In his allegory “The Pilgrim’s Progress from This World to That Which Is to Come,” John Bunyan portrays the Christian’s searchings and inner struggles in the course of his spiritual growth. On his way from the City of Destruction to the narrow gate, Bunyan’s hero, whose name is Christian, has to pass through the “Slough of Despond.” Because he does not look ahead and pays no attention to where he steps, Christian sinks into the mire. A man named Help comes and pulls him out of the mud. A conversation follows between the two, in which Christian asks: “If the way to the narrow gate passes through here, then why is this miry place not drained, so that travelers may journey through safely?” Help’s answer is that attempts to do just this have been made continually over the last 2,000 years, but because of the feelings of fear, bewilderment, and despair that arise in the sinner’s soul when he becomes aware of the dreadful condition he is in as a slave of sin, every effort in this direction has proved unsuccessful. Even so, “by the special, high command of the Sovereign, several sound steps have been set in the middle of the mire.” These steps, however, are covered by the murky water of the slough and can barely be seen; and even when they are seen, as people try to follow them, they grow dizzy, they step crooked, and they get muddy. What I would like to show you in this teaching are precisely those steps on which the sinner may tread on his way to the “narrow gate,” so that he does not fall into the “Slough of Despond.”
In the New Testament we read of three kinds of works. Some are called “dead works,” others “works of the flesh,” and still others “good works.” We must distinguish them very clearly, because it is precisely confusing the one with the other that leads a person astray from the narrow path of salvation.
DEAD WORKS
Dead works are those of which we must repent. This is one of the foundational Christian teachings. In Hebrews 6:1-2 it says:
1 Therefore let us move beyond the elementary teachings about Christ and be taken forward to maturity, not laying again the foundation of repentance from acts that lead to death, and of faith in God, 2 instruction about cleansing rites, the laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment. (Hebrews 6:1-2)
The foundation, the groundwork of our Christian life, is “repentance from dead works.” What are the dead works? First, they are “the works of the law” (Romans 3:28), “works of the law” (Galatians 2:16), or “the works required by the law” (Romans 3:20). They are the “burden” (Matthew 23:4; Luke 11:46), the “trouble” (Acts 15:19), the load (Acts 15:28), the yoke (Acts 15:10) that the legalists were laying on new believers as a requirement for salvation. But what we discover in the epistles of the apostle Paul is that a person cannot be saved through “works required by the Law.” These works cannot bring us eternal life, and this is why they are called “dead works.” In Galatians 2:15-16 the apostle Paul says to the apostle Peter:
15 We who are Jews by birth and not sinful Gentiles 16 know that a person is not justified by the works of the law, but by faith in Jesus Christ. So we, too, have put our faith in Christ Jesus that we may be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the law, because by the works of the law no one will be justified. (Galatians 2:15-16)
The apostle Paul’s argument is that if righteousness and life with God could be gained by our own strength and by our keeping of the Law, then God would not have paid so high a price and sacrificed His own Son for our justification. A little further on in the epistle the apostle Paul says:
21 I do not set aside the grace of God, for if righteousness could be gained through the law, Christ died for nothing! (Galatians 2:21)
To say that through works required by the law we can gain justification from sin is equivalent to denying the meaning of Christ’s sacrifice.
That works required by the Law could never justify us is seen from the experience of God’s people Israel. In Romans 9:30-32 the apostle Paul says:
30 What then shall we say? That the Gentiles, who did not pursue righteousness, have obtained it, a righteousness that is by faith; 31 but the people of Israel, who pursued the law as the way of righteousness, have not attained their goal. 32 Why not? Because they pursued it not by faith but as if it were by works. They stumbled over the stumbling stone. (Romans 9:30-32)
This is the “stumbling stone” over which people stumble — the attempt somehow to replace God’s righteousness with human righteousness (Romans 10:3).
3 Since they did not know the righteousness of God and sought to establish their own, they did not submit to God’s righteousness. (Romans 10:3)
Israel did not seek salvation through faith. They wanted to establish their own righteousness instead of God’s, which is gained only through faith in the sacrifice of Christ. What was the result of all this? They did not enter into God’s salvation.
Every attempt to gain salvation through works is a disregard of Christ’s sacrifice. Jesus accomplished everything. In John 19:30 we read that just before He died on the cross Jesus cried out, “It is finished.” These words are the triumphant shout of victory over sin. With them Jesus proclaimed that our salvation is already accomplished. Through His self-sacrifice Jesus sets us free from the bondage of sin and cleanses our conscience from dead works. In Hebrews 9:13-14 it says:
13 The blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a heifer sprinkled on those who are ceremonially unclean sanctify them so that they are outwardly clean. 14 How much more, then, will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself unblemished to God, cleanse our consciences from acts that lead to death, so that we may serve the living God! (Hebrews 9:13-14)
This is the gospel — we are saved not because of our works, not because of our own righteousness, but by grace.
9 He has saved us and called us to a holy life — not because of anything we have done but because of his own purpose and grace. This grace was given us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time, 10 but it has now been revealed through the appearing of our Savior, Christ Jesus, who has destroyed death and has brought life and immortality to light through the gospel. (2 Timothy 1:9-10)
In Titus 3:5-8 it says:
5 he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, 6 whom he poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior, 7 so that, having been justified by his grace, we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life. 8 This is a trustworthy saying. (Titus 3:5-8)
God saves us not through righteous deeds, but by His mercy and for His glory. In Ephesians 2:8-9 this is confirmed:
8 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith — and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God — 9 not by works, so that no one can boast. (Ephesians 2:8-9)
In Romans 3:20 the apostle Paul says:
20 Therefore no one will be declared righteous in God’s sight by the works of the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of our sin. (Romans 3:20)
The Law is like a thermometer. If you are sick, the thermometer can show how high your body temperature is. But can measuring the temperature remove the fever? The Law works in the same way. It shows us how sinful we are, but it cannot save us. For salvation, it leads us to Jesus Christ (Galatians 3:24). The apostle Paul draws his final conclusion on this matter in Romans 3:28:
28 For we maintain that a person is justified by faith apart from the works of the law. (Romans 3:28)
WORKS OF THE FLESH
So then, the first kind of works of which we read in God’s Word are the “dead works” — “works required by the Law” — they are man’s unsuccessful attempt to replace God’s righteousness with his own.
The second kind of works of which we read in the New Testament are the “works of the flesh.” They are mentioned in Galatians 5:19-21:
19 The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; 20 idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions 21 and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God. (Galatians 5:19-21)
The works of the flesh are provoked by the sin that lives in us. In Romans 7:14-25 the apostle Paul says:
14 We know that the law is spiritual; but I am unspiritual, sold as a slave to sin. 15 I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do. 16 And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is good. 17 As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living in me. (Romans 7:14-17)
The works of the flesh are sinful works; they are the “works of sin.”
18 For I know that good itself does not dwell in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. 19 For I do not do the good I want to do, but the evil I do not want to do — this I keep on doing. 20 Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it. 21 So I find this law at work: Although I want to do good, evil is right there with me. 22 For in my inner being I delight in God’s law; 23 but I see another law at work in me, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within me. 24 What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body that is subject to death? 25 Thanks be to God, who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, I myself in my mind am a slave to God’s law, but in my sinful nature a slave to the law of sin. (Romans 7:18-25)
Glory to God! “There is deliverance” through Jesus Christ! He delivers us both from dead works and from the works of the flesh. From dead works He delivers us by His blood, and from the works of the flesh He delivers us by His Spirit. In Romans 8:1-4 it says:
1 Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, 2 because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death. 3 For what the law was powerless to do because it was weakened by the flesh, God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh to be a sin offering. And so he condemned sin in the flesh, 4 in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fully met in us, who do not live according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. (Romans 8:1-4)
Does this mean that victory over the flesh and the sin in us happens automatically, without any participation on our part? No. The Spirit helps us, but the decision to fight against our old, sinful nature is made by us. We are the ones who, through the Holy Spirit, must “put to death” the deeds of the body. In Romans 8:13-14 it says:
13 For if you live according to the flesh, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live. 14 For those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God. (Romans 8:13-14)
The Lord Jesus Christ said something similar (Matthew 18:8-9; Mark 9:43-48):
8 If your hand or your foot causes you to stumble, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life maimed or crippled than to have two hands or two feet and be thrown into eternal fire. 9 And if your eye causes you to stumble, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life with one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into the fire of hell. (Matthew 18:8-9)
This is not about physically maiming ourselves, but about not giving in to temptations (about not accepting the offers of sin that the Tempter puts before us).
The works required by the Law are “dead.” The works of the flesh are “fruitless.” That is why the apostle Paul encourages us, instead of doing them, to expose them (Ephesians 5:10-13):
10 and find out what pleases the Lord. 11 Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them. 12 It is shameful even to mention what the disobedient do in secret. 13 But everything exposed by the light becomes visible — and everything that is illuminated becomes a light. (Ephesians 5:10-13)
GOOD WORKS
The third kind of works of which we read in the New Testament are the “good works.” From Ephesians 2:8-10 we learn that we are not saved through works, but that God saves us for works, and specifically “good works”:
10 For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. (Ephesians 2:10)
We are not saved because of our works, but we are born again by God for good works. This is the purpose for which God created us. What are the good works that God wants us to do? In Micah 6:8 we read:
8 He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God. (Micah 6:8)
Good works are works of righteousness, mercy, and love. They are every good thing that comes to mind (James 4:17):
17 If anyone, then, knows the good they ought to do and doesn’t do it, it is sin for them. (James 4:17)
Of course, this also includes keeping God’s commandments, because this is precisely what the New Covenant is — God will not remember our sins and will give us the ability to do His will (Hebrews 8:10-12):
10 This is the covenant I will establish with the people of Israel after that time, declares the Lord. I will put my laws in their minds and write them on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people. 11 No longer will they teach their neighbor, or say to one another, ‘Know the Lord,’ because they will all know me, from the least of them to the greatest. 12 For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more. (Hebrews 8:10-12)
Good works are our destiny in Christ. In Titus 3:8 it says that as good Christians we must exercise ourselves in them:
8 This is a trustworthy saying. And I want you to stress these things, so that those who have trusted in God may be careful to devote themselves to doing what is good. These things are excellent and profitable for everyone. (Titus 3:8)
Giving for the advance of the gospel and meeting the needs of God’s servants is a “good work.” A little further down in the same chapter the apostle Paul uses it as an example of how believers must develop their virtue:
13 Do everything you can to help Zenas the lawyer and Apollos on their way and see that they have everything they need. (Titus 3:13)
Zenas and Apollos were most likely the couriers of this letter. Zenas the lawyer is mentioned only in this place in the New Testament. His name is Greek, and he was either a specialist in the Law of Moses who had converted to Christianity, or a jurist dealing with Roman law. In any case, the apostle Paul instructs Titus to see that all their needs are met. And Titus is not to bear this responsibility alone, but to involve the whole church in meeting the needs of God’s servants.
14 Our people must learn to devote themselves to doing what is good, in order to provide for urgent needs and not live unproductive lives. (Titus 3:14)
If good works are not found in us, then our godliness is empty. In Titus 1:16 the apostle Paul openly rebukes all such people:
16 They claim to know God, but by their actions they deny him. They are detestable, disobedient and unfit for doing anything good. (Titus 1:16)
If we are unfit to do “good works,” then by our filth and disobedience we deny God.
WORKS OF FAITH
“Good works” are also called by the apostle Paul “works of faith.”
11 With this in mind, we constantly pray for you, that our God may make you worthy of his calling, and that by his power he may bring to fruition your every desire for goodness and your every deed prompted by faith. (2 Thessalonians 1:11)
And so from the New Testament we understand that our faith is not based on our works, but our good works are the result of our faith. This explains why Paul says that we are not justified through works, while James says that we are justified through works. They do not contradict each other, but complement each other. They speak of different kinds of works, because they direct their messages to different kinds of recipients. The apostle Paul writes mostly to churches that are threatened by the teachings of legalism or the legalists — he speaks of “dead works.” James writes to believers who are on the verge of beginning to make light of their sin by hiding behind the confession of their faith — he speaks of “good works.”
As Christians we must do good works — not in order to be saved, but because we are saved. Because through faith God has made us His children, we must build up His character in ourselves.
Every action of the human body is an expression of the spirit that is within a person. Outward behavior shows what is inside us. And according to James, if our works do not correspond to our faith, then it is dead and cannot save us (James 2:14).
14 What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save them? (James 2:14)
Of course it cannot. Further on, James gives us four examples in this regard.
First, just as love without works is empty, so also faith without good works to demonstrate it is dead (James 2:15-16).
15 Suppose a brother or a sister is without clothes and daily food. 16 If one of you says to them, “Go in peace; keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it? (James 2:15-16)
The apostle John says something similar in his First Epistle (1 John 3:16-18):
16 This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters. 17 If anyone has material possessions and sees a brother or sister in need but has no pity on them, how can the love of God be in that person? 18 Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth. (1 John 3:16-18)
Just as love without works is not genuine, so also faith without good works is false. For genuine faith is active faith. Genuine love and genuine faith are visible, because they express themselves in good and kind deeds (James 2:17-18).
17 In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead. 18 But someone will say, “You have faith; I have deeds.” Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by my deeds. (James 2:17-18)
Here James becomes ironic: “Show me your faith without deeds!” This is, of course, impossible, because who we are is seen by our fruit. In Matthew 7:16-18 the Lord Jesus said:
16 By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? 17 Likewise, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. 18 A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. (Matthew 7:16-18)
Second, according to James 2:19, “even the demons believe that — and shudder.” They shudder because they know their fate, and they believe because their eyes are open to spiritual realities, but they do not submit. Faith is to submit to God, to be obedient, and to apply God’s Word in our lives (James 2:19-20).
19 You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that — and shudder. 20 You foolish person, do you want evidence that faith without deeds is useless? (James 2:19-20)
Here James continues with his irony. Nominal faith is “demonic” faith. It is “empty” and “useless.”
The third example, which proves that living, genuine faith does good works, is the patriarch Abraham (James 2:21-23):
21 Was not our father Abraham considered righteous for what he did when he offered his son Isaac on the altar? 22 You see that his faith and his actions were working together, and his faith was made complete by what he did. 23 And the scripture was fulfilled that says, “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness,” and he was called God’s friend. 24 You see that a person is considered righteous by what they do and not by faith alone. (James 2:21-24)
When Abraham still had no son, God appeared to him in a vision (Genesis 15:1-5):
5 He took him outside and said, “Look up at the sky and count the stars — if indeed you can count them.” Then he said to him, “So shall your offspring be.” (Genesis 15:5)
This was God’s promise to Abraham, even though he and his wife had no children and were already quite advanced in years. But Abraham did not doubt God. In Genesis 15:6 it says:
6 Abram believed the Lord, and he credited it to him as righteousness. (Genesis 15:6)
That Abraham’s faith was genuine was proved when God commanded Abraham to offer his only son as a sacrifice to God (Genesis 22:1-2). It is remarkable that Abraham was ready to carry out God’s unusual command, because he knew God and knew that He keeps His promises (Hebrews 11:17-19).
17 By faith Abraham, when God tested him, offered Isaac as a sacrifice. He who had embraced the promises was about to sacrifice his one and only son, 18 even though God had said to him, “It is through Isaac that your offspring will be reckoned.” 19 Abraham reasoned that God could even raise the dead, and so in a manner of speaking he did receive Isaac back from death. (Hebrews 11:17-19)
Only when Abraham withstood the test of obedience did God confirm His covenant with him and swear to him that He would indeed fulfill His promise to him, because Abraham had shown himself obedient to God’s Word not only in word but in deed (Genesis 22:16-18):
16 I swear by myself, declares the Lord, that because you have done this and have not withheld your son, your only son, 17 I will surely bless you and make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as the sand on the seashore. Your descendants will take possession of the cities of their enemies, 18 and through your offspring all nations on earth will be blessed, because you have obeyed me. (Genesis 22:16-18)
The last example that James gives as proof that living faith produces good works is Rahab the prostitute (James 2:25):
25 In the same way, was not even Rahab the prostitute considered righteous for what she did when she gave lodging to the spies and sent them off in a different direction? (James 2:25)
Rahab the prostitute was the complete opposite of “our father” Abraham. He was a Jew — she a Gentile; he was a man — she a woman; he was a patriarch — she a prostitute. Nevertheless, having heard that God is mighty and merciful, Rahab believed in the God of Israel and hid the spies sent by Joshua. Her decision to stand on the side of Israel and to risk her life to protect the Israelite scouts was based on faith (Hebrews 11:31).
31 By faith the prostitute Rahab, because she welcomed the spies, was not killed with those who were disobedient. (Hebrews 11:31)
Rahab’s faith prompted her to action. And this is characteristic of every true and living faith. As a result, even she, the prostitute, was declared righteous. James does not approve of her former life, but of her living faith, which stands out against the backdrop of her previous immorality.
LIVING FAITH AND GOOD WORKS
And so, in the New Testament we read of three kinds of works — works required by the Law, works of the flesh, and good works. The first are “dead”; the second are “fruitless”; the third are “works of faith.” Without them our faith would be “dead” — empty and invalid (James 2:26).
26 As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead. (James 2:26)
May God help us — to have living faith and good works. And may we not turn aside either to the left or to the right — neither into legalism nor into lawlessness — because both lead to eternal destruction.