Exalting God

In a pattern that typifies each of the seven letters, Christ addressed his comments to a particular body and then highlighted some aspect of his character important to that particular group.  He then proceeded to praise their works (with the exception the Laodicean church), condemn their failures (with the exception of Smyrna and Philadelphia), charge them and finally provide them with a promise of either judgment or blessing depending upon their situation.

Regarding Ephesus, Christ reminded them that the words addressed to them originated from the one who “holds the seven stars in his right hand, who walks among the seven golden lampstands.”  From the first chapter of Revelation we learn that the seven stars are the seven angels and the seven lampstands are the seven churches (Rev 1:20).  Basically, Jesus’ point here was to remind the believers at Ephesus that he is the one in control.  It is he who directs the angels[i] of these churches and walks among the body of his believers. 

This is reminiscent of God’s word in Leviticus 26:12 where God declares: “I will walk among you and will be your God, and you shall be my people.”  So we are to understand by this statement that everything God was about to say to Ephesus (along with the other churches) comes from one who knows intimately what he is talking about.  He was there with them; he knew their good deeds and bad deeds.  He was not speculating or guessing; the words he shared were totally truthful and accurate.  Therefore, there would be no denying or blame shifting on their part.

He began with praise.  The body at Ephesus labored with a patient endurance.  Rather than totally succumbing to the strain of serving in such a pagan culture, they worked hard to continue serving Christ.[ii]  They were commended for refusing to tolerate those who lived wickedly, even testing those who claimed to be apostles. 

Their endurance in spite of struggle was rewarded by Christ and surely they were words well received as this letter was read to them.  However, as only one who genuinely knows the inward thoughts of a person can do, Christ quickly humbled them by exposing the secret reality of their faith.  Sadly, it had lost its luster and grown cold.

He said quite bluntly to them: “But I have this against you, that you have abandoned the love you had at first” (2:4).  No doubt these words stung as they left the lips of the one reading aloud this letter and pierced the hearts of all those hearing them. 

I can imagine the sagging heads and pale faces.  One can almost hear the silence in the room as the thoughts of every person inwardly confessed the truth of Christ’s condemnation, for their once white-hot love for Christ had cooled considerably.  We learn from Paul that at some point, perhaps forty years prior to this letter, the Ephesians had displayed a profound love toward all the saints (Eph 1:15), but for whatever reason that love had diminished. 

Certainly there are several characteristics that we can focus on in this letter, but I believe they all hinge on the fact that the Ephesian believers had lost their first love.  This is significant because love is perhaps the chief characteristic Christ is looking for in his church.  Above virtually every other attribute, the church is to display love and ultimately be defined by it. 

Jesus says quite plainly in John 13:34-35 that we are to love one another: “[J]ust as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. ³⁵By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”  So from this short letter to the church at Ephesus we must come to terms with the fact that upon his return, Jesus is expecting to find a church that is characterized by love, not squabbling and dissension and unrest.

The sad reality, however, is that there are far too many churches in existence today that have joined the Ephesian church by losing their first love.  Take a moment and think back to when you were first made new by Christ.  Perhaps you were kneeling at an altar as a child or maybe you were sitting alone in your college dorm. 

All of our journeys are different, but there should be one common denominator: An overwhelming sense of love in our hearts.  As a new Christian there is a natural influx of love derived from our newfound relationship with Christ.  His forgiving and gracious presence engulfs our souls and manifests itself in a multitude of ways.  In ways never known before, we display a love for God, a love for fellow believers, and a love for the unconverted.  When we ponder what Christ is looking for in his church, I believe each of these aspects were in view as he exposed the Ephesian church. 

Love for God

Honestly, as the church this is where we need to begin an honest assessment of our spiritual state.  Is there within our hearts an abiding love and affection for God Almighty?  When we speak of a love for God we need to be clear that we have in view here the disposition of our heart. 

In other words, we need to examine our hearts and discern whether we have a genuine affection for God or are we merely appreciative of what he did for us in Christ?  To be certain there is a profound difference in the two approaches. 

The former reflects a soul that has been made knew by God through the regenerating power of the Holy Spirit as the gospel separated marrow and bone.  The latter reflects a soul that may have been made new and is currently in a deep valley of despair or it could reflect a person who has never actually been redeemed by God. 

Without doubt we were made new with the purpose of loving and serving God (Ezek 11:19-20; 36:26; Jer 32:37-41).  Therefore, if a genuine affection for God is absent from our lives then we must recognize it and confess that Christ will not be pleased with us upon his return.  If we are his children – his church – then a love for him should characterize our lives.  This is a love we dare not lose.   

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[i]There are various beliefs regarding exactly who the “angels” of the churches are.  Some hold that they are the bishops while others consider them the “prevailing spirit” of each congregation (Mounce).

[ii]Merril C. Tenney, Interpreting Revelation (Peabody, MA: Hendrickson Publishers, 2001. First published in 1957 by William B. Eerdmans), 56.