3. They checked out those who claimed to be apostles of Christ, and rejected those who were fakes.
4. They didn't give up, but kept on persevering. They practiced being patient and did not tire of doing their work.
5. They hated the things the Nicolaitans did and taught, and stood firmly against these practices. The Nicolaitans were people who insisted that it was OK to be sexually immoral and to worship idols by eating the sacrifices. These were the practices that the people in the city accepted and did. Ephesus was a pagan city with pagan temples where these things were done as acts of worship to their gods. "Hey, we've got to get along with our neighbors, don 't we? Shouldn't offend them, you know." The church in Ephesus didn't buy that, and refused to make such excuses or try to justify such immoral and ungodly actions.
B. Praise from Jesus Christ Himself
Again, WOW! Could you think of a better recommendation? Christ Himself was commending them for these things. Many would point to such a church today and say, "Now here's an example of what a church should be like. We ought to try to be like this church." But wait! Something was very wrong---just one thing, according to verse 4. It says they had quit loving like they did at first. "Well, no problem, right? After all, they got all of the rest right, didn't they?" Could love be so important as long as we get the rest right? Yes it could, according to the apostle Paul. In 1 Cor. 13:1-3 he said that it doesn't matter how much good work you do; if it isn't done in love it is worthless.
C. Judged from the Human Point-of-view
Many would judge the congregation in Ephesus to be just about perfect. But this was not what Christ thought. When we lose our love, we often turn to law-keeping and accomplishment to justify ourselves. Perhaps the church in Ephesus did this. One thing we know; since they had left their first love they were doing all the right things for the wrong reasons. Perhaps they thought they had to do those things in order to be good enough to be saved. In Gal. 5:4 Paul says that when you try to be justified by law you have fallen from grace, and are estranged (separated) from Christ. Christ said to the church in Ephesus in verse 5, "Remember therefore from where you have fallen . . . ." They had fallen, and were in danger of being separated from Christ, not just as individuals, but as a church.
D. Love Better than Law
When it comes to motivating us to do good works, love is better than law. Love goes the second mile. Love is what caused God to send Jesus to save us (John 3:16-17). Love is what motivated Jesus to die for us (Rom. 5:8). Love is the very nature of God Himself (1 John 4:8, 16). Jesus said that love for God and love for our fellow man were the two most important commands (Matt. 22:36-40). They are at the top of the list. Nothing else can take their place. Love fulfills all the law, but none of the law can substitute for love. The one new command that Jesus gave was to love as He Himself had loved (John 13:34; 1 John 4:21).
1. To Fall Away from Love Is to Fall Away from God. This is because God is love. The person who follows law without love has a tendency to be arrogant. He has been known to say, "I'm right and you're wrong, and you're going to hell if you don't get it right like me," or words to that effect. In an illustration I once heard (I don't remember when or where), a person had been attending church for several months, but resisted accepting Christ. When a new preacher came, it wasn't long until he responded and accepted Christ. Someone asked him why he hadn't responded before. What made the difference? He said, "They both preached the same thing. They both told me that without Christ I was going to hell. The difference is that the first preacher acted like he was glad of it, but it seemed to break the heart of the new preacher to think that I might go to hell."
2. Love, Essential to the Life of a Real Christian or a Real Congregation. To fall away from love surely calls for drastic measures. Ephesus was warned of the results in verse 4: "I will come to you quickly and remove your lampstand from its place unless you repent." In other words, "You will no longer be My church." Drastic measures? Yes indeed. But the hope is that the church in Ephesus would repent and return to the love which formerly motivated their works before their lampstand (congregation) was finally removed.
E. Required Action
1. Remember. "Remember therefore from where you have fallen; . . . " What does that mean? They had to remember what it was like - that sweet fellowship with one another and with God in the bond of love - and return to the love that they had at the beginning. They had to begin again to look at people with concern. They had to see them as objects of God's love, and love them too. They had to see one another as brothers and sisters, children of the same Father God, and begin to be more tolerant and helpful, instead of judgmental and condemning. They had to quit putting God's erring children out of the church with harshness and begin to try to reclaim them with the discipline of love.
2. Repent. ". . . repent and do the first works." Real repentance would put the works they were doing back on track, in the context of love. The first works were works of love. The result of overcoming their problem (verse 7) would be that they would be accepted and included rather than removed from God's fellowship. The result would be eternal life in God's paradise. They could not function properly under their own power. They had to remember that Jesus is the one who holds not only the messengers in His hand, but all the members as well. They had to remember that He walks among them and knows the inmost secrets of their hearts. Their love had to be genuine; they couldn't fake it.
F. These Admonitions Meant for Us
Please notice that verse 7 says these admonitions are meant for "whoever has an ear." Since I have an ear, I guess that means me. What about you? It also says the Spirit is speaking to the churches (plural). This is not just for the one in Ephesus. That means if you as an individual, or your church, find yourselves pictured in this letter, then you too need to "repent and do the first works," or else the Lord may remove you like He did the church in Ephesus. The apostle Paul spent three and one-half years preaching and teaching in Ephesus. He had poured himself into that church. But now it is all gone. History shows that the lampstand at Ephesus has been removed. It no longer exists. I wonder how that makes Paul feel, looking down from above, to see his work of love and this church which he loved go down the drain. It reminds me of something Paul wrote in 1 Cor. 3:12-15:
Now if anyone builds on this foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, each one's work will become clear; for the Day will declare it, because it will be revealed by fire; and the fire will test each one's work, of what sort it is. If anyone's work which he has built on it endures, he will receive a reward. If anyone's work is burned, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire.
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