Based on Revelation 2:1-7 (New King James Version)
“To the angel of the church of Ephesus write, ‘These things says He who holds the seven stars in His right hand, who walks in the midst of the seven golden lampstands: ‘I know your works, your labor, your patience, and that you cannot bear those who are evil. And you have tested those who say they are apostles and are not, and have found them liars; and you have persevered and have patience, and have labored for My name’s sake and have not become weary. Nevertheless I have this against you, that you have left your first love. Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent and do the first works, or else I will come to you quickly and remove your lampstand from its place—unless you repent. But this you have, that you hate the deeds of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate. ‘He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes I will give to eat from the tree of life, which is in the midst of the Paradise of God.’’”
How can God tell a church that is doing good things, a church that has done everything they have done for the sake of God’s name, that they should repent because they have fallen? How can they be wrong when they are doing so many good and admirable things? The issue that God has with the church, or more exactly, with the people individually (because a church does not consist of a building before God, but rather, of people) is that they have forgotten what is essential, the foundation of everything: love. You might say: “But, how can this be if the Word itself is saying that they have done everything for the sake of God’s name?” To be able to explain this issue, we need to go deeper.
The first thing we need to establish is that true love (not the world’s love, because that is useless) is something that must emanate from a person. And the only way that this love can flow or emanate from a person is when a person has been born of God, by knowing God. This is what the Scriptures teach us: “Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. He who does not love does not know God, for God is love.” 1 John 4:7-8. So, this goes beyond actions. It consists of something much deeper and divine. The Bible teaches us also that a being can be capable of incredible things, but yet, be missing the most important thing of all, and it also teaches us what this divine love truly is, as it is written: “Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal. And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, but have not love, it profits me nothing. Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails. But whether there are prophecies, they will fail; whether there are tongues, they will cease; whether there is knowledge, it will vanish away. For we know in part and we prophesy in part. But when that which is perfect has come, then that which is in part will be done away. When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child; but when I became a man, I put away childish things. For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I shall know just as I also am known. And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love.” 1 Corinthians 13. Can you see that the love of which the Bible speaks of is very different to what the world says is love? Quite simply, God’s true love can never support sin, because there are no contradictions in God. Fornication is not love. Adultery is not love. Sexual deviations are not love. Calling evil good and good evil is not love. The love that comes from God is something that will always align itself with Biblical principles, and it surpasses all of the limits, even the unthinkable. How could have the Jews ever imagined that the same Being that did all of the great miracles He did through Moses and Elijah would be the same Being that would take on our very humble human form and let Himself be crucified so that all of humanity could have the hope of their sins being forgiven and the promise of eternal life? Never! This does not fit our logic! And this same love is the one that should emanate and flow through those that have been born again in Christ. We should take on those same characteristics and intentions.
Now then, the second point. The love that should flow from the born again does not consist of feelings, but rather, of a decision and a direction. In other words, it is not just about having this love in your life, but more so, the way its genuineness can be seen is through the direction in which it is focused on. This is what the Word teaches us: “Then one of the scribes came, and having heard them reasoning together, perceiving that He had answered them well, asked Him, ‘Which is the first commandment of all?’ Jesus answered him, ‘The first of all the commandments is: ‘Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one. And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.’ This is the first commandment. And the second, like it, is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.’ So the scribe said to Him, ‘Well said, Teacher. You have spoken the truth, for there is one God, and there is no other but He. And to love Him with all the heart, with all the understanding, with all the soul, and with all the strength, and to love one’s neighbor as oneself, is more than all the whole burnt offerings and sacrifices.’ Now when Jesus saw that he answered wisely, He said to him, ‘You are not far from the kingdom of God.’ But after that no one dared question Him.” Mark 12:28-34. Love must be directed towards God, and when that happens, then everything else starts falling into place, in the order that God teaches. If I love God, then I will do as He commands, whether I understand it or not yet, and the first thing I must do when loving God is to love my neighbor. My love for God must be the reason for why I do everything in life, for why I look to fulfill what He commands me to do. How does this love start? It starts by acknowledging and appreciating what the Almighty has done for us, and what He did without any kind of obligation. God chose to love man. God did not have to suffer, and far less, die for humanity. We must weigh and value what He did for such insignificant and evil people (because that is what we all are). God died for you and for me. It is written: “For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life.” Romans 5:10.
So then, and finally, God is most interested in the reason, in the motive, in what is very deep within every human being, as it is written: “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked; who can know it? I, the Lord, search the heart, I test the mind, even to give every man according to his ways, according to the fruit of his doings.” Jeremiah 17:9-10. This is what God sees and matters to Him most: if He is the direct reason for why we do things. So then, can God see the intention of your heart, that the reason for why you do everything in life is because you love Him with your whole being? Lord bless! John