(Heb., ma†™aseh, work, made, dia†™al, a work; Gr., ergon, work, erga, works). It is used to designate works done by God out of holy love, and by human beings as God’s creatures. In the OT the work or works of God refer to his creation and preservation of the cosmos (Gen 2:2; Psa 8:3) and his works of salvation and judgment for the benefit of Israel (Psa 28:5; Isa 5:12 , Isaiah 5:19). Pious people meditate on the works of God (Psa 77:12; Psa 143:5) and praise him for them (Psa 72:18; Psa 105:1-2). In the NT God is presented as working in and through the Messiah, both in creation (Joh 1:1-3) and in redemption (Joh 9:3-4). Jesus reveals by his works his true identity and who he came from (Mat 9: 2-5; Joh 5:36; Joh 10: 37-38).
The deeds that humans do cannot be separated from the state of their hearts and their motivation (Psa 28:3-4; Gal 5:19). There is no justification by works (Rom 3:20; Gal 2:16; 2Ti 1:9). True works, in which God delights, are those that come from an inner gratitude to God for his goodness and salvation. These spring from faith, which clings to Christ as Savior and Lord (Eph 2:10; Col 1:10; Jam 2:14ff.).
Source: Hispanic World Bible Dictionary
(actions, facts).
The “believer” is saved free, by faith, without works, but “to do good works” so Saint Paul tells us in Eph 2:8-10: (many never read verse 10!).
We all do many “works” every day, good or bad: The greatness of the Christian is that he is saved for free, by faith, by the Blood of Christ, to live in Christ, and that Christ lives in him, and thus be able to do “good deeds”. But not I, but Christ who lives in me! Gal 2:20.
This “saved” thing lends itself to confusion: We are “saved” from sin, the power of the devil and death, and made “sons of God”. But we are not in Heaven! we have been “saved”, made “sons of God”, so that we can do good works. if we make them bad, we are worse than a pagan, who does not have as many graces as a Christian. That is why Paul tells us: If I had such faith that I could move mountains, but have no charity, I am nothing: (1Co 13:2). And Jesus himself tells us that “many” will say: didn’t we prophesy in your name, perform miracles and cast out demons in your name? And Jesus will tell them: Get away from me, you evildoers, Mat 7:21-27). And Santiago says exhaustively that faith without works is dead faith, it is like a corpse, it is the faith of the devil, Jas 2:14-26.
Luther wanted to remove this letter of James from the Bible, but to remove that idea, he would have to get rid of the entire Bible: Here are just a few examples: The “believers.”
– They are created in Christ, to do good works, Eph 2:8-10 : (read 10!).
– Exhorted to put on works, Col 3:12-14.
– They are full of works, Ac 9:36.
– Followers of works, Tit 2:14.
– They must be perfectly instructed for good works, 2Ti 3:17.
– They must be rich in works, 1Ti 6:18
– Excel in works, Tit 3:8-14.
– Fruitful in works, Col 1:10.
– Perfect in works, Heb 13:21.
– Abound in works, 2Co 9:8.
– Followed to the grave by their works, Rev 14:13.
– The entire Book of “Acts”, is called that, because they are the “Acts”, the “Works” of the first Christians carried out with the power of God.
– The Sermon on the Mount of Mt.5,6 and 7, everything is “works”.
– The Letter to the Romans is the “Cathedral of faith” in the first 8 chapters, but it is the “Cathedral of works” in the last 5, they are like Saint Paul’s “Sermon on the Mount”.
– The “Letter to the Galatians” is the “letter of freedom”. the freedom and power that the Christian has to do good, and not do evil: The first 3 chapters are all “faith”, because it is the basis of Christianity, of being “children of God”. but the last two are the “struggle of the Christian”, and the good works he has to do, if Christ is truly in him, Paul summarizing the entire Bible in Gal 5:14 in 8 words: You shall love your neighbor as yourself same; It is the same summary that Jesus made of the entire Bible in Mat 7:12.
– The same thing happens with the letters to the Ephesians and Colossians: The first half are the wonders and prerogatives of being a Christian. the second half is the fight and good works that the Christian has to do, with Christ in his heart. The big problem is that many Christians only read the first half of these Epistles!
An Example: A “Prince” is, not because he did good deeds, or was handsome, but only because he is the son of his father, who is King: He is a free prince, of grace, without him doing any good deeds to be one. but once he is “Prince” he has to do good deeds, with the prerogatives and facilities that he has, and if he does bad deeds, it is worse than if he had not been a prince. because everyone is going to find out!
The same happens with the Christian: It is free, by grace, by faith in Jesus Christ; he is already “saved”, do not confuse this word!, he is made “son of God!, he is saved from sin, from the devil. but he is “saved”, made “son of God”, so that he may do good works”; if with so many graces and prerogatives, he does “bad works”, it is worse than if he were a pagan.
The Final Judgment: At the moment of entering Heaven, God will not ask us if we had faith, or if we were Christians or not. He will treat us all without “regarding persons”, everyone by the same measure, Paul says in Ro.2: 5-I1, he will measure us by the “works” we did, all of us! Christians, Jews , to Muslims, to the Chinaman who never heard of Christ, to Moses, who was born before Christ, to all of them! and so the Bible repeats it every time it describes the “Final Judgment”, at the moment before being sent to Heaven or Hell. He will not measure us by faith, nor by any other gift that the Lord gave us, but will measure us by the “works” we did with faith, because God gives all of us the necessary faith to go to Heaven, to all of us, to Chinese, to Christians, to Muslims, to those who were born before Christ, he gives us all the measure of faith, from Rom 12:3, and to each one much more than he needs! Because God wants all men to be saved, to go to Heaven!: (1Ti 2:4).
Read the “Last Judgment”, what yours will be like, in Rom 2:5-11, Mat 25:31-46, Jua 5:29, 2Co 5:10, Rev 20:11-15. See “Justification”.
Christian Bible Dictionary
Dr. J. Dominguez
http://bible.com/dictionary/
Source: Christian Bible Dictionary
In the scriptures, this term is used in various senses. It can point to the result of God’s or man’s action, the fruit of labor. Thus, in the †¢creation (†œAnd God finished on the seventh day the o. that he made† ), or in the case of the †¢temple (†œThus all the o. that King Solomon ordered to do for the house was finished of Jehovah† ). But the most commented sense is the one that is related to the idea that the old pact was fulfilled by means of the o., while the new one is by the grace of God, which is accepted by faith. This is one of the basic themes of Paul’s epistle to the Romans (“…since by the o. of the law no human being shall be justified† ).
However, James teaches us †œthat faith without or. she is dead † (Jas 2:20). Although salvation is not achieved by the or. (†œ…not by works, so that no one can boast† ), we are “created in Christ Jesus for good or., which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them† (Eph 2:9-10). Hence every believer must be “ready for every good thing” (2Ti 2:21; Tit 3:1). Throughout the NT the good o. are insisted on, since they glorify “your Father which is in heaven” (Mat 5:16). The ultimate example is our Lord Jesus Christ, who did †œmany good o.† (Joh 10:32).
The word “work” is used in the NT to refer to work in the ministry of the gospel. Thus, the Holy Spirit said to the brothers in Antioch: “Set aside Barnabas and Saul for me for the o. to which I have called† (Acts 13:2). Paul himself praises †¢Timoteo, saying: †œ… he makes the o. of the Lord just as I do† (1Co 16:10).
On the other hand, men will be judged by their o., since God “will reward each one according to his o.† (Rom 2:5-11), including those who serve the Lord, since “the o. of each one it will be manifest; because the day will clarify it… and the o. whoever it is, the fire will test it† (1Co 3:11-15).
Source: Christian Bible Dictionary
type, DOC
see, FAITH, JUSTIFICATION, JAMES (Book)
vet, These are activities, divine or human, that can be a consequence of good or evil. The “dead works” are mentioned, acts of mere ceremony, and the religious efforts of the flesh (the flesh profits nothing) (Heb. 6:1; 9:14). These are in marked contrast to the “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 Gal. 5:19-21. Man is justified by faith apart from “works of the law” (Rom. 3:20; Gal. 2:16), but true faith will produce “good works,” and these will be seen by men, though the faith itself is invisible (Jas. 2:14-26). When the Lord Jesus was on earth He affirmed that His works gave evidence that He was the Son of God, and that He had been sent by the Father, and that the Father was in Him and He in the Father (Jn. 9 :4; 10:37, 38; 14:11). When the Jews persecuted Christ for curing a man on the Sabbath, He said, “My Father works until now, and I work” (Jn. 5:17). God had rested from his works of creation on the seventh day, but sin crept in, and there are frequent allusions in the OT to Jehovah’s activity in bringing about man’s spiritual blessing. The apostle Paul, writing to Titus, strongly insists on good works, so that the Christian is not fruitless. Each one will have to give an account of himself to God (Rom. 14:12); and the wicked dead will be raised and judged according to his works (Rev. 20:12, 13). (See FAITH, JUSTIFICATION, JAMES.)
Source: New Illustrated Bible Dictionary
Human actions that are carried out with conscience and will and whose goodness or malice depend on the intention and the object.
– They are good those that have a good object and a good intention (alms to help others)
– Those that have a bad object with a bad intention (stealing to offend) are very bad.
– And they are bad simply if the object is good but the intention is bad (alms to offend) or the object is bad although with good intention (stealing to help).
The general concept of “works” with various meanings (actions, works, miracles) is abundantly used in Scripture, since man is continually spoken of as an active being. But there is in the term “works” (ergon) a certain sense of commitment and not only of free action. This is how this term appears used more than 300 times in the New Testament: as a mission on earth (Jn. 4. 34 and 36; Jn. 17.4); as a contrast between good and bad actions (Jn. 8. 41; Jn. 8.34); as demand…