![]() Jesus gave clear instructions to the Ephesian church regarding returning to their first love: “I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love. Remember, Repent, and Do the “First Works” Our love for God can certainly wane when we lose our sense of needing Him. We see this scenario over and over in God’s Word, and we see it in our lives today! The church at Laodicea also experienced this same problem in their relationship to the Lord, eliciting this admonition from Jesus: “Thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked” (Revelation 3:17). Later, as God continues to meet our needs, we tend to forget that we had them! We begin to feel self-sufficient and foolishly believe that what we have gained was due to our own wisdom and effort. Our need for God brought us to Him for salvation. Why does our love for the Lord cool in the first place? Our love for God can certainly wane when we lose our sense of needing Him. Have you ever found yourself in this position, having strayed from the nearness of God and needing to rekindle your love for Him? Do you long for the warmth and closeness of that initial relationship with God, but you don’t know how to go back? Not only did He point out where they had erred, but He also encouraged them to remember where their relationship had been and make the necessary changes to restore the former relationship. Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works” (Revelation 2:4–5). In a vision to the Apostle John, Jesus addressed His disappointment regarding this very issue with the church at Ephesus: “I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love. When a believer does not give his relationship with the Lord the focus and attention that any vibrant relationship needs, his love for God will grow cold. However, relationships take work! Just as people can grow cool or distant toward one another when they fail to give their relationship the attention it needs, so can many Christians fall away from their first love for the Lord. God’s Spirit witnesses with his spirit that he is a child of God (see Romans 8:16), and this newfound relationship brings great wonder, joy, and freedom. When a person receives Christ as his Savior, he experiences the delight of “first love” for the Lord. ![]()
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