The First Love

The First Love

The angel of the church in Ephesus received a very good testimony: “And have patience, and have labored for My name’s sake and have not become weary. Nevertheless, I have this against you, that you have left your first love.”

Then he received an exhortation to repent; otherwise Jesus would remove his lampstand from its place. Presumably it stood in the front. What was the first love? The first love was that he had done everything for which he was being praised for Jesus’ name’s sake without getting weary. His only thought was the honor of Jesus’ name. That is the first love. He was still zealous, and he was not criticized for the works he had done. However, now he thought not only of Jesus’ name. Now he had begun to think of his own name. Jesus praised him further that he hated the deeds of the Nicolaitans, which Jesus also hated.

Reading further in Chapter 3 we see that the angel of the church in Sardis had been so zealous that he had received a name that he was alive, but Jesus said that he was dead. By this we understand that he had not thought of Jesus’ name, but only of his own name. Because of his great zeal to get a reputation the others were also drawn together with him into the same death. He was exhorted to remember how he had heard and learned. We can assume that this same death is quite common among those who work for God. They sacrifice much to get a revival going, and if it succeeds, they also receive a name. Yes, they even become renowned.

In the world—also in the religious world—it is important to have a famous name. In Job 31:33-34 we read the following: “Have I, as people are apt to do, covered my transgressions by hiding my iniquity in my bosom, because I feared the great multitude, and dreaded the contempt of families, so that I kept silence and did not go out of the door?”

That is the usual thing. As human beings, we are afraid of reproach. Many people go around with a bad conscience because they do not want to bear the reproach that comes with confessing their sin. The worse the matter is which they should have confessed, the worse they suffer in their conscience. They suffer from envy, because others receive a greater name than they. Therefore Paul gives us this exhortation: “Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another.” Gal. 5:26.

“You have a few names even in Sardis who have not defiled their garments; and they shall walk with Me in white, for they are worthy. He who overcomes shall be clothed in white garments, and I will not blot out his name from the Book of Life; but I will confess his name before My Father and before His angels.” Rev. 3:4-5.

In Colossians 3:12 and 14 we read about putting on the virtues. That is the white garment. However, then it is important that we do not defile these garments with the honor of man, so that Jesus can confess our names before His Father and before His angels.

According to this we understand what Paul writes in Philippians 2:19-22. He had only Timothy whom he could send because Timothy had a sincere care for them. All the others sought their own, and not the things which are of Christ Jesus.