Were Jews saved by keeping the commandments of God?
Malachi 3:7 “Even from the days of your fathers ye are gone away from mine ordinances, and have not kept them. Return unto me, and I will return unto you, saith the LORD of hosts. But ye said, Wherein shall we return?”
Have the Jews kept the commandments of God?
John 9:16 "Therefore said some of the Pharisees, This man is not of God, because he keepeth not the sabbath day. Others said, How can a man that is a sinner do such miracles? And there was a division among them."
Coming from the Pharisees who themselves professed to be teachers of the law, notice what they said of Jesus: “This man is not of God, because he keepeth not the sabbath day.” A man of God, in their fleshly eyes, would be someone capable of keeping the law of God by his own works in his body of flesh.
John 7:19 “Did not Moses give you the law, and yet none of you keepeth the law? Why go ye about to kill me?”
According to Jesus however, there is no such man. Moses gave the law, but there is none capable of keeping the laws in their sinful flesh, because all men are sinners. No man can keep the works of the law in his sinful flesh. I also have a second witness in this passage of scripture:
Acts 7:51-53 "¶ Ye stiffnecked and uncircumcised in heart and ears, ye do always resist the Holy Ghost: as your fathers did, so do ye. 52 Which of the prophets have not your fathers persecuted? and they have slain them which shewed before of the coming of the Just One; of whom ye have been now the betrayers and murderers: 53 Who have received the law by the disposition of angels, and have not kept it."
Notice the part in verse 53 which says “Who have received the law by the disposition of angels, and have not kept it?” This goes to confirm that none of the Jews kept the laws of Moses, as did they who were stiffnecked and uncircumcised in the heart and the ears, and do always resist the Holy Ghost. That's the reason why God the Father gave us his only begotten Son.
Ephesians 2:8-9 “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: 9 Not of works, lest any man should boast.”
No man is saved by his own works, to fulfill the demands of the law. Salvation is by the grace of God alone through faith in the word of God, not of works, lest any man should boast. In fact, there is a curse on anyone who profess to attain unto the holiness required of the law by his own works.
Galatians 3:10 "For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse: for it is written, Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them."
It is either we depend on God's grace to save us, or we depend on our own works to save us. Also, if you add one thing to God's grace, it is no longer grace.
Romans 11:6 "And if by grace, then is it no more of works: otherwise grace is no more grace. But if it be of works, then is it no more grace: otherwise work is no more work."
Therefore, for as many are as under the works of the law, even by a little, is under a curse, for it is written “cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them.” This goes along with:
Jeremiah 17:5 "¶ Thus saith the LORD; Cursed be the man that trusteth in man, and maketh flesh his arm, and whose heart departeth from the LORD."
Jeremiah tells us in this verse that a man is who trusteth in man and maketh flesh his arm is under a curse. This is the kind of Christian who draws nigh unto God with his mouth, and honoureth him with his lips, but his heart which is far from the written word of God, is far from the LORD.
James 2:10 "For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all."
James tells us that it is all or nothing. If one thinks that he is doing the works of law to please God, but if he offends the law in one point, he is guilty of all. All of his efforts in trying to be holy by his own works will go back to zero, and he is become guilty as a transgressor of the law.
Isaiah 64:6 "But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away."
There is nothing holy and righteous in a sinful man, for we are all as an unclean thing, and our righteousness are as filthy rags. This is how the thrice-holy God of the Holy Bible sees us. Isaiah further tells us “we all do fade as a leaf,” it is all vanity and vexation of spirit. No man can ever hope to attain unto the standard of holiness under the works of the law. It is not our filthy works that please God, because we have all fallen short of the glory of God. That's why we need Jesus.
Hebrews 11:6 "But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him."
John 3:16 tells us that we are saved by faith in Jesus Christ, not by doing the works of the law. Hebrews further tells us that without faith in the written word of God, it is impossible to please God, for he that comes to God MUST believe that he is God (through faith in the word of God), and he is a rewarder of them that “diligently seek him.” A key phrase to note here is “diligently seek him,” because we will only be diligent in doing something, if we truly believe. That being said, can one believe and not do?
James 2:26 "For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also."
James compares a faith which is alive to a body which is alive, and contrast it with a faith which is “dead” to a body which is dead. Faith without works is like a body without spirit. A body which is alive will be evidenced by the presence of life, as much as a faith which is alive will be evidenced by an activity in the works of faith, hence the term “diligently seek him” in Hebrews 11:6. Genuine faith need not be compelled, and it cannot be faked. That is also to say, faked religious “works of faith” are not borne out of a believing heart, but are compelled from an unbelieving heart. Those are vain things, because dead faith will only produce dead works that do not last.