REPENTANCE FROM DEAD WORKS

• What is REPENTANCE?

Repentance is deep sorrow and regret for a past sin, action, attitude or wrongdoing. To repent means to turn from your sin, wrong-doing, wrong attitude and now THINK RIGHT and DO RIGHT. It starts with changing your mind and your thinking, which should then lead to changing your actions. Some of us are quicker to do this than others.  Being quick to repent, when we realize we’re wrong, is the goal.

• What are DEAD WORKS?

Dead Works are any actions, deeds, attitudes or thoughts that are not in line with God’s Word, God’s will and God’s way for our life. Dead works of the flesh are known as sin. An example of DEAD WORKS is doing things to try and work our way to Heaven. Our works will be tried by fire in the end, and anything that we did to try and justify ourselves before God on our own merits are dead works. When we have an attitude of self-righteousness, that is a dead work.

Simply put, we need to repent from any ceremonial rituals, ordinances, religious rules or ways of thinking that attempt to justify ourselves before God apart from the one and only WAY, which is through the finished work of Jesus Christ. Through Christ and Christ alone are we made acceptable to God and righteous in His sight. There are not enough prayer beads or repetitious prayers or candles to light in all the world that can save us from our sin or get us into God’s good graces and favor. Receiving His beloved Son is the only way to be saved. Living for Him, trusting in Him and living a life that brings glory to Him is what pleases God.

Repentance from dead works is a vital foundational principle that we need to build our life on. We really need to “GET” this principle embedded deep in our understanding. It’s crucial to a victorious walk with God. We need to “get” the revelation that it’s all because of the mercy and grace of God through Jesus Christ that we have an inheritance that cannot be shaken nor taken away, even when we feel like we’ve failed the Lord, failed people, made mistakes, feel unworthy, feel lost, have a bad day, a bad year OR A BAD LIFE!  It is an ongoing process to learn to TRUST COMPLETELY in Christ and His finished work that makes us righteous with a righteousness that is not based on any of our own merits. This is a FOUNDATIONAL PRINCIPLE upon which we build our life in Christ. 

Repenting from dead works is an ongoing process in our walk with God. Understanding the foundation of our faith will help us to understand how doing good works that bring glory to God is different from doing dead works that bring glory to ourselves. Dead works open the door to a bad form of pride (which goes before destruction). Proverbs 16:18 says, “Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall.” Dead works can breed a haughty spirit too. God wants to keep us from falling into a destructive form of pride. Through prayer and studying God’s Word, the Holy Spirit will reveal to us the dead works that we need to repent of. Some will be more obvious than others.

Matthew 5:16
“Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.” Good works are done in a spirit of humility and bring glory and honor to God.

1 Corinthians 3:10–15 (KJV)
“According to the grace of God which is given unto me, as a wise masterbuilder, I have laid the foundation, and another buildeth thereon. But let every man take heed how he buildeth thereupon.

“For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ.

“Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble;

“Every man’s work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man’s work of what sort it is.

“If any man’s work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward.

“If any man’s work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire.

Here is an example of a simple prayer of repentance from dead works:

Heavenly Father, Thank You for showing me the thinking and actions in my life that need to change. I know You love me and want the very best for me. Forgive me for ______ and cleanse me from all unrighteousness and self-righteousness. I repent and turn from this sin of  ___________. Help me to think right and do right. Thank You for hearing and  answering my prayer. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.