Letters to the 7 Churches of Revelation. Pt.3 Letter to Ephesus

Psalm 97:10  Ye that love the LORD, hate evil: he preserveth the souls of his saints; he delivereth them out of the hand of the wicked. 

Greetings to everyone.  The text above is really relevant to our study in this post.  The born again child of God should hate evil and should love Jehovah because He has saved us and preserved our souls.  Yet, our love is often imperfect and transitory.  Other things clamor for our attention and affection and slowly we may drift away from a close walk with Christ. 

The letter of Christ to His church at Ephesus is full of warnings for us today.  We must have willing hearts that will hear and heed what He is telling us this day. 

The photo below is a picture of the stadium at Ephesus where the Ephesians rioted in protest of  Paul preaching the gospel in that city (Acts 19:21-41).



The Letter of Christ to Ephesus

Revelation 2:1-7 “Unto the angel of the church of Ephesus write; These things saith he that holdeth the seven stars in his right hand, who walketh in the midst of the seven golden candlesticks; I know thy works, and thy labour, and thy patience, and how thou canst not bear them which are evil: and thou hast tried them which say they are apostles, and are not, and hast found them liars: And hast borne, and hast patience, and for my name's sake hast laboured, and hast not fainted. Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love. 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. But this thou hast, that thou hatest the deeds of the Nicolaitanes, which I also hate. He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God.”  

First we see the piercing gaze of the All Knowing Lord of Glory bringing the light of God's truth to bear upon this church.  Jesus held the 7 candlesticks and the 7 stars in His hand indicating He knew the true assessment of their spiritual condition as a church. 

The Lord commended the Ephesians for their works, labor, patience and intolerance of evil.  He mentioned that they tried those who claimed to be apostles but were in reality imposters. 

This church seemed to be an active church and a busy church that strongly adhered to sound doctrine.  However, Jesus told them of a serious flaw that needed immediate attention or else the church would face judgment. 

This church left its first love.

What does it mean to leave your first love?  The word "left" is a word used of a husband divorcing his wife and is used of someone going away or departing permanently and leaving someone behind.  It means to disregard someone or to no longer keep up the relationship. 

The word "first" is found in the English word "prototype."  A prototype is the first model an object is patterned after. In the case of Christianity, Jesus Christ is the prototype.  It means the first and most prominent.  The same Greek word translated "first" in Revelation is used in the text from Colossians that describes the preeminence of the Lord Jesus Christ. 

Colossians 1:15-19  Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature: For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him:  And he is before all things, and by him all things consist.   And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence.  For it pleased the Father that in him should all fulness dwell; 

The word translated "love" in the letter to the church of Ephesus is "agape" and this is the highest love that is of God and from God and is part of the very being of God.  It is the unconditional love of God that will remove our sins when we turn to Christ in repentant faith. 

This is also the love Paul describes in 1 Corinthians 13.  From a human perspective "agape" love for God reflects a commitment and our faithfulness to the God who saved us such, that our will is subordinate to His will.  From a human perspective, "agape" love  results in our attitude toward other people of benevolence and goodwill, that seeks what is best for that person.

Agape love is not natural.  We are not born with it but we experience this amazing love of God when we are born again.  We learn that God so loved the world that He wanted to save us from our sins and He made the perfect provision for salvation in the work and person of Christ. 

John 3:16  For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. 

However, God also put this love in our hearts when we were born again.  Agape love is shed abroad in our hearts by God's Spirit. Literally it means it is poured into our hearts like a mighty gushing river. 

Romans 5:5  And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us. 

Leaving our first love leaves us in a deplorable state

The first reality of Christ's condemnation of the church at Ephesus is this, many Ephesians left their first love.  It is as if they no longer wanted to invest the time and energy into maintaining their relationship with Christ. 

If we think in terms of Christ as the head of the church and the church as the bride of Christ then the Ephesians were like a wife walking away from her husband, leaving him behind as other relationships took priority. 

The second reality of Christ's condemnation of the church of Ephesus is that many no longer had agape love for their brothers and sisters in Christ because they no longer had agape love for Jesus Christ. 

This truth underscores some of the real issues facing the church in America today.  A recent study (by the Barna Research Group) about  the frustrations experienced by Pastors found that the lack of commitment and low spiritual maturity were 2 of the top problems they faced.  Professing Christians in America have already left their first love. 

Christ's cure for leaving your first love

They must remember

First, Jesus said they must remember how their relationship with Him used to be and they must recognize how far they have fallen away from Him.  Christ is calling them to exercise their minds and earnestly think about these things.  The word "fall" means to fall to the ground or to become ineffective.  It is also related to losing one's passion for Christ. 

They must repent

Second, Jesus commanded them to repent.  The command to repent is found twice in the letter to this church from Christ.  The word repent means to think differently, to reconsider and to agree with God's assessment of their spiritual backsliding.

They must return

Third, Jesus commands them to return to Him.  This is from the phrase "do the first works." The text below shows that the message God sent to His straying people often went unheeded and both Israel and Judah were judged and taken captive by foreign armies. 

Jeremiah 35:15  I have sent also unto you all my servants the prophets, rising up early and sending them, saying, Return ye now every man from his evil way, and amend your doings, and go not after other gods to serve them, and ye shall dwell in the land which I have given to you and to your fathers: but ye have not inclined your ear, nor hearkened unto me. 

This text from Jeremiah 35 highlights the warning Christ gave to the church, and Jeremiah 24 highlights the promise to His people when they remember, repent, and return.

Jeremiah 24:7  And I will give them an heart to know me, that I am the LORD: and they shall be my people, and I will be their God: for they shall return unto me with their whole heart. 

The letter ends with a sober admonishment to hear what the Spirit of God is telling to the churches and a promise of blessing for those who do remember, repent and return.

Points to Ponder.....

• The church of Ephesus was doctrinally sound and very active.

• This church also left its first love.

• The agape love for Christ and other Christians was gone.

• Remembrance, repentance and returning was needed. 

• Restoration would follow if they listened to this message but severe judgment would come if they did not hear and heed.

I find this to be an eye opening message from the Lord Jesus Christ. Do you remember what it was like when you were first born again? A light went on in our soul because the entrance of the word gives light. 

When we were born again there was a new beginning because old things passed away and all things were made new. There was zeal and enthusiasm for the things of God and hearts filled with gratitude for the redeeming work of Jesus Christ. 

Is this still true in our hearts today? Can we take a moment to examine our hearts regarding these important concerns? Can we remember a time when we were full of zeal for God that we do not have now? 

Leaving our first love can happen to any born again believer. If this is where you are today will you please repent and confess to Christ that you hold other things higher than you hold Him? 

Do not be like a spouse abandoning his or her family for some new relationship. Our relationship with Jesus Christ is the only one that matters for now and eternity. If we remember, repent and return then we are assured that Christ will receive, revive and restore us.

May we be honest before the Lord of Glory today and make things right if we have fallen away from Jesus. 

Bob