Robert Wurtz II
Two Essential Realities
When we reduce true Christianity to it's most basic truths there are just two requirements: that we love the Lord our God with all of our heart, soul, mind, and strength and our neighbor as ourselves. (Mark 12:30) Upon these two commandments rest all of the word of God (Matthew 22:37). Unless these commandments are realities in our Christian life, no matter how much we give to God or do for God, it is all in vain (I Corinthians 13:1ff). I John 4:16 reads, And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him. This love that we have known and believed should have a profound effect on us. 1 John 4:19 tells us that we love God because He first loved us. God's love for us is the direct cause of our love for Him. This truth is consistent throughout the Bible. Verse 11 states, Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another. When we deeply consider the genuine sacrificial love that God poured upon us while we were yet sinners, the natural outworking of that love is to love God and love one another (I John 4:19ff). This is as plain as anything.
To Whom Much is Forgiven…
There was a time in our Lord's ministry that a woman came and washed his feet with her tears and wiped them off with the very hairs of her head. The woman did not cease from kissing His feet. The Pharisee who resented this display showed no such affection for Jesus. Jesus answered this Pharisee, Wherefore I say unto thee, Her sins, which are many, are forgiven; for she loved much: but to whom little is forgiven, the same loveth little. (Luke 7:47) The Pharisee telegraphed an inordinate appreciation for Christ's love and compassion. He could not relate to this dear woman. He obviously never took the time to appreciate God's forgiveness in his own life. Sadly, his pride and arrogance stripped the man of any real and meaningful love for God. He should have known that one sin is enough to damn his everlasting soul to a devils Hell, and that he ought to be recklessly thankful. Apparently he perceived his sin as little, but the woman knew her sin was great and in this example we learn a great lesson about the human condition. When we cease to appreciate the love that God showed us we neither “kiss the Lord’s feet” with our love, nor do we welcome others to do likewise. This man showed almost no love for Christ or his neighbor. Could it have began when he would not recognize his own great need for forgiveness? Did he stop to consider his own sins?What can we say but that he conveniently cast his thankfulness as far as the east was from the west where God cast his sins? God save us from the attitude, "Lord forgive me and get over it!" How can a person truly love when they never consider the penalty for their sins in light of God's mercy? God was under no obligation to reconcile Himself to man. God deliver us from a destructive attitude of expectation of grace and mercy as if somehow God 'owed' man mercy. How destructive would such a mindset be? Where was this man's love for Christ? If there is no love for Christ we have no choice but to assume that the man never appreciated God's mercy towards him. We love God because He first loved us.
The Church at Ephesus
The church at Ephesus had the greatest teaching available of the churches in the New Testament, especially on the subject of love. We know by tradition that both Paul the Apostle and John the Revelator worked diligently with this church. Paul in the book of Ephesians tells us that we should be holy and without blame for Him in love (1:4) and commends the church for their love for the saints (1:15). In 2:4 he reminds the people of the great love wherewith God loved us to quicken us with Christ while we were dead in sins. In 3:17 Paul tells us that we should be rooted and grounded in love and verse 19 we read these words… And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God. In 4:2 we are admonished to “bear with” one another in love and to speak the truth in love (v15) until the body is built and edified in love (v16). Perhaps 5:1,2 are the most telling… Be ye therefore followers of God, as dear children; And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweetsmelling savour. Three times Paul tells the husbands to love their wives as themselves, even as Christ loved the Church and gave himself for it (5:25, 28, 33).
Two Final Pleas to Love
Paul under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit made two final pleas of love when he closed his writing… Peace be to the brethren, and love with faith, from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Grace be with all them that love our Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity. Amen (Ephesians 6:23,24). It can be noted that I Corinthians was written by Paul from Ephesus which contains the great love chapter- I Corinthians 13:1ff (I Corinthians 16:8). As we mentioned, John the Revalator spent much time at Ephesus and is believed to have written the Gospel of John from there. Imagine that from Ephesus he may have penned the words “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten son….” Ephesus was inundated with the teaching of love, both in word and in example.
Burning For Another
John the Revelator writing from the isle of Patmos saw visions of the great and mighty majesty of Christ. As one of the first orders of business Christ gives a report on the condition of the seven churches of Asia. He begins with Ephesus. The Living Bible captures the essense of what is happening… here Jesus says: “I know how many good things you are doing. I have watched your hard work and your patience; I know you don't tolerate sin among your members, and you have carefully examined the claims of those who say they are apostles but aren't. You have found out how they lie. You have patiently suffered for me without quitting. "Yet there is one thing wrong; you don't love me as at first! Think about those times of your first love (how different now!) and turn back to me again and work as you did before; or else I will come and remove your candlestick from its place among the churches.” (TLB)
Burning For Another
John the Revelator writing from the isle of Patmos saw visions of the great and mighty majesty of Christ. As one of the first orders of business Christ gives a report on the condition of the seven churches of Asia. He begins with Ephesus. The Living Bible captures the essense of what is happening… here Jesus says: “I know how many good things you are doing. I have watched your hard work and your patience; I know you don't tolerate sin among your members, and you have carefully examined the claims of those who say they are apostles but aren't. You have found out how they lie. You have patiently suffered for me without quitting. "Yet there is one thing wrong; you don't love me as at first! Think about those times of your first love (how different now!) and turn back to me again and work as you did before; or else I will come and remove your candlestick from its place among the churches.” (TLB)
What horror John must have felt! They seemed to be doing everything right, but their motivation was all wrong. They had become a sounding brass and a tinkling symbol; and all these other works profited them nothing. Their hearts had grown cold towards God. They hated sin, but did not balance it with their love for Christ. They had abandoned their love for Christ that should have been chief and foremost (GK. protos). If there is no real love for Christ we need not look for a love for the saints and vice versa (I John 3, 4). After all that teaching on love and all that example of what love was, they forsook the great love that they once had for Christ. This seems almost unconscionable, but it happened. They naturally in an atmosphere such as this would have hated sin without having the heart of God for lost souls. When love is gone as the motivation men and women are moved by anger, contention, strife, fear, envy, resentment, jealousy, guilt or vain glory, but not by love to do Christ’s work (See Philippians 1:16). The Church of the living God is to be built up in love. In an atmosphere of lovelessness they would have condemned the guilty without considering their own sins (Galatians 6:1). The could not rightly represent Christ unless the love of God was being shed abroad in their hearts by the Holy Spirit. (Romans 5:5)
Retracing Our Footsteps
The church at Ephesus, like so many Christians, once had a great love for Christ-but lost it little by little. The physics law of the conservation of matter guarantees that the love did not 'dissappear', it was redistributed somewhere else. This is a travesty in the body of Christ. The blood bought Saints of the living God begin to take the love that once belonged only to God and gave it to someone or something else. This is the true definition of harlotry; to take the love that belongs to the one and give it to another. As our Creator He deserves all of our lives- how much more as our redeemer? These in Ephesus were bought with a price, but they took themselves back from God little by little. They offered their body as a living sacrifice to God in the beginning- as they fully considered all that Christ had done; it was the only thing 'logical' to do. (Romans 12:1) But something happened. They no longer burned for God as they once did. They are now burning for something else. Christ warned them. Why not take the lamp stand? If we don't burn for Christ what do we need a lamp stand for?
The church at Ephesus, like so many Christians, once had a great love for Christ-but lost it little by little. The physics law of the conservation of matter guarantees that the love did not 'dissappear', it was redistributed somewhere else. This is a travesty in the body of Christ. The blood bought Saints of the living God begin to take the love that once belonged only to God and gave it to someone or something else. This is the true definition of harlotry; to take the love that belongs to the one and give it to another. As our Creator He deserves all of our lives- how much more as our redeemer? These in Ephesus were bought with a price, but they took themselves back from God little by little. They offered their body as a living sacrifice to God in the beginning- as they fully considered all that Christ had done; it was the only thing 'logical' to do. (Romans 12:1) But something happened. They no longer burned for God as they once did. They are now burning for something else. Christ warned them. Why not take the lamp stand? If we don't burn for Christ what do we need a lamp stand for?
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