The Problems Part 2

REVELATION Number 47
The Problems Part 2

Looking forward to the loving discipline of the Lord, let’s begin reviewing some of the areas with which He has expressed concern. Learning from such things is important for us.

In Revelation 2:4 the Lord Jesus tells the folks at Ephesus, “But I have this against you, that you have left your first love.” (NASB 2020)

Jesus pointed out how hard the Ephesians were working. He commended them for not tolerating false apostles and for their energetic perseverance. As children of God, we all want to emulate Him I all we do and we want to be involved in good and godly things that bless and edify, encourage, and equip others. The issue we face in this is that the fleshly worldly patterns we find ourselves subjected to everywhere easily bleed over into our behavior as Christians. If we’re not alert, we can find ourselves falling back into a mindset of do-more do-better performance.

When the Lord says He holds this against the church, He isn’t speaking of holding sins against them. Those He has dealt with once and for all. Rather, He holds against them the fact that because their focus is on doing more and doing better, they have lost their connection to the agape’ love that He has poured into their hearts. Their attention is on things of the earth rather than things above. That means they are living their daily lives by sight rather than in dependence on Him by faith.

1 John 4:19 tells us, “We love, because He first loved us.” (NASB 2020) This is the point the Lord is making. The godly Love we express to our sisters and brothers in Christ and to the world around us is agape’ Love. His Love. This is our calling. Faith pleases God. His command to us is that we Love. When we fall into performance patterns instead of depending on Him, our love for others is an expression of the flesh rather than of Christ.