Last time we saw that the church of Ephesus appeared to be a faithful and fruitful church. However, Jesus told them that they had left their first love! The question was raised, how could such a church leave its first love?
When the apostle Paul met with the Ephesian elders on his third missionary trip, he told them that they would not see him again. They began to weep aloud and embraced Paul and repeatedly kissed him. (Acts 20:37,38) Paul had spent three years in Ephesus and had not shunned from declaring the whole counsel of God. (20:27;31) For this reason they certainly had a spiritual and emotional connection with him. They loved him and all the saints. (Eph 1:15)
The love that they had at their inception stemmed from their faith in the Lord Jesus. (Eph 1:15) That is where all Christian love begins and ends. "God is love, and the one who abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him. We love Him because He first loved us." (I John 4:16,18) Humans are unable to exhibit Biblical love if we are without Christ. If what we are doing, accomplishing, and/or experiencing does not have its roots in the love we have for God, then it has no value. It may look good on the outside, but it is only bringing glory and praise to our selves.
The church at Ephesus had become service oriented. They were doing many of the right things, but from the wrong motivation. It is amazing how the flesh can seem to produce good fruit! The Lord admonishes them to "do the deeds you did at first." (v.5) They were to do those things that they had done at first - those deeds that were motivated because of their love for Him.
The alarming point about this is that each one of us must safeguard our hearts from falling to the same place as those of Ephesus. We need to continually ask ourselves, why are we doing what we are doing? Has our service lost its meaning or purpose? Do we relish adulation and praise rather than offering our thanks to Him? Are we just going through the motions of Christianity? Do we still desire that 'quality' time with Him in prayer and study? Have we forgotten that we have been bought with a price?!
No matter where you have fallen, you can be restored to that intimate relationship with the Lord. Like the church at Ephesus, He gives all the opportunity to repent and to do the deeds done at first. In His grace He gives everyone a chance to return to his first love!