This matter has confused a lot of people over the centuries. The biblical answer is that there is no either-or here. In fact, it’s not exactly a matter of both either, as if these are two different courses. Rather, they are together one course, one way, the only way.

In laying out His laws, God explained to Israel: “What does the Lord your God require of you, but to fear the Lord your God, to walk in all His ways and to love Him, to serve the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul, and to keep the commandments of the Lord and His statutes which I command you today for your good?” (Deuteronomy 10:12-13; compare Ecclesiastes 12:13).

Jesus did not do away with this instruction, as many assume (see Matthew 5:17-19). When a young man asked Him how to have eternal life (Matthew 19:16), Jesus responded, “If you want to enter into life, keep the commandments” (verse 17, emphasis added throughout). The young man asked which ones, and Jesus proceeded to list a number of the Ten Commandments, along with the summary command to love one’s neighbor as oneself (verses 18-19).

Jesus rebuked the notion that obedience is not necessary, asking, “But why do you call Me ‘Lord, Lord [meaning Master or Ruler],’ and not do the things which I say?” (Luke 6:46). And He further stated, “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven” (Matthew 7:21). Again, obedience is a requirement.

Jesus taught His disciples to keep His commandments as He kept His Father’s commandments (John 15:10). And He had already commanded that people obey God’s commandments. Some assume Jesus merely gave a new commandment to love, but what was new was that they now had Him for a model to emulate, to know how to love (John 13:34). But as we just saw, that included His obedience to His Father’s commandments.

In fact, the apostle John would later write: “For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments” (1 John 5:3). He even said: “Now by this we know that we know Him, if we keep His commandments. He who says, ‘I know Him,’ and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him” (1 John 2:3-4).

Where, then, is the need for faith in Christ? Apart from Him, no one can be saved. He stated directly: “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me” (John 14:6). Salvation is only through Him (Acts 4:12).

Apart from Him, people face a dire predicament: “All have sinned” (Romans 3:23)—that is, transgressed God’s law (1 John 3:4, King James Version)—and “the wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23). So all have been condemned for that. But we can receive forgiveness from God through Christ’s sacrifice: “The blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin” (1 John 1:7).

Yet this is not permission to go on sinning. Jesus’ command is to “go and sin no more” (John 8:11). But that’s a tall order. For as the apostle Paul explains: “The mindset of the flesh is hostile to God because it does not submit to God’s law. Indeed, it is unable to do so” (Romans 8:7, Christian Standard Bible). So how do we obey?

We are not capable of sustained obedience without divine help. We must receive a new nature from God through receiving His Holy Spirit (Acts 2:38; 2 Peter 1:4). Jesus then lives in us to help us obey, with God’s laws written on our hearts and minds (Galatians 2:20; Hebrews 8:10). For our part, we must cooperate, continuing to repent where we fall short, and never turn away.

Salvation is indeed a free gift upon repentance and faith (Ephesians 2:8-9). But it is conditioned on our continuing in repentance, which entails regret over our disobedience and commitment to obey going forward—and we must follow through.

Some claim that meeting conditions would be earning salvation. But our obedience does not obligate God to save us. Salvation remains a gift. And we could not meet the conditions on our own in any case. Yet we could refuse to meet them, which would be disqualifying, a path we must resist (see 1 Corinthians 9:27; Hebrews 12:4). Yet again, the needed strength comes through Christ’s help.

It should further be noted that while Jesus is indeed, as He said, the way, the truth and the life, these descriptions also fit the law of God. “Blessed are the undefiled in the way, who walk in the law of the Lord!”  (Psalm 119:1). “All Your commandments are truth” (verse 151). “Set your hearts on . . . all the words of this law. For it is not a futile thing for you, because it is your life, and by this word you shall prolong your days” (Deuteronomy 32:46-47).

It makes sense when we recognize that Jesus is the Word of God (John 1:1-3, 14)—the One who spoke these laws to Israel on behalf of the Father. He exemplified these laws perfectly. And they describe His nature. He died to forgive us of walking contrary to these laws so that we could, through His help and power, live in obedience to them. We will still fall down at times, but must continue repenting and growing through Christ (1 John 1:8–2:2; 2 Peter 3:18).

What this all means is that it’s not a matter of law or grace—of the commandments or salvation through faith in Christ. Rather, it is by grace that God grants forgiveness of sins through Christ’s sacrifice, and His grace empowers obedience through the Holy Spirit, with Christ living in us to help us grow and overcome, leading us to salvation. All of this is the one and only way to eternal life and blessing.