The Proclaimer

"You Have Left Your First Love"

The first three chapters of Revelation contain letters written to the seven churches of Asia.  These letters all follow the same systematic pattern in design.  After a brief greeting there is first a commendation, followed by a complaint, and finally counsel is given in the form of a warning or an exhortation.  At the conclusion of each letter there is the following invitation: “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches” (Rev. 2:7, 11, 17, 29; 3:6, 13, 22). 

It had been almost five years since Paul left Ephesus when he wrote his epistle to the Ephesians around A.D. 62.  His letter commends these brethren for their faith and love (Eph. 1:16).  Now some thirty years later the Lord commends the Ephesians for their stand for truth against the teaching of error.  Yet He says, “Nevertheless I have this against you, that you have left your first love” (Rev. 2:4).  While they appeared to be a “sound church” in that they stood for truth against false doctrine and practice of the day, they suffered from “heart trouble.”  “There is more to serving God than adherence to mechanical, traditional routine” (Harkrider, p. 28).

The danger of the same kind of “heart trouble” exists in the church today. As time passes it is not uncommon for disciples who had great conviction and zeal to serve the Lord when they initially obeyed the gospel to suddenly find themselves complacent and simply going through the motions of discipleship.  Not only so, there are some second generation Christians who never had the conviction and zeal of their parents; who, having never been truly converted to the Lord, find themselves sitting in the worship services of the Lord’s church because that’s where they’ve always sat.

There is also one more danger that is very real today that seems to have plagued the church at Ephesus.  These brethren were apparently strong in their stand against false teaching and false teachers of their day.  They “tested those who say they are apostles and are not, and have found them liars” (Rev. 2:2), and hated “the deeds of the Nicolaitans,” which the Lord also hated (v. 6).  But in spite of their stand for truth in these areas they were still lacking.  It’s as if their faithfulness or soundness was summed up in their stand relative to certain isolated issues of the day.

It seems to me this can happen today as well.  For instance, how many times is the phrase “faithful Christian” used to describe those who are faithful in their attendance of the services of the local congregation?  Certainly regular attendance to the worship services of the local church is a part of one’s faithfulness, but it does not solely define one as a “faithful Christian.”  Not only so, we often define the “sound church” as one that takes a stand for truth in the issues over institutionalism, church combines and the social gospel.  While standing for the truth on these issues is certainly crucial to the soundness of a local church, it is not all that is involved. 

While it’s crucial that truth is defended and a stand is taken against every false doctrine and practice, it is equally important that we do not leave our first love.  It is the gospel that is God’s power to save (Rom. 1:16).  Certainly a part of that gospel is Christ’s teaching on the work of the church, or church support of human institutions, or marriage and divorce.  Yet we must make sure we do not focus on issues such as these at the exclusion of taking the story of the cross to a lost and dying world. 

                                                                                                   -- Clark Dugger

The Proclaimer