Repentance From Dead Works: A Free Grace Analysis of Hebrews 6:1

Some people may wonder what "repentance from dead works" in Hebrews 6:1 is all about? What are the "dead works" and what does it mean to repent from them? Is it a turning from sins as proponents of Reformed Theology teach? Or rather, is it when a person changes their mind about how to be saved: that it is "not by works, so that no one can boast" (Eph. 2:9)? The latter understanding is the teaching of Scripture. Some time ago a reader sent me a question pertaining to this issue; here's the question followed by my answer. The reader says:

"I had a question. James 2 says that faith without works is dead, and by dead it means fruitless. Ephesians 5:11 tells us to avoid the 'fruitless works' of darkness. In Galatians, Paul contrasts the fruit of the Spirit, with works of the flesh, which produce no lasting fruit (fruitless works of darkness). So, in Hebrews 6:1, when Paul tells the believers not to lay again the foundation of repentance from dead works, couldn't an argument be made that dead = fruitless, and so dead works are the fruitless works of darkness or works of the flesh, and therefore repentance from dead works means repentance from fruitless works of darkness, i.e. — repentance from sin? Your thoughts?"

So in regards to the question, which is about the meaning of repentance, I would say the key Bible verse is Hebrews 6:1 because it specifically uses the word "repentance" (along with the idea of "dead works"). The other Bible verses cited don't mention repentance but they help to explain what is meant by "dead works". But in Hebrews 6:1 the idea of "dead works" needs to be interpreted in light of that specific context, i.e. the immediate context of Hebrews 6:1 and the book of Hebrews in general. So this brings up the question: what is meant by "dead works" in the context of Hebrews 6:1? My understanding of it is in line with that of Dr. Thomas Constable, who I think provides an accurate exposition of the text. In his commentary on the verse, Dr. Constable writes the following helpful analysis:

"The writer proceeded [in Hebrews 6:1ff] to specify six things that his readers did not need to learn again: (1) They did not need further instruction about abandoning confidence in works ('repentance from dead works'). If Christian teaching is in view, the writer probably meant 'dead works' in contrast to faith for salvation. If Jewish teaching is in view, he probably meant the 'dead works' involved in the rituals of Judaism. (2) if Christian 'faith' is in view, he probably meant the necessity of trust in Christ for salvation."[1] 

So with this understanding, "repentance from dead works" would be a change of belief, not a change of behavior. This ties in with what I wrote in my blog post titled "Is the Grace Evangelical Society Misunderstanding McGee on Repentance?" (FGFS, April 10, 2021), particularly when I said: "if unsaved people are trusting in the aforementioned sins [we could say "dead works" or false confidences] to save them, then turning from those false confidences to trust in Christ alone would be a change of belief (from unbelief in Christ to now believing in Him as the only hope of salvation), not a change of behavior."[2]

Corresponding to this, I have always maintained that saving repentance is a turning from sin in the sense of turning from the sin of unbelief in Christ, as Jesus says in John 16:8-9. I highlighted this in the article mentioned above when I wrote: "Speaking in reference to the unsaved world, Jesus Himself said that when the Holy Spirit comes, 'He will convict the world of sin...of sin because they don't believe in Me' (see John 16:8-9). The only sin that unsaved people must turn from in order to be saved is the sin of unbelief in Christ." In the same article, I not only quote Dr. McGee on the subject, but also Lewis Sperry Chafer. Concerning the topic of repentance, Dr. Chafer says that "turning to Christ from all other confidences [i.e. saving faith] is one act, and in that one act repentance, which is a change of mind, is included. The Apostle stresses this distinction in accurate terms when he says to the Thessalonians, 'Ye turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God' (1 Thess. 1:9)."[3]

 

ENDNOTES:

[1] Thomas L. Constable, Notes on Hebrews (2024 Edition), p. 108, bold added.

[2] Jonathan Perreault, "Is the Grace Evangelical Society Misunderstanding McGee on Repentance?" (FGFS, April 10, 2021), brackets added.

[3] Lewis Sperry Chafer, Systematic Theology, Vol. 3, pp. 374-375. This book is also available to read on the archive.org website.