July 30, 2019 - - Revelation 2:1-7 - - Remember Your First Love

“To the angel of the church in Ephesus write: ‘The words of him who holds the seven stars in his right hand, who walks among the seven golden lampstands.

2 “‘I know your works, your toil and your patient endurance, and how you cannot bear with those who are evil, but have tested those who call themselves apostles and are not, and found them to be false. 3 I know you are enduring patiently and bearing up for my name's sake, and you have not grown weary. 4 But I have this against you, that you have abandoned the love you had at first. 5 Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent, and do the works you did at first. If not, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place, unless you repent. 6 Yet this you have: you hate the works of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate. 7 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who conquers I will grant to eat of the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God.’

Revelation 2:1-7 English Standard Version

What a blessing it is to hear other preachers preach! Today I listened to Sinclair Ferguson as he explained the passage above. Quite simply he unpacked the words of Jesus so clearly and beautifully. The three points I list below are his and I am still thinking on them with pleasure. This reflection is based squarely on Ferguson’s work and sermon—I have included the link below, and if you have 31 minutes I strongly urge you to listen to it.

This issue in this letter to the Ephesians is: love. At verse 4 Jesus accuses them: “you have abandoned the love you had at first”. Ferguson noted that when couples come to him for counseling, those who say their love has died he advices three things—in fact—the advice is exactly the advice from this passage for Christians whose love for Jesus has grown cold: remember, repent, renew.

When a couple feels their love has gone cold, they need to remember the things that brought them together in the first place. Infinitely more so, the believer who no longer loves Jesus with his whole heart, soul, mind and strength needs to ask: “What first drew me to Jesus?” And in remembering the fact that all our sins have been washed away, our love for Jesus is rekindled.

Repent. That is the condition Jesus placed on the Ephesians—a powerful church that had planted many other churches in the region. Unless the people of the church of Ephesus turn away from their sin of pursuing any other love than Jesus will turn out the lights of that church. It is His right to do so. He will not allow HIs sanctuary to be used as a place for infidelity.

Renew. Walking with Jesus is not about head-knowledge. It is not signing a pledge card, once and treating that like a ticket good for a ride on the glory train to heaven. In fact, Jesus is inviting them to find victory over their malaise and walk in newness of life with Him. He is the One Who holds the key of life, the One Who receives believers to eternity and He alone is the One in Whom is fullness of joy.

Historical footnote: the church in Ephesus died. Jesus did exactly as He said He would—He removed from them the light of His glory. He will not walk among a loveless people. What a stark warning for us today.

Remember Who Jesus is and all He has done and is doing. There is no greater love possible!

Repent of any sins or activities which draw you away from your love for Jesus.

Renew your walk with Him—read the Bible, listen to good preaching, spend time with believers whose walk with God you admire.

It was a great pleasure for me to listen to Ferguson—but even he would say it’d be wrong to stop there—once again the most important question any of us should ask ourselves is this: Do I love Jesus more than any one, any thing or any activity?

Jesus, the hymn writer penned these precious words: “My Jesus, I love Thee, I know Thou are mine. For Thee all the follies of sin I resign. My gracious Redeemer, my Saviour art Thou, if ever I loved Thee my Jesus it is now.” Spirit of the Living God, bring to heart and mind all the blessings of Jesus Christ and His glorious work so that I will repent of any waywardness and be truly, deeply, renewed in my love for Jesus. Let this love grow and increase, burning ever brighter until by His power I see our Father face to face. Amen.

Hymn “My Jesus I Love Thee” was written by William Featherstone circa 1864

https://www.monergism.com/topics/mp3-audio-multimedia/00-new-testament-sermons-book/revelation/chapter-revelation/revelation-0