Repentance from dead works and faith toward God — Hebrews 6:1

First Principles is about more than learning the foundational truths of the Christian faith. It is about learning to practice them.

Jesus taught that hearing His words is not enough. In the parable of the two builders, both heard His words, but only the one who heard and practiced them built on a solid foundation.

The same is true in discipleship. We don’t want to be people who simply know more about God. We want what we learn to change the way we think and live.

Hebrews 6:1 begins the foundation with:

“Repentance from dead works and faith toward God.”

These two truths belong together. We turn from dead works, and we turn toward God. We move from striving in our own strength to living by faith in Christ.

What Does Repentance Mean?

The Greek word for repentance is metanoia. It describes a change of mind—a change in the way we think that leads to a change in direction.

Repentance is more than feeling sorry. It is allowing God to change our thinking so that our lives begin to change as well.

And for the Christian, repentance is not an attempt to repair what Christ has already taken care of on the cross.

Repentance isn’t fixing what Christ has already done. Repentance is changing the way we think based on what Christ’s sacrifice has accomplished.

We put our faith in Christ and His finished work. Then we allow Him to transform the way we think and live.

For someone who does not yet believe, repentance means turning from unbelief toward faith in Jesus Christ. For the believer, repentance includes recognizing the dead works in our lives, turning away from them, and turning toward God.

What Are Dead Works?

Dead works are works disconnected from faith and the life of God.

That is important because dead works do not necessarily look bad. They may look religious, moral, responsible, or even admirable from the outside.

The issue isn’t simply what we are doing. We also need to ask where it is coming from.

Dead works can appear in at least three ways.

1. Religious Works —

Religious works happen when we try to earn God’s approval through what we do.

We may pray, serve, give, attend church, or participate in ministry, but underneath those good activities is the belief:

“I have to do these things so God will accept me.”

The problem is that we never know when we have done enough. So we keep striving.

Eventually, that kind of Christian life becomes a heavy burden. It can produce guilt, frustration, and burnout because our relationship with God becomes based on our performance rather than faith.

2. Performative Works —

Performative works are things we do to be seen, recognized, or validated by other people.

Jesus warned in Matthew 6:1 about doing righteous acts “to be seen by men.”

Again, the outward action may be good. We can serve, give, pray, or help someone. But underneath the action may be the desire:

“I want people to notice me.”

Religious works seek God’s approval through performance.

Performative works seek people’s approval through performance.

In both cases, our focus has shifted away from a living relationship with God.

3. Faithless Works —

Faithless works happen when we do what seems right while depending on ourselves rather than trusting God.

We rely on our own wisdom, ability, resources, or control.

Imagine facing a financial crisis. Fear takes over, and immediately you begin trying to solve everything yourself. You use every resource. You call everyone you know. You try every possible solution.

Those actions may not be wrong.

But you never stop to bring the situation before God.

The problem isn’t necessarily the action. The problem is the foundation of the action. You are operating from self-reliance rather than faith.

Faith without works is dead—but works without faith are dead as well.

God is interested not only in what we are doing but also in where our works are coming from.

Dead Works Can Look Alive

This is why dead works can be difficult to recognize.

They can look like church attendance.

They can look like ministry.

They can look like generosity.

They can even look like morality.

There can be activity, effort, and religion—and yet there can still be no fruit.

Jesus illustrates this in Luke 13:6–9 with the barren fig tree. A man planted a fig tree in his vineyard and repeatedly came looking for fruit. The tree was planted. It was being cared for. It had been given time.

But there was no fruit.

The owner wanted to cut it down, but the vinedresser asked him to give the tree more time.

Here we see God’s mercy.

Mercy is not permission to remain fruitless. God’s mercy gives us another opportunity to repent, grow, and bear fruit.

So activity alone isn’t the goal.

Activity ≠ Fruit.

From Dead Works to Living Faith

This brings us back to Hebrews 6:1.

Repentance is turning FROM.

Faith is turning TO.

We don’t merely recognize our dead works and stop doing things. We turn toward the living God.

But what does living by faith actually look like?

Jesus gives us a picture in John 15:1–5:

“I am the vine, you are the branches.”

Think about the relationship between a branch and a vine.

The branch doesn’t manufacture life.

It receives life from the vine.

That is a picture of faith.

Faith is more than saying, “I believe God exists.”

Faith says:

“I trust God, therefore I depend on Him and act on His Word.”

Faith means trusting God enough to depend on Him. It isn’t passive belief. Genuine faith produces a response.

Abiding Produces Fruit

Jesus says:

“He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit.”

Notice what Jesus doesn’t say.

He doesn’t say, “Try harder and produce fruit.”

He says:

“Abide in Me.”

A branch doesn’t produce fruit by striving harder. It produces fruit by remaining connected to the vine.

DEAD WORKS STRIVE.

FAITH ABIDES.

ABIDING PRODUCES FRUIT.

What Does It Mean to Abide?

The Greek word translated abide is menō. It means to remain, stay, continue, or dwell.

Abiding isn’t simply being around Jesus. It isn’t just attending church or experiencing a good feeling during worship.

Abiding means continuing in a trusting, dependent, obedient relationship with Christ.

Jesus shows us several ways this happens:

Remain in Christ

Don’t walk away from Jesus when circumstances change.

When life gets difficult—remain.

When you don’t understand what God is doing—remain.

When your prayers haven’t been answered yet—remain.

Faith doesn’t abandon the Vine when circumstances become difficult. It continues to depend upon Christ.

Remain in His Word

Jesus says in John 15:7:

“If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you…”

We remain connected to Christ by allowing His Word to continually shape our thinking.

Remember where we started: repentance begins with a change of mind.

God’s Word continues that transformation.

Remain in Obedience

Jesus says in John 15:10:

“If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love.”

Abiding isn’t simply saying, “I love Jesus.”

Abiding means trusting Him enough to obey Him.

Obedience isn’t an attempt to earn His approval. It flows from a relationship of trust.

Remain in Love

Jesus also connects abiding with receiving and living out His love.

We receive Christ’s love, and then we allow His love to flow through us toward others.

So abiding is not passive.

It means:

I remain in Christ.
I receive His Word.
I trust Him.
I obey Him.
I walk in His love.

And when the branch remains connected to the Vine…

FRUIT HAPPENS.

Bringing It All Together

The first foundation in Hebrews 6 is:

Repentance from dead works and faith toward God.

Dead works are works disconnected from faith and the life of God.

They may be religious works—trying to earn God’s approval.

They may be performative works—trying to earn people’s approval.

They may be faithless works—trying to accomplish things through our own strength and control rather than depending upon God.

So we repent.

We turn from dead works.

But we don’t stop there.

We turn to God.

That’s faith.

And what does that faith look like?

Abiding.

We remain in Christ.
We remain in His Word.
We remain in obedience.
We remain in His love.

And as we remain connected to Christ, His life produces fruit through us.

Remember These Three Truths

DEAD WORKS STRIVE.

FAITH ABIDES.

ABIDING PRODUCES FRUIT.

Stop striving. Start abiding.

Looking Ahead

In the next teaching, we will explore the finished work of Christ in greater depth – unpacking how His completed sacrifice secures our identity, removes the burden of performance, and empowers a truly fruitful life.