O my soul,

What is the most important thing? And what must remain the most important thing even when confronted by unbearable evil?

To answer this let’s examine both Jesus’ commendation and his rebuke of the church in Ephesus.

“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.’”

― Revelation 2:1-3

These are the words of the risen Lord Jesus, who holds the angels of the seven churches in his right hand, who walks among the seven churches, and whose name is Faithful and True. Praise him!

Firstly let’s notice the patient endurance which is so highly commended, and the toil. Enduring patiently is hard work! It is heart work. These Ephesian Christians were enduring patiently and not growing weary. How they must have been fixing their eyes on Jesus!

Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.

Consider him who endured from sinners such hostility against himself, so that you may not grow weary or fainthearted.

― Hebrews 12:1-3

O my soul, do you notice an absolutely vital element of patient endurance here? It is personal holiness. Let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely. A life beset by sin saps endurance and loses the race. A holy life endures and wins the race. Choose to live a holy life!

Now endurance is only so in the face of adversity. So what was the adversity in Ephesus? We are told immediately. There was a clear and present evil, namely those who called themselves apostles and were not.

What can be said about those self-proclaimed and false apostles? They were surely found among the Ephesian church, because otherwise what testing would have been required, and what would these patient and enduring ones have had to bear? These patient ones so highly commended by Jesus? But at the same time, those false apostles did not belong to the church. Strikingly, this letter to the church is not addressed to them. They are third parties, judged by Jesus himself to be inconsequential and irrelevant. There is no call for their repentance. They are simply not part of his church. O my soul, tremble at this complete and comprehensive rejection.

We can wonder at the impact they were having on the Ephesian church. It was likely profound. But Jesus’ focus is on those he calls his own, whom he commends for enduring patiently and bearing up for his name’s sake⸺for Jesus’ name’s sake⸺for the sake of all he is and all he has done. This is why they endure.

And quite remarkably, they have not grown weary. O my soul, think on that. How wearisome would be this opposition and yet their strength remains. Praise the Lord for his strengthening under such adversarial circumstances!

And yet these very ones commended for their patient endurance are at the same time rebuked by the Lord. Why is that?

“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."

― Revelation 2:4-5

The rebuke is for lack of love, abandonment even, of the very most important thing.

And one of the scribes came up and heard them disputing with one another, and seeing that he answered them well, asked him, “Which commandment is the most important of all?” Jesus answered, “The most important is, ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘You shall love your neighbour as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.”

― Mark 12:28-31

There is indeed no other commandment greater than these. Not only does love conquer all, but it must be ahead of all.

These who patiently endured had once loved with Jesus’ own love, but they had fallen away from this. And notice Jesus’ exhortation that they do the works they did at first. Love is such a practical thing. It is something to be done. Both love for the Lord and love for one another are evidenced by works.

Be careful here. Some are rather eager to ask, what does that look like? But that is entirely the wrong question. How so? It is vital that this be understood.

What is required is love⸺our own love response to that great Calvary love poured out. Who can say what action might result from that? But one thing is clear. It is the love that counts. The action is merely evidence of that love. Aping this is of little value. Action without love is hollow.

And notice this.

What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him? If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food, and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and filled,” without giving them the things needed for the body, what good is that? So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.

But someone will say, “You have faith and I have works.” Show me your faith apart from your works, and I will show you my faith by my works.

― James 2:14-18

As with faith so with love. It is seen by works but those works cannot substitute for love.

And we must not neglect to notice just how much is at stake here. Here is a wake-up call for those whose love is mediocre.

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 2:7

The conquering here is relearning to love⸺there was no other rebuke. And we know what this tree of life is.

Then the LORD God said, “Behold, the man has become like one of us in knowing good and evil. Now, lest he reach out his hand and take also of the tree of life and eat, and live forever—” therefore the LORD God sent him out from the garden of Eden to work the ground from which he was taken. He drove out the man, and at the east of the garden of Eden he placed the cherubim and a flaming sword that turned every way to guard the way to the tree of life.

― Genesis 3:22-24

The fruit of the tree of life is well guarded, kept for the one who conquers. O my soul, think about that love you had at first. That great Calvary love, poured out for you. And be that one.

By this we know love, that he laid down his life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers.

― 1 John 3:16

We love because he first loved us.

― 1 John 4:19

O my soul, love again with that love you had at first, that great Calvary love poured out for you!🙏