The Passionate GroomSample

Returning to the First Love

The church of Ephesus, as described in Revelation 2, is praised for its perseverance, hard work, and rejection of evil. However, Jesus identifies a deep problem: the loss of their first love. This is a warning not only for the church of that time but for all of us today.

The first love is the passion and devotion we have for Jesus at the beginning of our walk with Him. It is that initial fervor which, over time, can often be replaced by empty activism. Works and ministries are important, but they should never replace love for Jesus as the central point of our faith.

We are in real danger when our love for Christ is not greater than our ministerial activities. The Lord warns us that if our ministry is not founded on this first love, He may remove the lampstand from its place, meaning our influence and blessing.

We urgently need to return to the first love. The Lord has not forgotten our works, but He calls us to remember from where we have fallen and to repent. We are not only in a crisis but in a state of sin when we allow activities to take the place of our love for Jesus.

God desires that our ministry be an expression of our love for Him, not an attempt to replace that love. If our love for Christ is not renewed, we risk losing the blessing and anointing that has been given to us.