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Revelation 2:4, 5 - The Priority of Relationship.

Revelation 2:4, 5 (NIV) Yet I hold this 
against you: You have forsaken your first love. 5 
Remember the height from which 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. 

Revelation 2:4, 5 (NLT) But I have this 
complaint against you. You dont love me or each 
other as you did at first! 5 Look how far you have 
fallen! Turn back to me and do the works you did at 
first. If you dont repent, I will come and 
remove your lampstand from its place among the 
churches. 

INTRODUCTION

They had lost their zeal for God. They were 
a busy church - the members did much to 
benefit themselves and the community - but they were 
acting out of the wrong motives. Work for God must 
be motivated by love for God or it will not 
last. [Life Application SB] 

COMMENTARY PEARL

Drying Up Spiritually
   When we talk about the need for revival 
in our country, we must first individually ask 
ourselves these questions: Am I personally revived? Am 
I living as a committed, on-fire follower of 
Jesus Christ?  
   If we are not, then were part of the 
problem, not part of the solution. 
   Heres what Jesus said to the church of 
Ephesus in the Book of Revelation: I know your 
works, your labor, your patience, and that you 
cannot bear those who are evil. And you have tested 
those who say they are apostles and are not, and 
have found them liars; and you have persevered 
and have patience, and have labored for My 
names sake and have not become weary. Nevertheless 
I have this against you, that you have left 
your first love (2:2-4 NKJV). 
   Its clear they werent lazy. They 
were discerning, persevering believers. And they 
were making a difference. But Jesus was saying, 
Thats all great, but we have a problem here. You 
have left your first love. 
   What does that mean? It means that in 
spite of all their activity, they had lost that 
first passion when Jesus was their highest 
priority. They still believed. They hadnt abandoned 
their faith. But they were spiritually drying up. 
They were leaving their first love, and they 
needed to be revived. 
   Jesus went on to give them the three Rs 
of revival: 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 (verse 5 NKJV). 
   Remember. Repent. Repeat. Remember from 
where you have fallen. Repent and do the first 
works. And repeat. Go back and do what you did 
before. 
   Lets remember the three Rs of revival 
and put them into practice, because we need to 
be revived before God. We need a personal 
revival. [Greg Laurie from Harvest Ministries; 
https://www.harvestdaily.com] 

COMMENTARY

   Ephesus was the home of a tremendous 
ministry. Despite harsh persecution, the church 
planted by Paul endured opposition, spread the 
gospel, and was quick to challenge false prophets. 
But 30 years after the apostle left, Johns 
revelation included a stern warning for those 
believers. 
   Imagine how the words of Revelation 2 
must have struck the Ephesians when they read 
them. After complimenting their service to the 
gospel, Christ said, But I have this against you 
... That phrase was no doubt extremely 
disconcerting. The Lord warned them that they had left 
their first love. In other words, all of Their 
Work Was Being Done With Wrong Motives. 
   Christ called the Ephesians to remember 
their love for Him and their delight in His 
salvation. Service Is No Substitute For An Intimate 
Relationship, but modern believers continue to fall into 
this subtle trap. The commendable things that we 
do count for nothing unless they stem from a 
vibrant personal connection with God. Our Work 
Cant Be Effective Or Fruitful Unless He Is In 
It. 
   In fact, God is more interested in you 
and your personal relationship with Him than in 
a thousand lifetimes of good works. He desires 
to be the satisfaction and delight of His 
children so that their service is a result of loving 
devotion. 
   There are plenty of wrong reasons to 
labor for the kingdom. However, God is satisfied 
only with service motivated by love for Him. He 
wants those with selfish intentions to return to 
their first love. In that way, hearts and minds 
can be renewed, and service to the Lord will be 
more fruitful. [In Touch Daily Devotional by 
Charles Stanley at www.intouch.org] 

CLOSING THOUGHT

   The warmth of their first love is frozen 
up, and unless they are watered over by the 
baptism of the Holy Spirit, their candlestick will 
be removed out of its place, except they repent 
and do their first works. The first works of the 
church were seen when the believers sought out 
friends, relatives, and acquaintances, and with 
hearts overflowing with love told the story of what 
Jesus was to them and what they were to 
Jesus...... 
   Selfishness mars all that unconsecrated 
workers do. They have need to pray always, but they 
do not. They need to watch unto prayer. They 
have need to feel the sacredness of the work, but 
they do not feel this. They handle sacred things 
as they do common things. Spiritual things are 
spiritually discerned, and until they can drink of the 
water of life, and Christ be in them as a well of 
water springing up unto everlasting life, they 
will refresh no one, bless no one; and except 
they repent, their candlestick will be removed 
out of its place. There is need of enduring 
patience, of invincible charity, of omnipotent faith 
in the work of saving souls. Self must not be 
prominent. Wisdom from Christ must be exercised in 
dealing with human minds. Every worker who deals 
with souls successfully must come to the work 
divested of self...... 
   Those who do not learn every day in the 
school of Christ, who do not spend much time in 
earnest prayer, are not fit to handle the work of 
God in any of its branches; for if they do, 
human depravity will surely overcome them and they 
will lift up their souls unto vanity. TM167-73 

LINKS FOR FURTHER STUDY

Revelation 2:4, 5 - The Priority of 
Relationship. 

http://www.abible.com/devotions/2022/20220323-1113.html 

Colossians 2:6, 7 - Living In Christ.

http://www.abible.com/devotions/2022/20220226-1002.html 

LINKS WORTH CHECKING OUT

https://abible.com/links/