Rev.2:1-4 – To the angel of the church in Ephesus write:
The One who holds the seven stars in His right hand, the One who walks among the seven golden lampstands, says this:
‘I know your deeds and your labor and perseverance, and that you cannot tolerate evil people, and you have put those who call themselves apostles to the test, and they are not, and you found them to be false; and you have perseverance and have endured on account of My name, and have not become weary. But I have this against you, that you have left your first love.
There is something special about the very first time. We remember the first time we fell in love, the first ‘I love you’, and of course the first kiss. This is kind of what Jesus was reminding John of when He was talking about the early days of the church in Ephesus. The church grew and became very successful over the years but over time working for the Lord somehow crowded out that first love excitement and that first love joy. Working for the Lord began to crowd out the simplicity of what started everything, intimacy with God had been what it was all about in the beginning and was now in danger of being forgotten. Here is a description of this dilemma from the Passion Notes and the danger of losing that first love.
“The Aramaic can be translated “You endured suffering without complaining.” Every church should be known for these five qualities: (1) working for the kingdom, (2) persevering, (3) not being tolerant of sin, (4) examining the claims of ministries, and (5) enduring trials bravely. Yet doing all this without a passionate love for Jesus Christ weakens our power and witness in the world.”
Next the Lord warns them about work replacing intimacy.
“….you have abandoned your first love.” The Greek word for “first” (protos) means “foremost,” “best,” “paramount,” “supreme,” “crowning,” “number one.” Jesus is referring to exclusive love that has first place in our hearts above all else.”
This is really what renewal is all about. Sometimes we have to stop all of the peripheral and return to what started everything in the beginning; without the joy that flows from intimacy with God we have lost everything. This reminds me of what happened at our church in 1994. At that point we had been a church for sixteen years and somehow all of our ministries and church work were beginning to smother out our joy and first love. In a moment of outpouring and renewal all of that changed again when the Lord visited us and restored our first love joy and passion for Him.
1 thought on “EPHESIAN LOVE”
By design, works comes out of the over flow from intimacy (filling) with and by God. Any other path or motivation that our energies produce are unsustainable. His works through us, His sons and daughters requires a vessel (receiver) to be re-filled, refreshed daily (similar to eating and drinking) Just as a vehicle running out of fuel is never good because the “contaminates” can enter the engine, we should stay filled so that the freshest filling keeps us going strong.