JESUS’ ADVICE AND WARNING! (Ephesus)
Psalms 16:2 and 31:1-3.
My Shepherd met me in His green pastures and laid me down in His seven letters to the seven churches (Revelation 2-3). The Mind of the Spirit engaged the spirit of my mind to the recommendations and warnings of our Saviour to His churches. Let’s look at those for whom Jesus rebuked: Ephesus, Pergamos, Thyatira, Sardis, and Laodicea. I’ll only have time for one today.
Ephesus:
Revelation 2:4 Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love.
Revelation 2:5 Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent.
The Church left their “first love.” We find the nearest we have to an explanation of what that is in Jesus’ counsel: “Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works” (Revelation 2:5). But we are not told what the “first works” were. The word translated first also conveys the idea of something foremost in importance, or the best or chiefest work. And yet, this does not answer the question: What works?
Jesus associated the works with loving Him. He connected loving Him to keeping His commandments in John 14:15: “If ye love me, keep my commandments.” The Church of Ephesus worked (Revelation 2:2). It must be particular works they had once done but had fallen away from.
Along the still waters, I reflected on this.
We know the primary commandment of Christ, given as His parting words, was to preach the gospel (John 20:20-21; Matthew 28:18-20; Mark 16:15; Luke 24:46-49; Acts 1:8). He also connected loving Him to feeding God’s sheep and lambs (John 21:15-18). Another matter close to the Saviour’s heart, and closely connected with loving Him, is loving one another (1 Thessalonians 3:12; 1 Peter 1:22; 1 John 3:11, 23; 4:7, 11-12; and 2 John 5). These come together in 1 Thessalonians 4:9, where we are told to abound in love toward one another and toward all men (See 1 John 2:1-2).
It seems less likely that the Church of Ephesus fell away from brotherly love than that their evangelistic fervor cooled. Yet the word “works” is plural and could include all the works Jesus spoke of as connected with loving Him. It’s possible they did not put the same distance between themselves and each of their first works.
Curiously, they hated what Christ hated (Revelation 2:6), but no longer loved whom He loved (John 3:16).
The seriousness of this matter is emphasized. In Revelation 1, John portrays Jesus speaking His message to the seven churches, with each church represented by one of seven candlesticks, and Him standing in their “midst” (Revelation 1:12-13). Unless the Church of Ephesus repented and returned to its first works, Jesus warned them He would come suddenly and remove their candlestick from His presence (Revelation 2:5).
In the valley, kneeling in the shadow of His Cross, I pleaded: “Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts” (Psalm 139:23). He spoke, “If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me“ (Luke 9:23).
When He called me to His table and He anointed my head with His oil, I thought of Psalm 141:5, “Let the righteous smite me; it shall be a kindness: and let him reprove me; it shall be an excellent oil, which shall not break my head.” When He took my cup and stirred into it His sufficient grace, I thought of the grace of which I have drunk, and felt compelled to share that grace with others who are thirsty, that they too may drink (Ephesians 2:8-10; see Isaiah 44:3 with John 7:387-39 —Selah!).
Goodness and mercy followed us into the harvest!
Praying for revival! 🙏
Going live asap:
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