Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken your first love. 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.
-- Rev 2:4-5 NIV
The Son of Man commended those in Ephesus who had been made a kingdom and priests because they did not tolerate false teachers. Nevertheless, he warned them that their lampstand would be removed if they did not reclaim their first love. The essence of priesthood is love, both love for God and love for people. Truth is good, but truth without love will never proclaim the gospel to the whole world or make disciples of every nation. Truth without love will not win the victory. The Son of Man, therefore, exhorts the saints to reclaim their first love so that they might participate in his eventual victory: "To the one who conquers I will grant to eat of the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God" (Revelation 2:7).
No comments:
Post a Comment