Grace vs Works

So last night during our study in Romans we were asked why Paul says, "Now to him who works, the wages are not counted as grace but as debt." Specifically, why does he use the word debt? The more I think about it, those who try to earn salvation through works, such as those who say "I am above average," or "I do more good than bad" are missing the point! The law doesn't say what to do, but what NOT to do; and that's the key. There is no "salvation value," so to speak, in doing good. However! there is absolutely a negative value attributed to sin when it comes to salvation, or in this case, eternal damnation.

Everyone likes to use a "teeter-totter" measuring scale analogy with good deeds on one side and evil deeds on the other and they hope that when all is said and done, the good side weighs more than the evil. Unfortunately, there are assumptions that are incorrect in this analogy. So let me suggest the same analogy with different thinking. The scale starts balanced (this may or may not be biblical, but lets run with it as an assumption) and the final resting place has yet to be determined. Good deeds are WEIGHTLESS and no number of them stacked on the "good" side will ever move the scale. Bad deeds do have weight in God's Law. Therefore, as soon as one evil deed (sin) is committed, the scale plummets to the evil side. BUT THERE IS GOOD NEWS! while there is nothing that you can DO to flip the scale back to the "good side," Jesus Christ takes the sin off your scale AND declares you righteous and weighs down the "good side" of the scale. Hallelujah!