<p>5:3 <i>For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments; and His commandments are not grievous</i>- The plural &quot;commandments&quot; is a reference to the one great commandment- to love our fellow believers as the Lord loved us in dying for us (Jn. 13:34). I have elsewhere suggested that the plural &quot;commandments&quot; is a plural of majesty, referring to the one great commandment: to love our brethren as the Lord loved us. And that fits the context here; for keeping that commandment &quot;is the love of God&quot;. God's love and our love for our brethren are mutual and reciprocal experiences.</p><p>The Lord's commandments are &quot;not grievous&quot;; it is not that we have been given a whole set of detailed regulations similar to the 613 given by Moses. It is not hard to be obedient to His commandments, 1 Jn. 5:3 implies. The Lord states clearly that He has left us one commandment- to love one another as He loved us (Jn. 13:34; 15:12; 1 Jn. 4:21; 5:2). The plural &quot;commandments&quot; may be a reflection of the Hebraism whereby the plural is used to emphasize the greatness and cardinal value of one singular thing, the plural of majesty. This is perhaps confirmed by Jn. 15:17: &quot;These thingsplural I command you: That you love one another&quot;. Love of each other was the great 'thing'. To love should not be grievous; if we are walking in the light of His endless love. Therefore &quot;This is his commandment, that we should believe on the name of His Son Jesus Christ, and love one another&quot; (1 Jn. 3:23). The commandment to love as He loved us is only capable of understanding and fulfilment if we have believed into the Name of the Lord Jesus, and experienced that love, having God's love shed abroad in our hearts by the Spirit we receive after believing into Him (Rom. 5:5). This alone is what makes self-sacrificial love &quot;not grievous&quot;, not &quot;heavy&quot; and burdensome as the commandments of Judaism were (Mt. 23:4,23 s.w.). The apparent ease of achievement is because we have been &quot;begotten of God&quot; (:4), which is by acceptance of the gift of the Spirit (Jn. 3:3-5).</p>