Repentance from Dead Works
Notes
Transcript
Intro; Tonight as we continue our study in the doctrine of “Repentance”, we are going to be in one of the most unique books of the Bible, the Book of Hebrews. The uniqueness of this book is that it is written specifically to Jewish Christians who were in danger of apostasy.
Apostasy means to fall away from something;
1 Therefore we must give the more earnest heed to the things we have heard, lest we drift away.
2 For if the word spoken through angels proved steadfast, and every transgression and disobedience received a just reward,
3 how shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation, which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed to us by those who heard Him,
4 God also bearing witness both with signs and wonders, with various miracles, and gifts of the Holy Spirit, according to His own will?
Not only is this a unique book, we will be looking at probably the most unique and most controversial passage in this book, or maybe even in the entire Bible. The problem is the spiritual immaturity of the Jewish Christians. They were still acting like babes in Christ when they should be grown by now. And because of their spiritual immaturity, and in being persecuted following Christ, it seemed better to return to Judaism and be free from persecution than to continue to follow Jesus.
Text; Heb. 6:1-3
1 Therefore, leaving the discussion of the elementary principles of Christ, let us go on to perfection, not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God,
2 of the doctrine of baptisms, of laying on of hands, of resurrection of the dead, and of eternal judgment.
3 And this we will do if God permits.
Prayer
The writer of Hebrews says, “It’s time to grow up as Christians”, and one of the things that must be done is to move on from the “Repentance of Dead Works”, elementary principles of salvation!
To understand what “Dead Works” are we have to look at other works in the Scriptures.
1. Good Works; Mt. 5:16
1. Good Works; Mt. 5:16
16 Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.
The only people who can do good works that glorify God in heaven are those that are saved. Light shiners!
“Light shiners” aren’t put here to hide their good works but to to use them to glorify God!
3 And being in Bethany at the house of Simon the leper, as He sat at the table, a woman came having an alabaster flask of very costly oil of spikenard. Then she broke the flask and poured it on His head.
4 But there were some who were indignant among themselves, and said, “Why was this fragrant oil wasted?
5 For it might have been sold for more than three hundred denarii and given to the poor.” And they criticized her sharply.
6 But Jesus said, “Let her alone. Why do you trouble her? She has done a good work for Me.
7 For you have the poor with you always, and whenever you wish you may do them good; but Me you do not have always.
8 She has done what she could. She has come beforehand to anoint My body for burial.
9 Assuredly, I say to you, wherever this gospel is preached in the whole world, what this woman has done will also be told as a memorial to her.”
10 For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.
Good works don’t have the ability to save anyone, but one who is saved loves to do good works!
2. Evil Works; Eph. 2:1-3
2. Evil Works; Eph. 2:1-3
1 And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins,
2 in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience,
3 among whom also we all once conducted ourselves in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, just as the others.
Evil works are done by evil people, lost people, and the scripture said we were them at one time.
Evil works are motivated by the natural man who walks according to this worlds system. And this world system is motivated by “the prince of the power of the air”, Satan.
Do you know how Satan got control of this world? Man gave it to him in the garden. God gave it to man and man gave it Satan!
28 Then God blessed them, and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves on the earth.”
29 And God said, “See, I have given you every herb that yields seed which is on the face of all the earth, and every tree whose fruit yields seed; to you it shall be for food.
17 Then to Adam He said, “Because you have heeded the voice of your wife, and have eaten from the tree of which I commanded you, saying, ‘You shall not eat of it’: “Cursed is the ground for your sake; In toil you shall eat of it All the days of your life.
18 Both thorns and thistles it shall bring forth for you, And you shall eat the herb of the field.
19 In the sweat of your face you shall eat bread Till you return to the ground, For out of it you were taken; For dust you are, And to dust you shall return.”
If you are a child of God, there should be no desire for evil works!
3. Repent from Dead Works; 1
3. Repent from Dead Works; 1
Leaving- divorce, separate from
“Leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ” is literally “leaving the word of the beginning concerning Christ.”
Just like a builder leaves the foundation and goes onto putting up walls, roof, sheetrock, etc.. to complete the house, these Jewish Christians needed to leave the foundational facts of the Old Testament which are types of Christ [Messiah] in ritual, symbol and ceremony and go onto building their faith on the resurrected Savior!
There are six foundational facts mentioned here from the Old Testament concerning principles of Christ;
Repentance from dead works- works of the Mosaic Law. Trying to keep the law, breaking it and repenting over and over.
Faith towards God- The Old Testament ritual presented a faith in God by approaching Him through the temple sacrifices, not through Christ as High Priest.
Doctrine of Baptisms- washings in the OT rituals for cleansing or purification, [touching a corpse or dead animal, contagious skin infections, purification of a woman]. These have nothing to do with NT baptism
Laying on of hands- When a man brought an animal offering, he laid his hands on its head to signify his identification with it. The animal was taking his place on the altar of sacrifice. [Substitution]
Resurrection of the dead- taught in OT, but now they needed to come to the resurrection of Christ, the living Savior! [David’s child, Zarephath widows son, Shunammite’s son]
Eternal judgment- taught in the OT [Day of the Lord’s anger, wrath, the great and terrible Day of the Lord]
These are all types and shadows of things to come in Christ. Religious works and rituals cannot save your soul or find favor with God.
20 Therefore by the deeds of the law no flesh will be justified in His sight, for by the law is the knowledge of sin.
Paul is the perfect example of one to “Repent from Dead Works”
1 Finally, my brethren, rejoice in the Lord. For me to write the same things to you is not tedious, but for you it is safe.
2 Beware of dogs, beware of evil workers, beware of the mutilation!
3 For we are the circumcision, who worship God in the Spirit, rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh,
4 though I also might have confidence in the flesh. If anyone else thinks he may have confidence in the flesh, I more so:
5 circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of the Hebrews; concerning the law, a Pharisee;
6 concerning zeal, persecuting the church; concerning the righteousness which is in the law, blameless.
7 But what things were gain to me, these I have counted loss for Christ.
8 Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ
9 and be found in Him, not having my own righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith;
When a person puts his faith in Christ, he no longer relies upon good works, religious deeds or traditions in the Law to get himself to Heaven or to produce eternal life, for these are dead works. Those who have truly repented have stopped relying on their own good works for salvation and start growing in faith.
23 But before faith came, we were kept under guard by the law, kept for the faith which would afterward be revealed.
24 Therefore the law was our tutor to bring us to Christ, that we might be justified by faith.
25 But after faith has come, we are no longer under a tutor.
26 For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus.
17 Nor do they put new wine into old wineskins, or else the wineskins break, the wine is spilled, and the wineskins are ruined. But they put new wine into new wineskins, and both are preserved.”
Close;
If we are not growing spiritually, then there is something seriously wrong with our spiritual health. We either have a priority problem, an attitude problem, or a sin problem if we are not growing spiritually. Something is definitely wrong. God says, “Grow up!”
