Thank you for the question on obedience and eternal life, “Does being obedient to God get you eternal life? Why?”
Absolutely Not. Obedience is a reflection of a believer’s love for God and a desire to please God. There is the recognition by believers BECAUSE God saved me and set forth commands for my well being, that is the reason why one obeys God’s commands. Salvation is NOT earned by one’s obedience to God’s command. If a person doesn’t know or believe in God, the commands of God are irrelevant to that person. If there is no personal relationship with God, there is no reason to obey the commands of God.
The Scripture declares that one receives eternal life by faith, apart from works. For one’s consideration of the following verses:
John 3 says this, “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. 18 Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son” (A searchable online Bible in over 150 versions and 50 languages). Bible citations are from the New International Version.
I John 5 says this, “Whoever believes in the Son of God accepts this testimony. Whoever does not believe God has made him out to be a liar, because they have not believed the testimony God has given about his Son. 11 And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. 12 Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life” (NIV).
Galatians 2 says this, “We who are Jews by birth and not sinful Gentiles 16 know that a person is not justified by the works of the law, but by faith in Jesus Christ. So we, too, have put our faith in Christ Jesus that we may be justified by faith in[d] Christ and not by the works of the law, because by the works of the law no one will be justified” (NIV).
The famous passage of Ephesians 2:8–9 also affirms that salvation is by grace, not by works, “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— 9 not by works, so that no one can boast” (NIV).
Martin Luther came to that conclusion in his study of the Epistle of Galatians. The study of Romans 1–8 whereby the Apostle Paul makes a compelling argument that one can’t be saved by obeying the commands of God. May I encourage readers to read or study those two great epistles on salvation.
The letters of the Apostle Paul states theological truths followed by practical applications. This is where he calls upon believers to live out what they already believe in their hearts.
The Ten Commandments were given to the Jew people who already entered into a covenant relationship with God. They agree to be God’s people and then God gave them the commands. The commands were not give so that they will become his people. They are his people despite their failure to obey his commands.
SUMMARY: No one can truly obey/live the commands of God unless one has been redeemed and transformed by the Spirit of God. The Christian life can’t be lived by one’s own strength. It is a supernatural life that needs a supernatural new birth and a new power to live it by the Holy Spirit.
For more perspectives:
https://www.quora.com/Does-being-obedient-to-God-get-you-eternal-life-Why