I grow tired of pious religious people who cast aspersions on those who emphasize commandment keeping. They seem convinced that those who stress commandment keeping (i.e., Bible authority; book, chapter, and verse teaching) fail to possess and understand God's love. They conclude that if a Christian is always "harping on" that a specific doctrine must be taught, then such a person has lost sight of God's grace.

I must admit that I am one of those who is "guilty" of harping on the necessity of commandment keeping. But here are a few reasons why I do so.

Jesus declared: "If you love Me, keep My commandments" (John 14:15). "You are My friends if you do whatever I command you" (John 15:14).

The apostle John penned: "For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments. And His commandments are not burdensome" (1 John 5:3; cf. 2 John 9-11).

The author of Hebrews wrote concerning Jesus: "And having been perfected, He became the author of eternal salvation to all who obey Him" (5:9).

The last chapter of the last Book of the Bible records: "Blessed are those who do His commandments, that they may have the right to the tree of life, and may enter through the gates into the city" (Revelation 22:14).

The Bible undeniably teaches that commandment keeping is directly connected to our love for God and Christ, as well as to our eternal salvation. I do not deny that I need to continue to grow in my understanding, appreciation, and application of God's love and grace in my life (Titus 2:11-14).

And I always need to remember what Jesus stated in Luke 17:10. "So likewise you, when you have done all those things which you are commanded, say, 'We are unprofitable servants. We have done what was our duty to do.'" God is love (1 John 4:8). We are saved by the grace of God (Eph. 2:8). But without commandment keeping we will NOT be saved! (Matt. 7:21-23; 28:18-20; Mark 16:15-16; Luke 6:46)