"Nevertheless I have this against you, that you have left your first love. Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent and do the first works, or else I will come to you quickly and remove your lampstand from its place—unless you repent"--Revelation 2:4-5
Dear Suzanne, Rebecca, Anna and Mikayla,
The book of Revelation was addressed and sent to the seven literal churches that were in Asia. This is the first letter to the first of the seven churches, the church at Ephesus. A letter specifically addressed to the Church of Ephesus from the Lord himself. I am pretty sure they probably sat up and took notice.
The church was off to a good start. He had much to commend them for. He says that He knows their works, their labor, their patience and that they cannot bear those who are evil. He tells them that they have discernment and have kept false doctrine and false teachers out of the church. He commends them for persevering and not growing weary...Then he drops the bomb. The church of Ephesus had a fatal flaw. They had left their first love. They had not lost it...they had left it. Their love had gone cold. They were still doing what they always did, what was expected, the work of the church was being accomplished, but it had all become a duty rather than a "want to" or a "get to". They were still receiving honor and respect from the people around them. They were doing the works that they thought God had called them to do, but it was empty and the Lord said that if they did not repent and do the first works again, He would remove their lampstand. Sadly, that is exactly what happened to this very strong, vibrant church that the Apostle Paul had poured his heart into.
Love is the supreme commandment. The commandment that fulfills all the law and the prophets. The love of God is central. We are to love Him with all our heart, with all our soul, with all our mind and with all our strength. This is the first commandment. We love Him so much that we want to spend time with Him. We love Him so much that we want to obey Him. We love Him so much that we want to serve Him. We love Him so much that we put Him first in our lives above all else. Are you getting the point. Love is not a duty. Anyone who has ever been in love knows this. It is a joy...being with that person and spending time with them becomes our number one desire. The love the church of Ephesus had for Jesus had grown cold. What was left was "going through the motions." He was no longer their consuming passion...God wants to be your consuming passion.
The apostle Paul's letters are filled with this kind of passion for Christ. For Paul to live was Christ and to die gain.
"But what things were gain to me, these I have counted loss for Christ. Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ and be found in Him, not having my own righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith; that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death, if, by any means, I may attain to the resurrection from the dead.
Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me. Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus." --Philippians 3:7-14
Truly the love of Christ was Paul's driving passion...the motivating force behind all that He did. God wants everything we do to be motivated by our love for Him. The problem in Ephesus was that although they still had the works, labor and patience of the past, their motivation had changed. Love for their Lord was no longer the force behind what they did. 1 Corinthians 13:1-2 says this:
"Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal. And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, but have not love, it profits me nothing."
God is love...if it is missing, we are empty vessels that are good for nothing. Ask yourself these questions. Do I love Jesus more now than in the past? Do I desire His presence in my life more now than before? Am I pressing on toward the goal...moving forward with my love for Him as the driving force? If not, Jesus tells us to remember, repent and do the first works.
Remember from where you have fallen. Remember the mire that He pulled you from. Remember how lost you were...how desperate you were. Remember the condition of your heart before your redemption occurred. Then remember the joyful explosion that occurred in your heart at the time of your salvation. Remember the transformation that occurred. Remember how much you have been forgiven. If you cannot remember back to a time when you were not Christian...get on your knees and thank Him. Find someone who does remember...listen to their stories of what their life was like before Christ. Ask them to tell you the story of their transformation.
Next we are to repent. Repent means to go in the other direction and it will look like something in your life when it happens. Confess your sin. Loving the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength is a commandment. Confess the sin of leaving your first love and of allowing your love to grow cold. Confess the sin of doing the outward without the inward heart of love for your Lord.
The last thing is to repeat the first works. What does that mean? If you have ever been in love think back to the first days, weeks, months or years of your love. Think about what you did during that time and do it again. Remember when you carried your bible everywhere...went to church three or four times a week...prayed without ceasing...worshiped Him in song. Go back to the time when God's love for you swept you away. Jesus says remember, repent and do the first work again. He wants to be your consuming passion. Love Him with all your heart, soul, mind and strength. Return.
Love
Mom
