Choosing the way of the world or the way of the Lord. 

A timeless message about life’s true meaning.

Repentance from dead works.

Dead Works - Definition

The first of the elementary truths in Hebrews 6 is repentance from dead works. The writer does not say repentance from sin, but from dead works. The Bible speaks of three kinds of works: the works of the flesh, the work of the devil, and the work of God. There is only one work which lives and lasts forever and that is the work of God. What, then, is a dead work?

A dead work is anything a Christian ever does which is not initiated by God. If it is not initiated by God it will not be energised by God, and if not energised by him, will produce nothing for his glory.

Before a person becomes a Christian they are reliant on themselves, their own talents or abilities, or dependent on others. However, when God in his wonderful grace saves, we are totally dependent on him. What a simple but vital truth this is. How many mistakes and heartaches could be avoided if this truth were applied. Wrong plans, wrong financial decisions, wrong relationships and many wrong activities could be prevented by seeking God’s will and doing it.

Jesus is ‘the author and finisher of our faith’. If we ever want him to finish anything we do, we must ensure he begins it. Dead works can never produce life. One day Moses left the palace and saw an Egyptian and an Israelite fighting. With false zeal Moses slew the Egyptian and as a result had to flee the country. From a wrong motive King David ordered a national census of his troops which resulted in 70,000 men dying. As a result of impatience, Abraham married Hagar with Ishmael as the result.

If we ever want Jesus to finish anything we do, we must ensure he begins it.

Jesus, the Perfect Example

The Lord Jesus never did a dead work because in everything he did he was completely reliant on his Father, God. He said, “I tell you the truth, the Son can do nothing by himself; he can do only what he sees his Father doing, because whatever the Father does the son also does” (John 5:19).

Jesus would neither be pushed by people or by circumstances. When he attended a wedding at Cana, with the embarrassing situation of the hosts running out of wine, his mother Mary said to him, “they have no more wine”, to which he replied, “why do you involve me? My time has not yet come.” What did Jesus mean? He was saying that his Father had not yet told him to act.

A few minutes later the time did come and he performed his first miracle, not when Mary tried to push him but when God initiated his action. Later his brothers, who at that time did not believe in him, tried to persuade him to go to Jerusalem where all the crowds were gathering. Again he said, “The right time for me has not yet come”. He did go to Jerusalem - not when his brothers decided, but when God decided.

Why did Jesus not hurry to Bethany when he heard that his good friend Lazarus was sick? Did he not care? Of course he cared, but the circumstance did not dictate his action - only the revealed will and timing of God.

Repentance

We must ask ourselves, therefore, whether there are any dead works in our lives or whether we are doing anything which God did not start. Our activities, when initiated by him, will have his blessing, his power, his peace and the fulfilling of his purposes.

I suppose one of the most common dead works is worry or anxiety. I remember some years ago how the Holy Spirit convicted me of this particular dead work. I was involved in a national outreach programme and was facing many difficulties. I thought I was being very spiritual and ‘taking the burden’. I was meditating in Philippians 4:6, “Do not be anxious about anything…” The Lord showed me I was not taking the burden - but was worried to death. I had trespassed from the realm of God-given concern to anxiety. I had to repent and confess my sin of disobedience. If God says, “do not be anxious about anything” and I am anxious for something, I have sinned.

We must ask ourselves whether there are any dead works in our lives, or whether we are doing anything which God did not start.

There is only one way to get rid of sin and that is by confession, so I confessed my sin to the Lord. He forgave me and quickly brought the answer to the situation. Repentance is a change of mind and a change of attitude which leads to a change of action. For example, are you worried about anything? If so, you have been thinking wrongly, perhaps thinking you could solve the problem by yourself. A change is needed which involves the acknowledgment that without him we can do nothing, leading to a change of action as the psalmist exhorted, “Commit your way to the Lord. Trust also in him, and he will bring it to pass” (Ps 37:5, NKJV).

The word ‘commit’ means ‘to throw or to roll’. How wonderful it is to throw to him that situation which caused us to worry and trust him to resolve it. There is a wonderful promise in Proverbs 3:6, “In ALL your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.” All our ways: our personal life, marriage, children, relationships, work, service, everything - acknowledge him…he will direct.

Questions

1. How would you define a ‘dead work’? Give some biblical or personal examples.
2. What action should be taken to ensure that God initiates everything we do?
3. Can you think of any 'dead works’ in your life and what should you do now?
4. In what ways is Jesus the perfect example of doing the works of God?

This article is part of a series. Click here for previous instalments.