His Earthen Vessel: Have We Left Our First Love?

The last two weeks of writing about love have been amazing for me! It was a sort of a working out mentally of what God has worked into me. A kind of connecting the dots excercize. This morning as a wrap up, I want to share something that I have been reflecting on and and asking God about for my own life. I think it would do us all good to ask God to search our hearts. We can't confess and forsake what we don't even know is there!

Rev 2: 1 “To the angel of the church of Ephesus write,

‘These things says He who holds the seven stars in His right hand, who walks in the midst of the seven golden lampstands: 2 “I know your works, your labor, your patience, and that you cannot bear those who are evil. And you have tested those who say they are apostles and are not, and have found them liars; 3 and you have persevered and have patience, and have labored for My name’s sake and have not become weary. 4 Nevertheless I have this against you, that you have left your first love. 5 Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent and do the first works, or else I will come to you quickly and remove your lampstand from its place—unless you repent. 6 But this you have, that you hate the deeds of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate.

7 “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes I will give to eat from the tree of life, which is in the midst of the Paradise of God.”’

This is a scary passage of scripture (at first) , but one we could all stand to consider. In it are listed some wonderful things “I know your works, your labor, your patience, and that you cannot bear those who are evil. And you have tested those who say they are apostles and are not, and have found them liars; 3 and you have persevered and have patience, and have labored for My name’s sake and have not become weary. " And yet it says following this list; Nevertheless I have this against you, that you have left your first love. ⁵ Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent and do the first works.
What were the first works? Responding to the lover of your soul! He reached out to you at the cross and you responded. I don't know about you but when the lights came on in my soul, joy filled my heart and I wanted to drink in the Lord Jesus. I believe it is speaking of our responding to His love. Communing with Him. How can we respond to a persons love if we spend no time with them? And this is life eternal, that they might know Thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent. (John 17:3)

Have I left the one for whom I have been called out of darkness and into the light? Have I sought to really get to KNOW this one who loved me enough to die for me? Gettting to know Him requires time with Him. If I don't spend any time with Him, doesn't it stand to reason that I have left Him? If I have- I have set about trying to please Him again as if I had never recieved His grace! I don't think that we really get that God wants a relationship with us more than anything. He imparts His grace to us through the relationship. Time spent with Him in His word. (He IS the word.-John 1 )

And for those who think I am negating the importance of works.....I know my kids do best in school with a teacher that really takes the time to spend with them and really genuinely cares for them. They can go from an attitude of having to do it, to WANTING to do it and it is beautiful to behold. This is what I am finding in my relationship with Christ. I no longer think of obedience as I HAVE TO, but as I have gotten to know Jesus and His heart for me, It's not have to- but it's WANT TO!

As I have spent time with him, I have come to love Christ more and more and it's this love that motivates me to want to feed His sheep.

This morning ask yourself are you trying to do good without Him?

It can't be done! Not only that but it is an adulterous heart that goes wandering to seek to accomplish ANYTHING without Him!. The picture below depicts Peter who thought he knew himself better than Jesus did. After Peter rejected Gods word in his heart his actions followed.. And with self-confidence (as opposed to Christ confidence) Peter said: "Though all should forsake thee, yet will not I. I am ready to go with thee, to prison and to death." And then we all know what happened. This is where self confidence will take us. Peter sat and warmed himself by a fire of mans making instead of letting the fire burning in the heart of Christ, crucify his own best thinking. And before the rooster crowed three times Peter had denied Christ!.

Behold, all ye that kindle a fire, that compass [yourselves] about with sparks: walk in the light of your fire, and in the sparks [that] ye have kindled. This shall ye have of mine hand; ye shall lie down in sorrow. Isaiah 50:11