Read John 21:15-17
Peter knew that he had let Jesus down by denying him three times prior to the Crucifixion. He also knew that Jesus had forgiven him. So Jesus tested Peter by asking him this question “Do you love me?” three times.
Peter’s response to Jesus’ questions has great significance in the original language of the test. When Jesus posed the questions, he had basically asked, “Peter do you love with me a sacrificial, committed love?” Peter, however, responded with a different word for “love” than Jesus had suggested. Peter essentially said “Lord, I like you. I love you as a friend.”
1. If you Love the Lord, You Will Long for Personal Communion with Him. Can you relate to the words of the psalmist “As the deer pants for streams of water, so I long for you, O God” (Psalm 42:1)? When you really love God, you will delight in praising and worshiping Him.
2. If you Love God, You will Love the Things He Loves. We know what God loves by what He has declared in his Word, the Bible. So if you love God, you will love His Word. Bible study will not be a drudgery, but a delight.
3. If you Love the Lord, You will hate what He hates. As the Lord’s nature becomes your nature, His likes and dislikes become your likes and dislikes. His outlook becomes your outlook. We know from his Word that he hates sin. If we love Him, then we should also hate sin.
4. If you Love the Lord, You will long for His return. Jesus described Himself as a bridegroom (Mark 2:10). His bride is the church—the body of believers (Ephesians 5:23-29). When Jesus returns, He will be united with his bride. Therefore, if you love the Lord, you will long for His return as a bride and bridegroom long to be together.
5. If you Love the Lord, You will keep His Commandments. Jesus says, “If you love me, obey my commandments” (John 14:15). That does not mean that you will never sin. Though it is impossible for any of us who love God to on an endless course of sin, it is quite possible to fall into individual sins. But if we love God, we will repent of those sins and seek His forgiveness, and our lifestyle will conform to the truths we find in his Word.
Do you love the Lord? Like Peter, you may be tempted to believe that you have no love for Jesus when you sin. Maybe you feel that God could never use you in his service again. Be honest with God; then start rebuilding that relationship by following the steps above. As you reaffirm your love for Him, God will open up opportunities for you to serve Him and share that love with others. A committed heart leads to committed service.
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