Salvation is a gift. We cannot earn it. We can only accept it by faith. We receive justification (right standing with God) as a gift, solely through faith because of God’s grace.

“For it is BY GRACE YOU HAVE BEEN SAVED, through FAITH—and this not from yourselves, it is THE GIFT OF GOD—not by works, so that no one can boast.”
—Ephesians 2:8, 9.

We cannot keep the commandments by our own works—by trying. We cannot keep the commandments to be saved. But when we come to Jesus and are saved, his love fills our hearts. And as a result of this divine grace and acceptance, our desire to follow and obey Christ intensifies; we begin to obey His commandments through the power of His love in our hearts. Christ’s “love is shed abroad in our hearts,” and we begin to love with His love (Romans 5:5, KJV).

“This is love for God: to obey his commands. And his commands are not burdensome.”
—l John 5:3.

According to John, “Everyone who sins breaks the law” (1 John 3:4). But after suggesting that the Christian is no longer under the condemnation of the law because of Christ’s death for our sins on Calvary, Paul adds:

“Do we, then, nullify the law by this faith? Not at all! Rather, we uphold the law.”
—Romans 3:31.

Paul stresses the futility of human effort and indicates that we are not under the law as a way of salvation, but “under grace,” then he asks:

“Shall we sin because we are not under law but under grace? By no means!”
—Romans 6:15.