Meaning of OBRAS

These are activities, divine or human, that can be a consequence of good or evil. Mention is made of "dead works," acts of mere ceremony, and of the religious efforts of the flesh (the flesh profits nothing) (Heb. 6:1; 9:14).

These are in sharp contrast to the "works of faith," which are the expression of life through 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 the "works of the law" (Rom. 3:20; Gal. 2:16), but true faith will produce "good works," and these will be seen by men, although the faith itself be invisible (James 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 (John 9 :4; 10:37, 38; 14:11).

When the Jews were persecuting Christ for healing a man on the Sabbath, He said, "My Father works until now, and I work" (John 5:17).

God had rested from his works of creation on the seventh day, but sin crept in, and frequent allusions to Jehovah's activity in bringing about the spiritual blessing of man are found in the OT.

The apostle Paul, writing to Titus, strongly insists on good works, so that the Christian may not be fruitless.
Each one will have to give an account of himself to God (Rom. 14:12); and the ungodly dead will be raised up and judged according to his works (Rev. 20:12, 13).