Tag: first love

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Ephesians Devotionals

Rooted and established in God’s love

Deeply roooted

I pray that you, being rooted and firmly established in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the length and width, height and depth of God’s love, and to know Christ’s love that surpasses knowledge, so that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. (Ephesians 3:17–19)

Recently, I gave a message on “first love” talking about how vital it is to maintain our first love for Jesus.

But maintaining our first love isn’t first and foremost about anything we do. It’s not about reading our Bible more, or praying more, or serving more.

Rather it’s rooting ourselves in this one truth: God first loved us.

It’s daily coming to a deeper understanding of how long, and wide, and high, and deep his love is for us.

But we can’t root ourselves in things we take for granted. We can’t root ourselves in things we never ponder anymore.

Put another way, it’s easy to read the things Paul has been talking about it in the first three chapters of Ephesians, and just say, “I know, I know I know.”

But here are three thoughts I’m pondering. That I’m trying to grasp more fully in my heart. 

God chose me before the world began to be his child. (1:4-5)

I’m forgiven of all the filth in my life. God sees me as holy and blameless in his sight. (1:4, 7)

I’m God’s masterpiece. And he has already planned out things for me to do to serve his kingdom. (2:10)

As I think of these things, and how unworthy I am of them all, I can’t help but say, “Wow.”

I think Paul felt the same way. (3:8)

As you’ve been reading these chapters, have you been saying “I know, I know, I know?” Or have you been taking the time to wonder at these truths?

Categories
Mark Devotionals

First love

first love

 But I have this against you: You have abandoned the love you had at first. (Revelation 2:4)

I’ve been thinking about those words the past few days. What is the characteristic of first love? I think the main characteristic is joy.

What sparks first love for God? His mercy and love towards us. (1 John 4:19)

It seems the rich ruler never had that kind of love. He had never experienced his need for mercy, thinking that he was a pretty good person already. (Mark 10:19-20)

And so when Jesus asked him to give up all he had and to follow him, there was no joy. Only gloominess and sorrow. (21-22)

The disciples, on the other hand, did love Jesus, but their motivations were still very mixed, constantly thinking about what was in it for them for following Jesus. (28, 35-37)

But when Bartimaeus followed Jesus, he did so filled with joy. (Luke 18:43)

Why? Because he had asked for mercy and received it.

That’s first love.

Jesus looks at me and loves me. He “mercied” me. (Mark 10:21, 47)

I pray I never forget that or take it for granted.

I pray the same for you.

Because you first loved me,
Jesus, you will always be
You will always be
My first love. — Bob Hartman.

Categories
Revelation

If the church has not love…

Revelation

We now come to the first admonition to the church in Ephesus.

Jesus actually has a lot to praise them for. They were working hard for him. In the face of hardships, they persevered and didn’t grow weary. (Revelation 2:2a)

More, they were quite vigilant against false teachers, testing those who claimed to be apostles but weren’t. And when they were found to be false, the church kicked them out. (2b)

They simply wouldn’t tolerate any kind of false teaching. (6)

But still there was a problem. Jesus told them,

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. (Revelation 2:4-5)

Too many churches are like this today. They work hard in their ministries. When persecution comes, they endure.

More, they are very vigilant in their doctrine. They are quick to warn against false teachers. And they refuse to tolerate sin in their midst.

But they’ve lost what is most important: their love for God and their love for others. And without that love they become a shell of what God wants them to be.

And God tells them, “Repent. I don’t want you to simply be hardworking servants. I don’t want you to simply be patient martyrs. I don’t want you to simply be vigilant soldiers.

“I want you to be a people who actually love me. And I want you share the love I’ve given you with those I’ve put around you.”

If we don’t?

I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place. (5b)

Remember here that the lampstand represents the church, not salvation.

So when he says this, he’s saying, “If you, my church, don’t return to its first love, I will remove you from its place. Oh, you may still have your church services, but I will no longer use you as a light in this world.”

I think of I Corinthians 13 as I read this. Let me paraphrase.

If our churches are sound in their doctrine, calling out false teachers and kicking them out, preaching holiness and denouncing sin, but they have not love, they are only a resounding gong or clanging cymbal.

If our churches are hardworking, giving to the poor and doing all sorts of ministry within the church and without, but have not love, they are nothing.

If our churches endure persecution and stand fast in the midst of it, but have not love, they gain nothing.

Antichrists are here. The antichrist is coming. And many troubles will come along with him. But if we have not love, we are not ready to deal with any of these things.

How is your church? Is it ready to deal with these things? Or is it about to be removed from its lampstand?

And how about you? Have you lost your first love?

Jesus says,

He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. (7)

This word is for you and your church.

If you can overcome antichrists, troubles, and persecution, all without losing your love for him and others, Jesus says he will give you the right to eat from the tree of life, which in the paradise of God. (7b).

What will Jesus say to us when we stand before him on judgment day?