Could you succinctly paraphrase in one paragraph?
Thank you.
I'll tried, and No, I couldn't. This is as close as I got.
Under the OT there were statutes and ordinances and rituals that had to be done to receive forgiveness (go get your best animal, bring it to the temple, cut its neck, bleed it out, etc. Those now 'dead' works had to be done to be forgiven for sin)
They are 'dead' because the Old Covenant has been done away with and the new one brought in.
The once PHYSICAL rituals are now of a SPIRITUAL NATURE, of the HEART AND MIND.
The GIFT OF SALVATION comes at the beginning, THERE ARE NO WORKS we can do to attain it. CHRIST JESUS did the WORK when He died for our sins.
BUT SALVATION and the gift of it, DOESN'T HAVE ANYTHING TO DO WITH WORKS OF ANY KIND.
DEAD WORKS HAVE TO DO WITH THE FOUNDATION OF REPENTANCE.
THIS PROBLEM IS one created by man in bringing in doctrines of his own, this one being OSAS. Once he created THAT doctrine, (teaching Gods words by the conclusions of man instead of precept on precept...) it created the problems that we see today and one of them is the 'works salvation' issue, CALLING works into question.
OSASed
CALLS INTO QUESTION all WORKS and their END intent but Christians do works OUT OF LOVE OF THE FATHER and and having already received salvation, SO,
there can only be one reason for THAT and that is ALL THE 'IFS' that OSASed can't abide with, and so it works out that problem with the WORKS SALVATION thing, also not taught. (At least I have never seen it written). So, there are no DEAD WORKS when going about the business of GOD.
Another problem, everyone debating and discussing things that AREN'T written, like they were, and wasting tons of precious time. The spill over is the little ewes, all new and excited, doing what once would have only caused joy, to stop and question their own motives because of a doctrine of man. HOW INSANE IS THAT?
Heb 5 (interlinear/greek)
12 Even for you ought to be teachers by the time again need of you have [one] to teach you what the principles of the beginning of the oracles of God and you have become need having of milk and not of solid food
13 Everyone for partaking of milk [is] inexperienced in [the] word of righteousness an infant for he is
14 mature however is solid food the [ones] by constant use the senses training having for distinguishing good both and evil
6
1 Therefore having left the beginning of the Christ teaching
to maturity we should go on
not again, a foundation laying
of repentance from dead works and faith in God
WHAT is the foundation for repentance and the forgiveness of sin? The OLD COVENANT. Something the HEBREWS knew well, all the workings done in the temple, of the priests, the statutes, ordinances, rituals, the slaying of animals and the offerings to god, etc.
Hebrews 9:11 But Christ being come an high priest of good things to come, by a greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this building;
Hebrews 9:12
Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood HE entered in once into the holy place,
having obtained eternal redemption for us.
Hebrews 9:13
For if the blood of bulls and of goats, and the ashes of an heifer sprinkling the unclean, sanctifieth to the purifying of the flesh:
Hebrews 9:14 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?
As for works? THEY ARE GREAT. They follow us. They are rewarded. The more the merrier.
James 2
20 But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead?
21 Was not Abraham our father justified by works, when he had offered Isaac his son upon the altar?
22 Seest thou how faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith made perfect?
23 And the scripture was fulfilled which saith, Abraham believed God, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness: and he was called the Friend of God.
24 Ye see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only.
25 Likewise also was not Rahab the harlot justified by works, when she had received the messengers, and had sent them out another way?
26 For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.
Certainly all works are NOT good.
Did I just repeat the same thing again? If so, apologies to you too.