Dead works are works that appear good externally but that spring from a corrupt motive or done for the wrong reason. Therefore they are like filthy garments in God's eyes. It is like a person who is filled with leprosy giving you a first class apple to eat with his leprous hand. Would you take it and eat it? The apple may be good, but it is contaminated with the germs of leprosy in that person's hands. It is the same way when we offer a good thing to God but contaminated with the wrong motive. It could be a prayer, you could sing a solo in a Christian meeting, and your aim may be to get honour for yourself. Well, what is that - a good work or a bad work? - It is a dead work.
It is important for us to understand this. It is well known among believers that "The blood of Jesus cleanses us from all sins" (1 John 1:7), but what is not so well known is that "The blood of Christ must also cleanse us from dead works before we can serve the living God" (Heb. 9:14). So, what does the blood of Christ cleanse us from? - Not only sins. It must also cleanse us from the dead works. And therefore it is very, very important for us to have a very clear understanding as to what dead works are.
First of all, dead works are works done without any joy. In other words, these are works done out of compulsion, or necessity, or for the fear of punishment, or something like that. You know how some of you get your son, for example, to obey you to do his homework when he wants to play out in the field. You force him to come in with a threat of punishing him with a cane if he doesn't listen. Then he sits down with a grumpy face at his table and does his homework. He is not doing it with joy, but he is doing it. The homework is a good thing to do but then it is done out of compulsion.
It is the same way a lot of people pay their tithe; they don't do it joyfully. They do it because they are told by some pastor that if they don't do it they will be punished - that they will get some sickness in their home and then they have to give the money to the doctor at the hospital, if they don't give it to God etc. So, out of fear, they pay their tithe.
