The book of Revelation is one of my favourite books in the Bible because it contains a wealth of information about Jesus. The book opens with Jesus addressing the seven churches in Asia, offering praise and rebuke where appropriate. I believe that the messages Jesus delivered to those churches are still relevant today, as we find ourselves in a prophetic season.
One of the most intriguing aspects of the book of Revelation is Jesus' message to the Ephesian church. Though they appeared to be doing well, Jesus rebuked them for forgetting their first love. For years, I pondered what that first love could be and how they could have forgotten it. Then the Holy Spirit guided me and provided the explanation.
In reality, Jesus was referring to the gospel message that the Ephesian church had originally heard. In his letter to the church, Paul said that Jesus preached the good news of peace to the Gentiles who were far away, as well as to the Jews who were near. Unfortunately, the Ephesian church forgot that message and began trying to earn God's favor through their own works, which Jesus would not accept.
Jesus instructed the church to remember where they had fallen from and to repent, doing their first works. In Galatians, Paul answered the question of how believers fall, stating that anyone who seeks to justify themselves through the Law has been severed from Christ and lost their grasp on God's unmerited favor.
Today, many Christians have forgotten the gospel message and are striving to earn God's favor through their own actions. However, this is unnecessary because God freely gives us favor through Christ Jesus. We must remember our first love, which is the message of Christ's forgiveness and new life, and live according to it each day.
Jesus also referred to the "first works," which Paul discussed in his letter to the Ephesian church. The first work is faith, the very thing that brought us to Christ in the first place. We are saved by grace through faith, and nothing we do can earn our salvation. We have a love gift from God that is freely given to us, and our faith is the only requirement to receive it.
In Galatians, Paul emphasized that no one can be justified before God by the Law, for the righteous shall live by faith. Therefore, we should remember that our righteousness is a gift from God that we can never earn. By living every day in faith in what Jesus has done for us, our love for Him will grow beyond our expectations. So let us remember our first love, live in it each day, and enjoy being God's beloved.
