How much do I owe you?

I read the 14^th chapter of John today and read John 14:27. At one point Jesus says,

“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives.“

I have read this so many times and today it jumped off the pages into me.

The phrase popped in my mind, “We do not owe Him.” What does this mean?

Romans 3:24 says our justification is given freely. We are justified. Moreover, in Christ, we ARE HIS Righteousness. His actual nature.

In Ephesians 4:7 it says, “But unto every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ.”

If someone gives me a gift I am not obligated to repay the gift. Otherwise, it is not a gift, but an obligation, Rom. 4:4.

In John 14:15, Jesus says, “If ye love me, keep my commandments.” This could easily sound like an debt of obligation, but it isn’t.

Isaiah 28:10 says, “For precept [must be] upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, [and] there a little:” 1 Tim. 2:15 says, “Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.”

So, if I rightly divide the word and read in 1 John 4:19 which says, “We love him, because he first loved us.” And in 1 John 4:8 (NIV), “Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.” Then I have a better understanding of John 14:15. I love God if I know He loves me which implies I know Him as well.

So, if I give anything to Him it is because of His love and power He has unveiled in me and because He has revealed Himself to me. In this revealing, His grace enables me to give freely. Grace enables to give and not owe. This grace is the power to those who believe, Eph. 1:19.

This grace comes by revelation. Revelation comes by grace. Revelation comes by hearing and hearing the word of God, Rom. 10:17.

John 14:26 says, “But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.”

We do not walk in the Spirit by our understanding, but we have understanding by His faith, Heb. 11:3.

We do not and cannot walk in the Spirit by obligation. This is not truth. We do not walk by sight. We walk by faith, Rom. 1:17.

Jesus is the gift given to us freely by the Father because He is love, John 3:16. His will is that all men be made triunely whole, be found in Christ, and come to the knowledge of His Son, 1 Tim. 2:4.