WISDOM FOR LIVING DAILY DEVOTIONAL
SEPTEMBER 30, 2026
TOPIC: IF YOU LOVE GOD, YOU WILL OBEY HIM
BY T. O. BANSO
“If you love me, you will obey my commands.” (John 14:15, New Century Version).
You do certain things for some people because you love them. You can be motivated to do some things for certain people in your life because of the love you have for them. Many people find it difficult to obey God because they don’t love Him. If they love Him, they won’t have any problem obeying Him. They will obey Him because they love Him, not because of the fear of the consequences of disobedience.
The solution to disobedience to God is to love Him. Jesus said, “If you love me, you will obey my commands.” (John 14:15, New Century Version). The New King James Version and some other translations use the word “keep” instead of the phrase “you will obey.” “If you love Me, keep My commandments.” (New King James Version).
Many people struggle with obeying the Word of God because they have not fallen in love with Him. Jesus said in John 14:21, “He who has My commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves Me. And he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and manifest Myself to him.” (New King James Version).
He continued in verses 23-24: “If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him. He who does not love Me does not keep My words; and the word which you hear is not Mine but the Father’s who sent Me.” (New King James Version). Do you do what God says?
Do you love God? Are you in love with Him? 1 John 5:3 says, “For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments. And His commandments are not burdensome.” (New King James Version). Keep God’s Word. God is not against you. He loves you. His commandments are not to harm you. They are for your own good. Obeying His Word is in your own interest. Obey Him because you love Him, not because of the punishment disobedience attracts.
Do you love God? In John 21, after his resurrection, Jesus Christ asked Peter if he loved Him more than the other disciples. Peter confirmed his love three times. The question was necessary, apparently, because Peter was to lead the disciples.
The Bible recorded Peter’s declaration of his love for Jesus. He even said that he could die with Him (John 13:36-38; Matthew 26:31-35). But despite His assurances, Peter denied Jesus three times (Matthew 26:69-75). And three times, in John 21, he declared his love for Jesus. However, the Greek word he used for love was different from the word Jesus used.
The Amplified Bible tries to bring out the difference in the usage of the word “love” by Jesus and “love” by Peter. By love, Jesus asked if Peter loved Him “with total commitment and devotion.” But by love, Peter told Jesus that he loved Him “with a deep, personal affection, as for a close friend.” Were Jesus and Peter saying the same thing? The Bible says Peter was grieved (saddened and hurt) because Jesus asked him the same question the third time. Peter was not grieved when Jesus used a word for love twice before, different from his.
The first and second times Jesus asked if Peter loved him, Jesus used the Greek word agapao, which, regarding people, means “to welcome, to entertain, to be fond of, to love dearly.” (New Testament Greek Lexicon). However, Peter answered with phileo, meaning, among other things, “to treat affectionately or kindly, to welcome, befriend.” (New Testament Greek Lexicon). The third time Jesus used phileo: Love (phileo) thou me? Peter used phileo in his first two answers, and this made him feel hurt. Remember that the Amplified Bible explains the word Peter used for love (phileo), which Jesus eventually used the third time He asked him a question, as loving “with a deep, personal affection, as for a close friend.”
Please note the progression of the questions: (1) Do you love (agapao) me more than these? (Comparison) (2) Do you love (agapao) me? (3) Do you love (phileo) me? Note Peter’s answer the third time: “Lord, thou knowest all things; thou knowest that I love [phileo] thee” (King James Version).
While some Bible scholars try to distinguish agape love from phileo love, others warn against over-interpreting these two Greek words, which can be regarded as synonyms. They contend that usage depends on the context, as God can love with both agape love (John 3:16; 2 Corinthians 9:7) and phileo love (John 5:20; 16:27). They submit that agape should not be exclusively defined as God’s kind of love or unconditional love, as sinners can also love others with agape love (Matthew 5:46; Luke 6:32). Even the Pharisees agapao (love) the best seats in the synagogues and greetings in the marketplaces (Luke 11:43). Other Bible verses support this position.
Nevertheless, in John 21, note that Peter, who denied Jesus three times, also confirmed his love for Him three times, and Jesus reinstated him to ministry. Peter loved Jesus.
If you love God, you will delight to obey His Word. His Word is His will. David said in Psalm 40:8, “I delight to do Your will, O my God, and Your law is within my heart.” (New King James Version). The writer of Psalm 119 says, “I will delight myself in Your statutes; I will not forget Your word.” (Verse 16, New King James Version). In verse 24, he states, “Your testimonies also are my delight and my counselors.” Also, in verse 35, the psalmist says, “Make me walk in the path of Your commandments, for I delight in it.”
In his prophecy regarding the Messiah, Jesus Christ, Isaiah said, “His greatest joy will be to obey the LORD.” (Isaiah 11:3a, Contemporary English Version). The New Living Translation renders it thus: “He will delight in obeying the LORD.” Let your greatest joy be to obey God. Delight in obeying Him. Love Him. Love the Lord with all your heart, soul, and mind (Matthew 22:37). Mark and Luke say something similar with a slight variation. Instead of “with all your heart, soul, and mind”, Mark 12:30 says, “with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength,” while Luke 10:27 says, “with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind.” These scriptures say the same thing.
Do you love God? If you love Him, you will obey Him.
TAKE ACTION!
If you are not born again, you must repent of your sins and confess Jesus as your Lord and Saviour now. Please take the following steps: *Admit that you are a sinner and you cannot save yourself, and repent of your sins. *Confess Jesus as your Lord and Saviour. *Renounce your past way of life—your relationship with the devil and his works. *Invite Jesus into your heart. *As a mark of seriousness to mature in the faith, start attending a Bible-believing, Bible-teaching, and Bible-practising church. There, you will be taught how to grow in the Kingdom of God.
Kindly say this prayer now: O Lord God, I come unto You today. I know I am a sinner, and I cannot save myself. I believe that Jesus is the Son of God who died on the cross to save me, and God raised Him on the third day. I repent of my sins and confess Jesus as my Lord and Saviour. I invite Jesus into my heart. By this prayer, I know I am saved. Thank You, Jesus, for saving me and making me a child of God.
I believe you have said this prayer from your heart. Congratulations! You must join a Bible-believing, Bible-teaching, and Bible-practising church where you will be taught how to live your new life in Christ Jesus. I pray that you flourish like a palm tree and grow like a cedar of Lebanon. May you grow into Christ in all things, and become all God wants you to be. I will be glad to hear from you. The Lord be with you.
PRAYER POINTS: Father, help me to love You and to obey You because of my love for You. Holy Spirit, help me so that obeying the Lord will be my greatest joy.
(For over 900 in-depth and powerful messages by T. O. Banso, visit www.cedarministry.org).
T. O. Banso is the President of Cedar Ministry International, Abuja, Nigeria.
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