“Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ has been born of God, and everyone who loves the Father loves whoever has been born of him. By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and obey his commandments. For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments. And his commandments are not burdensome.” (1 John 5:1-3 ESV)
Throughout his first epistle, John has repeatedly drawn his readers’ attention to the nature of God’s love and how it, as the truest of all loves, manifests itself in the lives of his people. The love we receive from God is to flow out of us through our love for others, specifically for those who are our spiritual brothers and sisters.
Our love, while natural in its outflow, is, nevertheless, a direct command from God (4:21). The word “command” carries significant connotations. Our natural sensibilities are put off, or even offended, by the idea that we are accountable to the commands of another. Humans generally resist the idea of authority, particularly when it intrudes on their preferences. The rise of individualism and selfism in our contemporary context is the direct fruit of these seeds of autonomous pursuit. The natural man generally views the idea that God’s commandments hold supreme authority as profoundly burdensome—or ludicrous.
Isn’t this one of the devil’s primary temptations? He tries to entice you with the “freedom” of sin by telling you that living according to God’s rule is nothing more than a proverbial ball and chain. But Jesus says that sin is bondage (John 8:34). It is only when we find freedom in Christ that we see the true goodness of his commands. They are not fences keeping us from the pleasures of the world but, rather, guardrails keeping us from destroying our souls.
This message flips the world’s perspective on its head. No longer do we view God’s commandments as burdensome but as the loving hand of a Father preserving and protecting us. We obey because we are commanded to, but God commands only that which is good. He is not piling unnecessary obligation onto his children as the Pharisees did, but he is commanding that which is good, true, and beautiful as it flows out of his perfectly holy character.
When we preach the gospel, we do not start with a simple call to obedience. The teaching that someone can become a disciple merely on the basis of obedience is a blatant and destructive false teaching. Not only can an unregenerate person not justify himself by following the rules of Scripture, but that behavior cannot even be rightly described as obedience. True obedience is “of faith,” as Paul says (Romans 1:5). Therefore, we must first preach Christ, so that others may see their need for salvation and turn to Christ in repentance and faith. That is the central truth on which the entire gospel stands.
But throughout his letter, John has reminded us that true faith not only believes but obeys. It is only when obedience is preceded by faith as its source that obedience to God’s commands is not burdensome. Without the context of our familial relationship of adoption in Christ and our trust in him alone for our righteousness, his commands would be an unbearable burden. Yet John says definitively, “his commandments are not burdensome.” In fact, in comparison to the heavy weight of our legalistic attempts to work our way into the kingdom, Christ says, “My yoke is easy, and my burden is light” (Matthew 11:30).
Love and obedience are not at odds. John is making the same connection that Jesus did when he said, “If you love me, you will keep my commandments” (John 14:15). The Christian faith is not devoid of commands. God commands many things of us as his children. But what makes the Christian faith unique from all other religions in the world is that the obedience God requires of us is the fruit of, not the grounds for, our righteousness.
Christ beckons all to come to him, not so that they can live without obedience, but that they might find rest and joy in the true obedience that accepts God’s commands as what they are: the Father’s perfect instructions on how to live a life of blessing as his children.
Properly administered authority and properly rendered obedience are beautiful. When a child willingly and immediately obeys, it expresses a humble submission to, respect for, and trust in his father. When a father carefully and intentionally instructs his child in the truth, it expresses a love for and protection of his child.
When we place our trust in Christ, the joyful obedience that follows is anything but burdensome.
Prayer:
Heavenly Father,
Thank you for saving us in Christ by faith alone. Even if we had an infinite number of second tries, we could never merit a righteous standing before you. Christ is our perfect and only propitiation. As recipients of such indescribable grace, keep us from walking in disobedience and rebellion. May our manner of life reflect the new life we have in Christ.
In Jesus’ name, amen.
Prayer Requests:
- Tuesday: Pray for Tim and Laura and the ministry of Project Fit in Thailand as they share the gospel through exercise.
- Wednesday: Pray for the ongoing Centennial Film Project as workers seek to document God’s faithfulness to and through ABWE over the past century.
- Thursday: Pray for ministry of Palawan Baptist Hospital in the Philippines as they provide care for those with physical and spiritual needs.
- Friday: Pray for missionaries serving at the Igrejinha Church Plant in Brazil as they look to move to a larger facility to house their growing ministry.
- Saturday: Pray for the safety and effectiveness of missionaries serving with the Office of International Security and Crisis Management as they respond to emergency needs around the world.
- Sunday: Pray for missionaries serving in construction as they design and build ministry facilities.
- Monday: Pray for missionaries in Japan to have successful evangelism.
Featured Opportunity to Serve:
Director/Coordinator of Administration Management
Location: Bangladesh
Our team needs a humble and willing individual skilled in administration and management to come serve as the Director/Coordinator of Memorial Christian Hospital in Bangladesh.
