Remember Where You Have Fallen

"“To the angel of the church of Ephesus write,‘These things says He who holds the seven stars in His right hand, who walks in the midst of the seven golden lampstands: “I know your works, your labor, your patience, and that you cannot bear those who are evil. And you have tested those who say they are apostles and are not, and have found them liars; and you have persevered and have patience, and have labored for My name’s sake and have not become weary. Nevertheless I have this against you, that you have left your first love. Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent and do the first works, or else I will come to you quickly and remove your lampstand from its place—unless you repent. But this you have, that you hate the deeds of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate. “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes I will give to eat from the tree of life, which is in the midst of the Paradise of God.”'" Revelation 2:1-7 NKJV

Jesus Christ our Lord revealed and unfolded the truths regrading churches throughout the centuries beginning from the first century. There are seven churches (seven golden lampstands) mentioned here in the Book of Revelation. However, it doesn't mean that there are only seven churches. It means that there are seven types of church. Church never and ever means physical building, but people who received Christ Jesus as Lord and Savior. So, as John saw in a vision that the Son of Man was in the midst of seven lampstands, Jesus Christ the Lord Himself has been running and operating all churches throughout the ages in order to fulfill the will of the Father.

The first church Jesus unfolded here is the church in Ephesus which Paul planted. They practiced good works patiently and sincerely, holding on to the truth that they could not bear evil, wrong teachings, without becoming weary. They persevered patiently and labored for His name's sake. Nevertheless, Jesus pointed out one thing lacking in them that they had left their first love.

What is the first love? It's obviously the love of God and the Son Jesus Christ poured out into the hearts by the Spirit when they received the Lord Jesus Christ by faith, which resulted in such a mighty liberation from the bondage of sin and death, a heavenly peace deeply penetrated into their hearts, and an irresistible joy overflowing from within! What a wonderful freedom were they given freely through faith in Jesus Christ! Such a love was the first one they received. Now, Jesus scolded their falling from the first love. "Remember therefore from where you have fallen."

What's the remedy? Repentance which means they shall agree with the Lord and do the first works. It means that they shall not do the works mechanically or habitually, not realizing a significant fact that Jesus Christ is in their midst. They shall continue to do the works of faith just as they did the first works when they received His love the first time. What would happen if they did not repent? They would maintain the form of church, but lose the lampstand, light bearer. They shall lose capability to light unto the world although they might maintain all the forms of being religious. Our Lord Jesus Christ is serious about maintaining the first love to the end, because only that kind of works last and endure forever.

There is another warning to heed, the Nicolaitans. These people are sexually immoral and idolaters like Balaam who seduced the people of Israel to fall into sexual promiscuity and idolatry. Sexual immorality destroys the body and idolatry corrupts the spirit by worshiping other gods. U.S Supreme Court made a historical move to legalize homosexual marriage. Paul calls this generation is crooked and perverse and deprived (Philippians 2:15). Yes, there are struggles and sufferings for us to live in this dark time and age.

However, to those who overcome will be given full access to the tree of life, rivers of living water, the throne of grace any time and any where and eat and drink. That's the indwelling Spirit of God within us. It's available to all the believers of the glorious gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. 

Therefore, maintaining the first love means complete reliance and dependence on Jesus Christ the Lord who is in our midst now and forever. No matter what happens in our lives, whether failures or mistakes, God is not against us but understands and loves us with the Father's compassionate heart. Since there is nothing we can contribute to gain access to the throne of grace, we continue to live by the faith grounded and rooted in the love of God through the Son Jesus Christ. So, we shall remember a fact that God loved us first and continues to love us to the end through the Son Jesus Christ because the love of God has been shed abroad into our hearts by the Holy Spirit (Romans 5:5).