First Love….

Morning!

Raises his cup of coffee ☕

Let’s start today with a Word and a word.

Romans 12:1-2

“I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service.  And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect Will of God.”

I choose this Word to start because it is through the renewing of our minds that we continue today.  We continue to look at the Presence of God in Scripture, and the theme of today’s study is our word.

Fidelity (Noun):

• The quality or state of being faithful; accuracy in details: exactness.

• The degree to which an electronic device accurately reproduces its effect.

The loyal and faithful love of a friend.

What does that look like?

The loyal and faithful love of a mind.

Do we know what that looks like?

I propose we take a look at first love.

Revelation 2:1-7

“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.’”

Fidelity to the Word of God is fidelity to Jesus, for Jesus is The Word.

We are taught that Scripture is not about private interpretation

but about understanding the intent of the author.  Some people feel uneasy about reading Revelation, but I think this passage is one of the easier ones to understand in context— but that context comes from earlier in the book

Revelation 1:9-11

“I, John, both your brother and companion in the tribulation and kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ, was on the island that is called Patmos for the Word of God and for the testimony of Jesus Christ.  I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s Day, and I heard behind me a loud voice, as of a trumpet, saying, ‘I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last,’ and ‘What you see, write in a book and send it to the seven churches which are in Asia: to Ephesus, to Smyrna, to Pergamos, to Thyatira, to Sardis, to Philadelphia, and to Laodicea.’”

John states that he was in The Spirit.  He was in the Presence of the Holy Spirit—and then came his revelation.  John was exiled to Patmos because of his fidelity to the Word of God and his teachings about Jesus.  Jesus reveals an incredible vision to John— the same John who is known as the disciple who loved Him.  Moses was faithful in all his house.  Daniel, who had his own revelation in the Presence of God, is known for his legendary faithfulness and fidelity to God.

Which brings us back to our passage.

The beginning of Jesus’ message to the seven churches

addresses the church of Ephesus.  The first part of the message is encouraging.  Jesus is pleased with their works, their patience, their resistance against evil and their ability to discern false teachers.  They have persevered in His Name and have not grown weary.

However—

They have left their first love.  Jesus is saying that they have left their first love for Him.  And not only that, but this warning comes with consequences: Jesus commands them to repent. He tells them to return to their first works.  If they do not, He will remove their lampstand.

Jesus will remove His Presence when first love is abandoned.

So how are we doing with our first love of Jesus?

I think this passage shows that Jesus is not as interested in the “feeling” of first love as much as He is interested in the works that came from it.

He tells them to repent, but not only that Jesus tells the church to do their first works.  So we must ask ourselves:

Are we still doing our first love works with Jesus?

Or have we become double-minded?

James 4:1-8

“Where do wars and fights come from among you?  Do they not come from your desires for pleasure that war in your members?  You lust and do not have.  You murder and covet and cannot obtain.  You fight and war.  Yet you do not have because you do not ask.  You ask and do not receive, because you ask amiss, that you may spend it on your pleasures.  Adulterers and adulteresses!  Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God?  Whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.  Or do you think that the Scripture says in vain, ‘The Spirit who dwells in us yearns jealously’?  But He gives more grace.  Therefore He says: ‘God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble.’  Therefore submit to God.  Resist the devil and he will flee from you.  Draw near to God and He will draw near to you.  Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded.”

If we draw near to God, He will draw near to us.