Pastor Adrian, God indicted the church in Ephesus in Revelation 2:4 by pointing out that they had abandoned the love they had at first. They appeared to be a discerning and faithful church which labored, served, and patiently endured persecution (Revelation 2:2-3). Yet God told them to repent or He would bring an end to that church (Revelation 2:5). Is that a harsh judgment? Why or why not?

Is it harsh? First, God’s warning that He would “bring an end” to the church actually refers to ending her witness as a church for Him in Asia Minor as one of the seven lampstands (Revelation 1:20).

Second, the call to repent in Revelation 2:5 (“Consider how far you have fallen! Repent and do the things you did at first. If you do not repent, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place”) must be read along with verses 6 and 7.

In verse 7, God gives this promise: “To him who overcomes, I will give the right to eat from the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God.” This promise was given after praising the church for not tolerating the Nicolaitans in verse 6.

The “judgment” is the removal of her physical witness from the region–a situation similar to what has happened to churches in Europe today–since she is no longer able to witness for Him. It is not a judgment about the loss of salvation, as some may mistake it to be.

Third, judgment is reserved only for those who do not heed and remain unrepentant. But if the church heeds and does as God says, then she will not be judged. God’s warning was intended to protect the church of Ephesus rather than to harm her. Is this harsh then? No, it is not.

Pastor Adrian, how would you describe the “first love” mentioned in Revelation 2:4 and what would characterize that love?

The phrase “first love” must be understood from reading Paul’s letter to the Ephesians. Paul praised the church of Ephesus for her faith in God as expressed in her “love for the saints” (Ephesians 1:15). This love for the saints was to be lived out in the different relationships mentioned in the letter: brothers and sisters in Christ, husbands and wives, parents and children, and masters and slaves. Unbelievers were to be recipients of this love through the preaching of the gospel to them, as mentioned in chapter 3 of Ephesians.

“First love” is about having a passionate love for God even if it means suffering for Him, because Jesus commanded His disciples to “love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind.” The same kind of love is also to be extended to our fellow human beings, since Jesus included in His command that we are to “Love your neighbor as yourself.”

Jesus exemplifies this passionate love for us in an unconditional and sacrificial way. As in the Sermon on the Mount, He also instructs us to love our enemies as He did. His ultimate model of passionate love was to die for us while we were still sinners (Matthew 5:44, Romans 5:8).

Pastor Adrian, how would you as a pastor encourage your congregation to not “abandon the love they have at first?” How would a believer serving faithfully in the church go about returning to that “first love?” What practical suggestions do you have?

First of all, there is no certainty that as believers we will not lose our “first love.” Abiding in God faithfully is the only way to be certain that no one can snatch us from the Father’s hand (John 10:29).

Secondly, Jesus said in Revelation 2:5: “Consider how far you have fallen! Repent and do the things you did at first.” Thus, the way to restore our “first love” is to look at what our love was like before it was lost and to serve God and others as an expression of that love.

Thirdly, to return to this passionate love for God, we need to guard our hearts from anything or anyone who can become a distraction or an idol that can displace our “first love.”

It is easy to fool ourselves into believing that busyness in serving God or faithfully practicing spiritual disciplines is an indication that we love God. The Ephesian church thought that her right doctrines and right deeds meant that she was still in love with God. However, without love all that we do or believe is in vain. Furthermore, no one can know we are His disciples unless, as Jesus said, we love one another (John 13:35).

Finally, to hold onto that passionate love, we are to consider also what God has done for us. This is what God told the Israelites to do in the Old Testament–to remember how God had delivered them from their enemies and brought them into the Promised Land.

Pastor Glenn, what is the relationship between reading the Bible and our love for God and others?

Recently, I preached a point on how the applied Word purifies our love. This comes from I Peter 1:22, which states, “having purified your souls by your obedience to the truth for a sincere brotherly love, love one another earnestly from a pure heart”.  Notice the words “purified” and “pure.”  These terms convey being unmixed or unspoiled by deceit, selfishness, hypocrisy or jealousy.  Let us remember how the Word can penetrate deep within our lives.  Hebrews 4:12 states, “For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.”   Applying God’s Word in our lives deeply affects our souls. As we obey His truth and put away deceit, we will not only experience a cleansing in our soul, but a renewed motivation to express sincere love to one another in the church and beyond.  His applied Word both renews and matures us for our life of love wherever we are and wherever we go.

Pastor Glenn, how can we practically seek to grow in our love for God and others in our Bible reading?

The first step toward applying God’s Word in our lives is by reading the Bible daily. When we read the Bible, our goal should be to know God, to learn His ways, and to be directed to both live and love purposefully in our home, church, and society. As we study and contemplate the Bible from Genesis to Revelation, we become familiar with His redemptive plan through the finished work of Jesus Christ for humanity. As we learn about God’s character, His promises, His involvement with humanity, and even His relationship with His Son, Jesus, He shapes our perception about how to glorify Him with both our words and deeds. The treasure of knowing God through Scripture solidifies a sound base for us to apply biblical principles for life.

In the New Testament, when love towards others is mentioned, the majority of the time the context centers around the body of Christ. Romans 12:9 challenged the church in Rome to “Let love be genuine.” Is our love for one another genuine? Do we love the church from a pure heart? Or is there anything holding us back from showing mercy and compassion for one another? D.L Moody once stated, “The Bible is not given for our information, but our transformation.” Let us be wise in applying Scripture. As we do, we will see the transformation within our soul as it is expressed in our love for one another.

Adrian Lim is currently the fellowship pastor at Chinese Grace Bible Church.  He has been married to Joyce for 25 years. They have three children, Deborah (24), Desiree (19), and Dillon (17). Adrian was born in Singapore and has pastored at churches in the United States and Canada. He received his Bachelor of Arts degree in theology from Singapore Bible College and his Master of Divinity degree in Biblical Studies from Prairie Bible Institute at Three Hills, Alberta, Canada. He enjoys hiking and hanging out with Joyce in his spare time.

Glenn Pon was born and raised in Sacramento.  He and his wife Julie have two children, Caitlin and Tyler. He is currently the equipping pastor at Chinese Grace Bible Church.