Is it possible or not to keep the 10 commandments?
If it's not possible to keep the commandments, why do Jesus and also Paul say we are to keep the commandments?
John 14:15
"If you love Me, you will keep My commandments."
John 14:21
He who has My commandments and keeps them is the one who loves Me; and he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and will disclose Myself to him.”
John 15:10
If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love; just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His love.
Matthew 5:19
Whoever then annuls one of the least of these commandments, and teaches others to do the same, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever keeps and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.
Matthew 19:17
And He said to him, “Why are you asking Me about what is good? There is only One who is good; but if you wish to enter into life, keep the commandments.”
1 Corinthians 7:19
Circumcision is nothing, and uncircumcision is nothing, but what matters is the keeping of the commandments of God.
1 Timothy 6
13 I charge you in the presence of God, who gives life to all things, and of Christ Jesus, who testified the good confession before Pontius Pilate, 14 that you keep the commandment without stain or reproach until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ,
Hebrews 7:12 says the Law has changed.
Jesus is primarily referring to His New Covenant teachings or commands and not the 10 alone. Yes, 9 out of the 10 Commands in the 10 Commandments (Minus the Sabbath) have been repeated in the New Testament for us, but the Lord was referring to the commands given by Him and His followers (like Peter, James, Paul, etc.).
Also, the Old Covenant Commands was more than just the 10. There were 615 Commands in the Law of Moses. At the time Jesus said these words in John 14:15, they would have been a mixture of certain Old Covenant Laws that were still in effect and the Pre-Cross teachings He gave us. Some of these OT Laws were changed even before the cross by Jesus Christ Himself.
For example, Jesus said,
38 "Ye have heard that it hath been said, An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth:
39 But I say unto you, That ye resist not evil: but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also." (Matthew 5:38-39).
But after Jesus died upon the cross, the Old Covenant was no more and many of it's laws (not all of them) do not apply anymore. For the Old Law (as a whole or package deal) is dead and no more.
"we are not under the law," (Romans 6:15).
"ye also are become dead to the law by the body of Christ;" (Romans 7:4).
"But now we are delivered from the law," (Romans 7:6).
"In that he saith, A new covenant, he hath made the first old. Now that which decayeth and waxeth old is ready to vanish away." (Hebrews 8:13).
7 "But if the ministration of death, written and engraven in stones, was glorious, so that the children of Israel could not stedfastly behold the face of Moses for the glory of his countenance; which glory was to be done away:
8 How shall not the ministration of the spirit be rather glorious?
9 For if the ministration of condemnation be glory, much more doth the ministration of righteousness exceed in glory.
10 For even that which was made glorious had no glory in this respect, by reason of the glory that excelleth.
11 For if that which is done away was glorious, much more that which remaineth is glorious." (2 Corinthians 3:7-11).
But just because the Old Law is no more as a whole or package deal does not mean we are not under laws from God. We are under a New Covenant, with New Commands.
"But now we are delivered from the law, that being dead wherein we were held; that we should serve in newness of spirit, and not
in the oldness of the letter." (Romans 7:6).
3 "If any man teach otherwise, and consent not to wholesome words,
even the words of our Lord Jesus Christ, and to the doctrine which is according to godliness;
4 He is proud, knowing nothing," (1 Timothy 6:3-4).
14 "Blessed
are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city.
15 For without
are dogs, and sorcerers, and whoremongers, and murderers, and idolaters, and whosoever loveth and maketh a lie." (Revelation 22:14-15).
Jesus's sacrifice and or blood started a New Covenant. We are now officially under the New Covenant commands. Granted, there are some "Moral Laws" like bestiality, etc. that are not mentioned in the New Testament (But it is condemned in the Old Testament Law) that still applies obviously. But we as believers primarily look to the pages of the New Testament to obey God and not the pages of the Old Testament. The Old Law is only good if one uses it lawfully (See 1 Timothy 1:8).