“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. 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 2:1-5 ESV)
As Christ addressed the seven churches - true historical churches, but also churches like them throughout history, and those of us who are a part of them, His first concern is not so much what we do, but what our relationship with Him is. Do we have that passionate love. He asks us, like Peter at the sea: "Do you love me?" We can be doing all the right things, and abhoring all the wrong things, without loving Christ. May we sing from our hearts today that last verse of "Spirit of God, Descend upon My Heart":
Teach me to love you as your angels love,
one holy passion filling all my frame:
the fullness of the heaven-descended Dove;
my heart an altar, and your love the flame.
No comments:
Post a Comment