Accusation: (2:4):
Although they had all the qualities of labour, toil, sacrifice and suffering, they had no motivation for the love for Christ. What is “first love”? It is the devotion to Christ that so often characterizes the new believer: fervent, personal, uninhibited, excited, and openly displayed. It is the “honeymoon love” of the husband and wife (Jer. 2:1-2). While it is true that mature married love deepens and grows richer, it is also true that it should never lose the excitement and wonder of those “honeymoon days.” When a husband and wife begin to take each other for granted, and life becomes routine, then the marriage is in danger.
Just think of it: it is possible to serve, sacrifice, and suffer “for My name’s sake” and yet not really love Jesus Christ! The Ephesians believers were so busy maintaining their separation that they were neglecting adoration. Labour is no substitute for love; neither is purity a substitute for passion. The church must have both of it to please Him.
By reading Paul’s epistle to the Ephesians, we discover at least 20-references to love. We also discover that Paul emphasized the believer’s exalted position “in Christ in the heavenly places.” But the Ephesian church had fallen and was not living up to its heavenly position in Christ (Rev. 2:5). It is only as we love Christ fervently that we can serve Him faithfully. Our love for Him must be pure (Eph. 6:24).
Admonition: (2: 5-7):
“First love” can be restored if we follow the three instructions Christ gave.
- We must Admit our sins, Believe that the Lord Jesus can cleanse us.
- We must confess our sins to the Lord (1 Jn.1:9).
- We must restore the original fellowship that was broken by our sin and neglect.
For the believer, this means prayer, Bible reading and meditation, obedient service, and worship.In spite of the privileges it had enjoyed, the church of Ephesus was in danger of losing its light! The church that loses its love will soon lose its light.
The “overcomers” are not a “spiritual elite,” but rather the true believers whose faith has given them victory (1 Jn. 5:4-5). Sinful man was banned from the tree of life (Gen. 3:22-24), but in Christ we have eternal abundant life. Christ promises the overcomers at Ephesus that they will “eat of the tree of life which is in the Paradise of God.” We enjoy this blessing now, and we shall enjoy it in greater measure in eternity (22:1-5).
The example of the Ephesian church warns that right beliefs and outward service cannot make up for a cold heart. “Watch over your heart with all diligence, for from it flow the springs of life”(Pro.4:23). The glorious city of Ephesus is today is but a heap of stones and no light is shining.
The church of Ephesus was the “careless church,” made up of careless believers who neglected their love for Christ. Are we guilty of the same neglect?
II Smyrna:The suffering Church (2:8-11)
The name Smyrna means “bitter” and is related to the word myrrh.Myrrh is a substance used as a perfume for the living (Matt.2:11) and the dead (Jn.19:39) perfectly pictures the suffering. The city remains a functioning community today called Izmir. The assembly at Smyrna was persecuted for the faith, which explains why the Lord emphasized His death and resurrection as He opened His message. No matter what experiences God’s people may have, their Lord identifies with them. Smyrna displayed the power ad purity resulting from enduring persecution. Smyrna along with the Philadelphia churches are the only 2-churches which received no condemnation.
The Lord Jesus Christ identifies Himself as “The First and the Last, who was dead and now lives”. It affirms that He is eternal, infinite God who existed before the creation and will continue to exist even after their destruction. This Church is a reflection of the some of the early churches during (130-312) A.D. During this period, there was severe persecution for the believers.
In 63 B.C. the Roman general Pompey conquered the city of Jerusalem, killing 12,000 Jewish holdouts on the Temple Mount. He then installed a Roman puppet government, thus ending the independent Jewish Maccabean nation. In 70 A.D., the Roman armies destroyed the city of Jerusalem, the Temple and over one million Jews died at the hands of Rome. The Jewish people were scattered throughout the world. Roman rule over Jerusalem continued until Muslims defeated Byzantines, the Roman successors in 634 A.D.