Jesus said: “If you love Me, you will keep My commandments.” (John 14:15) Does Jesus advocate a works doctrine of law-keeping for salvation?

Christian response,

Don’t put the cart before the horse. It is the one who “believes” in Jesus as Lord that receives the anointing of the Holy Spirit providing the ability and desire to obey (Ephesians 1:13-14; Galatians 5:16; John 16:13). Until one humbles themself before God and rejects their own self-righteousness through vain attempts at law-keeping and seeks God’s righteousness earned for us at Golgotha, a perfect righteousness manifest through the obedience and shed blood of Messiah, and one receives the imputation of Messiah’s righteousness into their life by faith, their works of obedience through self-righteousness, law keeping, are equated to a filthy, bloody, menstrual cloth in God’s nose (John 3; 2 Corinthians 5:21; Isaiah 64:6).

Those who love God in Jesus Christ and have received the Holy Spirit as Guarantor of that covenant relationship (Ephesians 1:13-14) will walk in sanctification through the Holy Spirit (John 16:13) and pursue the will of God for their life NOT because they’re enslaved to letters and laws and rules and days but because they love God, they are His child, His possession…they now have a new nature (2 Corinthians 5:17) and an innate desire to please God as they are forgiven and walk in peace with God, forever (Romans 8; Galatians 5:16; Romans 5:1).

The Commandments can do NOTHING for you but define your sin and culpability before God void any form of atonement (Romans 3:20). The Commandments were given Israel as a tutor, a school master, to point them to their need for a Redeemer by faith (Galatians 3:24). When Jesus says to keep “MY” Commandments, He speaks of those commands provided mankind during His earthly ministry. Commandment keeping has absolutely NOTHING to do with your status before God concerning your eternal destiny. It is the one who believes in Jesus as Lord that is made righteous before God as a GIFT of grace through faith, not the one who works in self-righteousness through Law keeping (Ephesians 2:8-9; John 3; Romans 3:21). If you seek God’s favor through law-keeping, self-righteousness, you will perish in your sin and ultimately the “second death” in Perdition as you live under a curse (Romans 3:20; John 8:24; Galatians 3:10).

Trust in Jesus Christ as Lord, receive His righteousness through the imputation by faith and live with God in peace, forever (2 Corinthians 5:21; Romans 5:1).

It is written,

21 “But now apart from the Law the righteousness of God has been revealed, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets, 22 but it is the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all those who believe; for there is no distinction, 23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 being justified as a gift by His grace through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus,” Romans 3 (NASB)