Issue 1364 – Seven Churches Part 2 – February 7, 2024

Yesterday, we began our quick overview of the seven letters to the seven churches in Revelation.

“To the angel of the church in Ephesus write: ‘The words of him who holds the seven stars in his right hand, who walks among the seven golden lampstands. “‘I know your works, your toil and your patient endurance, and how you cannot bear with those who are evil, but have tested those who call themselves apostles and are not, and found them to be false. I know you are enduring patiently and bearing up for my name’s sake, and you have not grown weary. But I have this against you, that you have abandoned the love you had at first. Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent, and do the works you did at first. If not, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place, unless you repent. Yet this you have: you hate the works of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who conquers I will grant to eat of the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God.’Revelation 2:1-7

Jesus, the author of the letter, the one who owns the church and walks among the seven lampstands, begins to commend and rebuke the Ephesian church.

The church is known for its good works and sound doctrine. They hate the works of the Nicolaitans. The Ephesian church is waiting patiently for the Lord, all in a community that is opposed to everything they stand for.

Yet, there is a serious problem.

They had forgotten their first love. What is the first love of Christians? It ought to be Jesus. He is our creator and our sustainer. We love because He first loved us. He died to set us free. I can’t imagine there are many Christians out there who couldn’t verbalize this truth in some similar way.

Yet, while we might know the correct answer, what is the real state of our heart? Has it grown cold? Has our passion subsided into simple words with no heart transformation? Has our “church work” made us cold to the reality of Jesus? Have we decided that we know everything in the bible?

Something has come between the church of Ephesus and its love for the Lord. It can happen gradually, the love slowly ebbing away into simple duty or routine or being replaced by idols of all sorts. The idols don’t have to be physical idols (of which Ephesus had aplenty) they can be anything (even the good things of life) that come between us and God.

This coldness of heart towards the Lord is a sin. Jesus calls the Ephesians (and, by extension, us) to repent. We often excuse the loss of our first love on busyness or circumstance, or the church not being what it should be. We are great at justifying it or blaming others. Yet, we have to look to our own hearts, recognize the sin and return.

We don’t know the specific works that the Ephesian church did beforehand; the Scripture doesn’t tell us. It really doesn’t matter in the long run; we all need a heart check and return to the things our Lord calls us to do.

Jesus tells them that He will remove the lampstand if they don’t repent. That doesn’t mean that the individual believers will lose their salvation, it does mean that the light of that church will grow dim and fade. I have attended churches that were once thriving works but the lampstand was removed and they limp along barely functional.

The good news is that even churches in that position can have their lampstand restored. The believers must repent and return to their first love. It may take time and effort, and perhaps the lamp will never burn as brightly as it once did, but Jesus is faithful.

The letter closes with a promise. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who conquers I will grant to eat of the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God

Jesus calls them to persevere. There is a reward for those who are His, who stay the course. It is the fruit of the tree of life in the paradise of God. We will get to be with Him in the new order of things forever. There will be no forgetting our first love in glory because He will be there amongst us just as He walked in the Garden with Adam and Eve.

There will be no false teachers, or strange cults in glory because God is truth, and only truth will be present. No lies will enter into Paradise.

Until next time, check your heart and repent if need be. Return to embrace your first love, He awaits with open arms. Hold fast to the truth that the church is the bride of Christ, and He has a beautiful destiny for us.

Be blessed
Hallelu Yah / Praise God 

Kevin

Gleanings From The Word

Experience an extraordinary God in ordinary life. 

Soli Deo Gloria (For the Glory of God alone)

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