If We are not under Law, what is the Commandment in John?
The Difference Between Old Covenant Law and New Commandment in Focus:
"Again, a new commandment I write unto you, which thing is true in him and in you: because the darkness is past, and the true light now shineth." (1 John 2:8, KJV)
Scripture teaches that there is a profound difference between the Old Covenant law and the new commandment that is said to be true in believers. The Old Covenant law, given through Moses, was a system of external instructions contrary to our natural inclinations. It functioned as a witness against us, exposing our sinful nature and inability to fulfill God's righteous requirements. The law speaks to our flesh and is contrary to it, which is precisely why it had to be given in the first place. The new commandment, however, is not an external set of rules imposed upon us, but a divine reality that exists within us through Christ. This new commandment is to believe in Jesus Christ and to love one another. Unlike the Old Covenant which brought condemnation, the new commandment is true in Christ and in us "because the darkness is past and the true light now shines" (1 John 2:8). It flows from our new nature as believers and is the outworking of Christ's life in us, not something we strive to achieve through our own efforts.
Summary of Related Misconceptions:
â–ş Claim: The new commandment is simply a restatement of the Old Covenant law with better power to keep it.
Scripture teaches that the new commandment is not merely an empowered version of the old. The Old Covenant required loving God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength, and loving your neighbor as yourself. However, the new commandment is fundamentally different in nature. It is not about our love for God, but about His love for us and our response to that love. As John writes, "In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins" (1 John 4:10).
â–ş Claim: This commandment has to do with a New Covenant that binds Christians to law keeping.
This misunderstands the biblical principle of our relationship to Christ. We are not covenant parties with obligations to fulfill; we are heirs of a testament secured by Christ's death. This means that we have an inheritance. It is by enjoying our inheritance and living as proper heirs of the states that we become ambassadors and representatives of our household, the city of the living God. Our burden has been removed, and the new commandment is not at all burdensome. It is reality that is true in us because we have been born of God. It does not produce a burden or bring a debt as the old commandment did, which came with a spirit of bondage and fear. Instead, it is a reflection of our enjoyment of our position as sons and heirs of God.
What Scripture Actually Says:
The Bible clearly distinguishes between different types of commandments. There are the commandments of the law, which function as instructions contrary to our nature. These commandments expose us as transgressors and were given to show that we are sinners by nature. The law was a schoolmaster to lead us to Christ, but once faith has come, we are no longer under the schoolmaster (Galatians 3:24-25).
Then there are what Paul calls "beseechings" or appeals, which are based on divine revelation of the Father's business. These are not contrary to our new nature but appeal to who we are in Christ and our desire to participate in God's eternal purpose. Paul explains the Father's business in the gospel and then, based on our understanding of it, beseeches us to "walk worthy of the calling with which you were called" (Ephesians 4:1). This calling is taken up naturally by those who begin to apprehend it, just as children raised up in a rich house begin to think and act according to the household order. The beseeching of the apostles are always preceded by lengthy doctrinal teachings regarding our position as sons and heirs in the household, and then they appeal to us as stewards of the riches of the household to live according to what we have seen in their teaching. Unlike the law, these appeals do not come with the carrot / stick threats of the law, with punishments and curses for disobedience. Rather, they are appeals to a conscience that has been touched by the love of the Father and a love for the house one represents. They appeal to our free will desire to participate in the building up of the household and a sensitivity to the damage that inappropriate behavior can do to the household and its testimony in this world.
Finally, there is the new commandment, which Jesus introduced in (John 13:34): "A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another." This commandment is not like the Old Covenant law. It is a reality that exists in Christ and is now ours through our union with Him. It is the outworking of His life in us, not something we strive to achieve through our own efforts.
The new commandment is rooted in Christ's sonship and the decree of the Father. It is the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus, which sets us free from the law of sin and death (Romans 8:2). It is really the manifestation of his own life in us, that preserves us in the faith and causes us to recognize brethren who also have the same testimony.
Correct Understanding from Scripture:
The new commandment is not external instruction but internal reality. It is "true in Him and in you" because we have been born of God and have His life within us. "For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments. And His commandments are not burdensome" (1 John 5:3).
The new commandment flows from God's love for us, not our love for Him. "In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins" (1 John 4:10). This love is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Spirit, enabling us to love one another.
The new commandment involves believing in Jesus Christ and loving the brethren. "And this is His commandment: that we should believe on the name of His Son Jesus Christ and love one another, as He gave us commandment" (1 John 3:23). This love recognizes other believers as justified by faith and does not reject them for taking refuge in the blood of Christ.
The new commandment is the dispensing of Christ's life into us. "I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me" (Galatians 2:20). It is Christ Himself as our life, not a set of rules to follow.
The new commandment is manifested as we abide in Christ, rather than striving in our efforts. "Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me" (John 15:4). As we abide in Him and His word abides in us, His life bears fruit through us.
Implications/Damage of Misunderstanding:
Misunderstanding the difference between the Old Covenant law and the new commandment leads to serious spiritual problems:
When believers attempt to live under the law, they inevitably experience condemnation and a sense of failure. The law strengthens sin and stirs up the motions of sin in our flesh. As Paul explains in (Romans 7), the more we try not to covet, the more our flesh covets. This leads to a cycle of defeat and discouragement.
Treating the new commandment as if it were an external law undermines the gospel and returns believers to a system of self-effort. This denies the reality of our death with Christ and our new life in Him. It places a burden on believers that Christ never intended them to bear.
True Grace/Application Brings You to Christ:
Understanding the new commandment as Christ's life in us brings tremendous freedom and joy. Instead of striving to keep external rules, we learn to abide in Christ and allow His life to flow through us. This is not a matter of law-keeping but of faith in Christ as His life is manifested in us.
The Christian life begins with our baptism into Christ's death. We died with Him to sin and to the law, and we were raised with Him to walk in newness of life. "For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death" (Romans 8:2). Our life is now hidden with Christ in God, and when Christ who is our life appears, we will also appear with Him in glory.
As we grow in the knowledge of Christ and learn to rejoice in the gospel, we are transformed from glory to glory. This transformation is not the result of our efforts to keep the law but of beholding Christ and being changed into His image by the Spirit of the Lord (2 Corinthians 3:18).
Final Takeaways:
The difference between the Old Covenant law and the new commandment is not merely a matter of content but of nature. The Old Covenant law was external, imposed upon people who could not keep it. The new commandment is internal, the reality of Christ's life in us.
The new commandment is not about what we do for God but about what God has done for us in Christ. It is His love shed abroad in our hearts, enabling us to love one another as He has loved us.
The way to fulfill the new commandment is not through self-effort but through faith in Christ and abiding in Him. As we abide in Him and His word abides in us, His life bears fruit through us.
The Christian life is not about improving ourselves through law-keeping but about Christ living in us. "I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me" (Galatians 2:20). This is the mystery of the gospel: Christ in you, the hope of glory.
Additional Biblical Insights:
The distinction between the new covenant and the new testament is important for understanding our relationship to Christ. The new covenant is a promise God made to Israel for the future, while the new testament is our inheritance in Christ. We are heirs of the new testament, not parties to the new covenant. Our inheritance is secure because it is based on Christ's death and resurrection, not on our performance.
The new commandment is also referred to as "the holy commandment" and "the knowledge of Jesus Christ in the way of righteousness" (2 Peter 1:3). Through this knowledge, we escape the corruption and pollution of the world (2 Peter 1:4). When we depart from this knowledge, we lose sight of Jesus and His life in us (2 Peter 2:20).