The Church at Ephesus

It is possible for the Christian to get bent out of shape when it comes to the fundamental doctrines of Christ; it is obvious that in Christ there is no confusion, but in the heads of believers that is not always the case. Everyone has a voice that they trust will be heard and it is a difficult occurrence to find the brother that has had his mind renewed to the point where his tongue only produces sweet waters; eternal live-giving waters that is sanctioned by God. We must be careful not to oppose the unity of the faith with our own “hobby horses” that could outshine our limits to the true doctrines of Christ…

Our minds must never shift to a place where we over emphasis our parts in the salvation of God in our lives. What I mean by this is when we stand on a doctrine that we know to be true in accordance with scripture but our lives depict another story altogether or we rest upon our laurels and place our faith on the way we live our lives; “believing right doctrine will no more save you, than doing good works will save you” (Charles Spurgeon) – We have been save by the finished work of the cross, Jesus Christ our Lord accomplished this on our behalf from start to finish and this must always remain foundational in our lives. Without His mercy and grace we would all remain faithless but now we have a resolve to receive direction for Him that is if we have truly been born again.  

With that said let us make every effort in the good graces of our Lord to lend an ear to His instructions.

“"To the angel of the church in Ephesus write: 'The words of him who holds the seven stars in his right hand, who walks among the seven golden lampstands. "'I know your works, your toil and your patient endurance, and how you cannot bear with those who are evil, but have tested those who call themselves apostles and are not, and found them to be false. I know you are enduring patiently and bearing up for my name's sake, and you have not grown weary. But I have this against you, that you have abandoned the love you had at first. Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent, and do the works you did at first. If not, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place, unless you repent. Yet this you have: you hate the works of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who conquers I will grant to eat of the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God.'” (Revelation 2:1-7)

Ephesus was a church planted by the Apostle Paul and then watered by the likes of Timothy and John, they had good solid doctrine which settled their understanding of what was true in accordance with scripture and they were commended for it by the Lord Jesus; “but have tested those who call themselves apostles and are not, and found them to be false”. We must not allow the wolves to silence our voices against their thievery as they unskilfully twist scripture to try and silence the truth and confuse the babes of Christ.

The Lord Jesus commended them for their opposition to such inaccuracies. He was please with that part of their walks. However He had something against them; But I have this against you, that you have abandoned the love you had at first. Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent, and do the works you did at first. If not, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place, unless you repent. Could some of us have fallen is to the same trap, a place of such vindication against what is false that we have forgotten to love? Love never equals error nor does truth loose love along the way.

Observe- “The rebuke given to this church: Nevertheless, I have somewhat against thee, Rev_2:4. Those that have much good in them may have something much amiss in them, and our Lord Jesus, as an impartial Master and Judge, takes notice of both; though he first observes what is good, and is most ready to mention this, yet he also observes what is amiss, and will faithfully reprove them for it. The sin that Christ charged this church with was their decay and declension in holy love and zeal: Thou hast left thy first love; not left and forsaken the object of it, but lost the fervent degree of it that at first appeared. Observe, (1.) The first affections of men towards Christ, and holiness, and heaven, are usually lively and warm. God remembered the love of Israel's espousals, when she would follow him withersoever he went. (2.) These lively affections will abate and cool if great care be not taken, and diligence used, to preserve them in constant exercise. (3.) Christ is grieved and displeased with his people when he sees them grow remiss and cold towards him, and he will one way or other make them sensible that he does not take it well from them.

The advice and counsel given them from Christ: Remember therefore whence thou hast fallen, and repent, etc. (1.) Those that have lost their first love must remember whence they have fallen; they must compare their present with their former state, and consider how much better it was with them then than now, how much peace, strength, purity, and pleasure they have lost, by leaving their first love, - how much more comfortably they could lie down and sleep at night, - how much more cheerfully they could awake in the morning, - how much better they could bear afflictions, and how much more becomingly they could enjoy the favours of Providence, - how much easier the thoughts of death were to them, and how much stronger their desires and hopes of heaven. (2.) They must repent. They must be inwardly grieved and ashamed for their sinful declension; they must blame themselves, and shame themselves, for it, and humbly confess it in the sight of God, and judge and condemn themselves for it. (3.) They must return and do their first works. They must as it were begin again, go back step by step, till they come to the place where they took the first false step; they must endeavour to revive and recover their first zeal, tenderness, and seriousness, and must pray as earnestly, and watch as diligently, as they did when they first set out in the ways of God.

“Though thou hast declined in thy love to what is good, yet thou retainest thy hatred to what is evil, especially to what is grossly so.” The Nicolaitans were a loose sect who sheltered themselves under the name of Christianity. They held hateful doctrines, and they were guilty of hateful deeds, hateful to Christ and to all true Christians; and it is mentioned to the praise of the church of Ephesus that they had a just zeal and abhorrence of those wicked doctrines and practices. An indifference of spirit between truth and error, good and evil, may be called charity and meekness, but it is not pleasing to Christ. Our Saviour subjoins this kind commendation to his severe threatening, to make the advice more effectual.” (Matthew Henry)

Although the Spirit of God addresses the church at Ephesus we must not exclude its council to us; “what is said to one church concerns all the churches, in every place and age”.

May the God of all peace and understanding impart what is needed in each of our lives to makes us more equipped to be good soldiers of the faith.

Signing off

Tyrone