What is the most important thing in a person’s faith life? Hard work? It is important for sure. However, there is a more essential element - it is love towards God.
“Love God and love your neighbor.” This was the Law’s requirement towards Israel. But Israel’s history showed that humans were not able to love God. This is why Jesus was punished. The fact we receive Jesus’ merit today also means we gain a new chance to successfully love God.
Because people have the nature to seek their own interest, it is hard to continue pure love. When someone first meets Jesus, he is grateful for God’s love and grace. As he goes through all kinds of conflicts and problems, he gradually starts caring for himself. Finally, he replaces love for God with love for himself. How lost and betrayed must God feel when we do not leave room for Him, though we had received God’s love by the only begotten Son?
We remain on earth for a while but hope in an eternal tomorrow. This is because we have faith. But if we lose the essence of faith, what will happen to our souls? Concerning this, we need to examine the case of the Ephesian church in the Bible.
Ephesus was a rich port city in the eastern Mediterranean. They worshiped the goddess Artemis and their culture was steeped in desire for wealth and moral corruption. Nonetheless, Paul’s ministry was successful, and it founded the Ephesian church which influenced the whole of Asia. Yet 40 years later, the Ephesian church received a shocking letter: it was the Lord’s letter, written by the hand of apostle John.
The Lord knew about their labor, hardships and struggles. He also knew they did not accept people who harmed the church, and knew they exposed those like wolves who did not care deeply for the flock. He acknowledged that they kept the truth despite being persecuted for decades, and that they hated immoral and wicked people. But the Lord said, “Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken the love you had at first.” He warned them, “If you do not repent, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place.”
The Ephesian church was great in many ways, but they had one weakness which overshadowed everything - they forsook the love they had at first. They were hard working, knowledgeable and outwardly attractive, but they did not have the most essential element. The church appeared exemplary, yet the Lord actually had not been loved by them, and the saints were dry out of love.
The Lord’s warning to the Ephesian church is given to every church. God loves us! If our hearts do not burn for God, what use is our hard work? The Lord gives us grace! If our yearning for the Lord grows cool, what use are our efforts? The moment we stop loving Him, it is like our spirits are dead.
We are already living in the last times. Let’s receive the Lord’s unlimited love and love Him passionately. More than anything - let’s never fail in being a church which loves the Lord. Let’s lay down all personal interests and love the church by the Lord’s new commandment. Let’s love the saints, who are members of the church. Let’s hold to this last chance of eternal life with passionate love for the Lord.
(Lord’s Day Service on December 13, 2020)
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