you have left your first love

These words that Jesus spoke to the Church in Ephesus (Revelation 2.4) are usually understood to mean that they have left their love for Christ.  I believe the words are referring to something else.  I believe Jesus is referring to a love that characterized them at the first, in their beginning as an assembly of believers. 

I believe Jesus is referring to that love that they had for one another when they were a new assembly. I believe He has this specifically in view.  They had left that love that first characterized them for one another.  We find this in that “new commandment” that Jesus gave to his disciples in the Gospel of John: "A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another.  By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another." John 13:34-35

 

Someone might respond to this by saying that even if that is true, they have left their love for Christ by doing such.   But I believe Jesus is addressing the specific issue here.  For Jesus, the church as an assembly, that functions properly, is extremely important.  He addresses Churches in the book of Revelation, not individuals out on their own, doing their own thing.  When Jesus addresses the 7 Churches in Asia about things they are doing wrong, he doesn’t tell them to disband, go to the church in the next city, or go it alone.  No, he tells them to get right, repent.

Some of the Churches Jesus addresses in Revelation had some serious issues.  They were to get right.  Would Jesus accept excuses from people in those churches for what they were doing?  Yet those who have abandoned the assembly of believers have excuses.  Would Jesus accept your excuses today?  If the church is not good enough for you, well, it wasn’t always good enough for Jesus either.  What was his solution? 

To the Church in Ephesus, Jesus said, “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.”