Reference: Works
Morish
These are activities, divine or human, which may proceed from good or evil. We read of 'dead works': acts of mere ceremony, and the religious efforts of the flesh (the flesh profiteth nothing). Heb 6:1; 9:14. These stand in contrast to 'works of faith,' which are the expression of life by the operation of the Holy Spirit. Heb. 11. The works of the flesh are detailed in Ga 5:19-21.
Man is justified by faith apart from the 'works of the law' (Ro 3:20; Ga 2:16), but real faith will produce 'good works,' and these can be seen of men, though the faith itself be invisible. Jas 2:14-26.
The Lord Jesus when on earth declared that His works gave evidence that He was Son of God, and had been sent by the Father, and that the Father was in Him, and He in the Father. Joh 9:4; 10:37-38; 14:11.
When the Jews were persecuting Christ because He had healed a man on the Sabbath day, He said, "My Father worketh hitherto, and I work." Joh 5:17. God had rested from His works of creation on the seventh day, but sin had come in, and in the O.T. allusions are frequent as to the activity of Jehovah for the spiritual blessing of man.
The apostle Paul, in writing to Titus, insists strongly on good works, that Christianity might not be unfruitful.
Every one will have to give an account of himself to God, Ro 14:12; and the wicked dead will be raised and judged according to their works. Re 20:12-13.
See Verses Found in Dictionary
But he answered them, My Father is working up to this time, and I work.
We must work the works of him that sent me, while it is day; the night is coming, when no one can work.
If I do not the works of my Father, believe me not. But if I do them, though ye believe not me, believe the works; that ye may learn and know that the Father is in me, and I in the Father.
Believe me, that I am in the Father, and the Father in me; but if not, believe for the very works sake.
Because by works of the Law no flesh shall be accepted as righteous: for by the Law is the knowledge of sin.
So then every one of us will give account of himself to God.
but knowing that a man is not accepted as righteous by the works of the Law, but by faith in Christ Jesus, we also have believed in Christ Jesus, that we might be accepted as righteous by faith in Christ, and not by the works of the Law; for by the works of the Law shall no flesh be accepted as righteous.
Now the works of the flesh are manifest; such as fornication, uncleanness, wantonness, idolatry, sorcery, hatreds, strife, rivalry, outbursts of wrath, cabals, divisions, factions, read more. envyings, drunkenness, revelings, and things like these; of which I tell you beforehand, as I also told you in time past, that they who practise such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.
Let us then, leaving the first principles of the doctrine of Christ, press on to perfection; not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works, and of faith toward God,
how much more shall the blood of Christ, who by his everlasting spirit offered himself without spot to God, purify your conscience from dead works, for the worship of the living God!
What doth it profit, my brethren, if any one say that he hath faith, and have not works? Can his faith save him? If a brother or sister be naked, and destitute of daily food, read more. and one of you say to them, Depart in peace, be warmed and be filled, notwithstanding ye give them not the things needful for the body, what doth it profit? So also faith, if it hath not works, is dead in itself. But some one will say, Thou hast faith, and I have works; show me thy faith without works, and I will show thee my faith by my works. Thou believest that God is one; thou doest well; the demons also believe, and tremble. But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is idle? Was not Abraham our father accepted as righteous through works, when he offered Isaac his son upon the altar? Thou seest that faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith made perfect. And the scripture was fulfilled, which saith, "Abraham believed God, and it was reckoned to him for righteousness;" and he was called the friend of God. Ye see that by works a man is accounted as righteous, and not by faith only. And in like manner was not also Rahab the harlot accounted as righteous through works, when she received the messengers, and sent them out another way? For as the body without the spirit is dead, so also faith without works is dead.
And I saw the dead, the great and the small, standing before the throne, and books were opened; and another book was opened, which is the book of life; and the dead were judged out of the things written in the books, according to their works. And the sea gave up the dead which were in it, and death and the underworld gave up the dead which were in them; and they were judged each one according to his works.