Love to Obey His Commands - 1 John 4-5

 1 John 5:1-3 (ESV Strong's)

1 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. 2 By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and obey his commandments. 3 For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments. And his commandments are not burdensome.

Love to Obey His Commands

When you love someone you don’t mind doing what they ask of you.   This is true in every earthly relationship and, as we see above, in the spiritual realm, as well.   When we profess our love for God we can do that verbally.  But, verbally means nothing  if it does not follow through with obedience to God’s commands.  There is no such thing as saving faith that is not connected to an obedient walk.   The issue is NOT if faith and works are part of salvation.  The issue is what order they play.  Note what John Owen, the great Puritan preacher said:

“So let us learn not to satisfy ourselves, nor rest in any acts or duties of obedience, nor in ally good works, how­ever good and useful they may be, which do not arise from this vital principle of holiness in our hearts (Isa. 1: 11-15).”

We are first to be holy, through faith, and then obedient, via His power.   Note what Paul stated:

2 Thessalonians 1:11 (ESV Strong's)

11 To this end we always pray for you, that our God may make you worthy of his calling and may fulfill every resolve for good and every work of faith by his power,

In the above passage we see that being “born of God” results in a “love for God” that results in a “obedience to God’s commands.”  There is NO other way for the Gospel to be conducted in one’s life.   When we are “born of God,” this is what happens according to the writer of Hebrews:

Hebrews 8:10 (ESV Strong's)

10 For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel

after those days, declares the Lord:

I will put my laws into their minds,

and write them on their hearts,

and I will be their God,

and they shall be my people.

God is spiritually writing His laws and will on our hearts and minds.  When He does that, it enables us to walk with Him and be His children.  We accept this by faith in Him.   Faith and works of obedience are not separate.   But, one does not work to prove one’s faith.  One works to demonstrate one’s faith.  Faith begins the writing of God’s law on our hearts and minds by the Spirt of God.   That, in turn, allows the Spirit of God to produce works in our lives to obey those laws and that will.   That is the Gospel.