You Have Left Your First Love (Revelation 2:1-7)

“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)

The first church Jesus mentioned is the church of Ephesus. The One who speaks to the church of Ephesus is who holds the seven stars in His right hand and who walks in the midst of the seven golden lampstands. He is Christ the Lord who holds up the things in the universe with the word of power. The seven stars are the angels of seven churches. It indicates that Jesus Christ holds the churches in His hands. He is in the midst of churches and the head of His church. The body of church is the place where the Holy God lives. So, the master of churches speaks to the church of Ephesus.

The church of Ephesus represents all churches which work and labor patiently for His kingdom and cannot bear the false teachings which were different from those of apostles and prophets. They have persevered and have patience, and have labored for His name’s sake and have not become weary. They relentlessly work for Christ without making any compromise with evil. They have stood firm on the side of Christ Jesus in the midst of challenges and tests from all sides. They not only have sound teachings and doctrines but kept them.

But the master of churches speaks against them that they have left their first love. The first love has come when they have received Christ as Lord in response to His unconditional love. The love of Christ has embraced them as they were, nevertheless sinners and enemies of God. In response to His genuine and full riches of love, they loved Christ wholeheartedly and honestly without any stain the first time in their life. The heaven was open and the transcendent and heavenly blessings outpoured into their hearts that were awakened after being delivered and liberated from the bondage and chain of the devil.

No Christian can forget the moment of ecstasy when delivered from the power of darkness and confusion. The moment of first love is the moment of entering into the family of God in the kingdom of light. It is so impressive and forceful that it is deeply embedded and stamped in heart. That’s the first love. Pure, genuine, transparent, honest, open was it. There was nothing hidden in it.

But Jesus says there is a problem that they need to work on. What was the problem for them? They have left their first love. They remained patient and faithful in keeping the truths and teachings, even didn’t allow the false teachers who pretended like apostles. But their attitude turned cold and mechanical. They studied the scriptures, prayed together, helped the needy, and talked to others piously. However, all they did was nothing but religious and perfunctory rituals. All Christians experience like emptiness, futility, remoteness and yet still having services and pious languages. They come to church, sing hymns, offer gifts, study the scriptures, participate in the communions, and pray diligently. They have all the forms as churches but no power and influence to the world as the churches of the living God to shine the light of the world.

Jesus says, “Remember where they have fallen and repent and do the first works.” They still have hope for restoration from the futility and emptiness of perfunctory and mechanical services. The starting point is with what they have that they hate the deeds of the Nicolatians which Jesus also hates. The Nicolatians are the false teachers, hypocrites who pretended to be true but evil. That’s the starting point of repentance where they have not made any compromise with the false teachers. The restoration point is to do the first works, that is, to do the works for Christ’s sake with the love, joy, and peace of God. That means the change of their attitude in the service to the Lord God Almighty.

If you have lost excitement, vitality, liveliness and instead experienced futility, emptiness, drabness in your life, then you shall listen to the words of Jesus that you have left your first love. So, remember where you have fallen and repent and do the first works. There is still hope in Christ to have excitement and vitality in your life. That is to restore the first love of God in your heart. You did not love God first but He did while you were still sinners. There was nothing you could do to receive the love of God at all. It’s the amazing grace from the heaven above. So, continue to live in His grace now and forevermore. That’s right. Live with God who is eternal and you shall not fall into boredom and loneliness.

If not repented, the church will lose its functionality because Jesus says that He will take away the lampstand in its place. The church will have all the forms in externality but lose power and influence to the world. That’s the warning of the Holy Spirit to all churches. But to those who overcome will be given to eat from the tree of life, Christ Jesus by whom we live now and forevermore. Without Him, no life, no meaning, no light. We live by Him, in Him, with Him, through Him, under Him, on Him.