REVELATION 2:1-7
g159 They were not walking in a consciousness and awareness of Christ’s presence, joying and rejoicing in Him
throughout the day.
Simply stated, they were not having personal fellowship with Christ, walking and sharing with Him like they once did.
They were not as attached to Christ as they had been. They were more attached to other things and other involvements of life.
They loved their church and they had the right beliefs, and they were even ready to fight for the truth of Christ. But they did
not love Christ, not in a personal and intimate way, not to the degree that they walked and shared with Him, fellowshipped
and communed with Him all throughout the day, not in the sense that they took blocks of time and got alone with Him and
prayed and shared with Him.

Thought 1. Picture a young man who falls in love with a young lady. He wants to spend time with her and share
with her. He wants to become attached to her and make her first in his life. This should always be our desire with
Christ.

“And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold” (Mt.24:12).
“Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my
Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him” (Jn.14:23).
“For the Father himself loveth you, because ye have loved me, and have believed that I
came out from God” (Jn.16:27).
“Grace be with all them that love our Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity” (Eph.6:24).
“Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye
rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory” (1 Pt.1:8).
“Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love”
(Rev.2:4).
“Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I
will come into him, and will sup with him, and he with me” (Rev.3:20).
“Go and cry in the ears of Jerusalem, saying, Thus saith the LORD; I remember thee, the
kindness of thy youth, the love of thine espousals, when thou wentest after me in the wilder-
ness, in a land that was not sown” (Jer.2:2).

2. The church had lost its love for people The church saw a rupture take place in its fellowship and in its love for one
another. When the church was first founded, a deep love existed among the members (cp. Acts 20:17-38). The church had a
loving heart and a helping hand—a readiness to labor together even through persecution. But something happened. What?
There is no explanation. So all the negative things that rupture a fellowship or erase love are applicable: criticism, grumbling,
jealousy, a selfish mind.

“A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye al-
so love one another. By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to anoth-
er” (Jn.13:34-35).
“This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you” (Jn.15:12).
“Let love be without dissimulation [hypocrisy]. Abhor that which is evil; cleave to that which is
good” (Ro.12:9).
“Now I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same
thing, and that there be no divisions among you; but that ye be perfectly joined together in the same
mind and in the same judgment” (1 Cor.1:10).
“For ye are yet carnal: for whereas there is among you envying, and strife, and divisions, are ye
not carnal, and walk as men?” (1 Cor.3:3).
“Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned love
of the brethren, see that ye love one another with a pure heart fervently” (1 Pt.1:22).

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(2:5) Repentance—Remember: there is the counsel. The Lord counsels the church to return to him. When a church or a
believer goes astray, the Lord issues the very same call that He issues here: return. Three steps are involved in returning.
1. First, remember from where you have fallen. Think back over your former love for the Lord. Remember His pres-
ence:
g159 the feelings of warmth and tenderness
g159 the fervor, spark, and unction
g159 the fellowship and communion with Him
g159 the prayer and sharing
g159 the consciousness and awareness of His presence
g159 the joy and rejoicing of His presence that filled your heart
Again, remember the Lord’s presence, the love that existed between you and Him.
2. Second, repent: turn away from whatever has pulled you away from Christ and turn back to Christ. Something has
drawn you away from Christ. You are attached to something more than you are to Christ. Something is consuming your
thoughts and energies and keeping your mind from focusing upon Christ and fellowshipping and communing with Him. You
are not flickering your mind to Him in prayer as you walk throughout the day. You are not sharing and communing with Him
like you did. Something has replaced Him in your thoughts and attention. And you are more attached to that thing than you
are to Christ. Repent—turn away from that attachment and turn back to Christ.

“Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand” (Mt.3:2).
“Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted” (Mt.5:4).
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