THE FIRST LOVE
Revelation 2:2-7 (King James Version)
2 I know thy works, and thy labour, and thy patience, and how thou canst not bear them which are evil: and thou hast tried them which say they are apostles, and are not, and hast found them liars:
3 And hast borne, and hast patience, and for my name's sake hast laboured, and hast not fainted.
4 Nevertheless, I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love.
5 Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent.
6 But this thou hast, that thou hatest the deeds of the Nicolaitanes, which I also hate.
7 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God.
According to verses 2-3 of Revelation 2,
Verse 2, I know thy works, …………………….................... number 1 quality
thy labour, and …………………………………................. number 2 quality.
thy patience, and ……………………………….................. number 3 quality
how thou canst not bear them which are evil: and ………… number 4 quality
thou hast tried them which say they are apostles, and are not, and hast found them liars
...... number 5 quality
verse 3 And hast borne, and ………………………………… number 6 quality
hast patience, and ……………………………………………. number 7 quality
for my name's sake hast laboured, and ……………................ number 8 quality
hast not fainted……………………………………………….. number 9 quality
Nine qualities were mentioned here to describe this born-again, Spirit-filled Christian. Based on these listed qualities, it is evident that this person is a fervent Christian, diligently obeying God day and night, and striving for perfection. Perhaps you are an example of such a person, living every minute as if Christ could return at any moment. You do not compromise your faith and strive to follow every single word of God. In your workplace, while others may lie, you choose to remain truthful. You have faced much persecution as a result of your persistence in the Lord, but have not fainted. You have labored for Christ, possibly having had the privilege to know God for many years, and still persist in Him. You have won souls for Christ and fulfilled all that Jesus asked of you. However, God still has something against you.
’’YOU HAVE LEFT YOUR FIRST LOVE’’ VERSE 4 Nevertheless, I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love.
What God has against you is that you have left your first love. When you first gave your life to Christ, you frequently engaged in evangelism, prayer, and visiting new converts. You were once so zealous for God, but now you realize you are not as active as you were before. Instead, you have delegated these responsibilities to those who came to Christ after you, acting as if you are their senior. You believe that since you have served God, it is time to nominate others to continue the work. Remember, God is no respecter of persons. He can raise stones or do anything to do His work. God loves you so much that Jesus does not want to replace you. That is why He is telling you now to remember where you have fallen and warning you in Revelation 2:5: "Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent and do the first works, or else I will come to you quickly and remove your lampstand from its place, unless you repent." You need to repent and act accordingly. According to Revelation 2:7, "He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes, I will give to eat from the tree of life, which is in the midst of the Paradise of God." My prayer is that we shall not miss our place and our crown in heaven, in Jesus' name. Amen.
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