Author: Rev. Lek Aik Wee

5 Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent.

The treatment that Christ would prescribe to the church in Ephesus consists of three commands in given verse 5 – Remember, Repent, Do – Repent, Return to the first works. The first command “remember” has the sense of the continuous tense means “to keep remembering”. To think back in time at what point in their lives that the service of God became mechanical, to recall how God had saved them from spiritual darkness and how by God’s almighty power that bondage was broken and how jubilant we were.

Revelation 2:4 Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love.

Remember the story of the lost coin that our Lord gave in Luke 15. The coin in the house but lost in the house of God. There yet not there! Unlike the lose sheep where the shepherd has to go out of the way to the wilderness to bring the sheep back. This lost coin was there in the House of God, yet lost.

Luke 15:8 Either what woman having ten pieces of silver, if she lose one piece, doth not light a candle, and sweep the house, and seek diligently till she find it? 9And when she hath found it, she calleth her friends and herneighbours together, saying, Rejoice with me; for I have found the piece which I had lost. 10Likewise, I say unto you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repenteth.

Our Lord is saying the members of the church at Ephesus – you may have been Christians for a long time, you have experienced what is called revived. Where has that fire gone?

Revelation 2:4 Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love.

Jesus warns us that the world, ruled by Satan is always on the prowl to win our affections – Mark 4:19 And the cares of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the lusts of other things entering in, choke the word, and it becometh unfruitful.

These are the (1) cares of the world (2) deceitfulness of riches and (3) lust of other things. The repeated use (4 times) of the conjunction “and” in Mark 4:19 emphasizes the constant bombardment of these ungodly pursuits that prevent the hearer from receiving the Word of God and bearing fruit.

These are literally the worries, anxieties and distractions of this present life that hold captive the hearts and minds of the hearers to the extent that there is no room for God in their lives; no room to consider, ponder, receive and give priority to things eternal. We see here the weariness from the energy-sapping effect of the cares of the world. They drain the heart of strength so much so that it cannot find true hope and life. To these, Jesus says, “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28).

Revelation 2:4 Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love.

In one statement, Christ isolates a critical problem in the church. It is in spiritual decline. There is an ailment, a trouble of the heart that is diagnosed here. They have been busy doing but they have forgotten why they are doing it. The word “left” is the verb “to let go, leave, forsake, depart”. It is the technical term for “divorce”. It can be translated “forsaken”.

What is this “first love”? It was that love of God that brought us to salvation in Christ when we experienced the forgiveness of sins and becoming spiritually alive. There is a fervent love for Christ and for sharing God’s love with others. Remember at the Gate Beautiful in Acts 3, when Peter and John gave to gospel to the man who was lame from his mother’s womb? The sharing of the gospel to the lame man by Peter and John and he finds salvation in Christ, that leaping joy, praise God. A deep sense of gratitude – 1 John 4:12 No man hath seen God at any time. If we love one another, God dwelleth in us, and his love is perfected in us.

Revelation 2:2-3 I know thy works, and thy labour, and thy patience, and how thou canst not bear them which are evil: and thou hast tried them which say they are apostles, and are not, and hast found them liars: And hast borne, and hast patience, and for my name’s sake hast laboured, and hast not fainted.

Our Lord Jesus gives commendation to the church in Ephesus for earnestly contending for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints (Jude3). They have refused to give in to the in-route of false doctrines and falsehoods but were steadfast in dealing with false teachers and in ensuring the purity of doctrine within the church.

They have searched the Scriptures and the fear of God and the knowledge of God’s Word has enabled them to depart from evil and maintain a righteous course. As Solomon taught in Proverbs 2:1-5, they have obeyed, “My son, if thou wilt receive my words, and hide my commandments with thee; So that thou incline thine ear unto wisdom, and apply thine heart to understanding; Yea, if thou criest after knowledge, and liftest up thy voice for understanding; If thou seekest her as silver, and searchest for her as for hid treasures; Then shalt thou understand the fear of the LORD, and find the knowledge of God.”

Revelation 2:2 … and how thou canst not bear them which are evil: and thou hast tried them which say they are apostles, and are not, and hast found them liars:

The Church at Ephesus had spiritual discernment, able to tell good from evil, true from the false. You may say, they took full heed to Paul’s advice to them when Paul left them in Acts 20 after 3 years of ministry.

Acts 20:28-31 Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood. 29For I know this, that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock. 30Also of your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them. 31Therefore watch, and remember, that by the space of three years I ceased not to warn every one night and day with tears.

They had the best of teaching. The Apostle Paul himself taught them.

Revelation 2:1-2 Unto the angel of the church of Ephesus write; These things saith he that holdeth the seven stars in his right hand, who walketh in the midst of the seven golden candlesticks; I know thy works, and thy labour, and thy patience, and how thou canst not bear them which are evil: and thou hast tried them which say they are apostles, and are not, and hast found them liars:

Jesus says, “I know thy works and labour”. I know what is going on in your life, what you are doing in your life! This knowledge “oida” is the Greek word for a “fullness of knowledge”, a full and complete knowledge, an absolute knowledge of the situation in Ephesus as opposed to another word for knowledge “ginosko” in Greek which speaks of the progress of knowledge.

He began with a commendation. Jesus praises them for their works, labouring, a toiling to the point of exhaustion. They have exerted themselves physically and mentally going through hardship in their labour for the Lord! This is a church that is active, a serving church, busy about the Lord’s business. By good works, they were not pew warmers but can be seen at prayer meetings, going on missions, actively serving in the fellowship groups. These are those who put their faith to work, they have a faith that works.

Revelation 2:1 Unto the angel of the church of Ephesus write; These things saith he that holdeth the seven stars in his right hand, who walketh in the midst of the seven golden candlesticks;

Our Lord Jesus Christ “holdeth” the seven messengers in His right hand. The verb “holdeth” or “grasp”, “to hold in the hand” has the basic meaning “be strong or possess power”. The right hand, I believe, is to emphasize the authority of Christ and the favoured position of these messengers. There is an emphasis of the verb in the present tense to describe Christ continually upholding these messengers that He has sent.

It is described by Daniel the reward of God’s messengers endowed with God’s wisdom. Their fruitful service will render for them a great reward for they shine as the brightness of the sky, like the stars forever and ever. Their impact or finished work will render them the reward of an everlasting nature, for they turned many to righteousness.

Daniel 12:1-3 And at that time shall Michael stand up, the great prince which standeth for the children of thy people: and there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation even to that same time: and at that time thy people shall be delivered, every one that shall be found written in the book. And many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt. And they that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament; and they that turn many to righteousness as the stars for ever and ever.