Revelation 2 - Ephesus

By Unknown - Chester Beatty III; Papyrus 47 (Revelation) (Gregory-Aland)

A couple of months ago our Sunday School class began a study of Revelation. Ephesus has been on my mind since then, and new thoughts keep jumping up for my attention. Last Saturday, a message by Michael Wiggins, Assistant Pastor at Heritage Baptist Church, Haslet, Texas, brought that earlier study to mind.

Often my pastor will call our thoughts from fellowship, hymns, even gratitude for our church, reminding us that whatever we do when gathering we need to be aware that God is with us. To do less is going through the motions. Unfortunately, from what I’ve seen in my life, those around me, leaders of congregations, public figures who are just as public about their religion – there are times we find ourselves going through the motions. 

We can be kind to others, and never mention to them God’s plan of salvation that we profess to believe. Christians were originally called by that title based on the fact they were recognizable followers of Jesus Christ. What garnered that recognition was not church attendance, not pot-lunch fellowships, not even door-to-door evangelism. There is a description in Revelation 2, describing the Church at Ephesus:

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. (Revelation 2:2-3 KJV)

Wouldn’t any church-goer, or any church for that matter, feel good to be told they had done works, their labor was noticed? That they were patient and did not put up with evil? That they discovered who was lying about serving the Lord, the hypocrites? Patience is mentioned again, and doing it all in the Lord’s name, without fainting. Sounds good doesn’t it. However, it’s never, ever, good to take one verse and use it as an example without looking at other verses next to it, nearby, or on the same subject.

Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love. (Revelation 2:4 KJV)

What is that first love? It’s mentioned more than once, and this is my favorite mention:

Then one of them, which was a lawyer, asked him a question, tempting him, and saying, Master, which is the great commandment in the law? Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets. (Matthew 22:35-40 KJV)

I know I use this verse often. It is one of the most important. That greatest commandment, loving God with all we have, is the base of Christianity. Without that, we cannot love our neighbors as ourselves, though we go through the motions of being a religious person.

We can attend church services without loving God. We can donate money without loving God. We can serve in church offices without loving God. Always, God knows when we don’t. He knows when we’ve left Him as our first love. There are consequences when we do:

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. (Revelation 2:5 KJV)

Here there are three “R”s that have nothing to do with school:

Remember – we are to love God first.
Remove –  away from loving and away from God’s love.
Repent – returning love to God.

How do we know we love God?

If ye love me, keep my commandments. (John 14:15 KJV)

The first two are listed above. From Micah we find another:

He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the LORD require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God? (Micah 6:8 KJV)

Is that really too much to do?