“Beware of Debtor’s Ethic”

“Good deeds do not pay back grace; they borrow more grace.” John Piper

Can a bad motive spoil a good deed? Should we, Body of Christ, be concerned regarding motives in which we conduct ministry? Let me give you something to think about. I’ll refrain from offering my opinion so you won’t be influenced by my thoughts. How do we reconcile ostensible contradiction of Paul’s words in Philippians 1:14-19 and his words in first Corinthians 13:3?

Listen to Paul’s words written in a Roman prison, addressed to church at Philippi. “It’s true that some here preach Christ because with me out of way, they think they’ll step right into spotlight. But others do it with best heart in world. One group is motivated by pure love, knowing that I am here defending Message, wanting to help. The others, now that I’m out of picture, are merely greedy, hoping to get something out of it for themselves. Their motives are bad. They see me as their competition, and so worse it goes for me, better—they think—for them. So how am I to respond? I’ve decided that I really don’t care about their motives, whether mixed, bad, or indifferent. Every time one of them opens his mouth, Christ is proclaimed so I just cheer them on!” (The Message New Testament, Philippians 1:14-19) Now listen to Paul’s words written from Ephesus and sent to Corinthians as a letter. “If I give away all I have, and if I deliver my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing” (I Corinthians 13:3). Paul says here that any religious work done without a true motive of love is like doing nothing. How do we reconcile these two writings? (I’d like to hear your answer in a return mailing).

Since I brought up subject of motives, I’m going to relate it to another topic that I call “debtor’s ethic.” First, let me define term, “debtor’s ethic.” The debtor’s ethic has a deadly appeal to immature Christians. It comes packaged as a gratitude ethic and says things like: “God has done so much for you; now what will you do for Him? The Christian life is pictured as an effort to pay back debt we owe to God. The admission is made that we will never fully pay it off, but debtor’s ethic demands that we work at it. Good deeds and religious acts are installment payments we make on unending debt we owe God.

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