reveals, “But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” The pinnacle of love is demonstrated in the words of John: “In this was manifest the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him.” (1 John 4:9-10) The reason for this extraordinary display of love lies in the reality of sin, a force that drives a wedge between us and God, our fellow humans, and even our own souls.
The most renowned verse in history, John 3:16, unveils the heart of divine love: “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” The question arises – what had humanity done to deserve such an invaluable gift? The answer is in 1 John 4:8: “God is love.” This act of sacrificial love emanates from God’s very essence; He doesn’t choose love, He is love. When we become His children, love becomes our default response.
As God’s Children We:
1. Embrace God’s Love: Recognize that salvation is a gift, not something earned. Ephesians 2:8-9, “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.”
Love Others: Reflect God’s love by extending it to others. John 13:34-35, “A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples if ye have love one to another.”
Love – It Can’t Run Out
1 Corinthians 13, often read at weddings, is more than a guide for marital bliss; it’s a blueprint for Christ-like love within the church. This passage outlines love’s virtues, each attribute illustrating an aspect of divine love’s endurance and permanence.
Imagine a community marked by such love:
– Patience that doesn’t waver
– Kindness that never falters
– Humility that banishes jealousy and arrogance
– Selflessness that seeks the well-being of others
– A love that stands firm in the face of provocation and wrongdoing
– A love that remains steadfast through trials
This love is no fleeting emotion; it is not a transaction; it is a transformation.
The Church is Called to:
1. Embrace Biblical Love: Study 1 Corinthians 13 and evaluate how well your actions align with its attributes.
2. Practice Patience: Choose to love even when faced with challenges. Colossians 3:12, “Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering.”
Love – It Will Cost You Everything
In John 21:15, Jesus asks Peter a profound question: “Do you love me more than these?” This question strikes at the heart of whether we’re willing to exchange the safety of the familiar for the divine currency of heaven. Love requires sacrifice, and perfect love casts out fear (1 John 4:18-19).
When we consider the acts of love Jesus beckoned Peter toward, we see a calling beyond comfort. The call to follow Jesus may lead us into uncharted territory, mediating conflicts, reaching out to the marginalized, and even enduring persecution for the gospel’s sake.
Sacrificial Love Requires:
1. Embracing Sacrifice: Be willing to step out of your comfort zone to love and serve others. Mark 8:34, “And when he had called the people unto him with his disciples also, he said unto them, Whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.”
2. Overcoming Fear: Let perfect love conquer fear as you step out in faith to demonstrate Christ’s love. 1 John 4:18, “There is no fear in love, but perfect love casteth out fear.”
The Eternal Exchange
Visualize a bustling marketplace with traders from all walks of life. Each merchant displays their treasures, from gleaming gold to precious gems. Yet, amidst this spectacle, a simple cross casts a shadow that outshines all. This is the intersection of heaven’s currency – love – and humanity’s greatest need. The most extraordinary exchange occurs as sin meets boundless love as we stand before this cross.
As we stand in the shadow of Calvary, we find the heart of the divine currency – love. It’s not a transaction; it’s a transformation. Love isn’t a fleeting emotion; it’s an eternal commitment. While it may come at a cost, we remember that it cost Jesus everything. Romans 8:38-39 assures us, “For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
The currency of heaven, love, is the essence of eternity. It’s the foundation of our relationship with God and one another. In loving, we gain Christ, unbreakable relationships, and an eternal harvest of souls. Let your life be marked by this heavenly currency, and may it reflect the most incredible love story ever told.
Action Steps:
1. Surrender to Love: Yield your heart to the transforming power of God’s love. Romans 12:1-2, “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind.”
2. Love Fearlessly: Step beyond your comfort zone and love without reservation. 1 Peter 4:8, “And above all things have fervent charity among yourselves: for charity shall cover the multitude of sins.”
3. Share the Currency: Spread the wealth of heaven’s currency by sharing God’s love with others. Matthew 28:19-20, “Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you.”
Josh Cehulik 