Serving God is Easy Because We Love Him

When it comes to John’s tests for salvation, a person needs to pass all three since they are so intertwined. We must believe the right stuff about Jesus, we must love the brethren, and we must live obedient lives. How can they all be tied together? The process is like this: Right doctrine leads to obedience, which leads to Love for one another. So, you see, it is all wrapped together in one bundle. So what excuse do we have for not doing all three? What excuse is there for not living out our faith?

Perhaps we don’t believe what it says in 1st John 5:3, “For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments. And His commandments are not burdensome.” God’s commands don’t place a heavy burden on us. They aren’t something we have to do grudgingly, but they should be a joy to follow.

What would be burdensome? It would be trying to please God in our own strength like every other religion does - by trying to keep a list of rules. The Pharisees required the burdensome thing. According to Jesus in Matthew 23:4-5: “They bind heavy burdens, hard to bear, and lay them on men’s shoulders; but they themselves will not move them with one of their fingers. But all their works they do to be seen by men.”

But Jesus isn’t like the Pharisees. Christ’s yoke is not burdensome, but light and easy. Matthew 11:28-30 says:
“Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”

Doing it the Pharisees way causes us to labor and be heavy laden. It’s arduous toil trying to please God in our own strength. Jesus’ way is easy and light. We certainly need the rest Jesus offers us. But, He offers it to us by offering us a yoke, an emblem of servitude. But His yoke is easy and His burden is light. So there’s no reason not to serve God.

You know what a yoke is, don’t you? It’s a wooden beam carved to fit the beast of burden – the ox - so that it doesn’t chafe or rub. But it is hooked to the harness so the ox can pull the plow or the cart. The yoke was used to control or guide the animal. The term, yoke, began to be used as a metaphor for submission – for obedience. This is submission to the Lord, and it’s easy. We don’t submit out of law, but out of love.

Again equating this to marriage, since, remember? The husband and wife are to be a picture of Christ and the church. How is the wife to respond in marriage? By submitting to her husband as to the Lord. Ephesians 5:22 says: “Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord.” The submission should be easy, not burdensome.

Here’s a story to illustrate: The perspective bridegroom was extremely nervous as he and his fiancé discussed their wedding plans with the pastor. “I’d like to see a copy of the wedding vows,” the young man said, and the pastor handed him the service.

He read it carefully, then handed it back saying, “This won’t do. There’s nothing written in here about her obeying me.”

His fiancé smiled, took his hand, and said, “Honey, the word obey doesn’t have to be written in a book. It’s already written in love in my heart.”

Indeed, love is our motivation for serving God. Love is why we obey Him and work for Him. Do you remember the story of Jacob and Rachel? Jacob worked seven years for Rachel, and in Genesis 29:20, it says, “So Jacob served seven years for Rachel, and they seemed only a few days to him because of the love he had for her.” Serving God shouldn’t seem like a burden, either, but a joy – because we love Him so.