Articles
His Commandments Are Not Burdensome - 1 John 5:1-4
The apostle John made several important points concerning love in his first epistle. First, he urged believers to make loving others a habit (1 Jn. 4:7). Second, he demonstrated that love is active (1 Jn. 3:16-18). And third, John emphasized that loving others is an appropriate response to God’s love for us (1 Jn. 4:11; 5:1). The Greek verb agapao is found in these passages. It means “to have an interest in another that one wishes to contribute to the other’s well-being.” How can we know if our love for others corresponds to the love that John instructed? He wrote, “By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and observe His commandments. For this is the love of God, that we keeps His commandments; and His commandments are not burdensome” (1 Jn. 5:2-3).
John linked our love for others with our love for God—they go hand in hand. We cannot love God without loving His children, and we cannot love His children without loving God. Again, John used the verb agapao (1 Jn. 5:2-3). He wanted believers to realize that love is active, interested, and demonstrable. Concerning our love for others, John wrote, “Little children, let us not love with word or with tongue, but in deed and truth’ (1 Jn. 3:18). Likewise, our love for God must be apparent. We must demonstrate our love for Him by keeping His commandments.
Commandments are “a direction for action,” and our Father has directed His children to love others. John wrote, “This is His commandment, that we believe in the name of His Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, just as He commanded us” (1 Jn. 3:23). John’s use of agapao can appear daunting because it requires an active interest in others that seeks their well-being. God’s command to love others, however, is not burdensome. It is not a source of difficulty or trouble because the Father has shown us the way of love. John wrote, “By this the love of God was manifested in us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world so that we might live through Him. In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another” (1 Jn. 4:9-11). Not only has God shown us the way of love, but He has made it possible for us to be born of Him and to be victorious over the world (1 Jn. 5:4). Those who have been born of God are capable of showing love to others and fulfilling God’s command.
Is it burdensome to love others? Those who are focused on self will have difficulty observing God’s command. However, those who are born of God open their hearts to others and actively contribute to their well-being. It is not burdensome to love others. Our Father has shown us the way.
