Does God owe people heaven because of the good things they have done?
No. God is never in debt to anyone, including a righteous man like Abraham. Salvation is not a reward for works or human effort; attempting to merit favor places the reward under debt rather than grace, and Scripture says that path yields death. Heaven is given by grace through faith, not owed.
Les explains that in Romans 4, the one who works is not reckoned of grace but of debt, and ultimately death. The human race still tries to put God in debt by saying, “God, I’ve done all this and that; You owe it to me to let me into Your heaven.” Les says no, God does not owe any man anything, not even a righteous man like Abraham. All are sinners by being born from Adam, and the only remedy is the gospel: Christ died, was buried, shed His blood, and rose from the dead. When we believe, as when God saw Abraham believe, God imputes His righteousness to us—none of our own, all of His.