1 John 5:3

3 For our love for God means that we obey his commands. And his commands are not too hard for us, ¹

1 John 5:3 Meaning and Commentary

1 John 5:3

For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments,
&c.] Keeping of the commandments of God is an evidence of love to God; this shows that love is not in word and tongue, in profession only, but in deed and in truth; and that such persons have a sense of the love of God upon their souls, under the influence of which they act; and such shall have, and may expect to have, greater manifestations of the love of God unto them:

and his commandments are not grievous;
heavy, burdensome, and disagreeable; by which are meant, not so much the precepts of the moral law, which through the weakness of the flesh are hard to be kept, and cannot be perfectly fulfilled; though believers indeed, being freed from the rigorous exaction, curse, and condemnation of the law, delight in it after the inward man, and serve it cheerfully with their spirit; and still less the commands of the ceremonial law, which were now abolished, and were grievous to be borne; but rather those of faith in Christ, and love to the saints, ( 1 John 3:23 ) ; or it may be the ordinances of the Gospel, baptism, and the Lord's supper, with others, which though disagreeable to unregenerate persons, who do not care to be under the yoke of Christ, however easy and light it is, yet are not heavy and burdensome to regenerate ones; and especially when they have the love of God shed abroad in them, the presence of God with them, communion with Jesus Christ, and a supply of grace and strength from him; then are these ways ways of pleasantness, and paths of peace, and the tabernacles of the Lord are amiable and lovely.

1 John 5:3 In-Context

1 Whoever believes that Jesus is the Messiah is a child of God; and whoever loves a father loves his child also.

2 This is how we know that we love God's children: it is by loving God and obeying his commands.

3 For our love for God means that we obey his commands. And his commands are not too hard for us,

4 because every child of God is able to defeat the world. And we win the victory over the world by means of our faith.

5 Who can defeat the world? Only the person who believes that Jesus is the Son of God.

Cross References

• 1. 5.3John 14.15.