Jesus: Keep the Commandments — What Does This Really Mean?¶

A Plain-English Summary of the Biblical Evidence¶

When Jesus told the rich young ruler "if thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments" (Matthew 19:17), was he teaching that people must earn salvation through good works? What about when he said "not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father" (Matthew 7:21)? And what should we make of the final judgment scene where people are separated into eternal life or punishment based on whether they fed the hungry and visited the sick?

These passages have sparked intense debate. Some argue that Jesus clearly teaches salvation by works, which would contradict the apostle Paul's emphasis on salvation by faith alone. Others contend that Jesus and Paul are actually teaching the same truth from different angles. Let's examine what the Bible actually says.

The Rich Young Ruler: A Complete Story¶

The conversation between Jesus and the rich young ruler is one of the most revealing passages about what Jesus means by "keep the commandments." But we must read the entire story, not just selected verses.

A young man approached Jesus asking, "Good Master, what good thing shall I do, that I may have eternal life?" (Matthew 19:16). Notice that he was already thinking in terms of earning salvation through doing something good. Jesus responded by pointing him to the commandments:

"And he said unto him, Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is, God: but if thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments" (Matthew 19:17).

The young man claimed he had kept all the commandments from his youth. But Jesus wasn't finished:

"Jesus said unto him, If thou wilt be perfect, go and sell that thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come and follow me" (Matthew 19:21).

This demand exposed what the commandments had not revealed — the young man's heart was divided. He loved his wealth more than God. He went away sorrowful because he had great possessions.

Then comes the crucial part that is often overlooked. Jesus told his disciples:

"Then said Jesus unto his disciples, Verily I say unto you, That a rich man shall hardly enter into the kingdom of heaven. And again I say unto you, It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God" (Matthew 19:23-24).

The disciples were astonished and asked, "Who then can be saved?" Jesus gave them the key to understanding his entire approach:

"But Jesus beheld them, and said unto them, With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible" (Matthew 19:26).

This is Jesus himself explaining what he meant by "keep the commandments." The commandments reveal our inability to save ourselves. They drive us to recognize that salvation is "impossible with men" but "with God all things are possible." Jesus wasn't teaching salvation by works — he was using the law to expose our need for divine intervention.

The "Lord, Lord" Passage: Works Without Relationship¶

In Matthew 7:21-23, Jesus gives another crucial piece of the puzzle:

"Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity."

This passage is often cited to prove that Jesus requires works for salvation. But look carefully at what actually happened. The people Jesus rejected DID perform many wonderful works — they prophesied, cast out devils, and did miracles in his name. Yet Jesus rejected them completely.

Why? Not because they lacked works, but because Jesus said, "I never knew you." The issue wasn't insufficient good deeds; it was the absence of a genuine relationship with Jesus. They were performing religious works, but Jesus had never known them personally.

This shows that for Jesus, doing God's will flows from knowing him personally, not the other way around. Works without relationship are worthless, no matter how impressive they might appear.

"The Work of God": Jesus Defines His Terms¶

One of the most important verses for understanding Jesus' teaching is often overlooked. When people asked him, "What shall we do, that we might work the works of God?" Jesus gave a direct answer:

"Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent" (John 6:29).

Here Jesus explicitly defines "the work of God." It's not keeping a list of commandments or performing religious activities — it's believing in him. When Jesus talks about "works" or "doing," he includes faith itself as the fundamental work.

This puts all of Jesus' other statements about doing and keeping commandments in a new light. The foundation is faith — believing in him whom God has sent.

Commandments and Love: The Heart of the Matter¶

Jesus consistently taught that commandment-keeping flows from love, not the other way around:

"If ye love me, keep my commandments" (John 14:15).

"He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me" (John 14:21).

When a lawyer asked Jesus about inheriting eternal life, Jesus pointed him to the law. The lawyer correctly identified the two greatest commandments — loving God and loving your neighbor. Jesus responded:

"And he said unto him, Thou hast answered right: this do, and thou shalt live" (Luke 10:28).

But what are these commandments about? Jesus himself explained:

"Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets" (Matthew 22:37-40).

The entire law — all the commandments — hang on love. Jesus isn't teaching salvation by works; he's teaching salvation by love, which then naturally expresses itself in obedient action.

The Sheep and Goats: Character, Not Calculation¶

The judgment scene in Matthew 25:31-46 is often cited as proof that salvation depends on works. The King separates people based on whether they fed the hungry, gave drink to the thirsty, welcomed strangers, clothed the naked, visited the sick, and cared for prisoners. Those who did these things inherit eternal life; those who didn't face eternal punishment.

But there's a crucial detail that reveals the true nature of this judgment. The righteous were completely surprised:

"Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink? When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee? Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee?" (Matthew 25:37-39).

The sheep had no idea they were serving Christ. They weren't performing good works to earn salvation — they were acting out of compassion because it was their nature to do so. The judgment revealed their character, not their conscious attempts to merit salvation.

Jesus explained:

"And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me" (Matthew 25:40).

The goats were equally surprised, asking when they had failed to serve him. Both groups' surprise indicates that the judgment criterion was not calculated merit-earning but character expressed in spontaneous compassion.

What the Bible Does NOT Say¶

Several common interpretations go beyond what the text actually states:

The Bible does not say that Jesus taught salvation by works alone. Every passage where Jesus mentions commandment-keeping or doing good works is embedded in a larger context that includes love, relationship, divine enablement, or the exposure of human inadequacy.

The Bible does not say that "keeping commandments" means the same thing in Jesus' teaching as "works of the law" in Paul's letters. Jesus consistently connects commandment-keeping with love and relationship, while Paul's "works of the law" refers to attempts to gain righteousness through legal observance apart from faith.

The Bible does not say that "entering the kingdom" and "being justified" refer to the same event. While they may overlap, no verse explicitly equates these different theological categories from different authors.

The Bible does not say that good works are unnecessary. Even those who emphasize salvation by faith alone acknowledge that genuine faith produces good works. The question is whether works are the root or the fruit of salvation.

The Bible does not say that Jesus' pre-crucifixion teaching about commandments applies only to the Old Testament period. Some argue that Jesus was speaking under the old covenant while Paul reveals the new covenant truth, but no biblical text states this limitation.

Faith That Works Through Love¶

Perhaps the key to understanding both Jesus and Paul is found in Paul's phrase "faith which worketh by love" (Galatians 5:6). This perfectly captures what we see in Jesus' teaching:

The foundation is faith — "the work of God is that ye believe" (John 6:29)
Faith expresses itself through love — "if ye love me, keep my commandments" (John 14:15)
Love fulfills the law — "on these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets" (Matthew 22:40)
This produces obedient action — but action flowing from relationship, not merit-seeking

When Paul writes, "For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works" (Ephesians 2:8-10), he describes the same dynamic Jesus taught: salvation is God's work, received through faith, which then produces good works as its natural fruit.

The Harmony of Scripture¶

Rather than contradicting Paul's teaching about salvation by faith, Jesus' emphasis on commandment-keeping and doing God's will fits perfectly with a faith-first understanding:

Salvation begins with believing — "the work of God is that ye believe" (John 6:29)
Faith is impossible through human effort — "with men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible" (Matthew 19:26)
True faith expresses itself in love — "if ye love me, keep my commandments" (John 14:15)
Love naturally produces obedience — "on these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets" (Matthew 22:40)
Works without relationship are worthless — "I never knew you" (Matthew 7:23)
Genuine works flow from character, not calculation — the surprised sheep in Matthew 25:37-39

This understanding explains why Jesus could simultaneously demand perfect obedience and declare that salvation is impossible with men but possible with God. The commandments don't save us; they reveal our need for the Savior. When we come to him in faith, his love transforms our hearts so that obedience becomes the natural expression of our relationship with him.

Conclusion¶

Jesus' teaching about keeping commandments and doing God's will is not a contradiction of salvation by faith — it's a fuller picture of what genuine faith looks like. Jesus consistently embedded his demands for obedience within a framework of love, relationship, and divine enablement that prevents reading them as a standalone works-salvation system.

The rich young ruler story concludes with divine enablement, not human achievement. The "Lord, Lord" passage rejects workers for lacking relationship, not for lacking works. The sheep and goats judgment features surprised recipients whose compassion flowed from character, not calculation. And Jesus explicitly defines "the work of God" as believing in him.

When we read Jesus' teaching in its full biblical context, we discover not a works-based salvation system, but a relationship-based faith that naturally and necessarily expresses itself in loving obedience. This harmonizes perfectly with Paul's teaching that we are saved by faith alone, but that this faith inevitably works through love to produce the good works for which God created us.

Based on the full technical study completed 2026-03-03