In this report, we will look closely at the phrase ‘dead works’ to provide a better understanding of what repentance is turning us away from and saving us from.
The purging of our conscience from dead works.
How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?
~ Hebrews 9:14 ~
We will also cover how in the repentance season, the man of sin and the mystery of iniquity begins to be revealed.
This is also the season where the sonship is learning what is NOT God.
Let us start by learning where first ‘dead works’ resides.
Dead works operate in death, which is also referred to as “the carnal mind”. In review of the apostle Paul’s teaching on this very subject, which is found in the book of Romans, let us start in verse five in chapter eight:
Romans 8 verses 5 – 8
5. For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit.
6. For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.
7. Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be.
8. So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God.
Death is a carnal mind (fleshly mind).
However, Paul does not end with those that are working after the flesh or being in the flesh.
But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.
~ Romans 8:9 ~
The Spirit Mind is (=) Life and Peace
Here is another witness of this work.
John 3:20, 21
20. For everyone that does evil hates the light, neither will come to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved.
21. He that comes to the Light does Truth (so what’s in the heart and mind can be revealed). But he that does truth comes to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God.
However, many believers that began in this season of the light shining into their darkness, will never allow the holy spirit (Light, Spirit of Wisdom & Understanding) to complete its work due to the unwillingness in mind and in heart to admit it’s working in darkness. Neither is there any willingness to allow the light of God to continue shining.
Hebrews 4: 12, 13
12. For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.
13. Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight: but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do.
We must first have a having a willingness to turn away from what God has shown and revealed what is evil in the imagination; what is not God, either in a belief system, preceptions, intents, or mindsets.
And GOD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.
~ Genesis 6:5 ~
The profession of knowing God but by dead works we could be denying the Lord.
Titus 1: 15, 16
15. Unto the pure all things are pure: but unto them that are defiled and unbelieving is nothing pure; but even their mind and conscience is defiled (why is the conscience defiled)?
16. (because, even though) They profess that they know God; but in (the dead) works they deny him, being abominable, and disobedient, and unto every good work reprobate.
It’s during the repentance season the mind and heart will either agree with what the Lord is revealing, or the heart of man will go into denial.
Hebrews 12:11-13
11. Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby.
12. Wherefore lift up the hands which hang down, and the feeble knees;
13. And make straight paths for your feet, lest that which is lame be turned out of the way; but let it rather be healed.
This revealer, this light of God, is by God’s Holy Spirit.
But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceeded from the Father, he shall testify of me.
~ John 15:26 ~
Purpose of the comforter (helper): To bring the heart and mind through repentance from dead works. When the Holy Ghost moves upon our conscience three applications are provided:
1. Reprove the world of sin (our conscience world within the heart revealing all the thoughts of foolishness, so that depart from our sins and return unto the Lord).
2. Reprove of righteousness (hearing the instruction of the Lord with understanding; the Lord is opening our ears to hear).
3. Reprove of judgment (the man of sin is being judged).
John 16: 7-11
7. Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you.
8. And when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment:
9. Of sin, because they believe not on me;
10. Of righteousness, because I go to my Father, and ye see me no more;
11. Of judgment, because the prince of this world is judged.
The season of repentance is when the man of sin is revealed. It’s the season when the mystery of iniquity is revealed. It’s the season of revealing the Son of Perdition. All these are spoken of by the apostle Paul in his epistle to the Thessalonians.
II Thessalonians Chapter 2 verses 1-10
1. Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him,
2. That ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand.
3. Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day (of Christ) shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition;
4. Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God.
5. Remember ye not, that, when I was yet with you, I told you these things?
6. And now ye know what withholdeth that he might be revealed in his time.
7. For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way.
8. And then shall that Wicked (one) be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming:
9. Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders,
10. And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved.
This report is telling us not to expect a revelation of Jesus Christ, until there is first a revealing of the man of sin (son of perdition).
Let’s review again verses two and three as its so easily overlooked:
II Thessalonians 2:2,3
2. That ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand.
3. Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day (of Christ) shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition;
Only when the man of sin is revealed is when we come to the knowledge that we’re working in the wrong state of mind. This is when we know what to turn from (the falling away) as it is revealed (or made plain) in us.
Picking back up the apostle Paul completed the theme from 2 Thessalonians chapter 2, which we had left off at verse 10.
Now let’s see how this thought ends he will confirm the end state of the man who has been shown the evil of his heart but refused to turn from these dead works. To those who did not receive the love of the truth, for this reason, God will now allow these states of mind to believe in their own lies.
2 Thessalonians 2:11,12
11. And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie:
12. That they all might be damned (no longer will receive light) who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness (decided to continue loving the carnal freshly understanding and continue with enjoying its evil desires and lust).
In this season the Knowing comes to what is sin, what is evil, that’s the enlightenment.
In the spirit of truth, works the spirit of wisdom. Without the Wisdom of God we have no way of decerning between good and evil and will increase in our hearts where we’ll continue to know the difference between good and evil.
John 3: 14-21
14. And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up:
15. That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life.
16. For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
17. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.
18. He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.
19. And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.
20. For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved.
21. But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God.
The fulfillment of this season results in us taking action against those things that God revealed to us. We now know what is not good and what our dead works actually are. The blessing is that this wisdom and light of God will remain with us as long as we continue walking in the light and obedience of God’s glory.
We will speak as Ephraim “What have I to do any longer with mine own idols”? Instead of being thorns unto the Truth, we’ll become a green fir tree unto the Lord.
Ephraim shall say, “What have I to do any more with idols? I have heard him, and observed him: I am like a green fir tree. From me is thy fruit found.
~ Hosea 14:8 ~
The glory of Lebanon shall come unto thee, the fir tree, the pine tree, and the box together, to beautify the place of my sanctuary; and I will make the place of my feet glorious.
~ Isaiah 60:13 ~
A Final Plea to Return to the Lord
Hosea 14: 1-9
1. O Israel (promised clean heart), return unto the LORD thy God; for thou hast fallen by thine iniquity.
2. Take with you words, and turn to the LORD: say unto him, Take away all iniquity, and receive us graciously: so will we render the calves of our lips.
3. Asshur shall not save us; we will not ride upon horses: neither will we say any more to the work of our hands, Ye are our gods: for in thee the fatherless findeth mercy.
4. I will heal their backsliding, I will love them freely: for mine anger is turned away from him.
5. I will be as the dew unto Israel: he shall grow as the lily, and cast forth his roots as Lebanon.
6. His branches shall spread, and his beauty shall be as the olive tree, and his smell as Lebanon.
7. They that dwell under his shadow shall return; they shall revive as the corn, and grow as the vine: the scent thereof shall be as the wine of Lebanon.
8. Ephraim shall say, What have I to do any more with idols? I have heard him, and observed him: I am like a green fir tree. From me is thy fruit found.
9. Who is wise, and he shall understand these things? prudent, and he shall know them? for the ways of the LORD are right, and the just shall walk in them: but the transgressors shall fall therein.
Last question to leave you with:
Instead of the thorn shall come up the fir tree, and instead of the brier shall come up the myrtle tree: and it shall be to the LORD for a name, for an everlasting sign that shall not be cut off.
~ Isaiah 55:13 ~
Say,
Son of Man,
I Am,
Your sign