“I know your deeds, your hard work and your perseverance. I know that you cannot tolerate wicked men, that you have tested those who claim to be apostles but are not, and have found them false. Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken your first love. – Rev. 2:2, 4
INTRODUCTION
God delights in communicating with His children. He does not leave us in doubt or in the dark about His wishes on how we should live. He is not okay with our doing just anything that catches our fancy, or doing things anyhow without care. He looks down at the affairs of men, divining the intention of our heart and assessing our ways, so that we can be the best that He has created us to be, here and in the world to come.
Earlier in the course of history of the church, God took a look at what was going on in the church. These churches were made up of members who loved Him and had decided to serve Him, some in spite of grave threats to their lives. They were in different geographical places and spiritual phases in their experiences. Yet, they were almost all sick and had problems that needed solutions they could not offer on their own. And, rather than leave them alone in that condition, God sent them messages to let them know that He was watching and could heal them.
These letters are equally applicable to us today. The best way to understand them is to put our personal names where the name of the church is. If you have not gone through the experience described in it already, chances are that you will likely go through it sometime or the other. That is the essence of reading these letters.
They have DIAGNOSTIC value – just like what a lab test will tell you about what is going on in your body and will explain the cause of health symptoms you might have been experiencing or is lurking in your body.
The letters to the Churches in Asia Minor also have DESCRIPTIVE value, in that they describe the details of what is good, and what is bad. The description is almost like what a microscope will reveal, down to the last-minute detail. They tell what is obvious outwardly, and also go on to describe what is in the heart. Only and Omniscient God can do that.
Finally, these letters have PRESCRIPTIVE value, in that they tell what to do to avoid dying as a result of whatever ailment has been diagnosed. The prescriptions are like pills, therapies or procedures that can heal what has been diagnosed and described.
Like the early churches, we have different geographic addresses and are at different spiritual phases in our experiences. Yet God cares about each one of us at those different points that He speaks to our needs through the messages to His churches. We are the church of today, literally and figuratively. We need the spiritual diagnosis, description, and prescription that summarizes our spiritual condition and what it can be if we allow God to continue His work on us. It is for our own good to take these messages seriously, whether for the benefit of their diagnostic, descriptive or prescriptive values.
We will start with the first letter, to the church in Ephesus.
LETTER TO THE CHURCH IN EPHESUS
Here is the letter from God to the Ephesus church of the first century, unedited, as recorded in the book of Revelation. The Ephesus of that time is in the nation of Turkey today. The letter was written by the apostle John, the beloved disciple of Christ. He is also known as John the Revelator, because of the many visions he received when he was banished to the Isle of Patmos by the Roman Empire.
“To the angel of the church in Ephesus write: These are the words of Him who holds the seven stars in His right hand and walks among the seven golden lampstands. I know your deeds, your hard work and your perseverance. I know that you cannot tolerate wicked people, that you have tested those who claim to be apostles but are not, and have found them false. You have persevered and have endured hardships for my Name, and have not grown weary. Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken the love you had at first. 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. But you have this in your favour: You hate the practices of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate. Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who is victorious, I will give the right to eat from the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God.” – Rev. 2:1-7 (NIV)
Let us now examine the different parts of the letter using our diagnostic, descriptive, and prescriptive values described earlier.
DESCRIPTION OF THE SPIRITUAL CONDITION OF THE EPHESUS CHURCH
Remember that this was a church that loved God, but was sick and needed help. The letter was sent to them so they could get help, and its contents was sent by the Master Physician who sees all – the good, the bad, and the ugly. It is so easy for us to overlook or forget the good when things are not going well. Not God. He did not just focus on the bad and ugly, of which they already had an idea. He gave them the total picture, starting with the good. His description of their condition summarized them in totality in the following verses:
I know your deeds, your hard work and your perseverance. I know that you cannot tolerate wicked people, that you have tested those who claim to be apostles but are not, and have found them false. You have persevered and have endured hardships for my Name, and have not grown weary. ……… You hate the practices of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate.
DIAGNOSIS OF THE SPIRITUAL CONDITION OF THE EPHESUS CHURCH
Yet, in spite of the good description of this church in Revelation 2:2, 3 & 6, they were still sick and had a problem. And here is what God’s microscope revealed about the cause of their sickness and the damage that had resulted from it:
Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken the love you had at first. Consider how far you have fallen!
Because of their sickness, they had fallen far from the great spiritual height they had previously enjoyed and now at a low depth of despair. This same experience had earlier made David cry out: “Do not cast me away from Your presence And do not take Your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of Your salvation. And sustain me with a willing spirit.” – Psalm 51:11-12
PRESCRIPTION FOR THE SPIRITUAL CONDITION OF THE EPHESUS CHURCH
Many go through the same stage of experience as was diagnosed for David and the Ephesus church in the walk of faith. And so, the letter continues with a prescription of what should be done to receive healing, as well as what will happen if the prescription is ignored.
… If you do not repent, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place. Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who is victorious, I will give the right to eat from the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God.”
The apostle Peter preached the gospel at a gathering where many were desirous of something more meaningful than the life of ease and merrymaking that they had. He gave them the same prescription as was sent to the Ephesus. “Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord.” – Acts 3:19
A WARNING TO 21ST CENTURY BELIEVERS
Perhaps you or someone around you is currently going through the experience of the early Ephesus church. Perhaps you love God once and pledged to love Him forever and have now surrendered to the allure of worldly interests? The profound messages of this letter to the Ephesus church are equally applicable to each of us as believers today. God wants us to live a full life as responsible men and women, “But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” – Matthew 6:33. It is the only way to maintain the spiritual height where we can be truly free, and be the best that He has created us to be.
THINK ABOUT IT: Andrea Crouch, the legendary songwriter in one of his classical hymns repeats this poignant plea in the refrain: Take me back dear Lord to the place where I first received you. Take me back, take me back dear Lord where I first believed.” Why not sing the same song to get back to God, your first true love?
To be continued!
Stay Blessed!
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