Jehovah's Witnesses Straight Talk - Forum/Blog

Repentance From Dead Works

Heb.6:1 Therefore leaving the doctrine of the first principles of Christ, let us press on to perfection--not laying again a foundation of repentance from dead works, of faith toward God, 6:2 of the teaching of baptisms, of laying on of hands, of resurrection of the dead, and of eternal judgment. 6:3 This will we do, if God permits.

Are we as Christian's to be constantly repenting for not meeting the commandments of God? This is a simple but profound question each of us must face at some point in our relationship with God. Many would not consider their walk with God as being in a constant state of repentance from dead works, but most Christian's today find themselves in the state of repentance from dead works. So we must understand the context of the writers of Hebrews above, in what is repentance from dead works, and the answer might just surprise you?

First Dead Works

Gen.2:15 Yahweh God took the man, and put him into the garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it. 2:16 Yahweh God commanded the man, saying, "Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat; 2:17 but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, you shall not eat of it; for in the day that you eat of it you will surely die."

Let us take much of the mystery or enigma out of this subject. Adams sin caused his life and his works to be dead too God/YHWH. Sin alienates one from God and brings a person into death, the converse of life. Hence, death of sin can only produce more death. In other words, if one goes to a dead body they will not get any works for the living out of it; the body is dead, and incapable of working in the world of the living. Thus, we as humans are under sin, our works are dead to God because He is a living God without death/sin, He is the God of the living and not the dead.

Matthew 22:32 'I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob?'{Exodus 3:6} God is not the God of the dead, but of the living."

John 4:10 Jesus answered her, "If you knew the gift of God, and who it is who says to you, 'Give me a drink,' you would have asked him, and he would have given you living water."

The world and all the works in it are dead in darkness to God, its works are alienated from the life giving Spirit of God because of sin which separates us from God. However, before Adam sinned, he was in the light of God, having daily communion with God making him alive by God's righteous Spirit. Moreover, he was able to do living works for God.

But once he sinned, he was put out of the living works of God received through communion of God's Holy Spirit into his own works outside the works of God which was the garden of Eden into thorns and thistle of his own ways. Plagued as it were with the works of his own god's hands, that is, himself to live without the blessings of God. Instead, Adam must bless himself through his own efforts, which were his own hard work to take care of his newly formed godship.

Hence, dead works would be any work not of God, and from sin, but how can we say this?

Psalms 92:5 How great are your works, Yahweh! Your thoughts are very deep.

Dead Works From Law

The context of the writer of Hebrew's words about repentance from dead works is regarding the law of Moses, not what most Christian's think. Dead works under the law means a person was not atone for by the blood making them righteous before God, or they could not do the works of the law within Israel as a fellow citizen of the nation.

Isaiah 41:29 Behold, all of them, their works are vanity and nothing. Their molten images are wind and confusion.

The law did not declare them righteous, it declared them dead in sin, and in their works, the works of their hands. Thus, they needed redemption from sin in order to do the works of God, which as stated, at this point in history of God working with his people would have been in the nation of Israel under his laws.

Jeremiah 1:16 I will utter my judgments against them touching all their wickedness, in that they have forsaken me, and have burned incense to other gods, and worshiped the works of their own hands.

The blood cleanse them from sin against the law, allowing them a right standing before God to preform works of law within Israel. In other words, works that God could say were his works which were good and blessed of God. But on the other hand, if they tried to stand before God in their own righteousness, which would mean, saying they were proved righteous by works of law without the blood of innocent animals atoning for their sins, they had made themselves a god, like Adam had done, and they would be cursed by the law, not declared righteous by it, hence living outside of God's blessing.

Jeremiah 17:5 Thus says Yahweh: Cursed is the man who trusts in man, and makes flesh his arm, and whose heart departs from Yahweh.

Subsequently, the blood was a heart condition of truth, if one had blood shed for their sins, but had no faith in it saving them, it was meaning less, they were in dead works, because they were not considered alive before God still having sin for lack of faith. Their works were also dead in this condition because they could not keep God's law without putting faith in the redemptive power of innocent blood God had provided for them, nor could they keep his commandment's by self-effort without the blood being shed.

The nation of Israel lacked faith, they put faith in the law, but not in the blood thinking it was acts or works towards the law that made them righteous, but it was not. In other words, the law could not become a perfunctory ritual it had to come from the truth of the law declaring one a sinner needing God mercy upon the Altar which was the blood shed for their sin, by faith!

Malachi 3:9 You are cursed with the curse; for you rob me, even this whole nation.

Repentance from dead works was going to the altar of God yearly having ones sins against works of law atone for, this is the context of the book of Hebrews. Where the writer makes the point of the superiority of the New law, that is, the new covenant, love, against the inferiority of the Old law where one had to repent from dead works yearly, by shedding blood.

Hebrews 10:1 For the law, having a shadow of the good to come, not the very image of the things, can never with the same sacrifices year by year, which they offer continually, make perfect those who draw near.

Dead Works of The New Covenant

Here we have a shocking dichotomy, a complete contradiction in terms. There are no dead works in the New Covenant, did you know that? Christian's cannot repent from dead works, not unless they go back under the old law which is now dead in Christ.

Hebrews 10:20 by the way which he dedicated for us, a new and living way, through the veil, that is to say, his flesh.

Hebrews 9:14 how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without blemish to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?

Once more this is the real context of the apostle Paul's words here in Hebrews, not what most religions teach on this subject, which is, repenting constantly for sinning against commandments of God, or their religion. These words are not an apostasy they are rather the truth of Christ own precious life shed for us upon the Altar of God once for all times.

Romans 9:26 "It will be that in the place where it was said to them, 'You are not my people,' There they will be called 'children of the living God.'"{Hosea 1:10}

To repent constantly mean we have no faith in the blood of Christ Jesus, we don't believe he removed our judgment, we are thus our own righteousness in teaching works of law, claiming this makes us righteous, which is our own efforts in meeting some rule of law found in our bible or religion.

John 6:57 As the living Father sent me, and I live because of the Father; so he who feeds on me, he will also live because of me.

This mystery profoundly misleads most Christian's into the yeast of sin based upon laws that convict sins. If a body is dead because of sin, if one uses the dead bodies laws, it will create nothing more than death through sin. What comes from sin is sin, what comes from life is life, one must receive life outside of themselves to be sinless. The law convicted all Israel of sin it could not be kept by sinners, it could be kept only by a sinless person. A person of Israel as a sinner could not kill the power of the law over them, so a life must be given to kill the power of judgment through the law, this being done year to year, but it perfected nothing in taking sin out of a person.

Romans 8:10 If Christ is in you, the body is dead because of sin, but the spirit is alive because of righteousness.

1 Corinthians 15:56 The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law.

Christ killed once for all time the power of the law over Christian's and its conviction of us, by his precious blood. We do not kill the Christ each day, we do-not go too God asking him to shed the blood of Christ because we had a bad day in sinning against one or more of God's commandment(s)

Romans 8:2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus made me free from the law of sin and of death.

This is the context of Hebrew in repenting from dead works, it is just the start of our Christian's faith, a foundation, a first doctrine we learn in coming to Christ in repentance from our life without Christ and God. Than we move on from here, if God permits, into a complete understanding of the power of the New Covenant in Christ.

Hebrews 9:28 so Christ also, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time, without sin, to those who are eagerly waiting for him for salvation.

Hebrews 10:10 by which will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.

Power of The New Covenant

1 Peter 3:18 Because Christ also suffered for sins once, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring you to God; being put to death in the flesh, but made alive in the spirit.

The power of the new covenant can only be understood by what it did when compared to puny efforts of humans. The Kingly law of YHWH is love, it is the law Adam sinned himself away from, it is the law Christ will restore to the human race.

1 Corinthians 2:9 But as it is written, "Things which an eye didn't see, and an ear didn't hear, which didn't enter into the heart of man, these God has prepared for those who love him."{Isaiah 64:4}

Romans 11:33 Oh the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and the knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past tracing out!

But for this to happen God removed heavens and earth, replacing both with a New Heavens, and a New Earth under the law of love. In context to the book Hebrews and Christ own teaching those heavens where mankind went for instruction was the Old law, specifically, the nation of Israel whom Christ was sent. Their earth was the temple, and its service which administer God's righteous law by blood into ever facet of Jew's life. Nothing outside of this heavens and earth was alive to God, or for a Jew. Life came through the law, which means, God's righteous was expressed through the law, that is, life. To find eternal life one had to be declared righteous by faith in the blood under the old covenant, this was God's paradise for Israel, a place a person could partake of fruits of life the law.

Romans 10:4 For Christ is the fulfillment{or, completion, or end} of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes.

Matt.5:17 "Don't think that I came to destroy the law or the prophets. I didn't come to destroy, but to fulfill. 5:18 For most certainly, I tell you, until heaven and earth pass away, not even one smallest letter{literally, iota} or one tiny pen stroke{or, serif} shall in any way pass away from the law, until all things are accomplished. 5:19 Whoever, therefore, shall break one of these least commandments, and teach others to do so, shall be called least in the Kingdom of Heaven; but whoever shall do and teach them shall be called great in the Kingdom of Heaven.

Christ completed these heavens and earth for the Jewish faith by his righteous blood, those heavens and earth, were completed in every jot and tittle by the sinless life of Christ. Christ fulfilled the old covenant, and/or contract by paying it off. Hence, paying the price needed to remove the demands of that contract over Israel and us, as Christian's once for all time.

Heb. 10:1 For the law, having a shadow of the good to come, not the very image of the things, can never with the same sacrifices year by year, which they offer continually, make perfect those who draw near. 10:2 Or else wouldn't they have ceased to be offered, because the worshippers, having been once cleansed, would have had no more consciousness of sins? 10:3 But in those sacrifices there is yearly reminder of sins.

Heb.10:9 then he has said, "Behold, I have come to do your will." He takes away the first, that he may establish the second, 10:10 by which will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.

In other words, this is something so profound that no human can comprehend such an actions by God without faith in God's, and his love. It makes no since that something as righteous as the law of God would removed from off of us in favor of God's love expressed too us in undeserved kindness.

It would be like saying that a nation which convicts people of every vile crime against the State has removed its laws in favor of love for convicted person.

Were the States law unrighteous, no! Were the laws bad? No! But people could not be restored to citizenship if the State does not act in removing the laws convicting a person of crimes against the State. Nothing human can imagine such an actions are unbelievable, and neither could the Jews at Christ words.

Ephesians 2:13 But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off are made near in the blood of Christ.

This is the power of the New Covenant, which without faith a person cannot be declared righteous by it. Now perhaps you might understand the words “undeserved kindness of God”. Moreover, the words unmerited love takes on real meaning if you have faith in God's love towards you.

Ephesians 4:10 He who descended is the one who also ascended far above all the heavens, that he might fill all things.

2 Corinthians 8:7 But as you abound in everything, in faith, utterance, knowledge, all earnestness, and in your love to us, see that you also abound in this grace.

2 Corinthians 8:9 For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, that you through his poverty might become rich.

Those in the new covenant are dead to sin, do not be confused here, this is the power of the new covenant that Christ conquered death and Hades for us. Both were soundly defeated by his completion of God's righteous law for us.

Romans 12:3 For I say, through the grace that was given me, to every man who is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think reasonably, as God has apportioned to each person a measure of faith.

Hebrews 9:15 For this reason he is the mediator of a new covenant, since a death has occurred for the redemption of the transgressions that were under the first covenant, that those who have been called may receive the promise of the eternal inheritance.

Revelation 1:18 and the Living one. I was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore. Amen. I have the keys of Death and of Hades{or, Hell}.

In other words, the King Jehovah God removed our judgment by the precious blood of Christ restoring us to citizenship under a new heavens and earth where Christ righteousness dwells. Now we can do the works of God because God declare us righteous outside of our sinful minds and body by allowing Christ to indwell us by Holy Spirit.

Philippians 3:20 For our citizenship is in heaven, from where we also wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ.

No Dead Works In Christ

Let us be clear here, there are no dead works in Christ, seems simple enough, but is not? Christ is life, but what life? He is called the eternal, that is, the eternal life, which implies no death exist in Christ. What caused death to the eternal life given Adam, sin! Hence, those in Christ must be sinless, but they cannot be sinless without God removing their judgment. Hence, God removed the thing judging us by Christ becoming our life, i.e. taking our judgment. Christ ran the race of life completing it, he than shares his life and the race with us, which in turn allows our judgment to removed, or not account against.

Ephesians 2:15 having abolished in the flesh the hostility, the law of commandments contained in ordinances, that he might create in himself one new man of the two, making peace;

2 Timothy 1:10 but has now been revealed by the appearing of our Savior, Christ Jesus, who abolished death, and brought life and immortality to light through the Good News.

So lets put this profound subject into the simplest form we human can identify with. If the State removes our deserved judgment by its laws, acquits us from its conviction of the law, does our hand on our body receive the acquittal also? Will, of course it does! Subsequently, if we become a part of Christ body, we receive God's completion of the law, our acquittal as a member therein of Christ perfect life without sin.

Romans 7:4 Therefore, my brothers, you also were made dead to the law through the body of Christ, that you would be joined to another, to him who was raised from the dead, that we might bring forth fruit to God.

However, we must take this subject past the law into the Kings law, the Royal Law of love into its full limit. Using the same analogy, knowing we are not deserving of an acquittal by our good efforts, but rather by the States benevolence in applying the laws impartially to all under the State sovereignty, we then cannot prove we are worthy of such kindness, it is rather the law that is good, not us. We have but two choices, we can deceive others that we are special believing secretly that we did deserve such an acquittal, and/or show our appreciation and love for the States kindness.

Romans 7:12 Therefore the law indeed is holy, and the commandment holy, and righteous, and good.

Romans 7:13 Did then that which is good become death to me? May it never be! But sin, that it might be shown to be sin, by working death to me through that which is good; that through the commandment sin might become exceeding sinful.

Moreover, if we continually go to the State applying for acquittal over and over again after being acquitted, when the laws has removed are judgment, we are doing dead works, of no point, the State cannot enact a specific law just for us, nor will it rescind its decision because of our lack of faith in its acquittal of us by its law. The legal judgment made by the State stands, it applies too all those convicted of a crime, without partiality.

Romans 9:32 Why? Because they didn't seek it by faith, but as it were by works of the law. They stumbled over the stumbling stone;

Romans 10:4 For Christ is the fulfillment{or, completion, or end} of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes.

Human wisdom under religious doctrine amends the New Covenant into degrees of sin, atone for, instead of once for all time by Christ blood, they refined the law of love applying it again to sin acquitted by Christ precious life once for all time. This conduct proves to be nothing more than repentance from dead works, which is gone in Christ two thousand's years ago, a first doctrine of the Christ. In other words, God goes beyond human wisdom, he freely forgives us, he removed our deserved judgment “once for all times”. He does not each time we sin bring back the law back convicting us of sins again to reestablish the law removed in Christ once for all times.

Matt.7:1 "Don't judge, so that you won't be judged. 7:2 For with whatever judgment you judge, you will be judged; and with whatever measure you measure, it will be measured to you.

In other words, our judgment in Christ is dead, but why?

The Death of Sin Dead Works

Lets get back on track, sin is dead to God and Christ, all things from a person having sin is dead including their thinking and works. Adam works after sinning were dead to God, he must suffer the consequence of the fruitage of his own works. That is simple enough, but many miss this point. When Adam chose for himself good and evil as his own god, than he is judged to live the truth of his own fruitage of his ways, and works.

Matt.7:15 "Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly are ravening wolves. 7:16 By their fruits you will know them. Do you gather grapes from thorns, or figs from thistles?

God was no longer involve, Adam was created with a free will, God did not go against the law of love, which created Adam, and take his free will. In other words: “if you want to live a certain way that's your choice I will not make you serve me, because that against the law of love”.

John 14:15 If you love me, keep my commandments.

But Adam was not a god, so his works were based on untruth which is, there is no life outside of the source of living God YHWH. Christ Jesus is now life, the eternal life, so sin and death are defeated, once for all times in Christ. Dead works (from sin) no longer exist for those in Christ. Thus, they cannot repent from something paid off by Christ, it is a misnomer to teach something that does not exist in eternal life, but why?

John 5:24 "Most certainly I tell you, he who hears my word, and believes him who sent me, has eternal life, and doesn't come into judgment, but has passed out of death into life.

We must as Christian's live in life, not the past of our sins, we must comprehend we are “dead” to sin, because we are “in Christ”! Either the law is completed, which abolishes our judgments of our flesh or our sinful flesh is still alive too Christ? Hence our judgment, which is it? Nevertheless, we still sin, so we must repent right?

If a Christian's cannot divorce themselves from the emotion of proving they are righteous by works of some law on earth, they cannot move on into the point of all truth, instead they remain in dead works in the worship of self, as a god, by not giving the worship rightfully belonging Christ Jesus which has been given too him by his Father upon his glorification. The center of all God's plans and purposes is Christ and by our faith in God's center piece of life we are supplied all things for this life, what does this mean?

Col.1:18 He is the head of the body, the assembly, who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence. 1:19 For all the fullness was pleased to dwell in him; 1:20 and through him to reconcile all things to himself, by him, whether things on the earth, or things in the heavens, having made peace through the blood of his cross (stake, tree.).

It is the confession of our sins, to each other and Christ that we are healed by love, the new covenant, and not the old covenant. It is not sheding of the blood of Christ over and over again from our dead works which completes God's laws towards us. It is rather the sinless blood of Christ removing our judgment once for all times!

1 Peter 4:8 And above all things be earnest in your love among yourselves, for love covers a multitude of sins.

This faith, and/or process kills the fleshly mind which loves judgment, and cannot understand how we are to forgive not once, but up to seventy seven times a day if our brother ask us to forgive them. This capacity is beyond the fleshly mind set upon dead works and repentance. It requires complete faith in God and Christ to freely forgive others. Moreover, its teaches us how unrighteous our fleshly thinking is when compared to truth of God's love.

Subsequently, if there is not law against there can only be the of love which we have to forgive our brothers and sister by.

1 John 3:14 We know that we have passed out of death into life, because we love the brothers. He who doesn't love his brother remains in death.

1 John 3:16 By this we know love, because he laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers.

Tree of Life, no Evil Fruit

Evil fruit what are theyt? Most Christian's religion(s) teach going against God in teaching apostasy, but that's not the context of evil fruit. Evil fruit comes from sin, that is, dead works. Evil is not defined by God in better sins and worst sins, sin is death, causing death, (evil) rather that is looking at a woman with lust in ones heart, or murdering someone, both produces but one thing in God's judgment of sin, death!

Jer.17:5 Thus says Yahweh: Cursed is the man who trusts in man, and makes flesh his arm, and whose heart departs from Yahweh.
17:6 For he shall be like the heath in the desert, and shall not see when good comes, but shall inhabit the parched places in the wilderness, a salt land and not inhabited. 17:7 Blessed is the man who trusts in Yahweh, and whose trust Yahweh is.

Adam's evil fruit was not teaching against God, but his willful choice not to serve God for his wife's love. The evil Adam did was not something calculated into killing the entire human race, which would yet come from his loins, but it became the fruitage of his own dealings, that is, his independent thinking unwittingly.

Romans 5:12 Therefore, as sin entered into the world through one man, and death through sin; and so death passed to all men, because all sinned.

The tree of life has no evil fruit which is common sense, but when confused with works of law its not so easy understood, for this reason we must unconfuse simple bible teachings. When Christ made the statement about no good tree has evil fruit that just what he meant, and conversely, when he said a corrupt tree cannot produce good fruit that exactly what he meant.

Matt. 5:37 But let your 'Yes' be 'Yes' and your 'No' be 'No.' Whatever is more than these is of the evil one.

Matt.7:16 By their fruits you will know them. Do you gather grapes from thorns, or figs from thistles? 7:17 Even so, every good tree produces good fruit; but the corrupt tree produces evil fruit. 7:18 A good tree can't produce evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree produce good fruit.

Human's under sin use a different standard of judgment they state: “if I do good works/fruits it justifies the evil one I done!”. But Christ says that standard is a lie! This is not God's standard of evil, evil once again, is all sin, because all sin ends in the ultimate condition of death. Hence, we have unraveled the mystery of dead works that have mislead the entire human race since Adams sin.

1 Corinthians 15:26 The last enemy that will be abolished is death.

1 Corinthians 15:56 The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law.

We have defined works of law as gaining meritoriously salvation, which are evil works, and are dead works to the tree of life. Now reason here, basic truth? Does God condone sin? No! How does God deal with sin? He atones for it, by righteous blood, do you really grasp this concept?

If a Christian's produces good fruit, it has to be through the life of Christ, the tree of life, why? Because there is only one sinless tree, an we apart of him as branches therein receiving the life of the tree as its fruits and not our own. Now reading again Christ words, which will make perfect sense too you about false prophets, what did Satan convince Eve of, was it not life without God?

Rom.15:4 Remain in me, and I in you. As the branch can't bear fruit by itself, unless it remains in the vine, so neither can you, unless you remain in me. 15:5 I am the vine. You are the branches. He who remains in me, and I in him, the same bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.

So whom must we become apart of removing our godship putting it to death in our sinful flesh, which is our independent thinking four us to do the works of God, and no longer produce dead works from sin? But here we find the greater number boasting in themselves because they do not have the Christ, what does it mean to have the Christ, is it a word repeated over and over again by Christian's, is it a ministry by doing many good works for others, does this give us the Christ?

Titus. 3:1 Remind them to be in subjection to rulers and to authorities, to be obedient, to be ready for every good work, 3:2 to speak evil of no one, not to be contentious, to be gentle, showing all humility toward all men. 3:3 For we were also once foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving various lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful, and hating one another. 3:4 But when the kindness of God our Savior and his love toward mankind appeared, 3:5 not by works of righteousness, which we did ourselves, but according to his mercy, he saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit,
3:6 whom he poured out on us richly, through Jesus Christ our Savior; 3:7 that, being justified by his grace, we might be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life.

No it does not! One must have the life of Christ indwelling them as part of the tree of life making them sinless by the trees life in order for their works to be the works of God, and not dead works. Most of what is done by organized religion is dead works in using the bible as a law book and performing works under the name of God/Jehovah's and or Christ claiming them to be God's works, but when such works fail as they always do what do those claiming the truth do?

Luke 6:45 The good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings out that which is good, and the evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart brings out that which is evil, for out of the abundance of the heart, his mouth speaks.

They compare their works against the good things they have done justifying the evil ones from sin. Furthermore, if they are particularly evil in sin they compare themselves against another religion or human to justify their bad works as at least better than theirs. This thinking is evil, from Satan first lie, it is self-justification from unrighteous fleshly mind, dead to Christ. Once we fully understand this truth in the body of Christ we can judge ourselves correctly no longer sleeping in spiritual death, allowing Christ in removing our judgment to heal us from all self-rightness.

1John 5:20 We know that the Son of God has come, and has given us an understanding, that we know him who is true, and we are in him who is true, in his Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God, and eternal life.

Completed: November 17, 2013