Love: The Heart of Our Faith
In our journey of faith, it’s easy to get caught up in the details of doctrine, the rigors of religious practice, and the pursuit of moral purity. But what if, in our zeal for these good things, we’ve lost sight of the most important aspect of our relationship with God? What if, like the church in Ephesus, we’ve abandoned our first love?
The book of Revelation paints a vivid picture of Jesus walking among seven golden lampstands, representing seven churches. To the church in Ephesus, He had both words of commendation and criticism. They were praised for their hard work, perseverance, and intolerance of false teaching. Yet, despite their apparent faithfulness, Jesus had one significant rebuke: “You have forsaken the love you had at first.”
This powerful message serves as a wake-up call for all believers. It reminds us that at the core of our faith lies not just right doctrine or good deeds, but a deep, abiding love for God and for others.
The Danger of Loveless Orthodoxy
It’s possible to have all the right answers, to know Scripture inside and out, to be morally upright, and yet miss the very heart of what it means to follow Christ. The Ephesian church excelled in many areas, but they had lost the fervor and passion that marked their early days of faith.
This serves as a sobering reminder that we can become so focused on being right that we forget to be loving. We can become so zealous for truth that we neglect the greatest commandment: to love God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength, and to love our neighbor as ourselves.
The apostle Paul’s words in 1 Corinthians 13 ring true here: “If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing.” Knowledge, faith, and even sacrificial deeds are meaningless if not motivated by love.
Rekindling Our First Love
So how do we guard against this drift into loveless orthodoxy? Jesus provides a three-step remedy:
1. Remember: Recall the passion and zeal of your early days of faith. Remember the joy of your salvation, the excitement of discovering God’s love for the first time.
2. Repent: Acknowledge where you’ve fallen short, where you’ve allowed your love to grow cold. Turn away from the attitudes and actions that have led you astray.
3. Return: Go back to the practices that first kindled your love for God. Spend time in His presence, meditate on His Word, worship Him with abandon.
This call to return to our first love isn’t just about feelings or emotions. It’s about realigning our hearts with God’s heart, allowing His love to flow through us to others.
The Promise to Those Who Overcome
To those who heed this call and overcome, Jesus offers a beautiful promise: “To the one who is victorious, I will give the right to eat from the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God.” This imagery harkens back to the Garden of Eden, symbolizing restored communion with God and eternal life in His presence.
This promise reminds us that our ultimate goal is not just right belief or moral behavior, but intimate relationship with God. It’s a relationship that begins now and extends into eternity.
Love: The Greatest of These
The message to the church in Ephesus serves as a timely reminder for all believers. In a world that often values knowledge over compassion, and being right over being loving, we are called to a different way. We are called to love God passionately and to let that love overflow to those around us.
This doesn’t mean abandoning truth or compromising on important doctrines. Rather, it means holding fast to the truth in love. It means allowing our knowledge of God to fuel our love for Him and for others.
As we reflect on this message, let’s ask ourselves some challenging questions:
– What drives our spiritual disciplines? Is it love for God or a desire to appear righteous?
– How do we treat those who disagree with us? Do we approach them with love and humility, or with arrogance and contempt?
– Are we more concerned with winning arguments or winning hearts?
– Does our knowledge of God lead us to greater love for Him and for others?
The call to return to our first love is not a one-time event, but a continual process. It requires intentionality and perseverance. But the reward is beyond compare – a deeper, richer relationship with God and the ability to impact the world around us with His love.
As we pursue this path, may we echo the words of the beloved disciple John: “We love because He first loved us.” Let our lives be marked not just by right beliefs and good deeds, but by an overwhelming, transformative love that flows from the heart of God Himself.
In a world hungry for authentic love and genuine relationships, may we be known not just for what we believe, but for how we love. May our orthodoxy be infused with the warmth of God’s love, drawing others to the One who is love incarnate.
As we go forward, let’s hold fast to the truth, but let’s do so with hearts ablaze with love for God and for others. For in the end, as Paul reminds us, three things will last forever—faith, hope, and love—and the greatest of these is love.