Despite all the highly commended good works of the church at Ephesus, they had allowed a great problem to occur. They needed to repent quickly or else they would lose their candlestick from being regarded by the Lord as a true church (Revelation 1:20 and 2:4, 5).
Revelation 2:5: “Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent.”
This was more than just a problem. It was a sin from which they had to repent. Problems do not always necessitate repentance. However, sin always requires godly sorrow and repentance (2 Corinthians 7:10).
Falling from our “first love” or failing in “enduring love” is a very serious situation. It disqualifies us from calling ourselves a church. At least, from God’s perspective, although not necessarily from man’s perspective. I am sure there are many churches that call themselves legitimate and are proud of their good works. However, from Heaven’s perspective their candlestick has been removed long ago. How sad is that!
“First love” according to Scripture: First love responds to the first and second commandments:
Mark 12:30, 31: “And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy HEART, and with all thy SOUL, and with all thy MIND, and with all thy STRENGTH, that is the first commandment. And the second is like, namely this, thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these.”
To me, first love is related to the first and second greatest commandments concerning the length, depth, height, and width of our love for God and our neighbor. Even though the second commandment is regarding our love to our neighbor, Jesus says that the second is like unto the first.
Jesus told a story in Luke 10:29-37 to explain who is our neighbor. To the Jews he was a man going down to Jericho who fell among thieves and was stripped of his clothes, wounded, and left half dead. The priest and the Levite would not help him. Only the Good Samaritan, who was not a Jew, would help him. The Good Samaritan met the conditions of what it means to love one’s neighbor as one’s self.
In Matthew 25:31-46 Jesus clearly explains that when we show love to the needy, we are showing it to Jesus who is God.
There will come a day when Christ will judge all the nations of the world and divide the sheep from the goats. The sheep represent those who are humble and listen to His voice. The goats are proud, intelligent, and listen to their own reasoning.
Jesus said that . . .
He had been hungry and the sheep gave Him food.
He had been thirsty and the sheep gave Him drink.
He had been a stranger and the sheep took him in.
He had been sick and the sheep visited Him.
He had been in prison and the sheep came to Him.
We clearly see that first love has first works.
1 John 4:20, 21: “If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen? And this commandment have we from him, That he who loveth God love his brother also.”
Beware of sectarianism which divides the churches and hinders brotherly love from enduring.
Be encouraged.
Colin Campbell