Part 2 The Seven Churches in Revelation… A Case Study of Love Grown Cold
The Seven Churches In the Book of Revelation... An Explanatory Case Study of Love Grown Cold
Day 2
Tuesday April 8, 2025
The church in Ephesus… the unloving church, or Christian.
Revelation 2:1-7
Charge: Left first love
Revelation 2:4 Nevertheless, I have this against you, that you have left your first love.
Hope/Correction: Repent, Return
Revelation 2:5 Remember therefore from what 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.
The Ephesian church used to love the Lord but along the way some things happened that lured their hearts away from their first love.
Jesus did not mention specifically what seduced them from love for God, and that is actually a good thing in the interest of personal application, since what distracts each person is different.
Love for God is always hindered by love for self.
Love for self is presupposed, because our Creator hardwired it into each of us.
Ephesians 5:29 NKJV For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as the Lord does the church.
Even when we loathe, hate or dislike ourselves, it is only because we have been taught by people or by pain. Envy is a wicked expression of self love since it desires for itself that which belongs to another.
We need to be commanded and taught to love God and our neighbors but all things being equal, we love ourselves.
Mark 12:29-31 NLT
Jesus replied, "The most important commandment is this: 'Listen, O Israel! The LORD our God is the one and only LORD. [30] And you must love the LORD your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, and all your strength.' [31] The second is equally important: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' No other commandment is greater than these."
A lessening of love for the Lord is the cause of all the problems in a Christian’s life. The Ephesian church shows us the cause. All the other churches show us the effects.
It doesn't matter what specifically makes us love the Lord less, the results are all the same.
1 John 2:15-17
Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. [16] For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh, the desires of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not from the Father but from the world. [17] The world is passing away, along with its desires; but whoever does the will of God remains forever.
When asked what was the greatest commandment, Jesus did not go to the 10 Commandments for an answer. He went to a commandment which provides a foundation for all the other laws.
If we love the Lord, His commandments are not grievous.
1 Corinthians 16:22 ESV
If anyone has no love for the Lord, let him be accursed. Our Lord, come!
1 Corinthians 16:22 BSB
If anyone does not love the Lord, let him be under a curse. Come, O Lord!
2 Corinthians 13:5 NKJV
Examine yourselves as to whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Do you not know yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?-unless indeed you are disqualified.
“Examine yourself if you're still in the faith”, is not a test of our actions but the test of attitudes. This is a test we should all take from time. When our love for God is waning, it will begin to show in certain ways. The things of God will not excite as they once did. The things of God begin to feel like a burden to us. Those are indications that our love for the Lord is not where it needs to be. We may still be in church, we may be busier in ministry than ever but our attitude is bad.
We may tell ourselves we love the lord, but we just can't stand people. Apostle John says we're liars , if we claim to love god whom we have not seen , but we don't love men who we see.
When we find ourselves short on patience, when we are very short with people, when we are easily stressed by things we used to handle before, these are indications that all is not well with us.
It's not that people are getting worse in their behaviour, and even if they were, the grace of God is always more than enough.
My grace is sufficient for you,
2 Corinthians 12:9 NKJV
And He said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness." Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.
Our ability to access grace is directly related to our love for God. Those who love god can endure almost anything and those who do not love god find most things unenjoyable.
No wonder king Solomon said, “Vanity upon vanity, all is validity”, at the time when he was the richest he could ever have been. This coincided with the time his love for God was at its lowest level ever.
