Return To Your First Love!

Revelation 1:11 introduces us to the seven churches which the Spirit directs John to write to: Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadephia and Laodicea.  These seven churches were located in Asia Minor, which is present day Turkey.  The sequence of their listing indicates the actual location of the churches which was along a postal routing.

 

Ephesus was the greatest city in Asia.  It was also known as “The light of Asia”; “Highway to Rome”; and “Highway of Martyrs”.  The last title was given because martyrs were usually gathered at Ephesus prior to being sent to Rome.  The city of Ephesus was a center for worship of goddess Diana (goddess of fertility and abundance).  It also had the great temple, Artemis, which was one of the seven wonders of ancient world.  People came from all over the world for magical power and to seek divine intervention, thus the city had a lucrative economy.  Although Ephesus was under the Roman Empire, it was a free city in the sense that it was able to independently administer its own affairs (Darris McNeely).

The message to the seven churches constitutes the epistolary characteristic of the book of revelation.  The "church age" began at Pentecost (Acts 2) in Jerusalem.  Fanned by persecution, the gospel flame then spread to other cities and nations.  The church of Ephesus was established in A.D. 53 on Paul's onward journey to Jerusalem.  Paul later returned a year later on his third missionary trip and stayed there for three years, preaching and teaching with great effectiveness (Acts 19:1-20).  At another time, Paul met with Ephesian elders and sent Timothy to serve as their leader (1st Timothy 1:3)- NIV Commentary.  Having been founded by Paul the apostle and pastored by Timothy, the church of Ephesus was a dynamic and established church.  The structure of the seven letters to the churches is divided into four: Christological revelation; affirmation; admonition; and motivation.

God's message to the Ephesus church in Revelation 2:1 starts with the words, "To the angel of the church in Ephesus write...".  The word "angel" is used to refer to "messenger".  It is thus appropriate to conclude that this letter was addressed to the leader of the church in Ephesus.  The revelation of Christ is also brought out clearly in verse one: "These are the words of him who holds the seven stars in his right hand and walks among the seven golden lampstands...".  Christ was reigning in the church of Ephesus and reigns in the Church today.

The church of Ephesus was commended for their deeds; hard work; perseverance; non-tolerance to wicked men; testing of spirits; and enduring without growing weary (Revelation 2:2).  This church had done well in many fronts, and if it was to be rated today, it would rank very highly for possessing virtues and attitudes that are rare gems in the 21st century church.  This church was generous and ministered to fellow believers' felt needs.  Despite intense persecution including, some believers facing death for their faith, this church did not waver in its faith.  This church also hated what God hates: sin and wickedness, and unlike many churches today, it did not accommodate it in their midst.  The believers were eager to distinguish false teachers from true teachers through testing of the latters' spirits.  The church of Ephesus was thus admirable and highly accomplished.

However, God had one thing against this church: "Yet I hold this against you: you have forsaken your first love" (Revelation 2:4).  The church had left their first love and not lost it, per se.  They had allowed their first love to fade away and God was calling them to return and be restored.  Whenever we depart from a path, we can chose to return to it.  The verb "forsaken" refers to an intentional action and not one that is done unknowingly. The "love for all the saints" that Paul once commended this church for in Ephesians 1:15, was now quenched and hardly visible.  This church had forsaken the most excellent way- love.

1st Corinthians 13:1-3 states, "If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal.  If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing.  If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing."  The spiritual gifts endowed on believers will pass away, but love will endure to eternity.  In fact, the perfect exhibit of a believer to the world is neither diligence to religion nor manifestation of the gifts of the Spirit.  On the contrary, the perfect exhibit of a believer is love for others.  No wonder Christ instructed us as follows: "By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another"- John 13:35.

Believers in every generation are in danger of becoming experts at ministry, simply performing tasks rather than deepening their passion for Christ (Africa Bible Commentary).  In the battle to maintain sound teaching and moral and doctrinal purity, it is possible to lose a charitable spirit.  Prolonged conflict can weaken or destroy our patience and affection.  In defending the faith, guard against any structure or rigidity that weakens love (NIV commentary).  How can you rate your love today, compared to your love for God when you first believed?  Some people may argue that when a person first converts, they have enthusiasm without knowledge.  In your Christian journey, have you allowed knowledge to puff you up and drive away the enthusiasm of your faith?  May God help us to return to the same spiritual fervor that we had for Him when we first believed.

God's love in us causes us to act.  1st Corinthians 13:4 states that love is kind.  Love is therefore not passive.  In addition, love is not mere pity; It inevitably causes people to not only notice others' needs, whether material or spiritual, but also to meet those needs.  In 2nd Corinthians 5:14, Paul clarified the reason for their persistence in sharing the gospel despite numerous hardships and persecution: "For Christ's love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died."  Is the love of God evident in your life?  Are you eager to share your faith and point others to Christ for their salvation?  Do you take time to pray and fast for your unsaved family members, friends, colleagues etc.?  Are you moved to tears as you reflect on God's goodness and worship Him?  Do you selflessly give to finance the work of God's kingdom?  Does the thought of the hungry, suffering, sick, bound etc. compel you to minister to them materially/ spiritually?

If not, you need to repent and return to your first love for God and do the things you did at first (Revelation 2:5a).  God warned the church in Ephesus that if it failed to repent, He would remove their "lampstand from its place" (Revelation 2:5b).  The Church is a lampstand on which the light of believers illuminates the earth.  Matthew 7:13-16 states, "You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot. You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden.  Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house.  In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven."  A church that has forsaken its first love is like salt that has lost its saltiness; it is like a lamp that has been removed from its place and put under a bowl!  Such a church lacks influence on earth and fails to accomplish God's intent for the Church, which is to make known the manifest wisdom of God to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms (Ephesians 3:10).

God is bidding you and I back to our first love for Him.  Join me in making this prayer according to Ephesians 3:16-19:

Lord, forgive me for forsaking my first love and for being preoccupied with deeds apart from your love.  Strengthen me with your power in my inner being, so that Christ may dwell in my heart through faith.  I pray that I may be rooted and established in love, so that I may have power to grasp how wide and long and high and deep your love is.  May I know your love that surpasses knowledge, and be filled with that love to the measure of all the fullness of God.