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Rom 4:4
Now to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt.
KJV


 

Comments:

"Now to him that worketh"
In the mind of him that worketh, the reward is perceived to be of debt, rather than by the grace of God.  The person who thinks that salvation is something earned needs to take a prayerful and serious look at what Paul is teaching here.  For by grace ye are saved, it is the gift of God, (Eph 2:8).  When God sent His Son here to die in our place for our sin, a debt we can never repay was laid upon us.  The wages of sin is death. Our sin earned death for us.  Jesus came here and paid that debt so that we could have a hope of life.  We can't ever repay God or Jesus for that. 

If you sent your son to help save your enemy's life, and your enemy slew your son, and you accepted the death of your son, at the hands of your enemy, as punishment for the transgressions of your enemy, then what could this person possibly do to repay you for that?  Nothing.  So since your enemy can never repay you for the loss of your son, then what is the least this person could then do?  Serve you for life.  Paul could not have said it better in this very epistle:

Rom 12:1
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.
KJV

In our minds, we can never ever "reckon" or "consider" God to be in any way in debt to us for anything, no matter what we do, or how much good we may do in this life.  Jesus still had to die for us in order for us to live.   We owe Jesus our lives; the very least we could do is obey Him, (John 14:15).

Rom 12:3
"For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think..."
KJV

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