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The Charge Against Ephesus
The Charge Against Ephesus
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Each of the seven churches of Asia in Rev. two and three, had a charge or two laid against them, except one, for which they were commanded to repent lest they be left in darkness by having their candlestick removed.
The charge against Ephesus was that of having left their first love.
Yet, this church was highly commended by the fact that they were able to flesh out the false Apostles. Not false prophets but false Apostles. These were men who were teaching for the doctrine of the Apostles error...no doubt claiming to be Apostles themselves. In either case, they were teaching for Apostolic Truth, error.
Jesus was highly commending to them for their sharp discernment in being able to recognize error as taught by these false Apostles, which were not Apostles at all. He also said that he knew their works, their labor and their patience and was aware of their inability to tolerate that which was evil and that which was a lie as put forth by these false apostles.
"Nevertheless," said Jesus, "I have somewhat against you, because you have left your first love."
First love is not that first love as first in the order of succession. This first love that Jesus was talking about was that love which should be first in rank. It should be first in order of that which is the greatest of importance. This love that Jesus was talking about was the love that should be above all other love.
Truth in the scriptures is compared to light. Love is compared to fervency, warmth, hot, fire, heat...on and on. Thus, the sun in our natural world is both light and heat, lacking either one of those elements, there is no life. So it is as far as the spiritual world is concerned.
The church at Ephesus was fully possessed of the spiritual light to the point that they could spot a false apostles telling his lies from a mile off with one eye shut. Yet, they were lacking the primary (fervency) heat to go with that light to produce life in the church.
Is it any different today? We have so much light that we are highly skilled in detecting false doctrine, error and all who propose it in both their preaching, teaching and writing. We can nail their hides to the wall and do it with such glee and gladness while exposing ourselves as the great warriors of truth that we are. This can be good, as Jesus noted. But when it lacks the First Love, it is death. Jesus told them to repent of this or else he would take the light that they have away from them. He in affect admonished them to keep the light but not without the heat of love among themselves.
What love? It is as Jesus said while he was here on earth regarding the greatest of all commandments...in other words which commandment ranks the highest in the order of importance...the FIRST LOVE:
It is to love the Lord with all thy heart, soul mind and strength. The second is like unto it, to love thy neighbor as thy self.
To rip, tear, degrade and to show a vile and ugly spirit, regardless of the light that we can boast of, is lacking the very thing that Jesus warned the church at Ephesus against, lest they be left alone in darkness.
I want to repent. Repenting is a life-style. When I step across the boundary of what is the kind of love that I should have in my heart, all the truth that I possess then becomes meaningless and is not life giving.
Jesus is never far from us if we will but feel out after him. He is always ready to forgive, even when we are not willing to forgive ourselves and others alike. Yet, He remains faithful.
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Staying Busy REPENTING and DOING THE FIRST WORKS
Last edited by Apprehended; 03-09-2011 at 05:21 PM.
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