I know your works, even your labor and your patience, and that you are not able to endure evil people. You have also tested those who call themselves apostles and are not, and found them to be liars. You also have patience and endure hardship because of My name and have not grown weary. But I have this against you, that you have left your first love. .Rev. 2:2-4.
In this passage we see Jesus' analysis of the church at Ephesus. He has a number of positive things to say about it. An energetic church that knows how to work (verse 2), it is also a patient one that endures without getting weary (verse 2). It has discernment and is doctrinally sound (verses 2 and 6). Interested in truth, it does not want to see falsehood gain entry among the believers. At first glance it would be easy to get excited about this very effective church, but it has one small problem: the church is backsliding in love (verse 4).
Christian life contains many paradoxes, and they can be hard to maintain. On one hand, we have the call to be faithful, energetic, discerning, and doctrinally sound. On the other hand, God summons us to be masterful in love. Keeping them in balance can be a difficult tension. Checking someone out to see if they are doctrinally sound at the same time we are trying to love them can be hard to do. The desire for sound doctrine and decisive action often leads to the loss of mutual love, which is the badge of discipleship. "By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another" (John 13:35, NIV).
It reminds me of a story that Martin Luther told about drunken peasants. He would ask people, "Do you know what happens when you put a drunken peasant on a horse? The one thing you know for sure is that he is going to fall off the horse! What you don't know is whether he will fall off the horse to the right or the left!" Luther felt that Christians often resemble drunken peasants on a horse. We have a hard time maintaining our balance between the gospel of free acceptance, on the one hand, and keeping the commandments, on the other. Luther felt that every time he proclaimed the gospel, the people forgot to obey. And every time he preached obedience, they forgot the gospel.
I find that true in my own experience. When I emphasize love and the gospel, obedience seems a little less important. But I find encouragement in the experience of Ephesus. While the early Christians had the memory of walking with Jesus and even had living apostles among them, they still had to deal with some of the same issues we struggle with today. If the early Christians had this same problem, we should not expect to have an easy time of it today. We need the Holy Spirit's presence at all times if we want to keep our balance.
Lord, I need Your Spirit to keep my balance today.
In this passage we see Jesus' analysis of the church at Ephesus. He has a number of positive things to say about it. An energetic church that knows how to work (verse 2), it is also a patient one that endures without getting weary (verse 2). It has discernment and is doctrinally sound (verses 2 and 6). Interested in truth, it does not want to see falsehood gain entry among the believers. At first glance it would be easy to get excited about this very effective church, but it has one small problem: the church is backsliding in love (verse 4).
Christian life contains many paradoxes, and they can be hard to maintain. On one hand, we have the call to be faithful, energetic, discerning, and doctrinally sound. On the other hand, God summons us to be masterful in love. Keeping them in balance can be a difficult tension. Checking someone out to see if they are doctrinally sound at the same time we are trying to love them can be hard to do. The desire for sound doctrine and decisive action often leads to the loss of mutual love, which is the badge of discipleship. "By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another" (John 13:35, NIV).
It reminds me of a story that Martin Luther told about drunken peasants. He would ask people, "Do you know what happens when you put a drunken peasant on a horse? The one thing you know for sure is that he is going to fall off the horse! What you don't know is whether he will fall off the horse to the right or the left!" Luther felt that Christians often resemble drunken peasants on a horse. We have a hard time maintaining our balance between the gospel of free acceptance, on the one hand, and keeping the commandments, on the other. Luther felt that every time he proclaimed the gospel, the people forgot to obey. And every time he preached obedience, they forgot the gospel.
I find that true in my own experience. When I emphasize love and the gospel, obedience seems a little less important. But I find encouragement in the experience of Ephesus. While the early Christians had the memory of walking with Jesus and even had living apostles among them, they still had to deal with some of the same issues we struggle with today. If the early Christians had this same problem, we should not expect to have an easy time of it today. We need the Holy Spirit's presence at all times if we want to keep our balance.
Lord, I need Your Spirit to keep my balance today.
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