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Albert Barnes and Edward D. Andrews write,
1 John 5:3 Updated American Standard Version (UASV)
3 For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments. And his commandments are not burdensome,
For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments. This constitutes true love; this furnishes the evidence of it.
And his commandments are not burdensome. Greek, heavy—βαρεῖαι; that is, difficult to be borne as a burden. See Matt. 11:30. The meaning is that his laws are not unreasonable; the duties which he requires are not beyond our ability; his government is not oppressive. It is easy to obey God when the heart is right, and those who endeavor in sincerity to keep his commandments do not complain that they are hard. All complaints of this kind come from those who are not disposed to keep his commandments. They, indeed, object that his laws are unreasonable, impose improper restraints, are not easily complied with, and that the Divine government is one of severity and injustice.
But no such complaints come from true Christians. They find his service easier than the service of sin, and the laws of God milder and easier to be complied with than were those of fashion and honor, which they once endeavored to obey. The service of God is freedom; the service of the world is bondage. No man ever yet heard a true Christian say that the laws of God, requiring him to lead a holy life, were stern and ‘grievous.’ But who has not felt this in regard to the relentless laws of sin? What votary (such as a monk or nun, who has made vows of dedication to religious service) of the world would not say this if he spoke his real sentiments? Comp. John 8:32.[1]
[1] Albert Barnes, Notes on the New Testament: James to Jude, ed. Robert Frew (London: Blackie & Son, 1884–1885), 337.
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“His commands are not burdensome. ” We are such wimps sometimes. Thanks for this.
You are welcome.