Grace Notes - Recognizing The Debtors Ethic

The free gift of God through the finished work of the cross is eternal life, this eternal life starts right here and now, the moment we believe in Christ and are united into him.

We are free to live in complete liberty, without guilt, condemnation, or fear of death from punishment from sin and the judgment of God for sin.

We can accept this free gift and live in the fullness of all it has or we can drift back into works as we try to please God through our works and efforts. One of the subtle traps the Devil uses to ensnare us back under the law is the ‘Debtors Ethic’ 

Rob Rufus explains how it is used and how it traps us.-

“In the church world, there is what I call a "Debtors Ethic". People say that if Jesus did so much for you - then you owe Him so much. No my friends - that is a total, demonic lie. You do not owe Him a thing!

Before you were saved, you owed Him everything. You owed Him on the ledgers of your sin - the wages of your sin - had built up a huge debt before God.

At the Cross Christ wiped that side of the ledger totally clean of all your debts and obligations, and sin and judgment was wiped clean! On the other side of the ledger, He wrote; "The righteousness of God in Christ Jesus freely given by grace!” It takes the obligation and the pressure off you to say I have got to do things for God - I owe, I owe, I owe, it's off to work I go! No! The "Debtor's Ethic" will suck you back into dead works that are not in faith!

There are missionaries in all kinds of parts of the world because of guilt because they are trying to pay Jesus back. They are not there with faith and they are dying and no-one is getting saved. Because they are just there - zealous without revelation knowledge.

It won't get any blessing in heaven because my friends when you know it is freely given that I am the righteousness of God in Christ and I am not paying Him back. I am living by the Spirit and lead by the Spirit and He will never lead me into sinful things. He is leading me into predestined things co-ordinated before the beginning of time - I am being led by the Spirit as a son or daughter of God. The Spirit is leading me to come to church, He leads me to read the Bible, He leads me to pray, to love God, to forgive your enemies, to live in joy, to prosperity, to success - as you walk by faith that I am the righteousness of God!”