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Good Workers versus Workers of Lawlessness: A New Testament Perspective

Good Workers versus Workers of Lawlessness: A New Testament Perspective

The New Testament presents a sharp but vital contrast between those whom Scripture describes as good workers and those whom Jesus calls workers of lawlessness. While both groups may appear active in religious or moral efforts, the dividing line is not outward performance but relationship to Christ, participation in grace, and transformation by the Spirit. Good works are not the cause of salvation but its fruit, prepared by God and produced through knowing Christ. Lawlessness, on the other hand, often disguises itself in religious activity divorced from true communion with Jesus. 

Redemption as the Foundation of Good Works

Titus 2:14 establishes the foundation of all true good works:

“Who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from all lawlessness and purify for Himself a people for His own possession, zealous for good works.”

Here, good works flow from redemption, not from human effort under law. Christ’s self-giving redeems believers from lawlessness, not merely from guilt, and results in sanctification, setting a part a purified people who are zealous for good works. These works are the outcome of belonging to Christ, not a means of earning acceptance.

This truth aligns with Ephesians 1–2, where believers are described as:

  • Chosen before the foundation of the world (Ephesians 1:4)

  • Predestined for adoption as His own, sealed, and made alive of the Spirit (Ephesians 1:5; Ephesians 1:13-14; Ephesians 2:1-10

  • Redeemed through His blood (Ephesians 1:7)

  • Saved by grace through faith, not by works (Ephesians 2:8–9)

Yet this same passage concludes:

“For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them” (Ephesians 2:10).

Thus, good workers are those who live out what God has already prepared through grace. The works are real, but they originate in God’s initiative, not human striving.

The Witness of the Spirit and Identity as Children

Romans 8 further grounds good works in identity rather than obligation:

“The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God” (Romans 8:16).

The Spirit cries, “Abba, Father” in the hearts of his children, testifying we exist his own (Romans 8:15). Those who are led by the Spirit are no longer slaves under laws but sons and daughters. This filial relationship produces obedience from life, not compulsion or fear. Good works emerge from sonship, not servitude.

Paul emphasizes this again in Galatians 4:7:

“So you are no longer a slave, but a son; and if a son, then an heir through God.”

Slaves have no rights or title. Men produce a yoke of slavery using laws, fear of punishment, and the authority of men that lords and exercises authority over them (Galatians 5:1-4; Matthew 20:25-26). The end goal of slavery is to benefit the master; some personal gratification of the flesh. This is the basis of how cults are established. 

In contrast, being a son is different, they have the Spirit which is the guarantor of their inheritance, making them co-heirs with Christ, sons and daughters. Thus what men do to God's children, the brethren of Christ, they do unto him. It is a great sign whether a church knows Jesus.

The Danger of Works Without Knowing Christ

In contrast to having testimony from God Jesus warns in Matthew 7:22–23 of religion that calls him lord and prioritizes works in "his name";

“Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and cast out demons in Your name, and do many mighty works in Your name?’ And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you workers of lawlessness.’”

This passage is sobering because those rejected are not irreligious or inactive. They performed impressive works and exercised what we call spiritual gifts. Yet Jesus does not deny the reality of their actions—He denies relationship: “I never knew you” and calls them "workers of lawlessness" though they do these things in his name. 

Lawlessness here is not mere moral failure but religiously working without knowing Christ, outside the life of grace and truth. Those who abide in Him bear fruit, as Jesus teaches:

“Apart from Me you can do nothing” (John 15:5).

Workers of lawlessness may appear fruitful outwardly, but their works do not arise from abiding in Christ. In Galatians, Paul is dealing with false teachers who want to bring believers into a "yoke of slavery" by going back to the Mosaic Law. This is not just for justification, but speaks to how they lived; having begun in the Spirit they went back to the flesh, walking in the flesh, in this case deceitful men requiring them to adhere to the Mosaic Law.


Jesus's Parable of the Two Builders (Matthew 7:24-27), warns us again that if we build a house upon sand, great will be its fall. We often excuse away the lack of sound teaching within churches by saying God still uses it, but Jesus said the fall will be great. The devastation is great, people will go to hell, be burnt or hurt within, and the testimony outwardly to the world is useless like salt without flavor, all because of a fundamental flaw in its foundation.

It is amazing this truth, in the name of Jesus, works of giving, serving, outreach... are lawlessness without knowing Jesus. Knowing him is equated to the what is done to the "least of these his brethren," not outreach to the world, nor even spreading the gospel. The world sees a church that doesn't take care of its own as an uncreditable testimony. 

One can not break the commandments of Jesus in the name of Jesus, for example his commission to evangelize doesn't supersede his command to love one another, his brethren. 

Godly Living Through Grace

Titus 2:11–12 explains how good workers are formed:

“For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age.”

Grace does not excuse ungodliness; it trains believers to live righteously. This training happens through knowing Christ, who came from the Father:

“Full of grace and truth… From His fullness we have all received, grace upon grace” (John 1:14, 16).

Thus, spiritual growth is not driven by the Law, see The New Living Way, but from being a new creation and receiving from Christ’s fullness. 

Grace Versus Law: Two Different Realms

Scripture consistently teaches that victory over sin does not come through the Law:

“Sin will have no dominion over you, since you are not under law but under grace” (Romans 6:14).

Paul warns that returning to the Mosaic Law as a means of righteousness severs believers from Christ:

“You are severed from Christ, you who would be justified by the law; you have fallen away from grace” (Galatians 5:4).

Grace reigns through righteousness (Romans 5:21), and righteousness is imputed through faith (Romans 4:5), then brought to life by the Spirit:

“The Spirit is life because of righteousness” (Romans 8:10).

Workers of lawlessness may be zealous, but their zeal is misplaced when it is rooted in law, performance, self-righteousness, or self-gain (often worldly status and riches) rather than Christ. The fact these "workers of lawlessness" cast out demons and prophesied in his name is amazing. We see Simon, in Acts 8:9–24, who was baptized but wanted the power of the Spirit through laying on of hands for self-gain who Peter rebuked when he offered him money for it.

Growth, Maturity, and Prepared Good Works

Good workers grow in Christ, moving toward maturity:

“Grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ” (2 Peter 3:18).

Paul describes this process in Ephesians 4:13–15:

“Until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood… speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into Him who is the head, into Christ.”

Good works, then, are the expression of spiritual adulthood, not a substitute for it.

Jesus affirms this pattern:

“By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be My disciples” (John 15:8).

Fruit proves discipleship; it does not create it. A fruit tree will bear what it is, thus Jesus says to judge maturity by fruit. Workers of lawlessness are like the religious leaders of Jesus's day; a fig tree that from a distance is very inviting but has no fruit and is useless to those seeking its food.

Conclusion

In the New Testament, good workers are those redeemed by Christ, grounded in grace, adopted as children, led by the Spirit, and grow to maturity in the knowledge of Jesus. Certainly. they do not go back to the Mosaic Law, requiring circumcision of the flesh, tithing, dietary restrictions... Their works are prepared beforehand by God and flow naturally from abiding in Christ.

Workers of lawlessness, however, are those who operate outside of this relationship—even if their works appear spiritual or impressive. Without knowing Christ, works become empty and lawless, no matter how religious they seem.

Ultimately, the determination between good works and lawlessness is what or who they flow from and the fruit they produce, “Christ in you, the hope of glory” (Colossians 1:27).


Deep Dive:

Word Study Foundations

  • Good Works (ἔργα ἀγαθά – erga agatha): The Greek phrase emphasizes deeds that flow from God’s goodness, not human merit. See Biblehub.
  • Lawlessness (ἀνομία – anomia): Literally “without law,” meaning rebellion against God’s revealed will. See Biblehub.
  • Workmanship (ποίημα – poiēma): Found in Ephesians 2:10, meaning a crafted creation, highlighting believers as God’s designed instruments. See Biblehub.

Good Workers in the New Testament

1. Redeemed for Good Works

  • Titus 2:14 – Christ redeems us from anomia (lawlessness) and cleanses a people “zealous for good works.”
  • Ephesians 2:10 – Believers are God’s poiēma, workmanship created in Christ Jesus for good works prepared beforehand.
  • Romans 8:14-17 – The Spirit testifies we are children of God, heirs, and co-heirs with Christ, empowered to live as good workers.

2. Identity Rooted in Grace

  • Ephesians 1:4-6 – Chosen, predestined, and adopted in Christ, all “to the praise of His glorious grace.”
  • 2 Corinthians 9:8 – God makes grace abound so believers may “abound in every good work.”
  • Colossians 1:10 – Walking worthy of the Lord, “bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God.”

3. Growth into Maturity

  • Titus 2:11-12 – Grace trains believers to deny ungodliness and live soberly, righteously, and godly.
  • Ephesians 4:13-15 – Maturity comes through growing in the knowledge of Christ, no longer tossed by false doctrine.
  • Hebrews 13:20-21 – God equips His people “with everything good for doing His will.”

Workers of Lawlessness

1. Outward Works Without Relationship

  • Matthew 7:22-23 – Many will claim mighty works, prophecy, and exorcisms, yet Christ declares, “I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.”
  • Matthew 25:40; 1 John 3:2-24; John 13:35; 1 John 4:16 – The greatest sign of lawlessness. Not knowing Jesus is equated to not being of him and not loving because God exists love. Thus obedience to his command to love one another and what we do to "His brethren" is a great sign of not knowing him. This is fruit we can judge by.

2. Reliance on Law Instead of Grace

  • Galatians 5:4 – Those who seek justification by the Law are “severed from Christ” and “fallen from grace.”
  • Romans 10:3 – Israel pursued righteousness by works, not by faith, failing to submit to God’s righteousness.

3. Fruits of Lawlessness

  • 2 Thessalonians 2:7-10 – The “mystery of lawlessness” is already at work, deceiving those who refuse the love of truth.
  • 1 John 3:4-18 – Sin is anomia (lawlessness); those who abide in Christ do not continue in lawlessness.
  • 1 John 3:10 – Judge lawlessness by its fruit. "In this the children of God and the children of the devil are known: All the ones not practicing righteousness and the ones not loving His brethren" (1 John 3:10).

Applicable Insight

We tend to think of lawlessness as evil things, greed, adultery, sexual immorality, drunkenness, murder... but Jesus redefines it as not knowing Him. This itself is disobedient to God's word and unbelief in the prophesied Messiah. Jesus the Word that became flesh and dwelt among men. God previously spoke through men, now he speaks through His Son, the Word.

The New Testament consistently teaches that good workers are not defined by external acts alone but by union with Christ, empowered by grace and the Spirit. Lawless workers may appear religious, but their works are detached from true relationship with Jesus. The dividing line is not activity but identity: whether one is redeemed, adopted, and transformed by grace. Being outwardly obedient and doing good works is not the basis of judgement.

  • Good Workers: Redeemed by Christ’s blood (Titus 2:14), chosen and adopted (Ephesians 1), empowered by the Spirit (Romans 8), and prepared for good works (Ephesians 2:10). Their works flow from new birth, grace, truth, and maturity in Christ.
  • Workers of Lawlessness: Outwardly religious but inwardly estranged from Christ (Matthew 7:23), relying on law or self-righteousness (Galatians 5:4), and ultimately rejected because they lack true knowledge of Him. 

The New Testament calls believers to grow in grace and knowledge of Jesus, living as God’s workmanship, zealous for good works, while warning against the deception of lawlessness that masquerades as spirituality expressed through works but without knowledge of Christ expressed through foundations of faith, love, and the Spirit of truth.

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