What does it mean that God's commandments are not burdensome (1 John 5:3)?

The child may have found its mother's demand to be grievous in some small degree, as keeping it from its play. If we stray into ways of disobedience we have not even that excuse, for, "His commandments are not grievous." What He enjoins is in exact keeping with love, which is the Divine nature. And we possess that nature, if indeed we are begotten of God.

It would indeed be grievous if we were commanded that which is totally opposed to our natures — just as it would be for a dog to eat hay, or a horse to eat meat. The law of Moses brought "heavy burdens and grievous to be borne," but that was because it was given to men in the flesh. We have received commandments, but we have also received a new nature which delights in the things commanded; and this makes all the difference. John's word here is corroborated by Paul when he says, "God … works in you both to will and to do of His good pleasure" (Phil. 2:13). James also corroborates in speaking of "the perfect law of liberty" (Jas. 1:25).

This is the love of God, that we keep His commandments; and His commandments are not grievous. It is not a heavy yoke lying upon a stiff unsubject neck, but a new nature that obeys from an inner principle of joyful submission to the divine will; His commandments are not heavy and arbitrary; it is not service of the kind of brick-making under the Pharaohs, but a delightful path to one born of God, the path trodden by Jesus Himself, the path of obedience to Him whom we love because He first loved us.

In John's first Epistle we find "commandment" mentioned about a dozen times, and the last mention is a significant one — "His commandments are not grievous" (1 John 5:3). The Epistle has strongly emphasized the fact that the true believer is born of God, and hence has a nature which expresses itself in love and in righteousness, and therefore finds delight, and not a grievous burden, in the very things which are commanded.

1 John 5:3. Love of God is now expressly stated to be obedience to the commandments of God. In John 14 the Lord said to the disciples, "If ye love Me, keep My commandments. … He that hath My commandments and keeps them, he it is that loves Me. … If any one love Me, he will keep My word" (verses 15, 21, 23). Love is expressed in obedience; the greater the love, the more constant the obedience, the greater the desire to carry out the commands and desires of the heart of God. What God has asked us to do is not grievous to the divine life that He has given to us; nay, verily, it is what the divine nature finds pleasure in. The flesh does not like to obey, for the mind of the flesh is enmity with God, and is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can it be (Rom. 8:7); but what is born of God delights in all that belongs to God, and God's commandments are for the securing in us of what brings glory to His Name.

The Lord has given us His commandments that the divine nature might have avenues in which to express itself, and every expression of the divine nature manifests our delight in God's will and gives Him pleasure. Divine commandments are grievous to the flesh, but are not grievous to the divine nature, even if sorrow, suffering, affliction and persecution may result from doing God's will. A Christian who is under the influence of the world will find it grievous to obey the Lord's commandments, but if he renounces the world and judges the flesh that lusted after the things of the world, the divine nature will then have free course to delight in and do the will of God.

Love to the children of God is shown by walking with them in the path of obedience to the will of God, not by walking with them in some other path. The divine safeguard for our conduct at all times is obedience to God that manifests our love to Him. What God has asked His children to do is not grievous (5:3), indeed, He only asks us to do that in which the divine nature finds its delight. His commandments are given to show His children how to find true enjoyment. When the Lord Jesus was on earth He found His pleasure in His Father’s commandments (John 15:10), and could say, “I delight to do Thy will, O my God” (Psalm 40:8).

“For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments: and His commandments are not grievous.” Mere assertions of love for God while ignoring His expressed will can be nothing but hypocrisy. The love of God, as we have seen, is not merely love for God, but God’s love having entered the heart, and producing a fitting response. The proof of it is therefore in my keeping His commandments. Moreover, love will fully agree that His commandments are not grievous. If one were merely serving God for wages, he might no doubt feel this to be irksome service, as all legal bondage is; but if serving from unfeigned love, no resentment will be present. Indeed, the servant who accused the Lord of being hard and austere was himself hard and cold, and did nothing for his master’s sake (Luke 19:20‑26). He disobeyed the master because he callously and falsely imputed his own cold character to his master, who was actually characterized by love and grace.

In this however they are mistaken. Under grace we have been brought into the kingdom of God. The Divine authority has been established in our hearts, if indeed we have been truly converted; and though love is the ruling force in that blessed kingdom yet love has its commandments no less than law. The law issued its commands without furnishing either the motive or the power that would ensure obedience. Only love can furnish the compelling force that is needed. Still the commands of love are there. "This is the love of God, that we keep His commandments: and His commandments are not grievous" (1 John 5:3). Under law men were given commandments on the keeping of which depended their life and position before God. Under grace the believer's life and position are assured in Christ, and the commandments he receives are to shape and direct that new life in a way that will be pleasing to God.

"For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous." The law was a yoke so grievous that neither their fathers nor they were able to bear; but it is not so with the truth of God. The law of God was for the punishing as well as testing of the old man; the word of God is the food and directory of the new man. But is not the world a great hindrance? No doubt; but there is a something that overcomes the world; and what is this? Faith. But mark, he does not say that "every one who believeth that Jesus is the Christ" overcomes the world. Perhaps you may see some whom you cannot doubt are the real children of God, but they do not overcome the world. What then will enable them to overcome the world? Believing that Jesus is the Son of God. "The Christ," I might perhaps say, connects Him with the world, with the Jews and the nations He is to govern; "The Son of God" connects Him with the Father above the world. Such is the difference. Thus, while holding fast and giving all its value to the confession that Jesus is the Christ of God, I am not to be tied to it. We need a growing sense of what Christ is, and of His glory, in order to resist the downward tendency and the ensnaring power of the world around; and true power over the world is by advancing in the knowledge of Christ. There is no other thing that will wear so well. "Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God?"

We are not come a second time to Sinai. God, who then shrouded in His perfect glory by a wail of darkness, has now dispelled the former shadows by the light of life. He has hushed for us the clamour of unsatisfied holiness, into the gentle greeting of entire love. The Gospel brings the children to no sight of terror. We can endure what is commanded as no grievous burden, when we find God's finished will in Christ to be the sure salvation of our souls (1 John 5:3).