“But I have this one thing against you, that you have left your first love.” Revelation 2:4
Loving God and loving others! This is essential to our identity as children of God, and as followers of Jesus. So, how are you doing with the essentials?
In Revelation 2, a message from Jesus was given to the church at Ephesus (through John the Revelator). Jesus said to this church, “I know your deeds.” And, if you or I were to engage such deeds in any person or group, we would definitely be impressed. What did Jesus enumerate from the lives of the Ephesian Christians? They toiled well (2:2). This idea expresses the imagery of hands that work laboriously. In our culture, we always seem to be impressed with people who convey a strong work ethic. These Christians also had incredible spiritual discernment (2:2): they could put to test those who were “fake apostles” (false representatives of the Gospel), and they quickly dismissed them from places of influence. They also had incredibly strong integrity. Again, in our culture we admire people who display such integrity. Furthermore, the Ephesian Christians persevered, endured, and did not grow weary (2:3). They were consistent and authentic. Again, how admirable this is in our day.
So, capture a profile of the Ephesian Christians. See this as the quintessential resume of Christian living. They had a strong work ethic with the things of the kingdom. Check! They exhibited keen spiritual discernment. Check! And, they faithfully endured with consistency in their Christian faith. Check!
Question! If this was their reality, if this is truly who they were, then why did Jesus say to them through His messenger, “I have something against you” (2:4)? What else is left? What was missing? The picture of their lifestyle of faith looked complete, right? Absolutely not! In our cultural mindset of man-made successes, self-reliance, and notable acts of service, such descriptions are indeed impressive. But they are never enough. Never!
Jesus said to these seemingly well-rounded Christians, “you have left your first love.” The message was incriminating: “you do not love me as you did at the first.” Many young converts begin well with enthusiasm and excitement for the things of God, but the embers of their fire eventually grow cold. Bible scholar Matthew Poole reminds us that, “the love of many in this church, both toward God and their brethren, was cooled though not fully extinguished.” John Wesley commented, “they did not keep their first tender love in its vigor and warmth.” The great grammarian A. T. Robertson explained, “This early love, proof of their new life in Christ, had cooled off in spite of their doctrinal purity. They remained orthodox but had become unloving.” This is a sad state indeed. All the pieces of the Christian faith (theology and practice) were in place, but the grand essential forever called forth by our Savior was missing – love.
What can one do in such a dangerous condition? Jesus instructed the church in Ephesus to:
- remember (the enthusiasm that genuinely burned bright through the Spirit),
- repent (of the coldness and indifference that developed in relationship to God and others),
- return (to the simple and foundational principles of loving God and loving others).
So, how are you doing in your walk of faith? Are you busy (working hard)? Are you diligent in discernment of right and wrong (morally strong)? Are you enduring (consistently serving)? If so, awesome. But are you loving? Are you living daily out of your deep and personal love for God and others? If not, then all the hard work, good behavior, and diligent efforts are for nothing. We might impress others. But we most certainly would never please the heart of God if all things were perfectly in place in our lives except love.
So today, recommit to loving God and loving others. This most certainly matters most.
Blessings.
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Read Revelation 2:1-5 and recalibrate on what matters most to our Savior and Lord.
