We are blessed with Christ Himself. Scripture insists that we see ourselves as co-heirs with Christ, sharers in His inheritance and reward. This is not a transaction of fairness, nor is it something we could ever earn. It is the free gift of grace—nothing less, and nothing else.
Two Systems: Law and Grace
The Bible presents two utterly distinct systems of righteousness, each with its own currency. The first is the system of works, rooted in the Law. The second is the system of grace, received by faith. These two cannot be mingled; to attempt to do so is to destroy both.
The Law operates on a wage principle: “The man that does them shall live in them.” If you choose this system, you are bound to keep every command, perfectly and perpetually. The Law does not merely judge outward actions; it exposes the motives and desires of the heart. Break one point, and you stand guilty of all. The result is not blessing, but curse.
“For as many as are of the works of the Law are under the curse: for it is written, Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the Law to do them. But that no man is justified by the Law in the sight of God, it is evident: for, The just shall live by faith. And the Law is not of faith: but, The man that doeth them shall live in them.”
Galatians 3:10-12
This is not a hypothetical warning. To pursue righteousness or reward by the Law is to place yourself under a curse, because the Law demands a perfection you cannot supply. The Law’s wage system yields only punishment, never reward, for those who fall short—which is everyone.
Jesus Exposes the Futility of the Law
When Jesus spoke of reward in the Gospels, He addressed a people deceived by confidence in their own flesh and Law-keeping. They imagined that their works could qualify them for the Kingdom, and that inheritance could be secured apart from Christ Himself. Even when confronted with the reality that the promises belong to Christ alone, they persisted in seeking the Kingdom on their own terms—especially when they saw Him as the friend of sinners.
Jesus wielded the Law with precision, not to encourage self-improvement, but to strip away every false covering for sin. He exposed the heart’s corruption and left no room for self-justification.
“If I had not come and spoken unto them, they had not had sin: but now they have no cloak for their sin."
John 15:22
He made it plain: under the Law’s wage system, the only expectation is punishment, not reward.
“And that servant, which knew his lord’s will, and prepared not himself, neither did according to his will, shall be beaten with many stripes.
But he that knew not, and did commit things worthy of stripes, shall be beaten with few stripes. For unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required: and to whom men have committed much, of him they will ask the more."
Luke 12:47-48
What Is Lost If You Accept the Error
If you insist on mixing grace and works—if you try to secure justification, inheritance, or reward by your own effort—you lose everything. Grace is nullified, and works cannot save. The inheritance is forfeited, because it is only given to those in Christ by faith. The very foundation of sonship and assurance is destroyed, and you are left with nothing but the Law’s curse and the impossibility of ever being justified.
The Only Way: Grace Through Faith
Paul is unyielding: justification secures not only eternal salvation, but also the reward and inheritance. This is not of debt, but of grace. The two systems—grace and works—are mutually exclusive. To attempt to combine them is to obliterate both.
“And if by grace, then is it no more of works: otherwise grace is no more grace. But if it be of works, then is it no more grace: otherwise work is no more work.”
Romans 11:6
The inheritance is not a wage for your service. It is Christ Himself—His portion, given freely to those who are joined to Him by faith. Because you are in Him, the reward is already yours. Your future is secured, not by your performance, but by His finished work.
Do not be deceived: the Law is not of faith. To look to the Law is to forfeit grace, sonship, and inheritance. But to rest in Christ is to possess all things, now and forever.
