Down an Unfamiliar Road

NEW TESTAMENT CONTEXTUAL COMMENTARY

By Dr. Robert R Seyda

FIRST EPISTLE OF JOHN

CHAPTER FIVE (Lesson XXIII) 10/26/22

^5:3 Loving God means obeying His commands. And God’s commands are not too hard for us,

Such obedience does not diminish love to some mechanical reaction but infuses it with proactive commitment. Unlike those parts of the Apostle’s writings and Christian tradition that struggle to relate “faith” and “works,” John does not attempt to separate “love” and “doing.” Instead, he restates his formula, “observe His commands,”[1] and offers a reminder that such doing is always in relationship to God. ^[2]

It is Vincent Cheung’s (1952) conclusion that the Bible teaches a different definition of what it means to love God. As Moses said, “Carefully obey the commands, I am giving you today, love the Lord your God, and serve Him with all your heart and soul,”[3] so Jesus told His disciples, “Those who really love Me are the ones who not only know my commands but also obey them. My Father will love such people, and I will love them. I will make Myself known to them.”[4] Thus, we must not define “Love for God” as fondness or admiration but as obedience. And only faithful Christians can love God as defined by these verses – they obey God’s commands and submit to Him in thought and action. Of course, a Christian may be fond of God, but it is insincere affection if they do not obey God’s divine commands.^[5]

In emphasizing what the Apostle John says about everyone born of God overcomes the world, Bruce B. Barton (1954) sees this as a victory of Faith over despair. It means that love for God and others does not exist alone in a believer;[6] it must be accompanied by obedience. Therefore, John added, Love for God: is to obey His mandates. It echoes what Jesus said to His disciples, as recorded in the Gospel of John.[7] Jesus had one commandment for them: Love one another.[8] This one directive is not grievous, heavy, or burdensome; it should delight the believer to love God through their obedience.[9] God’s commands do not destroy people’s freedom, creativity, or spontaneity. They are not like the laws of the Pharisees that weighed people down. However, they direct people (freedom doesn’t mean arbitrary action) and restrain them (freedom doesn’t mean giving free rein to human desires). Unfortunately, this world puts so much emphasis on experience and feeling instead of duty and action. God, however, wants Christians’ outward conduct to demonstrate their inward devotion to Him.^[10]

As stated in Daniel L. Akin’s (1957) interpretation of this verse, the Apostle John returns to the theme of obedience to God’s mandates.[11] Although John knew that loving God and obeying God was distinguishable, he also knew they were inseparable.[12] Here he adds a new perspective on obedience that is liberating. We find it at the end of verse three, where he says that God’s commands “are not a burden.” How does that work itself out? John says that in the new birth, we receive a new nature. This new nature brings new affections, passions, treasures, and values. Because we now love God instead of hating Him, we treasure and value Him above everyone and everything else. And because we do, our delight is in obeying Him. Now we find why His commands are not a burden but a blessing. They are not a struggle; they are a delight.

Classically thinking, Bruce G. Schuchard (1958) sees these first of six stylized beginning instances with an attention-grabbing “this is” that helps to mark the midpoint of subunit one[13] – for this is the love of God. “This” points emphatically forward both to the related clause “love” and to the completing statement offered by the clause that follows, “for” is self-explanatory.[14] “Of God” describes the object of our love, “when we love God,” in verse two. And yet, “only because God loves us are we able to love one another.”[15] The second of three references to God’s “instruction”[16] reinforces the importance of our adherence to it. Again, the meaning here of “embrace’’ differs little from that of “live for the sake of.”[17]

The weighty adjective “burdensome” is a word that appears only once in this Epistle. The thinking behind John’s statement “runs deep in the biblical tradition.”[18] Having criticized the secessionists for failing to heed God’s instructions, John now demonstrates a pastoral awareness that his “demands” may risk discouraging rather than encouraging his followers. And so, at his Epistle’s end, John attaches to his final reference to the necessity of love, the encouraging reminder that for God’s children, such instruction is never burdensome but is instead a delight. God’s teachings invite us all to receive, cherish, and abide in the communion of the saints that our God is gracious to provide. His mandate summons all believers to faith and a life that is the fellowship of the beloved with the Father and with the Father’s Son,[19] Jesus, the Anointed One, God’s Son. ^[20]

As modern Bible scholar David Guzik (1961) remarks, someone said that the best thing a father can do for his children is to love his wife as their mother. Even so, the first way for a child of God to love their spiritual brothers and sisters in the Anointed One is to love God and obey Him. And, if you love the parent, you will love the child. It all works together. When our love and obedience for God grows cold, we not only harm ourselves – we wound our spiritual brothers and sisters also. At the very least, the damage occurs because we strain our fellow believers’ spiritual progress. Nevertheless, if we refuse to love and obey God for our sake, we should at least do it out of love for others.

But the Apostle John has good news for both saint and sinner: God’s commandments are not a burden. Here we see how wise and good God’s guidelines are as gifts to show us the best and most fulfilling life possible. God’s instructions are like the “manufacturer’s handbook” for life; He tells us what to do because He knows how we work best. God does not give us His mandates to bind or pain us because God is like an irritated old god. His commandments don’t weigh us down because we receive new hearts that wish to please God by instinct when we are born again. God wrote His law in every believer’s heart as part of the Final Covenant.[21]

So, instead of the burdensome requirement to keep hundreds of little rules and regulations, Jesus says to us, “Love Me and love my people, and you will walk in obedience.” When we love God, we want to obey Him and please Him. When you love someone, it seems little trouble to go through many difficulties to help or please them. You enjoy doing it, though if you had to do it for an enemy, you would constantly complain. Therefore, just as the seven years of Jacob’s service for Laban seemed only a few days to him because of his love for Rachel.[22] So, obeying God’s commands does not seem like a burden when we love Him. An old proverb says, “Love feels no load.”^[23] [24]

As a lover of God’s Word, Peter Pett (1966) wants the Apostle John to explain how we know that we love our spiritual brothers and sisters. The answer is evident in the fact that we love God and obey His commandments. These commandments show how we should act with specific guidelines: “You must love your neighbor as yourself” – called “the Royal Law.”[25] If we fulfill these, we love our spiritual brothers and sisters in the way required. Here we are told that God’s commandments are not “overweight or too heavy to carry.” The idea here is that they are not “burdensome” or “difficult.”

Also, as Moses stresses, they are near and not far off.[26] They are in their mouths and hearts because they love God.[27] In contrast, Jesus spoke of the Pharisees as those who “bind heavy loads, hard to bear, and put them on people’s shoulders.”[28] So they are not burdensome because we love God and delight in doing His will and because they are a response to God’s love, carried in the heart, and not a way of earning it.^[29]

Unorthodox Bible scholar Duncan Hester (1967) says that the Apostle John’s language here implies that being born of God is something done to us, something received rather than of our volition. It is the birth of the Spirit.[30] Also, the language of “overcoming” is used elsewhere in John about the Judaist false teachers and infiltrators,[31] just as the Lord overcame the Jewish world.[32] Overcoming that world is based on faith in the Father and Son. Again, we see a colossal conflict between Judaism, worldliness, and Christians in the Lord Jesus. But, then, the neuter adjective “Whoever” does not identify the gender of the believers.^[33]

Bright seminarian Karen H. Jobes (1968) sees the Apostle John reassure believers of eternal life based on God’s love, expressed on the cross, and that love, when properly understood, frees us from fear of God’s coming day of judgment.[34] Perhaps a primary reason so many people have difficulty trusting God’s love is that society at large, and the church, to some extent, let go of the idea that a final exam is coming after this life. Then we will be judged by a holy and righteous God.

Consequently, the gracious atonement for our sin is not viewed as the greatest gift of love but as an irrelevant and outdated belief of primitive religion. Instead of pondering the cross of Jesus the Anointed One, fallen creatures seek God’s love and goodness elsewhere in a fallen creation. Horrible things such as the untimely death of an innocent child, destructive violence, catastrophic natural calamities, and “man’s inhumanity to man” seem to weigh heavily against God’s goodness. All of which causes many to doubt God’s love for us. If there is no sin and no judgment of sin, then Jesus’ death was a horrible farce.^[35]

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[1] See 1 John 2:3

[2] Lieu, Judith: The New Testament Library, I, II, & III John, op. cit., p. 202

[3] Deuteronomy 11:13

[4] John 14:21; cf. 14:23-24; 15:14; 1 John 2:4-6; 5:3; 2 John 1:6

[5] Cheung, Vincent. Systematic Theology, op. cit., loc. cit., Kindle Edition

[6] 1 John 5:2

[7] John 14:15, 21, 23-24, 31; 15:10

[8] Ibid. 13:34; 15:17

[9] Matthew 11:29-30

[10] Bruton, Bruce B., 1, 2, & 3 John (Life Application Bible Commentary), op. cit., p. 107

[11] Cf. 1 John 2:4,7-8; 3:22-24

[12] John 14:15

[13] 1 John 5:1-4

[14] Ibid. 5:3; cf. 2:19; 4:20

[15] Ibid. 4:10,19

[16] Ibid. 5:2b, 3c

[17] See especially 1 John 3:22; see also Revelation 12:17

[18] Deuteronomy 30:11; Matthew 11:30

[19] See 1 John 1:3

[20] Schuchard, Bruce G., Concordia Commentary, 1-3 John, op. cit., pp. 524-525

[21] Jeremiah 31:33

[22] Genesis 29:18

[23] Appeals for Purity, Sexual  Purity, Truth, February 7, 2020

[24] Guzik, David: Enduring Word, 1,2, & 3 John & Jude, op. cit., pp. 87-89

[25] See Matthew 19:19; 22:29; Romans 13:9-10; Galatians 5:14; James 2:8

[26] Deuteronomy 30:11-14

[27] Cf. Matthew 11:30

[28] Ibid. 23:4

[29] Pett, Peter: Commentary on the Bible, op. cit., loc. cit.

[30] John 3:3-5

[31] John 16:33; 1 John 2:13,14; 4:4; 5:4, 5; See also Revelation 2:7, 11, 17, 26; 3:5, 12, 21; 5:5; 6:2; 11:7; 12:11; 13:7

[32] Ibid. 16:33

[33] Heaster, Duncan. New European Christadelphian Commentary: op. cit., The Letters of John, p. 69

[34] 1 John 5:17-18

[35] Jobes, Karen H., 1, 2, and 3 John (Zondervan Exegetical Commentary on The New Testament Series Book 18), op. cit., p. 211

NEW TESTAMENT CONTEXTUAL COMMENTARY

By Dr. Robert R Seyda

FIRST EPISTLE OF JOHN

CHAPTER FIVE (Lesson XXII) 10/25/22

^5:3 Loving God means obeying His commands. And God’s commands are not too hard for us,

We can see, points out Neal M. Flanagan (1908-1986), that the preceding section in chapter four on love,[1] joins verses one to three here in chapter five as an added section on faith. The creedal statement proposed here is that Jesus is God’s Son[2] who is also thoroughly human, both at His baptism[3] and in His bloody death that terminated it. Son of God, yes – but Son of God whose humanity was essential.[4]

It is definite, says Ronald A. Ward (1920-1986), that according to the Apostle John, loving God is more than a feeling. It includes prayer, worship, and fellowship, and “obedience” contains all these virtues.”  To love God is to obey Him – to spend time with Him delighting in His Word, to take part in the life and work of the Church – and to love one another.[5] God’s commandments are not a burden but weighty.[6] Jesus promised that with His help, they could feel light.[7] For instance, we cannot lift an automobile to change a tire, but it seems more manageable when we use a ‘car jack.’ It is all a question of power.[8]

As Peter S. Ruckman (1921-2016) sees it, the Apostle John warns those unacquainted with God’s Word who rebel against any scripture that contradicts their interpretation and tries to dodge the truth coming at them.[9] Instead of being like Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego,[10] they look for a place to hide.[11]

It is evident, says Ian Howard Marshall (1934-2015), that the Apostle John’s readers know that love for God is expressed in keeping His commands.[12] Now they are reminded of that fact. It is an appropriate addition, for elsewhere, John has shown that God’s commandments are summed up in the mandate to love one another. However, here the thought is a bridge, leading to the main point that these instructions are not burdensome and the duty of loving one another. They are not beyond our ability to keep. On the contrary, Jesus offers us an easy yoke and a light burden.[13] If tempted to think that the love and obedience demanded of Christians are beyond our powers, this verse comes to us as a welcome source of strength and encouragement.^[14]

It is evident, notes John Painter (1935) that the Apostle John refers to God’s “commandments” in the plural. It means we are not subject to one commandment but them all.[15] Thus, a case can be made for reading the singular “commandment” as a reference to the love mandate given by Jesus.[16] But the first use of the singular in verse twenty-three is an apparent reference to instructions given by God. It is less evident in its second use, which could refer to Jesus’ demand to “love one another.”[17] ^[18]

Seeking harmony with the Apostle John, Muncia Walls (1937) proposes that our love for God is the motivating factor that gives us the desire to keep His commandments. Seeking and hungering after righteousness becomes our joy and living a life of love becomes our delight. God’s mandates bring us the freedom and the liberty we so ardently desire. Thus, doing His Word and His Will does not bring us grief. The word “grievous” means something heavy, burdensome, or cruel. God’s guidelines are not like this. Those who truly love God do not find His commands a burden placed upon them but a pleasure and joy to the person in love with the Author of the demands – Jesus, the Anointed One. ^[19]

Apparently, Michael Eaton (1942-2017) feels that keeping God’s mandates on love does not present a heavy burden too difficult to carry. Some might not be ready to think that the command of love is “not burdensome.” Yes, Love is definable: it has clout and content. But it is not rightly expressed in the Mosaic law, and the implementation is inadequate to articulate what it means to love. But this does not mean that love cannot be expressed in words. The Final Covenant is full of appeals, partial expressions of the love command. Although no list of commands can sum up every requirement for the situation, each practical exhortation is a bright flash of light from the sparkling diamond of the love command. John does not give a list of requirements; promoting a code of Law with a list of demands when loving is keeping the Law would be deceptive. ^[20]

After a long look at what John is writing, William Loader (1944) became conscious of the tension between obligation and spontaneous love response. Love is a command. Conscious choice is involved. Yet, the Apostle John is not dealing with obligatory mandates or a set of burdensome orders. They do not sit unnaturally on our shoulders as an awkward oppressive weight. They are not troublesome because they make few demands: on the contrary, the call to love is to call to action! Rather, they are not grievous because they flow naturally from who we are as children of God. We are in a relationship with the One who loves us and whose love enables us to love and fulfill His demands. This recalls the invitation of Jesus to come to Him to find rest and put on His light yoke.[21] ^[22]

It is unmistakable, notes David Jackman (1945), that the Apostle John makes it plain that faith not only includes obedience to God’s commands related to love, but it is our way of loving God. It is what gives love its moral fiber. It needs reemphasizing because we live in a generation where the sovereignty of emotions and feelings has come to mean even emptying the word “love” of its moral content. Because we love God, we genuinely want to please Him in our thoughts, words, and actions. For us, it is no longer an external matter of moral duty to obey a law so much as to please our dearly loved heavenly Father. This lies at the heart of Christian discipleship. And the glory of the Final Covenant is precisely the inner love for God which prompts obedience.^[23]

After researching these verses, John W. (Jack) Carter (1947) encourages us to note the use of a “chiasmic structure”[24] common in Greek literature and often used for effect. It repeats a phrase with another part added on. The sequence is then repeated in reverse order. Here John adds the simple point that when one truly loves the LORD, they will find obedience to be a pleasure, not a burden. One is burdened by another when there is no love relationship between them. A dictator can easily place a tremendous burden on others. Those in the fellowship acting like little dictators who burden those they work to control. There is little joy in the effort when forcing someone to submit to such authority unwillingly.  However, love is the fundamental relationship between the LORD and a person of faith. Now, while using Torah as an overbearing weight on those not born of God through love, God’s Word, including Torah, is a comfort to those who love God.^[25]

It is apparent to Robert W. Yarbrough (1948) that verse three concludes this subsection’s commendation of personal faith as love for God. It does so in activist terms. While love can be viewed as an emotion or sentiment and a relational component of affection. As the Apostle John conceives it; here, he portrays it as keeping God’s commandments with an attitude of glad acceptance, if not joy, rather than some grim moral resignation. The verse begins with “For this love for God.” Only 2 John 1:6 offers any close parallel of the near demonstrative pronoun with agápē. John’s statement departs from the previous verse, in which he implies a contrast between love and God’s mandate to love. But later, John makes this connection explicit.[26] This “love for God” God is the object of the verbal action implied in Love. John talks about human love for God, not God’s love for people.^[27]

Colin G. Kruse (1950) decidedly points out how the Apostle John reverts to the usual way of contrasting love for God and love for others. He says: The visible mark of loving God is obeying His commands. These instructions always include love for one’s fellow believers.[28] In these verses, John brings the long section 4:7-5:4a to a close by affirming: “And His commands are not burdensome, for everyone born of God overcomes the world.” The ability to love one another does not prove tiresome for those who have a personal relationship with God, having been born of Him. Thus, love for others born of God is a natural expression. That is why John adds, “for everyone born of God overcomes the world.”^[29]

To Ben Witherington III (1951), this is where the Apostle John reiterates that we can define love for God as keeping His commandments. He also tells us that God’s mandates are neither burdensome nor irksome. It means that they are not so oppressive that it squelches the spontaneity in love. However, he certainly does not mean they are easy to carry out. He does not imply that God’s demands upon us are less challenging than we supposed, but that the assurance and strength to fulfill them comes with it. Nor is John suggesting that God does not require believers to give their all to keep them.[30] The early Jewish idea here of heavy/light commandments may be in the background,[31] but more probably, there is an echo of the saying of Jesus about the easy yoke.[32] The point seems to be that these are still commandments, not just suggestions, but they are not unbearable or unfulfillable.^[33]

Judith Lieu (1951) feels that the issue of obeying God’s commandment out of love is sufficiently important to require restating, reinforced by “for this” at the start of the verse.[34] Elsewhere the characteristic formula, “and this is,” reminds readers of the certainties they heard and the confidence they experienced.[35] It is not achieved by logical deduction but by induction to something they recognize as accurate to their experience. In addition, the term “love of God” (KJV) is unclear and should read “love for God” (NIV).[36] The Apostle John does not say that love for God leads to obedience as though they were two separate activities. In his Gospel, John notes that Jesus is the object of love, and obedience, is the content of that love.[37]

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[1] 1 John 4:7-21

[2] Ibid. 5:5, 10, 12

[3] John 1:33-34

[4] Flanagan, Neal M., The Johannine Epistles, Collegeville Bible Commentary, op. cit., p. 1025

[5] Cf. John 14:15, 23ff; 1 John 2:5

[6] Matthew 23:4; Luke 11:46; Acts of the Apostles 15:10

[7] Matthew 11:30

[8] Ward, Ronald A., The Epistles on John and Jude, op. cit., pp. 53-54

[9] See Deuteronomy 32:31; 35:2; Numbers 33:52; Judges 5:19-20; 1 Samuel 2:4; Habakkuk 3:13; etc.

[10] Daniel 3:10-11

[11] Ruckman, Peter S., General; Epistles (Vol. 2 (1-2-3 John, Jude Commentary, op. cit., loc. cit.

[12] 1 John 2:4f.; 2 John. 6; cf. John. 14:15, 21

[13] Matthew 11:30

[14] Marshall, Ian Howard: The Epistles of John (The New International Commentary on the New Testament), op. cit., p. 228

[15] Cf. 1 John 2:3, 4; 3:22, 24; 5:2, 3

[16] John 13:34; cf. 15:12

[17] See 1 John 2:7, 8; 3:23; 4:21

[18] Painter, John. Sacra Pagina: 1, 2, and 3 John: Volume 18, op. cit., loc. cit., Kindle Edition

[19] Walls, Muncia: Epistles of John and Jude, op. cit., p. 83

[20] Eaton, Michael: Focus on the Bible, 1,2,3 John, op. cit., p. 175

[21] Matthew 11:28-30

[22] Loader, William: Epworth Commentary, The First Epistle of John, op. cit., p. 61

[23] Jackman, David: The Message of John’s Letters, op. cit., p. 140

[24] Chiasmic means having or denoting a structure in which words are repeated in reverse order

[25] Carter, Dr. John W. (Jack). 1,2,3, John & Jude: (The Disciple’s Bible Commentary Book 48). op. cit., p. 118

[26] 1 John 5:3

[27] Yarbrough, Robert W., 1-3 John (Baker Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament), op. cit., p. 273

[28] 1 John 3:23

[29] Kruse, Colin G., The Letters of John (The Pillar New Testament Commentary, op. cit., loc. cit., Kindle Edition

[30] Matthew 16:26

[31] See Matthew 23:23

[32] Ibid. 11:28-30

[33] Witherington, Ben III, Letters and Homilies for Hellenized Christians: A Socio-Rhetorical Commentary on Titus, 1-2 Timothy and 1-3 John, op. cit., loc. cit., Kindle Edition

[34] See 1 John 2:19; 4:20

[35] Ibid. 1:5; 2:25; 3:11, 23; 5:4, 11, 14

[36] Contrast 1 John 2:5 with 4:9

[37] John 14:15

NEW TESTAMENT CONTEXTUAL COMMENTARY

By Dr. Robert R Seyda

FIRST EPISTLE OF JOHN

CHAPTER FIVE (Lesson XXI) 10/24/22

^5:3 Loving God means obeying His commands. And God’s commands are not too hard for us,

It is defendable that love without absolute submission to God is nothing more than human attraction, loyalty to family, or adherence to some group. The test of God’s love is doing His commandments. We know we love our fellow believers when God is the object of our affection, and His mandates are the guide of our conduct. True love can never go outside these commands in ministering to God’s family. No matter how logical the reason, any apparent service that requires disobedience to God is, by that very fact, barred from the sphere of agápē. This test explains that love for God consists of this one thing: we have a continuous and watchful endeavor to keep His directives in our hearts. It means that all instructions from God’s Word will be closely examined and followed. This regard will lead to keeping His guidelines in everyday life. In every case where there is love and obedience to God, we will come to know that we still love our Christian spiritual brothers and sisters, despite misunderstandings, separations, and estrangements.^[1]

Manifestly, Erich Haupt (1841-1910) indicates that the first clause of verse three has been made clear. The firm connection between love for God and obedience, previously introduced momentarily, is now definitely established. It is the motivation and the tendency of love to fulfill God’s commandments. Not only from the idea of love but also from how it was brought into our hearts. If love is the reference of one “I” to another “I,” then love for God is the reference and subjection of my will to God’s will. Furthermore, if the genesis of my love for God is that His agápē love has been infused into my nature, God’s will must have become my will. So, with the Apostle John’s directed obedience to the divine mandates, he now proceeds to say it is not that hard.[2]

Take note that the Greek adjective barys primarily means “pressing,” “hard,” and “not easily fulfilled,” but it comes only from the fact that 1) we cannot fulfill them or 2) fulfill them only with much pain. The two meanings come to the same thing. God’s laws are not termed light in themselves, as if they did not require anything complex or complicated. Strictly speaking, nothing is easy or difficult in itself. All struggles to comply involve the relationship between the thing necessary and the power of the individual concerned.  Only to Christians are the divine commandments easy; in the power of that faith which links them with the Anointed One, there is the strength of union between their will and the divine will. But in the spiritual realm, the measure of one’s will and willpower are the same. Every sin rests not only on a deficiency of power but also on a lack of will.^[3]

To begin with, Ernest von Dryander (1843-1922) reminds us that obedience to a strict master is challenging but always easy for a kind and loving one. Here is a Savior who generates in us what He demands of us. Here is a Redeemer in whose presence all mediocrity must disappear. It involves a spirit that seeks immunity from guilt while reveling in sin. It is like holding heaven’s door open with one hand and leaving the back door unlocked for worldliness to sneak in. Here is a Master we follow who helps us see how horrible and hideous our sins are, yet mercy and goodness are ever more attractive.[4] He is a Master who teaches us to make corruption harder and harder for ourselves and obedience to Him easier and more manageable. Because the more we know and understand Him, the more we realize the truth of what the Apostle John says here in verse three, that God’s mandates are not grievous. On the contrary, obedience to God becomes light to all who allow Him to lead them.^[5]

After scrutinizing what the Apostle John is proclaiming here, Aaron M. Hills (1848-1931) asks, “What do we have to say about all these commands?” Is God a heartless tyrant issuing orders to a race of moral beings that are impossible to keep? These mandates are as authoritative as any in the Bible, and if holiness is not attainable, God demands what is impossible. For God to entertain such thoughts is a terrible reflection of His holiness. However, someone has observed that all God’s instructions are enabling. Whatever He requires, He furnishes a gracious ability to perform. The Apostle Paul states, “It is not that we think we are qualified to do anything on our own. Our qualification comes from God.”[6] A sanctifying Spirit and an indwelling Messiah can live a holy life in us, “which is our reasonable service”[7], because His commandments are not challenging assignments.^[8]

Seemingly, says George G. Findlay (1849-1919), the Apostle John’s first characteristic of “our faith” is viewed in its operative force. He then adds a second – the discipline into which Divine love translates itself.[9] In Jesus, the Son of God, humanity found its Master. We have in Him a King to obey, a law to fulfill, a pattern to follow, a work to do, and a Church – His body to serve as limbs and organs. Discipleship spells discipline. Love exhausts itself in fruitless emotions; it exhales lifeless sentiments. Like rivers, it needs banks and channels along natural lines. This way, it turns thousands of mill and power wheels and spreads health, fruitfulness, and beauty over the land. However, left unbridled and unguided, it becomes a stagnant marsh.

There is nothing that sustains and deepens true feelings like self-constraint and the routine of well-planned efforts. What happens to those touched with God’s love and the fire of the new life who are not taught, or refuse to learn, the right ways of the Lord? How will they ever be productive?  The Apostle Paul urges believers to recognize the value of those who work hard among them – those who care for them and tell them how to live as followers of the Lord.[10] Wholesome, honest love always means commandment-keeping.^[11]

Undoubtedly, remarks Charles Gore (1853-1932), we should take comfort in noting how the Apostle John interprets God’s love as having no other meaning than keeping His commandments and doubtless also the “love of fellow believers” as a willing and whole-hearted service to them. Feelings of affection typically follow such devotion to serving God and mankind. The test is not a matter of sensing or feeling. His commandments are not “grievous” or “heavy.” On the contrary, there seems to be an apparent reference to our Lord’s words about His easy yoke and the light burden we carry.[12] ^[13]

Beyond doubt, notes Alonzo R. Cocke (1858-1901), we are conscious of God’s affection by loving Him supremely. But consciousness is only a subjective test; the objective test is obedience. Therefore, we demonstrate our love for God by obeying His commands instead of a risky effort to keep His mandates. A child of God that loves their Heavenly Father does not hesitate to walk in the path of obedience; they will walk with a wholesome and contented heart. God’s spiritual life is in the believer’s heart, which gives them the strength to keep His words. Power comes with life in the Anointed One.^[14]

It is unmistakable, says James B. Morgan (1859-1942), that God’s love for His children is essential to the believer’s character. It cannot exist without it. Therefore, the Apostle John is committed to explaining how the mind produces it. He traces it through faith, regeneration, and God’s love and shows how it results from these principles. First, the sinner believes that Jesus is the Anointed One and finds Him an all-sufficient Savior. Then this born-again child embraces their Savior as a prophet, priest, and potentate. The significant moral change of regeneration accompanies this faith in Jesus. While the mind discerns the truth, the heart is brought under its power and sanctified by it. This miraculous change is due to God’s sovereign grace.

It is freely acknowledged to the glory of God that “He saved us because of His mercy, not because of any good things we did. He saved us through the washing that made us new people. He saved us by making us new through the Holy Spirit.”[15] The soul comes alive with gratitude and “We love Him because He loved us.”[16] The progress of the love of God’s children is natural and easy.[17] This is the theory by which we account for the love of fellow believers. But, being thus inseparably connected with the great principles of the Gospel, it becomes a question of great importance, how shall we be certified that we love all God’s children? To reply to this inquiry seems to be the specific object of John’s statement: “Every person who believes that Jesus is, in fact, the Messiah, is God-born. If we love the One who conceives the child, we’ll surely love the child. The reality test on whether we love God’s children is this: Do we love God? Do we keep His commands? The proof that we love God comes when we keep His commandments, which are not troublesome.”[18] ^[19]

It seems evident that Robert Law (1860-1919) takes the Apostle John’s message as echoing his Master’s words written in John’s Gospel. In doing so, John proclaims that to speak of a love for God does not naturally signify that our moral integrity has the right to speak of what does not and cannot exist. To love God is not only a motive compelling us to obey; it is, in itself, being in union with God. To love God is to love all of “righteousness and true holiness.”[20] It has no other meaning than this: Love for God has shown the necessity of love for our spiritual brothers and sisters in the Lord and our moral trustworthiness. Hence, neither of these can genuinely exist without the other.[21] It is the Apostle John’s last word on Love in this Epistle.[22] ^[23]

In reviewing what the Apostle John said about obeying God’s mandates, Archibald T. Robertson (1863-1934) points out that by using “This” . . . “that” in the first line is similar to what he said in his Gospel,[24] to show what “the love of God”[25] in the objective sense is, not mere oratorical boasting,[26] but obedience to God’s commands, “that we keep on keeping (as present  active subjunctive) in His commandments.”[27] This factor is the supreme test that God’s commands are not grievous – not heavy. Love for God lightens His commands.^[28]

In characteristic fashion, Alan England Brooke (1863-1939) explains that obedience to God’s commands is the outcome of love for God. There is no such thing as a genuine love for God which does not issue in obedience.[29] But love adds more to obedience than carrying out definite commands. It accepts them as the expression of an underlying principle capable of forming the whole character, which must be kept alive and allowed to grow more mature. Believers are given the necessary power for this through the indwelling Holy Spirit.^[30]

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[1] Cameron, Robert: The First Epistle of John, or, God Revealed in Light, Life, and Love, op. cit., p. 210

[2] Cf. Matthew 11:30

[3] Haupt, Erich: The First Epistle of St. John: Clark’s Foreign Theological Library, Vol. LXIV, op. cit., pp. 291-292

[4] Psalm 23:6

[5] Dryander, Ernest von: A Commentary on the First Epistle of St. John in the Form of Addresses, op. cit., II, Obedience, p. 41

[6] 2 Corinthians 3:5 – New Living Translation (NLT)

[7] Romans 12:1

[8] Hill, Aaron M., Holiness and Power, Ch. 6, pp. 96-97

[9] 1 John 5:3

[10] 1 Thessalonians 5:12

[11] Findlay, George G: Fellowship in the Life Eternal: An Exposition of the Epistles of St. John, op. cit., p. 371

[12] Matthew 11:28-30

[13] Gore, Charles: The Epistles of St. John, op. cit., p. 195

[14] Cocke, Alonzo R: Studies in the Epistles of John; or, The Manifested Life, op. cit., pp. 122-123

[15] Titus 3:5

[16] 1 John 4:19

[17] Ibid. 5:1

[18] Ibid: 5:1-3

[19] Morgan, James B., An Exposition of the First Epistle of John, op. cit., Lecture XL, pp. 394-395

[20] Ephesians 4:24

[21] Cf. 1 John 3:10

[22] 1 John 5:1-3

[23] Law, Robert: The Tests of Life: A Study of the First Epistle of St. John, op. cit., pp. 254-255

[24] John 17:3

[25] Cf. 1 John 4:9, 12

[26] Ibid. 4:20

[27] Ibid. 2:3

[28] Robertson, Archibald T., Word Pictures of the New Testament, op. cit., p. 1966

[29] Cf. John 17:3

[30] Brooke, Alan E., Critical and Exegetical Commentary of the Johannine Epistles, op. cit., p. 130

Sometimes when we hear quotes of inspiring words from the past, they do not have that special WOW factor that makes us sit up and take notice. For example, the following words are attributed to Edward Everett Hale (1822-1909), the grand-nephew of Nathan Hale (1755-1776), the American Revolutionary War hero executed by the British for espionage. Edward Hale said, “I am only one, but I am one. I cannot do everything, but I can do something. And I will not let what I cannot do interfere with what I can do.”[1]

We cannot sense the urgency and passion of these words unless we learn more about the context in which they were spoken. America was in the grip of a terrifying civil war that threatened to tear the great E Pluribus Unum (“out of many, one)” nation apart. Sadly, it was not Americans fighting foreign soldiers, but fellow Americans. Nevertheless, he felt so strongly about keeping the union together that he wrote the article “The Man without a Country” about a Union Army Officer named Philip Nolan who died in the war as a prisoner aboard U. S. Corvette and published by The Atlantic Monthly Magazine.

One reader named Henry Seidel Canby wrote that there are few stories charged with stronger patriotism than the narrative of a man who “loved his country as no other man has loved her.” Not many poems called forth by the intensities of our war period so well embody the strong loyalty engendered by the struggle. And there are few narratives whose last line we can say with stronger conviction. After his death, they looked in his Bible, and there was a slip of paper at the place where he had marked the text in Hebrews 11:16 “They desire a country, even heavenly: wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God: for He has prepared for them a city.” In 1903 Edward Hale became Chaplain of the United States Senate.

Too often, we fret and express regret over everything we were unable to do or that should have been done by somebody, especially in times of emergencies or dire circumstances, by our church, community, city, state, or country. Could it be they didn’t care or never took the threat seriously, especially today when watching the disintegration of law and order in our cities and eliminating all Biblical values, virtues, and ethics in our educational system, courtrooms, State and Federal legislatures, society, and news media?

But God did not design this world, so every problem would be left to one resource to solve or provide for all needs. So instead, just like the workings of a fine clock, each part, no matter how big or small, is only required to do its job to keep the correct time.

So don’t get caught up in the distress of what should have or could have been done; ask yourself, “Did I do what I was able to do?” If someone is retired and sits home all day reading the Bible and brags about how many chapters they read daily, don’t feel you’re not doing the same when you work two jobs to pay the rent and keep food on the table. I’ve heard preachers proud of spending two to four hours praying each day but won’t reveal it because they don’t have much else to do. All that matters to God is when we stand before Him on judgment day. Then, He will not ask us what we could not do but what we did with the time we had to do it.

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[1] Statement published in “A Year of Beautiful Thoughts,”‎ Complied by Jeanie Ashley Bates Greenough, Thomas Y. Crowell & Co. Publishers, New York, 1902, p. 172

Several years ago, while I was pastoring in Ft. Lauderdale, FL, a thief smashed my driver’s side window while I was in the office only ten feet away and stole my new cell phone. It was devastating when I came out and discovered shattered glass inside my car and on the ground. How could such a thing happen on church grounds, God’s property? But unfortunately, it happens all the time.

Jesus used a similar illustration to point out the physical and spiritual application of stealing when He told His disciples, The thief’s purpose is to steal, kill and destroy. My purpose is to give life in fullness (John 10:10). Our Lord compared Satan’s tactics to His. Under normal circumstances, we would take safety precautions if we knew we lived among thieves. So, consider your physical and spiritual life. Has the enemy destroyed or stolen something from you? We could list several things he’s robbed Christians of, such as:

• Health
• Relationships/marriages
• Children’s futures
• Finances
• Peace of mind
• Joy

So, what can we do to protect the Lord’s territory? The enemy loves to use our emotions against us. However, the Apostle Peter provides us with a warning about protection. He says, “Be careful – watch out for attacks from Satan, your great enemy. He prowls around like a hungry, roaring lion, looking for victims to tear apart” (1 Peter 5:8). At the same time, our lack of spiritual knowledge, faith, or trust; the enemy is robbing us blind! Isn’t it time we take a stand and start guarding the territory God gave us? The Lord is ready to help.

Here are two ways we can protect ourselves when it comes to our physical and spiritual health:

Internal Protection: This is the area where Christians often fail to protect themselves. They allow the enemy to sow lying thoughts in their hearts and minds and let them grow. “Lying” thoughts are any pattern of thinking that contradicts God’s Word. Thus, when we don’t take the time to find out what God’s Word says and implement it, then all we have is what the devil tells us. That is worldly programming. Many Christians walk with the enemy daily without even knowing it. And, of course, the devil is happy to keep them close so he can keep on stealing!

A good question is: “Where are these thoughts taking me?” Some thoughts lead us where we don’t want to go! The enemy can deceive us into becoming close friends with those who live in spiritual darkness. It can easily start a spiritual battle against the devil ruling our hearts and minds. The Apostle Paul gives this guidance: We do not arm ourselves with human weapons. Our weapons have power from God and can destroy the enemy’s most potent arguments. Thus, we destroy worldly people’s arguments and tear down every proud idea that raises itself against what we know about God. We also take every sophisticated thought and make them prisoners until they give up and obey the Anointed One.

The Apostle Paul again comes to our rescue by letting us know, don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but be a new and different person with a fresh newness in all you do and think. Then you will learn from your own experience how His ways will satisfy you (Romans 12:2). So, this is the main work we all must do to take back what the devil is stealing from us. Do not remain in bondage to negative thinking and mental strongholds. Remember, the Spirit God gave us does not make us afraid. On the contrary, His Spirit is a source of power, love, and self-control (2 Timothy 1:7).

External protection: Next, assess your environment to see who you keep close company with. Here’s a simple guideline: Stay close to friends who help you do good; keep away from those who lead you to do wrong. That doesn’t mean you’re not supposed to talk to or even be kind to them. Remember, God’s Love-law includes everyone. Don’t blame God for not removing the temptation when you copy their lifestyle.

Here’s a question: Let’s say you have a known thief in your neighborhood. Would you leave the door unlocked so he could invade your house while you were at work or asleep and steal what he wanted? Of course not! Or would you expect the Lord to come down from heaven and shut the door for you? Let’s hope not – otherwise, you’d be waiting a long time! You see, the Lord gives us wisdom on what to do. Our responsibility is to do what the Lord says.

I am sure the Lord had a way of alerting you to take control of your sinful tendencies because they were leading you into a trap. But here’s an uncomfortable truth; sometimes, people want to have an affair with the enemy while married to Jesus! They want to leave the door open just a crack so the enemy can sneak in for what they think will be a short midnight visit. But the enemy does not work like that. He will eventually take it all if given an inch, like untended erosion!

In some cases, believers want to remain close to their worldly friends, hoping their friendship will eventually lead them to the Lord and salvation. But, in reality, they are leaving open the option to enjoy some of the things they did with them. Therefore, it is wise to keep temptation as far away as possible without becoming antisocial. To do this, you must be ready to confront the real reason behind the desire. Ask yourself: “What do I fear will happen if I don’t keep worldly friends close to me?” If you are unsure what specific internal and external protections you need to put in place, seek the Lord in prayer about it. Ask Him for wisdom. Contact a spiritual friend or minister for counseling. You might find they’ve been through what you’re going through now and share what they learned by following Biblical Principals.

Seek Him with all your heart. Your heart is the “Holy of Holies” in your physical and spiritual temple. The Lord is your best defense because He is committed to seeing you finish well. He wants you to walk in freedom in Him, not in bondage to anything. So don’t worry; God will do His part in securing your protection.

Inspired by an article on dieting by Kimberly Taylor: Christian therapist for living fit, healthy, and empowered in Christ.

By Dr. Robert R Seyda

FIRST EPISTLE OF JOHN

CHAPTER FIVE (Lesson XX) 10/21/22

^5:3 Loving God means obeying His commands. And God’s commands are not too hard for us,

With an inquiring mind, Johannes H. A. Ebrard (1819-1893) notes that the first part of verse three connects to verses one and two. In the last part of verse three, the Apostle John’s addition forms the transition to verse four. God’s commands do not cause grief because those born of God have the power to overcome the world by faith. To begin with, the “world” is not only what’s outside the believer but also “worldliness” inside. It also implies the temptations come from an unchanged and unrenewed world.[1] Hence, some say this connection makes it evident that grievous or burdensome does not refer to the substance of the new commandments are light compared to the yoke of the Jewish ceremonial law. This comparison is entirely foreign to the context. Instead, it refers to the power that dwells in those born of God to fulfill the commandments.^[2] In other words, it’s not the weight of the mandates but how they are carried out.

After inspecting the previous verse, William Kelly (1822-1888) highlights another principle in the third verse. One can hardly conceive anything less logical according to the system of education. They would call it arguing in a circle and consider its flawed reasoning. Thus, it is fair to ask, what has logic got to do with the truth, grace of the Anointed One, and love for God and His children? What does reasoning have to do with life eternal? It is not a question of analysis but faith. Is it any wonder that thinking people cannot rise above logicr learning or science, making them hazy-minded intellectuals, blind, and lost to any characteristic truth in God’s word? They find His love and its fruit all unintelligible or false according to debate rules.

The spiritual soul receives no nourishment from endless arguments. If people want to find bread for this life, two distinct voices announced that mankind does not live by bread alone but by everything that goes out of Yahweh’s mouth.[3] Christians have found the way of everlasting life, divine love, and the workings of the Holy Spirit through God’s Word. They, therefore, bow to this remarkable insight from the Apostle John: “We know we love God’s children if we love God and obey His commandments.”[4] These are the various truths bound together as one. It is the reasoning of the heart purified by faith, not only from God but back to Him again, blending obedience with the love of God and His children. It is a most wholesome guard against deceiving or being deceived.^[5]

Going along with what the Apostle John is saying about love, William B. Pope (1822-1903) comments that God’s love is in us and that we love to keep His commandments. Now, some truths are continuously suppressed. Thus, for example, the Apostle John asserted that loving seen believers was more effortless than loving an invisible God.[6] But some might, and some did pervert that principle. Although they claimed a theoretical, superior, and emotional love for God, they undervalued the security, depth, and acceptance of self-renouncing devotion to others included in the Anointed One’s command to love each other.

Furthermore, those whose love for God is a love of obedience know that such Christian love fulfills the mandate. It is nevertheless complicated.  Some say it is the “hard” part of the command to love each other. The general reply to those with despondent hearts is: “His commandments are not grievous.” this is a fundamental and boundless statement without the need for evidence. The laws of God are reasonable and in harmony with the purest ethical principles of reason, even the strictest of them.^[7]

In agreement with the Apostle John’s thinking, William Macdonald Sinclair (1850-1917) believes that John introduced two different qualities when talking in verse two about how much we love God’s children and love and obey God. First, the real test on whether we love God, and His children, proves that we keep His commandments and do not find much trouble doing what He says. Second, John introduces a transitional thought for encouragement and forming a bridge to verse four.[8] God requires nothing from us for His sake but everything for our highest benefit and happiness. If we were perfect, we would not think of these as commands, for they would be our natural impulses. The more sincerely we serve God, the more enjoyment we derive from them. God’s laws seem irksome to those whose inclinations are distorted, perverted, and corrupted by sin.^[9]

William Alexander (1824-1911) discernibly notes that the Apostle John ends verse three with, “And His commandments are not heavy.” We should not separate this from verse four because it gives the reason for the victory is that all who are born of God conquer the world.” What a picture of the sweetness of a lifetime of service! What a gentle smile must have been on the old apostle’s face as he said, “His commandments do not cause any grief!”[10] If we look at the Gospels and the two commandments Jesus joined together,^[11] it is no wonder that the Apostle John saturated his Epistle with the meaning of those two mandates tied together.

Another way of appreciating these commandments is to imagine the Jews listening to our Lord when He joined these two commands together. These were Jews who knew the daily burden of trying not to break any of the Ten Commandments or the six hundred and thirteen Levitical mandates.[12] So, they knew what is innocent, and purity under Torah meant. So, He introduces a new sanctifying law, besides which all other human morality is colorless. Instead of these numerous directives mentioned above, now there were only two. Furthermore, John says that Jesus’ combined instructions are not burdensome. Was the Apostle John guessing? No, such a declaration could only come from John’s life and experience. That’s why he was so confident about his message. It also gave him the needed information to declare in verse four that everyone born of God overcomes the world. ^[13]

With much studying, Brooke F. Westcott (1825-1901) follows the same interpretative line as William Alexander (above). Only for Westcott, God’s love is not simply the keeping of God’s commandments but rather a continuous and watchful endeavor to observe them.[14] And the nature of the mandates is not meant to crush the freedom and spontaneity of love. They are not a grievous, heavy, oppressive, and exhausting burden.[15] ^[16]

For instance, Henry A. Sawtelle (1832-1913) explains that putting together God’s-loving and commandment-keeping directives is love’s nature and natural working. If we try to keep His commandments, love one another, and be indifferent to His will, it will be impossible to maintain divine or human relationships. This connection is so vital that we can say that “to love is to obey.” Love prompts obedience; life in the vine takes the form of fruit. Therefore, warn those who profess the love of God and yet are careless of His commands that they deny the very instinct of love’s nature.^[17]

Certainly, says William Baxter Godbey (1833-1920), all regenerate believers have faith in their hope of seeing Jesus in His glory. The Apostle John makes no compromise with phony Christianity but assures us in verse three that all true Christians do press forward into entire sanctification, namely, “purify themselves, even as the Anointed One is pure.” This purity is undoubtedly a high standard of Christian sanctification. Holiness is original in God and imparted to us so that we are holy in our Savior. Hence, we see that a popular church dogma that fights the doctrine of purity cannot be part of God’s regeneration, but it is Satan’s counterfeit. Every time Christian takes the purity of the Anointed One as his standard and presses on it at every conceivable sacrifice. “Let God be true and every man a liar.”[18]

For John James Lias (1834-1923), the Apostle John amplifies verse two in verse three: loving God is shown in keeping His commandments. Obeying His commandments is the outer expression of our inner love for Him.[19] This side of the truth must be kept in mind. If we only looked at what the Apostle John said earlier about who we love and who we hate [20], we might have imagined that God’s love came from practice. It would leave the door open for us to commit the error of Pelagius (390-418 AD) so that we could rise to the level of God’s requirements on our own.[21] But such a view is shut out by the present passage, which represents love in us as the expression of the love of God, and God’s commandments as channels in which that expression of love must necessarily flow.^[22]

With confidence, William Lonsdale Watkinson (1838-1925) tells us that every commandment is a part of Redemption’s plan. So, why is it that the commandments appear grievous? Because they offend our unnatural and inordinate desires. To resent the laws of Sinai is more foolish than complaining about the steel cages in the zoo that stand between the wild beasts and us. Any grievousness is found in us since the commandments are glorious salvation from our sinful tendencies who fear them. Therefore, not only are the commandments not grievous, but they are also gracious.

There are two kinds of grace, preventing grace and reclaiming grace. The reclaiming grace that absolves our sins covers our guilt, and brings abiding peace into our hearts and minds is precious indeed. Yet preventing grace is no less valuable. We see one of the grandest revelations of this preventing grace in the clear and authoritative publication of the Law. The commandments are not grievous anymore; the lighthouse is a warning, guiding, saving beacon.[23]

To be clear, Robert Cameron (1839-1904) comments that to ensure our love’s reality, we must walk in the path of obedience. It includes God and fellow believers. To try and love and fellowship with His children while still walking in the direction of disobedience would prove that God’s love is missing. We can only truly and wisely love God’s children when we love and obey Him, who gave us our new birth. Unless God has first place in our hearts, what appears to be brotherly love may only be a sentimental impulse that shuts God out from the whole sphere of our spiritual life. Thus, while extending a form of brotherly and sisterly love to God’s children, it refuses to consent to their teaching nor fellowship their walk.

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[1] 1 John 4:4

[2] Ebrard, Johannes H. A., Biblical Commentary on the Epistles of St. John, op. cit., p. 314

[3] Deuteronomy 8:3; cf. Matthew 4:4

[4] 1 John 5:2

[5] Kelly, William: An Exposition of the Epistles of John the Apostle, op. cit., p. 351

[6] 1 John 4:20

[7] Pope, William B., The International Illustrated Commentary on the N. T., Vol. IV, op. cit., p. 37

[8] Cf. Mathew 11:30

[9] Sinclair, W. M: New Testament Commentary for English Readers, Charles J. Ellicott, (Ed.), op. cit., Vol. III, p. 490

[10] Alexander, William: Expositor’s Bible: The Epistles of St. John (Kindle Locations 3726-3729)

[11] Matthew 22:37, 39

[12] There is debate about who came up first with 613 as the number of commandments. The Talmud points to Rabbi Simlai in the 3rd century AD as the originator. However, there is no record of Rabbi Simlai listing all 613 commandments. The most accepted breakdown was done by Maimonides in the 12th century AD. Maimonides further divided the 613 commandments into positive, “do this” commandments, numbering 248, and negative, “do not do this” commandments, numbering 365

[13] Alexander, William: The Holy Bible with an Explanatory and Critical Commentary, Vol. IV, op. cit., p. 340

[14] Cf. John 6:29; 17:3; 2 John 1:6

[15] Matthew 11:30; cf. Matthew 23:4

[16] Westcott, Brooke F., The Epistles of St. John Greek Text with Notes, op. cit., p. 179

[17] Sawtelle, Henry A., Commentary on the Epistles of John, op. cit., p. 55

[18] Romans 3:4

[19] Cf. John 14:15, 21, 23, 31; also see 15:10; 2 John 1:6

[20] 1 John 4:20

[21] Pelagius held that everything created by God was good. Therefore, he could not see how God had made humans fallen creatures. (Augustine’s teaching on the Fall of Adam was not a settled doctrine when the Augustinian/Pelagian dispute began. Pelagius stressed human autonomy and freedom of the will, works against grace, and humanism versus spiritualism.

[22] Lias, John James: The First Epistle of St. John with Exposition, op. cit., pp. 358-359

[23] Watkinson, William L., The Ashes of Roses, p. 235

NEW TESTAMENT CONTEXTUAL COMMENTARY

By Dr. Robert R Seyda

FIRST EPISTLE OF JOHN

CHAPTER FIVE (Lesson XIX) 10/20/22

^5:3 Loving God means obeying His commands. And God’s mandates are not too hard for us,

Without overlooking what’s crucial, Johann E. Huther (1807-1880) finds two ideas here in verse three, which the Apostle John mentioned coordinatively, and expresses their unity: “Loving God means obeying His mandates,” and “God’s commands are not too hard for us.” John expressed these ideas as absolute. Not only that, but from the conformation that follows in verse four, it is evident that John specifically referenced these to those born of God.^[1]

In line with what the Apostle John writes here, Henry Alford (1810-1871) says that the Apostle John’s declaration that God’s commandments do cause grief has[2] furnished some Roman Catholic commentators the opportunity to characterize the Protestant position as saying that none can keep God’s commandments. However, John argues that all born of God stand solidly on the victory their faith has obtained over the world. In this victorious state, their divine life is developed and dominant so that they find those commandments bearable. The only thing God mandates that is hard to navigate is that sinful tendencies still influence moral behavior. That also means their will is still not fully committed to God’s guidance in keeping those commandments.^[3]

William Graham (1810-1883) says that the first thing the Apostle John teaches us here in verse three is that there is a living, active, personal God interested in His creatures and desires and requires their love. He is not the abstract, sleepy, indifferent deity of the idealists, rationalists, semi-pantheists, or like the Brahman of India who made an imaginary god who looked like them. Instead, He is the Creator, Redeemer, and Lord of the universe. It is those who notice the sparrow as it falls, numbers the hairs of our heads,[4] and keeps the earth moving in its orbit around the sun.[5] He is a holy, loving God who yearns for our love.

The second thing we are taught is that God’s love is available, and we are bound to share it. The unrepealed commandment to love God and others is still over us with all its requirements.[6] The Son of God, blessed be His name, the incarnation, atonement, and mediator, made it easy to love God by enhancing the character of the harsh Lawgiver and stern Judge as a loving, caring, and forgiving Father. It is possible to love God; or rather, I would say, it is impossible, as seen in the person of Jesus, the Mediator and Redeemer, not to worship Him. Indeed, He tempered His majesty with tenderness. The High and Lofty One who inhabits eternity speaks to us, and His words are mercy and love. He gave His Son to die on our behalf, and His hand, His throne room of grace and mercy,[7] and His heart are open to all. Just think, there has never been a scene such as the cross of Calvary.  And there, God thought of you and me when the sky was dark, and His Son hung on the bleeding tree. Oh, cries Graham, don’t you feel your heart drawn to this kind and loving God who has done so much for you?

Thirdly, if you have this love for God, it will motivate you to obey His commandments, for without this, all professions of faith are ineffective and contradictory. It takes for granted that you understand His commandments, that He has made known His will in the Scriptures of truth so that the fountain from which you draw your knowledge of God is none other than the Bible. He has given you this advantage over millions of your fellow creatures, that you have the Holy Scriptures available, which made you aware of God’s salvation plan. You read God’s mind, not in the unwritten pages of creation or the dark lines of your consciousness, but in the sunlight of the Gospel of His beloved Son. Hence you accept responsibility for keeping His commandments.

Then fourthly, the Apostle John assures us God’s commandments are not overbearing. Instead, it refers to the contrast between the Gospel and the Law. Thus, it teaches us that the burdens our forefathers in the faith could not carry are removed by grace. The rites, rituals, and ceremonies are abolished; annual pilgrimages to an earthly center, like Jerusalem and Mecca, are no longer required; and the redeemed church is out of the bondage of legal ceremonialism into liberating grace as children of God. The sum and substance of His commandments is love, which is never grievous to the loving. Thus, even in cases where duty requires the Christian to give up all for the Anointed One, the commandments are not as burdensome as might appear at first sight.

Therefore, no rain without its rainbow and no duty without its corresponding promise are ours. We may be stripped of our belongings, like the first Christians; thrown into dungeons, like the saints of God under the inquisition; but this prepares us for the better land and the heavenly inheritance. The cross-bearers on earth will soon become the palm-bearing company in the heavenly Jerusalem: and we should never forget that, in all our trials and afflictions, He who loved us and died for us is present with us, as a very present help in time of trouble.[8] It lightens the burden of the cross and makes His yoke easy to the weary and heavy-laden who follow Him. In the heat of the battle, or persecutions and perils of the cross, the loving, obedient heart will say that His commandments are not grievous: they are the commandments of divine wisdom and heavenly love.^[9]

Looking closely at what the Apostle John teaches here, William E. Jelf (1811-1875)  says that in verse nineteen, the Apostle John states the practical nature of the feeling towards God more distinctly, as the reason why he added in verse two, “we shall be like Him.” The apostle here introduces a new thought, suggested probably by the reflection that among the commandments of God was that very brotherly love, which he had impressed upon his readers.[10] In other words, we need not wait until revelation day to be like God; we can do that by loving our spiritual brothers and sisters in the Lord.

In accord with orthodox Christian faith, Joseph Angus (1816-1902) states that nothing has been said of their Divine authority in proving the genuineness of the books of Scripture. Hence, claims of supreme inspiration are gathered from the books themselves. The evidence in support of these claims must be considered. They represent the apostolic writings generally as Divine. The apostolic writings were composed by Divine command and fulfilled their writers’ commission.[11] ^[12]

After closely checking the Apostle John’s message, Richard H. Tuck (1817-1868) remarks about God’s mandates not being hard to observe. It is never a strain to obey those whom we love. It is of the very nature of love to make obedience easy. If we were perfect, we would not find God’s requirements to be mandated at all. Instead, they would be our natural impulses. Orders indeed only help us from outside towards what we wish to be. The Love of the Father involves the Love of His children. As the Apostle John says in verse one, “everyone who loves the Father loves His children, too.” These words are the main point of this paragraph.

It is a common delusion of Christians in name only to profess a loving relationship with God while they persist in a loving relationship with worldly people. They base their illusion upon failing to recognize the essential family element in Christianity. The supreme mission of the Christian revelation, the very essence of the work of the Anointed One, is the complete restoration of the family relationship God designed to stand with His new creations and still wishes to stand. It was that family relationship that the children’s willful sin broke up. Men ceased to be sons, and women stopped being daughters. God might be King, but they refused to recognize Him as their “eternal Father.”

Unfortunately, some people do not see that standing alone, with no ordinary love or mutual interest, the brotherhood of humans never has been, and will never be, anything but selfish. No brotherhood is possible except out of shared fatherhood. And so, the Anointed One brought people together, as nobody else had ever done, because He revealed God as the Father of them all. “Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Anointed One is born of God, and everyone who loves the father loves His children as well.”[13] It is missing the point that the doctrine of the Fatherhood of God is one of the doctrines of the Christian faith. It is the first, the foundation, and the essential principle. It has nothing to say to people about themselves or their relations until it has put them right with God, that is, helped them have a correct understanding of God and brought them into gracious reconciliation with Him.^[14]

Because of what the Apostle John is saying here, John Stock (1817-1884) cautions that love without obedience cannot be found. Love makes labor light, and time, though long, appears to be brief, as Jacob discovered, who in love labored for Rachel and waited for seven years, which appeared but a few days, for the love he had for her[15] We see God’s love in action by keeping His commandments. If we do not do the things, He mandates, all worship is hypocrisy, and our claims of salvation are false. The message of God’s grace convicts the sinful heart, closing the gates to reckless living and evicting the Legion of demons.[16] A clear conscience and moral health are restored. The fight against the evil trinity – the devil, the world, and the flesh – begins and is sustained. The knowledge of a free and full pardon is credited to everyone who believes in the Lord Jesus, the Anointed One. It saves guilty sinners and transforms them into saints without good works of any kind.

As a result, former unbelievers now find themselves justified[17] as redeemed, washed, chosen, sanctified, and empowered children of God through Jesus’ name and the Holy Spirit.[18] It is what happened to Abraham because of his faith in Messiah; at the same time, He glorifies them by the new birth, new heart, and right spirit by becoming new creatures in the Anointed One Jesus.[19] Thus, they now choose what they once hated and love what they once detested. Consequently, the Father’s and Son’s love is delivered to the heart by the Holy Spirit[20] to those who believe in making duty and obedience light.^[21]

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[1] Huther, Johann E., Critical and Exegetical Handbook on the General Epistles, op. cit., p. 602

[2] See 1 John 3:9

[3] Alford, Henry: The Greek Testament, Vol. IV, op. cit., p.497

[4] Matthew 10:29-30

[5] Cf. Isaiah 45:12

[6] Matthew 10:27

[7] Hebrews 4:16

[8] Psalm 46:1

[9] Graham, William: The Spirit of Love, op. cit., pp. 309-311

[10] Jelf, William E., Commentary on the First Epistle of St. John, op. cit., pp. 69-70

[11] 1 Thessalonians 4:15; 1 Timothy 4:1 Revelation 1:19 John 20:8; 1 Jn 5 13: 1 Corinthians 14:37

[12] Angus, Joseph: The Bible Handbook, op. cit., p. 87

[13] 1 John 5:1

[14] Tuck, Richard H., The Preacher’s Complete Homiletical Commentary, op. cit., p. 328-330

[15] Genesis 29:20

[16] Mark 5:9

[17] Romans 4:5

[18] Cf. 1 Corinthians 6:11

[19] 2 Corinthians 5:17

[20] Romans 5:5

[21] Stock, John: An Exposition of the First Epistle General of St. John, op. cit., pp. 405-406

NEW TESTAMENT CONTEXTUAL COMMENTARY

By Dr. Robert R Seyda

FIRST EPISTLE OF JOHN

CHAPTER FIVE (Lesson XVII) 10/19/22

^5:3 Loving God means obeying His commands. And God’s commands are not too hard for us,

The main point is that the Anointed One lives in His saints. He provides their spiritual life. The Apostle Paul once prayed to know the Power of the Resurrection, although He knew it to be a fact.[1] Therefore, as a minister, you must be convinced when you preach that God sent you. Without the gift of love, you will never be an effective preacher. Nothing unidentified will ever persuade the faith and conduct of a preacher, giving life and power to his message. Thus, preaching is different from mere conversation. You may teach Social Studies or Ancient History without being fully convinced. But in delivering the Gospel message, if it is to be a life-giving message. The preacher must have a sense of carrying Good News and the urgency to deliver it.”^[2]

According to William Burkitt (1650-1703), the Apostle John gives us a threefold description of a sincere Christian. He describes them as follows: 1) By their inward affection for God and the Anointed One resulting from love, the Spirit deposits this in their heart. 2) By their actions that flow from this affection, namely, obedience to God in keeping His commandment. 3) By their attitude and inclination from which obedience proceeds, namely, the delight and cheerfulness of doing their duty. Therefore, His commandments are not grievous; they have nothing heavy or burdensome but everything to make them both a duty and delight.

Nevertheless, there is something for us to learn: a) That obedience is the most natural and necessary product of love; where love is the governing principle, it rules all the inclinations of the heart and actions of life. b) That love makes our obedience to God cheerful, constant, delightful, and lasting. Love is seated in the will, and the obedience which proceeds from it is by choice and voluntary. No commandment is grievous when performed with love, making obedience constant.

Yet, there is one more point to consider. Serving the Anointed One is very gracious, desirable, and delightful, but not to sinners, whose minds the god of this world has blinded, whose consciences are seared, who have not only grieved but quenched the Holy Spirit of God.[3] Therefore, doing God’s will through obedience to His commands is not grievous in itself: a healthy eye never complains of light, but a sore eye is uneasy in its glow. The teachings of the Anointed One cannot be burdensome because they expect things of us that are agreeable to our reason, suitable to our natures, and compatible with our rational desires. We cannot give an instance of any one of the commands of the Anointed One, which is in itself painful. And that includes doing to others as we would have others do us, which is a dictate of nature and the law of the Anointed One.^[4]

In Independent British minister John Guyse’s (1677-1761) mind, there are five elements in nature and extraordinary acts of true love for God and obedience. (I) It has a high admiration and esteem for God. (II) It has a most compassionate attitude towards God. (III) Its earnest desire longs after God. (IV) Its gratification and delight are in God. (V) It is pleased or displeased with itself by being conscious of its strengths and weaknesses.

Not only are there the nature and extraordinary acts of true love for God, but there are properties of true love for God. (A) It is thoughtful love. (B) extensive love. (C) supreme love. (D) and abiding love. Consequently, the effects of this love mean practicing God’s holiness by devotion to Him. It involves self-denial, patience, and resignation to His will, the management of all our passions, appetites, and behavior. It requires departing from everything that offends Him, and by His grace, and getting His approval as we glorify His name in all we do.

But that’s not all. There is an influence that true love for God has on obedience or keeping His commandments. (1) Love for God impacts the nature of all proper and acceptable compliance. (2) Love for God inclines and obliges us to keep all His commands. (3) Love for God gives us delight in keeping His commands. They harmonize with the innocent nature of a newborn soul whose prime affection is God. It also sweetens our obedience and helps us believe that nothing can become such a burden; it keeps us from performing our calling. That means no hardship we endure to please and honor Him can keep us from showing our gratitude, love, and duty to Him. (4) Love for God will make us persevere in keeping His instructions.

So, let us ask ourselves some serious questions. (a) Whether the love of God dwells in us. (b) Let sinners know how hateful and unworthy it is to refuse to obey Him. (c) Let us prize the Gospel of God’s grace and seek His help to engage our love and obedience. (d) Let us look and long for that higher ground where our love and compliance will be perfected in Him.^[5]

All in all, John Wesley (1703-1791) says we know that the Scriptures teach, “This is God’s love,” and the confirmation of that is “we keep His commandments.” The Apostle John is not speculating here; he heard the Lord tell them, “The one who obeys me is the one who loves me.”[6] Love enjoys obedience. Not just occasionally, but everything acceptable to the beloved. A true lover of God is eager to do His will on earth as it is done in heaven.[7]

But is this the attitude of presumptuous Christians pretending to love God? No! Their definition of love gives them the liberty to disobey, break, and choose what commandments of God they want to obey. Perhaps they worked hard to do His will when they feared God’s punishment. But now, looking at themselves as being “free from the Law,” they think they are no longer obliged to keep it. They are, therefore, less enthused about doing good things for other people. As a result, they become careless in abstaining from wrongdoing, less watchful over their heart’s desires, and less guarded over what they say. Consequently, they lose interest in denying themselves and shoulder their cross to follow Him daily.[8] In other words, their whole lifestyle has changed; they now view themselves as being free to pick and choose.^[9]

That leaves us with love for God and our neighbor. We know this from what Jesus said about the two greatest commandments.[10] So, can we say that love for God is not a fondness of the soul but merely an outward expression? Or is love for our neighbor, not an attitude of the heart but little more than treating our neighbor with courtesy? To mention such a wild interpretation of the Apostle’s words is to discredit them. The indisputable meaning of the text is we have signs and evidence of love for God. It begins by keeping the first and great commandments to all His commandments. Then, once it abides in our hearts, true love will compel us to do what it demands since whoever loves God with all their heart cannot but serve Him with all their strength.^[11]

As James Macknight (1721-1800) sees it, the Apostle John wants believers to understand that God’s commandments are expected to be obeyed at any time. Therefore, in times of persecution, His command to suffer the loss of liberty, spoiling of goods, torture, and death must be excepted by good people. Thus, keeping God’s commandments is not seen as a challenge but as an opportunity, being the soul’s delight.^[12]

In John Brown of Haddington’s (1722-1787) mind, impartial respect and delightful obedience to God’s commandments should not be considered heavy burdens. On the contrary, they provide the distinguishing mark of one’s first and foremost love for God.^[13]

As stated by British clergyman and author William Jones of Nyland (1726-1800), the fact that the children of God love their Divine Parent, the Apostle John draws this deduction: they will love God’s children as well. Therefore, it is natural and proper that those who love the Father should also love His children or that children with the same Father should love each other. Here, then, is the reason for the obligation to love our fellow Christians. Since we believe in one Lord and Savior and are children of the Divine Father, we are members of one spiritual family. As such, we are characterized by a moral resemblance to each other. Moreover, each person is like the Father of all; we are animated by the same holy and invigorating hope and look forward to the same bright and blessed eternal home. Therefore, to the highest degree, we should love each other naturally and reasonably.^[14]

For example, Thomas Scott (1747-1821) tells us that everyone who believes Jesus to be the promised Messiah and obeys Him in that character, according to the prophecies of the First Covenant and the testimony of the apostles, concerning Him, is doubtless “born of God.”[15] This faith must be the effect of divine life and is inseparable from repentance, love, and other graces or fruit springs from them. Also, all who credibly profess this faith qualify for that love that Christians owe to their brethren, whatever differences there might be in their previous character, abilities, rank, or situation. Everyone who loves God, the Father of all regenerate believers, must also love every one of His children. Even the unregenerate love and show kindness to the offspring of their dear friends and liberal benefactors.[16]

In addition, people have learned how to use counterfeit affection and call it love. That is why it’s necessary to distinguish genuine “love for God’s children” from natural caring by its inseparable connection to God’s love. The same Spirit, who transformed these previous sinners’ hearts to love the image of God in His children, also taught them to love His divine character, principles, and mission. Consequently, Christians can know their love for one another is spiritual, having “passed” from spiritually dead to alive in the Anointed One. Moreover, it gave them the disposition to love and obey God in all other aspects of their life since no one can genuinely love God’s children who commit known sins while neglecting known duties.^[17]

All things considered, Charles Simeon (1759-1876) reiterates that people will judge our religion by what they see in us. What if they get the impression that you are rendering service to God on a scale you think is consistent with your ultimate safety? In that case, they will conclude that being faithful to your religion is a heavy yoke to which no one submits but out of necessity. And if they watch you going to the world for cheerfulness, they will feel assured that, whatever you may say, your religion is not sufficient to make you happy. On the other hand, if they observe you devoting yourself unreservedly to the Lord and walking cheerfully in His holy ways, they will be forced to acknowledge that there is something in your religion they have never tasted. Always keep in mind that many eyes are looking at you. It will influence your conduct in the world.^[18]

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[1] Philippians 3:10

[2] Biographical Sketches of Memorable Christians of the Past, Edward King, Bishop Lincoln, 8 March 1910, written by James E. Kiefer.

[3] Ephesians 4:30, 1 Thessalonians 5:19

[4] Burkitt, William: Expository Notes, op. cit., pp. 734-735

[5] Guyse, John: The Biblical Illustrator, Vol. 22, First Epistle of John, op. cit., pp. 387-388

[6] John 14:21

[7] Matthew 6:10

[8] Ibid 16:24

[9] Wesley, John, The Works of, First Series of Sermons, Sermon 10, p. 184

[10] Matthew 22:37-39

[11] Ibid. Vol. 5, First Series of Sermons, Sermon 18, The Marks of the New Birth, p. 288

[12] Macknight, James: Apostolic Epistles with Commentary, Vol. VI, p. 103

[13] Brown, John of Haddington: Self-Interpreting Bible, N. T., Vol. IV, op. cit., p. 506

[14] Jones, William: Pulpit Commentary, op. cit., Vol. 22, p. 159

[15] John 1:10, 13

[16] See 2 Samuel 9:1-13; 19:31-39

[17] Scott, Thomas: Commentary on the Holy Bible, Vol. VI, p. 405

[18] Simeon, Charles: Horæ Homileticæ; Vol. XX, op. cit., Discourse 2462, p. 519

NEW TESTAMENT CONTEXTUAL COMMENTARY

By Dr. Robert R Seyda

FIRST EPISTLE OF JOHN

CHAPTER FIVE (Lesson XVI) 10/18/22

^5:3 Loving God means obeying His commands. And God’s commands are not too hard for us,

As a consequence, God’s commandments are not tiresome. They are not oppressive. It is not hard to obey someone you love. On the contrary, “grievous” (KJV) means heavy, weighed down, oppressive, troublesome, cruel, severe, and stern. Therefore, God’s commandments are not overbearing. The idea is not that God’s commands ask too much of us but that keeping them is an act of love. Legalism does, however, impose heavy burdens on believers.[1] It all boils down to this, God’s commands are not burdensome because we exercise them out of love for God.

However, the obligations of grace are infinitely more demanding than legalism. What we do by God’s grace could become a stressful routine if it were not for the strength of the Holy Spirit. We should never take love for God and other Christians as an oppressive command. Believers are members of God’s spiritual family. Keeping God’s principles for life requires a heart for God. It is no burden to do something for someone you greatly admire. Love is evidence of spiritual life. Divine life produces divine love. The single requirement to obey God’s commands is love.[2]

It is not problematic for people in love to submit to one another’s wishes. It is not burdensome for a man who loves his wife to take time and listen to her requests. He will do it out of love, whatever she asks him to do something for her. It may involve some tedious chore (like taking out the trash, making sure you put the recyclables in one can and the unrecyclable in another, and closing the lids tightly), but it is never aggravating! It only becomes a burden when there is a lack of love.

We know that God has given us divine directives in His Word for our good and benefit. Granted, some of the commands we may not fully comprehend. We may not understand why and question some of them, but God obligates us to do them. Later in eternity, He will explain to us the complete rationale for His principles for life. We can see why Jesus told the Pharisees they were putting religious burdens on people.[3]  Jesus offered to exchange those religious burdens for his easy load.[4]  Faith in Him abolished all the new believers’ religious obligations and Levitical ceremonial laws.[5] 

COMMENTARY AND HOMILETICS

Additional comments, interpretations, and insights of the Early Church Fathers, Medieval Thinkers, Reformation Theologians, Revivalist Teachers, Reformed Scholars, and Modern Commentators on this verse

On the subject of God’s command not being burdensome, Clement of Alexandria (died 215 AD) deals with one such Church ordinance called the “holy kiss.” ^[6] He says that if we are called into the kingdom of God, let us live admirably in honor of our King, loving Him and our neighbor. Love is not proved by a kiss but by kinship feeling. But some do nothing but make the churches resound with a kiss, not having love within. For this very thing, the shameless use of a kiss (which ought to be spiritual) hatches foul suspicions and harmful rumors. Therefore, the Apostle John calls it a “kiss holy.” When we examine the Church in the days of Clement, we find that this greeting kiss was part of the believer’s welcome. Today, it’s practiced with a hug or handshake.^[7]

Andreas was a seventh-century (600-700 AD) Monk who collected commentary from earlier writers to create an encyclopedia on various biblical books. Keeping the commandments is the form and substance of our love for God. Those who obey them are brought close to God by them. If someone looks at them incorrectly and says they are heavy to bear, they merely reveal their weakness.[8]

Bede the Venerable (672-735 AD) states that we can find proof of love in good works. We truly love God if we conform our wills to His commandments, for whoever runs after their illicit desires do not love God because they contradict that love willingly. God’s commands are not demanding, for the Anointed One said: “My yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” [9] [10]

Hugh Binning (1627-1653) calls our attention to the fact that when a believer examines their heart, they should find an inclination and desire to love others, even though their conscience argues they don’t deserve such love. Still, they will find encouragement in God’s command that others should love them. They may console themselves by saying, “I love knowing I can be loved by others even after I’ve done them wrong.” We may make up a Shakespearean-style quote: “Hath it such a beauty in my eye, while I am the object of it?” [11] In other words, they should like what they see before they find out what I am like. Why should it be so difficult for me to love others? Is it unloving, although they have done wrong to me and deserve it more than I do? Why does it ring true for me but not when my fellow believer is the object of it?^[12]

John Flavel (1627-1691) has an interesting way of commenting on what the Apostle John says here in verse three. He proposes that whatever a believer’s sinful nature ached for and any sensual craving it whined for, it didn’t matter what it cost. They wanted it even if damnation came with it, provided they didn’t have to pay for it immediately. They were unaware that they were no longer under God’s law but under the Anointed One’s authority. Those are the articles of peace that the believer willingly subscribed to on the day God granted them His forgiving mercy.[13]

Thus, the power of the life-giving Spirit was theirs through the Anointed One, Jesus, who freed them from the vicious circle of sin and death.[14] Holiness requires strictness but not bondage because God’s law was written in the Anointed One’s Gospel and copied out by His spirit upon the hearts of His followers with corresponding principles of obedience, making self-denial a pleasure. The Anointed One’s shoulder yoke is cushioned with love so that it never irritates the necks of His people.[15] Therefore, the soul that comes under the Anointed One’s leadership receives the law from Him, bringing every thought of the heart under His law of love.^[16]

George Swinnock (1627-1673) rightly states that loving God sweetens our service to Him and makes it more acceptable to Him and more delightful to us. That allowed the Apostle John to say in verse three that we can keep His commandments with greater joy by loving God.^[17]

Philipp Jakob Spener (1635-1705), a German Lutheran theologian, founded the Holiness Movement. He states that the meaning of what the Apostle John says here in verse three is that keeping the Divine commandments does not require considerable effort, involvement, and diligence, for that would contradict Scripture.[18] Such difficulty applies to a burden so oppressive and painful as to be unbearable. Concerning its nature, spiritual life is eternal life and consists as well in the grace of God, which forgives sin and imparts new Divine strength, but also in the enjoyment of everlasting contentment and glory.^[19]

Daniel Whitby (1638-1726) says that because a person’s will conforms to God’s will, they will do what God would, and the desires of their hearts are focused only on Him. That way, they end up undertaking what they choose and delight in doing. Thus, obeying God is no longer a difficult chore. Any person should love to keep busy in God’s kingdom and be delighted to do so.^[20]

After examining this verse, Robert Witham (1667-1778) explains that God’s commandments might seem hard in the light of human frailty and especially for people carried away with their love for the world’s prized possessions because it’s hard to comply with the Anointed One’s doctrine of self-denial.[21] Believers, however, would rather suffer death than sin against God or renounce their faith. God’s love and the promises of eternal happiness in the next life. With God’s assistance, the yoke of the Anointed One is sweet, and His burden light.[22] How different is this doctrine from those heretics who pretend that God’s commandments are impossible, even to the faithful, when they give their utmost for His Highest? [23]

Edward King (1829-1910), Bishop of Lincoln in the province of Canterbury, England, says it would benefit us if we reminded ourselves as believers that we are already in a wonderful world. We are where life’s pathway leads us through the intricacies of a Divine system, intending progressively to reveal itself to us and bring us nearer to our envisioned perfection with God. King then points out a couple of dominant forces forming part of this Divine system.

One influences the beginning of our physical and spiritual existence through what has been called the Fellowship of Love. Love is a significant force that is delicate, subtle, intricate, and godly. Yet, it receives such little consideration that most of us end up unprepared to deal with it when required. For instance, marriage is a matchless part of the Divine plan and full of progressive developing powers and blessings. God instituted it in Paradise before sin confused and dulled its pleasures. We are shocked when we see the results day after day of the heartless forsaking, or spousal abuse, of someone who should be the symbol of the Bride of Christ.

Another attribute is called the Fellowship of Rights. It is a powerful force that God has prepared for us among the workings of the Divine system in which we live, closely connected with the progressive development of family life. God did not create humans to live all alone in this world. We are all bound together in families or society in one way or another. Sadly, Ethics and Social Studies have been discarded in favor of Individualism. Thus, it is impossible to continue encouraging children of any race, color, class, or age to champion personal morality and have a law-abiding and functioning society. God, who has been all but forgotten, prepared and intended us to assist each other in our progress toward perfection and nearness to Him.^[24]

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[1] See Matthew 11:29-30; 23:4

[2] See Psalm 19:11; 119:32

[3] Matthew 23:4

[4] Ibid. 11:29-30

[5] Cf. Galatians 6:2; James 2:8

[6] Romans 16:16; 1 Corinthians 16:20; 2 Corinthians 16:20; 1 Thessalonians 5:26

[7] Clement of Alexandria: The Instructor Book III, Ch. XI, Love and the Kiss of Charity.

[8] Andreas, Ancient Christian Commentary on Scripture, Edited Gerald Bray, Vol. XI, op. cit., pp. 221-222

[9] Matthew 11:30

[10] Bede, the Venerable, Ancient Christian Commentary on Scripture, Edited Gerald Bray, op. cit., Vol. XI, p. 222

[11] Cf. William Shakespeare’s, Loves Labours Lost, Scene I, Princess to Boye, “Beauty is bought by judgment of the eye . . . I am less proud to hear you tell my worth.”

[12] Binning, Hugh: Practical Sermons, Sermon 8, p. 583

[13] Matthew 11:29

[14] Romans 8:2

[15] 1 John 5:3

[16] Flavel, John: The Fountain of Life, Sermon 16, pp. 191-192

[17] Swinnock, George: The Christian Man’s Calling, Vol. 1, Part II, Ch. V, p. 519

[18] See Luke 13:24; 2 Timothy 4:7

[19] Spener, Philipp J., Lange’s Commentary on the New Testament, op. cit., Vol. IX, p. 165

[20] Whitby, Daniel: Critical Commentary and Paraphrase, op. cit., p. 469

[21] Luke 9:23-24

[22] Matthew 11:30

[23] Witham, Robert: Annotations on the New Testament of Jesus Christ, Second Volume, op. cit., pp. 434-435

[24] King; Edward. The Love and Wisdom of God: Being a Collection of Sermons, Longmans, Green and Company, New York, 1910, p. 121-127, Kindle Edition

NEW TESTAMENT CONTEXTUAL COMMENTARY

By Dr. Robert R Seyda

FIRST EPISTLE OF JOHN

CHAPTER FIVE (Lesson XV) 10/17/22

^5:3 Loving God means doing what he tells us to do, and really, that isn’t hard at all;

And after Moses spent forty days and nights on Mount Sinai, he came down with this message, “I want to know what the Lord your God wants from you? The Lord, your God, wants you to respect Him and do what He says. He wants you to love Him and serve the Lord your God with all your heart and soul. So, obey the laws and commands of the Lord I am giving you today. These laws and commands are for your good.”^[1] This remained Israelite’s minds, and even after some of them were taken captive by King Nebuchadnezzar, they did not forget.

Did not David learn this during his struggles? He was so confident that he sang: “The Lord’s teachings are perfect. They give strength to His people. The Lord’s rules can be trusted. They help even the foolish become wise. The Lord’s laws are right. They make people happy. The Lord’s commands are good. They show people the right way to live. Learning respect for the Lord is good; it will last forever. The Lord’s judgments are right and completely fair. His teachings are worth more than pure gold. They are sweeter than the best honey dripping from the honeycomb. His teachings warn His servants, and good things come to those who obey them.”^[2]

Daniel, a young Hebrew carried away into exile by the Babylonians, made this a part of his daily prayer life. “O Master, great and majestic God. You never waver in your covenant commitment, never give up on those who love you, and do what you say.”^[3]So this became a part of Israel’s commitment to Yahweh. Jesus promised His disciples just before His ascension, “If you love Me, show it by doing what I’ve told you to do. I will talk to the Father, and He will provide you with another Friend so that you will always have someone with you.”^[4]

Since the First Covenant was the only Scripture the Apostle John had in those days, I’m willing to believe that he was aware of this Psalm and leaned upon it for inspiration. The young man who wrote the enlightening one hundred nineteenth Psalm made this vow: “I will follow Your teachings forever and ever. So, I will live in freedom because I do my best to know Your instructions. I will even debate Your rules with kings. I will not allow anyone to make me feel inferior. What joy Your commands give me! How I love them! Not only do I love Your commands, but I also honor them. I am committed to studying Your laws.”^[5]  No wonder Jesus said He had not come to destroy these teachings but to show us how to follow them to their fullest potential through Him.^[6]

Solomon personified these teachings as “Wisdom.”  And he proclaimed: “Wisdom will lead you to a life of joy and peace. Wisdom is like a life-giving tree to those who hold on to her; she is a blessing to those who keep her close at hand.”[7]  And the prophet Micah in a section where he addresses what God wants from His people writes, “People, the Lord has told you what goodness is. This is what He wants from you: Be fair to other people. Love kindness and loyalty, and humbly obey your God.”[8]. Still, John is interested in his readers knowing that following the Anointed One’s teachings, which were given to Him by God, is not all that difficult, but they are beneficial.

Jesus repeats this when teaching His disciples about their place in Him, the vine, as branches, “I have obeyed My Father’s commands, and He continues to love Me. In the same way, if you obey my commands, I will continue to love you. I have told you these things so that you can have the true happiness that I have. I want you to be delighted. This is what I command you: Love each other as I have loved you. The greatest love people can show is to die for their friends. If you do what I tell you to do, you are my friends.”^[9] Unfortunately, we do not hear this as often as we should in preaching today. It is all about God loving you, being in love with you, and liking you just the way you are. John was not being hardheaded or demanding.

But the Lord has another message He wanted those who followed Him to hear. He told them that the person who is aware of My commandments and keeps them, that’s who loves Me. And the person who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love them and make Myself known to them because a loveless world is a sightless world. If anyone loves Me, they will carefully keep My word, and My Father will love them – we will move right into the neighborhood! Not loving Me means not keeping My teachings. The message you are hearing isn’t Mine, said Jesus, it’s a message from My Father who sent Me.^[10]

Jesus knew that tough talk needed strong support. What evidence could He give them? There was none better than His. So, He told them that He loved them the way His Father loved Him. Therefore, He said, put yourselves at ease. If you keep My commands, you’ll be content in My love. That’s what I’ve done – kept My Father’s commands and made Myself at home in His love. So, if you want to be friends with Me, do what I’ve told you to do.^[11] In his second Epistle, the Apostle John emphasizes this same point, “If we love God, we will do whatever He tells us to. And He told us from the very beginning to love each other.”^[12]

Yet, the lesson for the Apostle John’s readers wasn’t over. Just as Jesus was, so John must have enjoyed reading the Psalms. He read that God’s revelation is error-free and keeps our lives as they should be. God’s traffic signs are clear and point to the holy highway. The life maps of God are accurate, directing to a better way. The directions of God are fair and easy to follow. God’s reputation is twenty-four-carat gold, with a lifetime guarantee. The decisions of God are accurate to the last degree. God’s Word is better than a diamond on a gold ring. You’ll like it better than fresh fruit in spring. But there’s more: God’s Word warns us of danger and directs us to hidden treasure. Otherwise, how will we find our way?^[13] The same young psalmist who wrote that also said later, “I’m going to keep on obeying you, God, forever and forever, simply by living within the limits of Your laws, oh how I cherish Your statutes! How I enjoy Your commands! I honor and treasure Your instructions. I constantly meditate on your guidelines.”^[14]

After King Solomon asked God for wisdom in ruling over His people, he discovered that such wisdom was a blessing.  So, he paid Wisdom this compliment, “Wisdom ensures living a long, good life, being content with honor, pleasure, and peace.”^[15] That’s why God gave the prophet Micah this assurance to give to Israel, “God has already made it plain how to live, what to do, what He is looking for in men and women. It’s quite simple: Do what is fair and just to your neighbor, be compassionate and loyal in your love, and don’t take yourself too seriously – take God seriously.”^[16]

So, going back to where this all began, Jesus had all this backing Him up in telling everyone that He saw these words as one command, love one another as I love you, as God loves you, and as I love God. That is why His offer of salvation was so meaningful and promising. He told everyone and anyone who felt tired, worn out, and burned out trying to keep all the laws to come to Him, attend a retreat with Him, and recover his life. Then our Lord promised, “I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with Me and work with Me – watch how I do it. Learn the harmonious rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with Me, and you’ll learn to live freely and unburdened.”^[17]

The Apostle Paul passed on what he learned by following and obeying the Anointed One. He told the Roman believers that he loved to do God’s will for his life since it satisfied his new nature as a child of God.^[18] And the author of Hebrews took a page out of the prophet Jeremiah’s writings to tell his readers that the LORD wanted to write a new covenant with the people of Israel. It isn’t going to be written externally in a book; God won’t chisel it in stone. Instead, God says, this time, I’m writing out the plan internally, carving it on the lining of your hearts. “I’ll be your God; you’ll be My people.”^[19]

The reason for the Apostle John’s previous statement. “This is how love is made complete;”^[20] so that we “keep His commandments which not burdensome.”^[21] These are the words, not merely of an inspired apostle but an aged man, with vast experience with life and its difficulties. The Greek adjective barys (“burdensome”) is relative depending on what is demanded and the ability to comply. Being in union with God’s Will proves that obedience is not a sentence to hard labor for any Christian.

We see how the Apostle John folds three spiritual dynamics into one: 1) trust the truth, 2) apply the truth, and 3) manifest the truth in your love for God. Believers who bring these dimensions together show their spiritual abilities. Notice that “for” in the opening of verse three explains what verse two is about. Applying God’s principles to experience is the key to finding out if we love God’s family. Love in God’s economy involves more than sentimental affection; God’s love revolves around His principles. “For” explains the reality that our love for God is synonymous with doing His commandments. Our love for God is at issue here, not God’s love for us. When we obey divine directives for our lives, we demonstrate love for God. Observation of God’s commandments flows from loving Him. Keeping God’s instructions keeps us in the sphere of His will because His directives reveal His character.[22] Thus, Christians apply divine ordinances to their lives because they love God. 

Furthermore, believers show God’s character by relating His Word to their experiences. Each time they apply the principles of God’s Word, they reveal His glory. But some might ask, is it possible to blaspheme God’s love? If we claim to love God but live contrary to His principles, we revile His name and detract from His glory.  People will then speak against the Bible and God’s name because we do not live consistently with His truth. The Apostle Paul confirmed this principle in his letter to Titus.[23] The Word of God is the only infallible rule of faith and practice. It is our compass, our plumb line for life, and our measuring rod of truth. The Bible is our standard of living, so there is no relative ethics in biblical Christianity. Comparative ethics say that what’s wrong in Europe is all right in the United States. Nor are they any situation ethics in God’s Word, where lying is wrong if you do it under oath but right if you lie to protect a friend. Biblical commands are always accurate in any culture of any age. They never change. They are the same in every period of history and in every society.

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[1] Deuteronomy 10:12-13

[2] Psalm 19:7-11

[3] Daniel 9:4

[4] John 14:15

[5] Ibid. 119:44-48, Cf. 119:103-104, 127-128, 140

[6] See Matthew 5:17

[7]Proverbs 3:17-18

[8]Micah 6:8

[9]John 15:10-14

[10] Ibid. 14:21-24

[11] Ibid. 15:9-10, 14

[12] 2 John 1:6

[13] Psalm 19:7-11

[14] Ibid. 119:45, 47-48; See 119:103-104, 127-128, 140

[15] Proverbs 3:17

[16] Micah 6:8 – The Message

[17] Matthew 11:28-30 – The Message

[18] Romans 7:12

[19] Hebrews 8:10

[20] 1 John 4:17

[21] Ibid. 5:3

[22] 2 John 1:6

[23] Titus 2:5