This is a command of Jesus to the church in Ephesus. In that same
message, Jesus tells the church at Ephesus that they have lost their
first love and are in danger of Jesus forsaking the church.
The first works of the Ephesians were works of their first love.
Following the salvation experience, God gives new believers a
sovereign period of grace in which they are filled with love because
they are filled with the Holy Spirit.
Interpreting the experience in Ephesus in light of other Scriptures in
the New Testament, we know that in time the sovereign experience came
to an end and the Ephesian believers began serving God in the flesh.
All believers who begin to serve God in the flesh lose that first
love. More than one child of God has said, "I would give anything if I
could have the love in my heart for others that I had following my
conversion experience."
In John 13:34 Jesus says, "A new commandment I give to you, that you
love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one
another." Then in John 15:12, Jesus says, "This is My commandment,
that you love one another as I have loved you. In Romans 13:8 Paul
writes, "Owe no one anything except to love one another, for he who
loves another has fulfilled the law."
It is sad when we see a professing Christian who seems to be filled
with bitterness rather than love; that seems to be filled with a
spirit of condemnation rather than compassion.
When a conscientious believer who has lost that first love is
confronted with the statements of Jesus about His commandment of love,
he grieves. In his grief, he may attempt to work up a spirit of love
in his heart. In time he knows that this approach to solving his
problem will not work.
The answer is in receiving the filling of the Holy Spirit by living
out our oneness with Christ. [John 15:5-8]
www.livingbygrace.org.
Copyright © 2000-2005 David Kuykendall Ministries.
