1 John 5:3 - Coke's Commentary on the Holy Bible

For this is the love of God,— The love of God is a principle in the heart of a regenerated man, which leads him to keep the commandments of God; and which cannot be visibly manifested any other way; for, whatever some men may pretend, there is no true love of God without keeping his commandments. The Christians to whom St. John wrote, might perhaps be ready to object, "You exhort us to keep the commandments of God; but that is either impossible, or at least cannot be done without very great difficulty:" Now St. John knew well that the notion of God's commands being impossible, or grievous and burdensome, tended todiscourage men from attempting to keep them, and therefore would be of very bad consequence: for that reason he added, And his commands are not grievous, that is, under the power of Divine grace which all true believers possess. But the commandment which St. John had more particularly in his eye, was that of love to the Christian brethren. Real Christians behave through grace as their religion directs, and therefore are the most amiable persons in the world; and the love of such lovely objects is certainly delightful; but the commandments of Christ in general are not grievous; they are the kind counsels of the wisest Father, and the best Friend; who had nothing else in view in giving us such commandments, but the advancing our true dignity, perfection, and happiness. Instead of being burdensome, religion is to the regenerated man the joy and delight of his soul; his meat and drink, his daily business, and unspeakable pleasure, see Proverbs 3:13-18. By the connection between 1 John 5:3-4 it appears, that this last clause is a meiosis; that is, much less is expressed than was intended; for so far are the commandments of God from being grievous, that they are most delightful and excellent.