Topical Bible: The Law of God: Not Grievous

Bible > Topical > The Law of God

◄ The Law of God: Not Grievous ►

Jump to: Torrey's • Library • Subtopics • Terms

Topical Encyclopedia

The concept of God's law being "not grievous" is rooted in the understanding that the commandments given by God are designed for the well-being and spiritual growth of His people. This principle is articulated in 1 John 5:3, which states, "For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments. And His commandments are not burdensome" . This verse underscores the idea that God's laws are not intended to be a heavy burden but rather a guide to living a life that is pleasing to Him and beneficial to us.

Old Testament Context

In the Old Testament, the law given through Moses was comprehensive, covering moral, ceremonial, and civil aspects of life. While some may perceive these laws as burdensome due to their detailed nature, they were given to set Israel apart as a holy nation (Exodus 19:5-6). The psalmist expresses delight in God's law, saying, "The law of the LORD is perfect, reviving the soul; the testimony of the LORD is trustworthy, making wise the simple" (Psalm 19:7). This reflects the understanding that the law is a source of wisdom and life, not a grievous imposition.

New Testament Fulfillment

In the New Testament, Jesus Christ fulfills the law, emphasizing its spirit rather than its letter. In Matthew 11:28-30, Jesus invites those who are weary and burdened to come to Him for rest, promising that His yoke is easy and His burden is light. This invitation highlights the contrast between the heavy burdens imposed by the Pharisaic interpretations of the law and the true intent of God's commandments, which are meant to bring freedom and rest.

The Apostle Paul further explains this in Romans 8:2, stating, "For in Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set you free from the law of sin and death" . Through Christ, believers are empowered by the Holy Spirit to live according to God's commandments, which are no longer a source of condemnation but a path to life and peace.

The Role of Love

Central to understanding why God's law is not grievous is the role of love. Jesus summarizes the law in the Great Commandments: "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind" and "Love your neighbor as yourself" (Matthew 22:37-39). Love is the fulfillment of the law (Romans 13:10), and when believers act out of love, the commandments become a natural expression of their relationship with God and others.

Practical Implications

For believers, the law of God is not a checklist of dos and don'ts but a reflection of God's character and His desire for His people to live in harmony with Him and each other. The Holy Spirit aids believers in understanding and applying God's commandments in their daily lives, making them a source of joy rather than a burden. As believers grow in their love for God, they find that His commandments are indeed not grievous, but a delight and a guide to abundant life.

Torrey's Topical Textbook

1 John 5:3
For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Library

Passages to Show that God's Commandments are not Grievous.
... this law; if thou turn to the Lord thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy
soul. For this command, which I give thee this day, is not grievous, neither ...
/.../augustine/anti-pelagian writings/22 passages to show that.htm

To whom God's Commandments are Grievous; and to Whom, Not. Why ...
... He next quotes passages to show that God's commandments are not grievous. ... love,"
[1446] and "love is the fulfilling of the law" [1447] ), whatever ...
/.../augustine/anti-pelagian writings/chapter x 21 to whom gods.htm

God Enjoins no Impossibility, Because all Things are Possible and ...
... grievous; or he has love, and then it is not grievous. ... by returning to the Lord his
God with all ... that loveth his neighbour hath fulfilled the law;" [1354] and ...
/.../augustine/anti-pelagian writings/chapter 83 lxix god enjoins no.htm

"Because the Carnal Mind is Enmity against God, for it is not ...
... of eternal condemnation, that children, who have not done good ... he speaks these things
in his word, God forbid that ... If we should expound the law unto you, and ...
/.../binning/the works of the rev hugh binning/sermon xx because the carnal.htm

On the Covenant into which God Entered with Our First Parents
... unwilling to submit himself, and indeed not to yield ... corresponds with obedience to
this chief law, the performance ... is, of itself, pleasing to God, (the analogy ...
/.../arminius/the works of james arminius vol 2/disputation xxix on the covenant.htm

Whether the Old Law was Good?
... be borne without the help of grace, which the law did not ... it is written (Rom.9:16):
"It is not him that ... he wills and runs in the commandments of God, "but of ...
//christianbookshelf.org/aquinas/summa theologica/whether the old law was.htm

On Sin and Its Kinds
... "Against the law." If we are in doubt whether anything is sinful or not,
we must ask ourselves: is it forbidden by God or His Church? ...
/.../christianbookshelf.org/kinkead/baltimore catechism no 4/lesson 6 on sin and.htm

Whether the Unnatural vice is the Greatest Sin among the Species ...
... of the people of Sodom, which should all nations commit, they should all stand guilty
of the same crime, by the law of God which hath not so made men ...
/.../aquinas/summa theologica/whether the unnatural vice is 2.htm

Of the Law.
... of God, by His coming has confirmed and completed the law, but has taken away the
additional precepts, although not all of them, yet at least the more grievous ...
/.../various/constitutions of the holy apostles/sec iv of the law.htm

The Excuses of Sinners Condemn God
... heavy that no man can ever bear it?" Is not this gainsaying and blaspheming Him
who can not lie ... But you take the ground that no man can obey the law of God. ...
/.../finney/sermons on gospel themes/v the excuses of sinners.htm