Putting first Love first

In Revelation chapters 2 and 3 God has messages for seven Churches in Asia Minor. There were many more churches, but God picked out these seven as examples of what the New Testament Church was like. But God’s message is actually to us: “Where do we stand? To which of these seven churches can we compare ourselves? Not surprisingly, God selected the first one of the seven to be the Church at Ephesus. This was the Church for which the Apostle Paul laboured more than for any other Church. Paul worked with them for about 3 years. If any of the first century churches should know right from wrong, it was the Church at Ephesus.

Some forty years after the commencement of the Ephesian congregation, Jesus issued a letter to these very same people (Revelation 2:1-7). He commended them for many remarkable qualities. They were obedient, energetic, enduring, sound in doctrine, and untiring. However, they had one serious problem - these believers had left their “first love” (verse 4). “Nevertheless, I have this against you, that you have left your first love.” The word “left” can mean; ‘to let go’, ‘to neglect’, ‘forsake’, or ‘leave alone’ (abandon).

They had forgotten the most important aspect of a church! This may also mean they had bad attitudes - that they were once enthusiastic but are now apathetic. Yet more importantly, the love that they had for Christ, and for one another, had diminished. Forsaken is a very strong word meaning abandon, as in abandoning a child. Here, we are told love was left out - neglected, abandoned.
Sound doctrine without love and care is like salt poured in dirt; it is useless (Jeremiah 2:2; 1 John 4; Revelation 2:19). One is reminded of a warning given to Jerusalem by the prophet Jeremiah. He encouraged those ancient saints to reflect upon the love of their marriage vows. Unfortunately, love sometimes grows faint - and such was the situation at Ephesus. In the next verse the Lord encourages these believers to repent, and “remember from where you have fallen” (verse 5). The word “fallen” is interesting. It can denote a flower that has withered (James 1:11; 1 Peter 1:24), or a ship out of control (Acts 27: 17,26). Regardless of any other admirable qualities, without love one gets withered and void of controlled direction.

Nevertheless, Jesus is calling the Ephesian church back to His love. He asks them to remember who they are and who He is - to hold on to Him and to dwell in Him. When we slip, it is gradual and we do not notice; sometimes, we do not care or see this as a problem, so we just fade. Therefore, to call us back, on occasion Jesus must threaten judgment unless we start running our churches (and lives) as we have been called to do. This is serious business! If an unloving church (or Christian) repents, they can be saved and rebooted to serve and glorify Christ. If not, the lamp stand (anointing) is removed! And remember, anointing represents God’s presence.

But what does it mean to have left, or abandoned, your first love? Firstly, notice that it is identified here as something that requires repentance. Secondly, this repentance must include doing the deeds you did at first. Remember, God defines love as the first and second greatest commandments. The “love” instructions we are given are so great that all the Law and all that the prophets wrote are summarised in these two compulsory rules of conduct (Matthew 22:38-40, Romans 13:8, Galatians 5:14). Firstly, love God with all your being. Secondly, love your neighbour as much as you love yourself. Love for God is most often defined in the Scriptures as "if you love Me, you will keep my commandments." (John 14:15, 2 John 1:6) Love for our neighbours is most often defined in the Scriptures as something like, "putting the needs of others ahead of our own desires" (Romans 12:10, Philippians 2:3). So which love did the Ephesians leave behind, or neglect?Love for God or love for one another?

I would be surprised if the deeds of love that they had stopped doing were deeds indicating that they only stopped loving Christ, or loving God (the greatest of all commandments). It is more likely that the Ephesians also stopped loving their neighbours - the second greatest commandment. In fact, it’s this love for other believers that so much characterised the deeds of the church at its birth. Consider this list of "first deeds", the deeds of love done in the early church... “The congregation of those who believed were of one heart and soul; and not one of them claimed that anything belonging to him was his own, but all things were common property to them. And with great power the apostles were giving testimony to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and abundant grace was upon them all. For there was not a needy person among them, for all who were owners of land or houses would sell them and bring the proceeds of the sales and lay them at the apostles’ feet, and they would be distributed to each as any had need.” (Acts 4:32-35)

Add to this list incidences like; Barnabas seeking out Paul in love, even while Paul was a reviled and hated figure among the Christians at the time. In Lystra, the disciples stayed by Paul’s side during the mob action, even when they thought he was dead. The Galatians cared for Paul following one of his beatings, even desiring to give him their very eyes had that been possible in their day.

The deeds of love we all did when we were first saved, when our faith was young, were almost supernaturally grounded in selflessness. Watching out for the interests of others instead of our own. Giving till we had nothing left to give. It is my opinion that this was also the "first love" that the Church in Ephesus had neglected - the selfless love for others. And the remedy that God provides is simple. Repent! Repent; start doing again what you used to do at first. Love others by encouraging one another while it is still today, crying with one another, sharing dinner from house to house, reproving one another, edifying one another with the Word, forgiving one another, and meeting the material needs of one another.

But most importantly, let’s put first things first! Let’s rekindle our first love for Jesus! The deeds that the Ephesians did at first definitely involved forsaking everything else and devoting themselves strictly and exclusively to Jesus. In radical love for Him, they threw off everything else they had trusted in, or depended upon, and they abandoned themselves to their wonderful Saviour. And to Him alone! He became the great love of their hearts - even at great personal cost.

Perhaps you remember how, when you first came to understand and appreciate the forgiveness of Jesus in your life, you couldn't get enough of Him! You left the things you used to trust in and followed after Him. You wanted to tell everyone about Him. You longed to read about Him in the Bible. You were eager to gather together with other believers to worship Him and sing His praises in the deepest and most heart-felt thanks. Well, it was never His desire that any of that love would fade away. His desire was for that love to continue, and to grow deeper and stronger. His desire was for that enthusiasm for Him to dominate our lives more and more. His desire is for us to go back and do the deeds we did at first.

I believe that our relationship with Jesus is like any other, in that it will naturally and inevitably grow cold unless we put the effort into it. Therefore we need to deliberately apply ourselves to "remembering", "repenting" and "doing the deeds we did at first." Unlike us, Jesus’ love for us never diminishes or grows cold. But because of human frailties, our love will grow cold if we do nothing to preserve, sustain and restore it.

Would I be wrong in believing that Jesus would want our church to rekindle its love for Him in a new and fresh way? Would I be wrong in believing that individuals; in a strong, busy, active, sacrificing, persevering church like ours have the need to stop and examine themselves - to see whether they have allowed that intense love for Jesus Himself to grow cold. And to re-abandon themselves to Him again in love and thankfulness. What would happen to our church if all of us did exactly that? How might God see fit to use us if He had attained complete possession of our hearts?

Jesus closes with this wonderful promise: "To Him who overcomes, I will grant to eat of the tree of life which is in the Paradise of God." The word translated "paradise" means an inclosed garden or beautiful park. It's a picturesque way of describing heaven. And in the midst of this "paradise of God" is the tree of life. The very tree that, in the garden of Eden, symbolised abundant life (that was denied Adam and Eve after they fell in sin). Here, Jesus is promising that anyone who "overcomes" will be granted the privilege - at long last - to eat of that tree of life. He is promising eternal life to the one who "overcomes". However, eternal life here on earth is manifested in the abundant life Jesus had promised us.

There's nothing more powerful in the world - no greater light in the darkness - than a church of people in whom Jesus dwells, and who are deeply, passionately, devotedly, and sacrificially in love with Him - above all else! A church that's not simply going through the motions; but rather is rendering service to others (in love) while being completely given over to an all consuming love for Jesus. The two go hand-in-hand! May God make Cornerstone that sort of a church. May God increase our love for Christ or Saviour, and in doing so, help us to love one another.

Don’t abandon Christ - re-abandon yourself to Him!

Chris Demetriou, 18/10/2009