Dead works refer to efforts that attempt to earn God's favor but result in spiritual death rather than true life.
In the biblical context, dead works are those actions that stem from an attempt to achieve righteousness through human effort, devoid of faith in Christ. Hebrews 6:1 encourages believers to 'leave the discussion of the elementary principles of Christ and go on to perfection, not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God.' These works cannot contribute to our salvation, as they fail to recognize our total dependence on God's grace. Genuine faith produces good works, but these must be rooted in the transformative power of the Holy Spirit, marking the believer's new life in Christ as opposed to the dead works of the past.
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