Nevertheless, I have this against you, that you have left your first love. (Revelation 2:4)
Have you ever met someone who appears to have it all together spiritually? They have many scriptures memorised and such flows eloquently from their tongues. They can preach, teach and employ God’s word, as efficiently as a samurai warrior could employ his sword. They not only can expose theological error with truth, but they also sacrifice time and personal treasure to build up the church. Ministry is their lifeblood. Nothing dissuades them from their duty and diligence, as a good soldier of Christ. But then you discover one day, with great alarm, that this person treats their family horribly. You discover a heartless indifference is lurking beneath their garb of spirituality.
The church at Ephesus became a spiritual titan in the first century. But something happened to it with the passing of time. From an external perspective, it was still spiritually vibrant. It had great endurance, no matter what pressure or attack came upon it; it flinched not from truth or duty. The church’s ministry was vigorous as it routed out evil and falsehood.
Yet Jesus tells it, “I have this against you, that you have left your first love”. He exposes their spiritual Achilles’ heel, their lack of heart! They had left their first love. They still had the mechanics of truth, but they were running without the fuel of Heaven. This was reflected in their human relationships. It is in these that the truth of our heart is most observable.
If we are lacking divine love, we are then, at best, operating on fumes. Therefore, Jesus admonishes Ephesus to repent and “do the first works”. When a marriage grows cold, it is needful to recapture the flame. It is therefore beneficial for the couple to retrace their steps, going back to the time they first fell in love. What attracted them to each other? What motivated them to focus their time and energy on the other? It is important to revitalise the relationship by doing what they did at first.
If your relationship with God has waned, then go back to His word and to the cross, contemplate His amazing love, mercy and compassion. Spend time with Him in prayer, take walks in nature and contemplate His majesty, power and grandeur. Spend time in fellowship with other believers, whose bright flame of love can help you to rekindle your own. Serve the hurting and needy. If we do such, the light of Christ can be recaptured and burn brightly once again. And our love for God will compel us to love others.
But you say the church you attend is cold and heartless! In fact, you are ready to flee from its chilly chambers. Would it not be better to bring your heater to it? First, rejuvenate your heart in the fervor of Christ’s love. Then He can use it to thaw the icy hearts around you.
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