Revelation 2:2-5
(2) ‘I know your DEEDS and your TOIL and PERSEVERANCE, and that you CANNOT TOLERATE EVIL men, and you put to the TEST those who call themselves apostles, and they are not, and you found them to be FALSE;
(3) and you have PERSEVERANCE and have ENDURED for My name’s sake, and have NOT GROWN WEARY.
What a great testimony is Jesus giving here of these people who were called out of the world. (Ekklesia – church).
If this was said of a church today, there would be a great danger that pride would take over.
I know of a church who proudly proclaimed that they were the best church in the Netherlands. This was just before they fell. A remnant is today still continuing.
There should be good works, and all of this that was mentioned in these verses, but not to earn a way into heaven, but as a result of our faith and because God has forgiven us so very much.
Also, we see here again that HE KNOWS. He knows what we do, and what we don’t, He knows where we are, and He knows about the situation we are in. We indeed are NEVER ALONE.
But although they were fighting the good fight of faith, Jesus had still one remark.
(4) But I have this against you, that YOU HAVE LEFT YOUR FIRST LOVE.
(5) Therefore remember from where you have FALLEN, and REPENT and do the DEEDS you did at FIRST; or else I am coming to you and will REMOVE YOUR LAMPSTAND out of its place – UNLESS YOU REPENT.
They lost their first love. Clearly all that they did was not enough and Jesus points them to their fallen state from which they had to repent.
There is also a warning for us in this letter to Ephesus. Ephesus today does not exist anymore. Only some ruins are left of the place. Also the assembly (the candlestick or lampstand) is not there anymore so maybe they did not return to their first deeds. We don’t know.
As we have seen yesterday in what I wrote, it is very important to love the Lord above all.
Also not loving the Lord enough, is a reason to repent, and return to your first love.
You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. (Deuteronomy 6:5)
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