In the spirit of self-examination, we must confront the warning given to the Ephesians in Revelation 2:4, where it is said, "Nevertheless, I have this against you, that you have left your first love." This term "left," from the Greek "aphiēmi," implies abandonment, while "first," from "protos," signifies the foremost or most important. Thus, the Ephesians had abandoned their most important love, the highest duty to God as taught by Jesus Christ: "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and great commandment." This abandonment carries grave consequences, as Revelation 2:5 warns that if they do not repent, Christ will remove their lampstand, signifying the loss of His presence and their status as a recognized church. Though the Ephesians had commendable qualities like exemplary works, tireless labor for Christ's name, doctrinal vigilance, and hatred for false teachings, they had drifted from their initial faith and love, once so visible and noteworthy in their early Christian life as noted in Ephesians 1:15. We, too, are susceptible to such a drift through weariness, distraction, or complacency, losing sight of the whole—God Himself—while focusing on lesser matters. The command is clear: remember and repent. We must recall that first love, pictured as a zealous, single-minded focus, akin to young love or the passionate devotion described in Jeremiah 2:2, where God remembers the kindness of Israel's youth and the love of their betrothal, following Him in the wilderness. This love must be reclaimed and deepened into a mature bond, full of perspective, patience, and joy, mirroring Christ's love for the church. The call of Revelation 2:4-5 is personal. We are individually responsible to return our passionate focus to God through action, loving Him with all our heart, soul, and mind, as examples like David, Abraham, and Ruth inspire us to prioritize this most important love above all else.

In His letter to the Ephesian church, Christ rebuked them, declaring that they had left their first love. This foremost love, implied through Scripture, signifies an unconditional love for God, which is the first and greatest responsibility, enabling love for one another and for the law. Despite their dedication and resistance to false teachers, the Ephesian church's spiritual condition declined over time. Disputes and divisions arose, causing many to drift away from the loving fellowship of earlier years. This waning of love and unity prompted Christ's admonition, as their initial enthusiasm and devotion had faded. Other first-century churches also struggled with declining spirituality, showing diminishing faith, growing strife, and a neglect of their salvation, reflecting a broader pattern where faltering faith led to the loss of first love.

Leaving one's first love means trading deep, heartfelt devotion to Christ and the brethren for something less passionate and more mechanical. The Ephesians, whom Paul had thanked for their faith and love, still fought evil, guarded against false teachers, and labored steadfastly, yet Christ accused them of leaving their first, God-centered love. Doctrinal purity and a busy, apparently successful church can coexist with this loss, as many churches with full calendars and weary workers show. Christ's remedy has three parts: remember from where you have fallen, repent, and do the first works. Remembering calls for sincere self-examination, comparing present love with former zeal and recalling the goodness once experienced at baptism and initial justification. Repenting means correcting the error and returning to that earlier state of mind, where God's peace and grace motivate service. First love, protos agape, is more than affection; it is action. The first works flow from a zealous desire to serve God by serving man, with no thought of reward, recognition, or reciprocal service, so that God's nature rather than self motivates the work. The danger is grave: sin corrupts the mind and can become a way of life, and the sinner opens himself to Satan's influence. Therefore Christ threatens to remove the lampstand, meaning expulsion from the fellowship of the Body of Christ, to prompt urgent repentance while time remains. The overcomer is promised the tree of life in the Paradise of God.

In the message to the Ephesians in Revelation 2:4-5, Christ expresses concern that they have left their first love. He urges them to remember from where they have fallen, to repent, and to return to the first works they did when they initially knew Him. If they fail to repent, He warns that He will come quickly and remove their candlestick from its place. This departure from their first love is portrayed as a personal desertion of Christ Himself, a turning away from a singular Being, their Savior. Christ demands a return to the works that demonstrate their love and repentance, emphasizing that relationships, especially with Him, must be actively maintained and cannot be left to drift. The loss of this first love can occur subtly, as familiarity breeds contempt or hope deferred makes the heart sick. A Christian may become subject to influences that cause a decline in attention to their calling, leading to small deviations and neglect of previous commitments. This loss of zeal, likened to an athletic team losing its spirit, results in a lack of motivation to excel. The Ephesians are thus instructed to recapture their initial devotion by actively engaging in the works that reflect their love for Christ. Human nature often presents reasons for relaxing devotion, making it easy to lose sight of the real goal and neglect what Christ does daily for His followers. When devotion wanes, the proximity to Christ grows distant, affecting attentiveness, as illustrated by the principle of "out of sight, out of mind." To counter this, Christians must constantly seek Him to keep the relationship alive, recognizing that without Him, they can do nothing. This relationship with Christ is vital for growth and salvation, requiring active response and effort to maintain constant contact, much like human relationships that thrive on mutual contribution. The delay in Christ's return, similar to Moses' delay in returning to the camp in Exodus 32, can lead to impatience and justification for turning away from devotion. The Israelites quickly turned to idolatry when Moses did not return as expected, paralleling how the Ephesians' minds deceived them into justifying their actions due to Christ's prolonged absence. This impatience and loss of devoted zeal must be countered by daily effort to keep the flame of first love alive, understanding that His timing, though not immediate, is always for their good.

The message to the Ephesian church in Revelation 2:1-7 reveals a critical issue: they had left their first love, their initial devotion to Christ. This loss of affection stemmed from deferred hope in His return, combined with the hardships of persecution and social and economic challenges. As time passed and expectations of Christ's return diminished, their loyalty wavered, leading to spiritual neglect. They drifted apart, not due to intentional abandonment, but because their attention shifted elsewhere, allowing other interests to take precedence over their relationship with Him. The Scriptures, such as Hebrews 2:1-3, warn against neglecting so great a salvation, highlighting how the Ephesians failed to recapture their early devotion despite exhortations. Hebrews 10:32-35 recalls their former days of enduring struggles with faith, yet they grew weary under prolonged difficulties. In I Thessalonians 4:13 and 5:6, Paul addresses their fading hope and spiritual slumber, urging them to remain alert and sober. Similarly, in II Thessalonians 2:1-2 and 3:6-13, he corrects their disorderly conduct and neglect, as some even ceased working, waiting idly for Christ's return, showing how far their judgment had strayed. Galatians 6:7-9 encourages perseverance, reminding them not to grow weary in doing good, for in due season they would reap if they did not lose heart. Colossians 3:1-5 offers a solution by directing them to set their minds on things above, not on earthly distractions, to refocus their energies on Christ. The example in Exodus 32:1-6 illustrates a parallel, where the Israelites, frustrated by Moses' delayed return, turned to worldly gratification, much like the Ephesians drifted toward the surrounding culture when Christ's return did not meet their timeline. Christ's warning in Revelation 2:1-7 identifies their problem, provides advice to return to their first love, and offers incentive to overcome. Their lack of love manifested in their actions, not from ignorance, but from a diminished affection for Him. Without this love, as reiterated in I Corinthians 16:22, there is no salvation. The Ephesians' longing for Christ's return was marred by their failure to maintain the responsibilities of the relationship, risking the loss of their spiritual connection and the daily supply of His Spirit.

In Revelation 2 the warning to Ephesus states that the people neglected their first love which is agape the intimate loving relationship with God. They were about to let their love wax cold. When repentance is urged it is apparent that they were violating God's law. They were slipping into iniquity and in the process they were allowing their love to begin to wax cold. They were not treating each other as they did in the beginning. They did not have the fervent love for each other and for God as they did in the beginning and they were fixing to lose it. This is a warning for the people at the end of this age. If they do not repent Christ says He is going to come quickly and remove their lampstand out of its place unless they repent. They were allowing their intimate loving relationship with Christ to wax cold and they were on the verge of quenching God's Spirit because they were forsaking the keeping of God's commandments. If unrepented of Christ says He is going to remove the lampstand and this could lead to spiritual blindness. All this goes down to the end if something is not done if they have not repented and have not restored that relationship. Christ said He will spew them out of His mouth. To be spewed out of Christ's mouth means they are no longer a part of His Body. They become separated from Christ. They could lose their position as a priest of God in His Kingdom. If they allow their love to wax cold that is what is going to happen. Christ is going to remove them as a priest in His Kingdom. In Matthew 24 Jesus says that many shall be led into sin. The love of many shall wax cold and the reason for it all is lawlessness. The Worldwide Church of God became big and powerful and wealthy as it says of the Laodiceans. They did not have need of nothing so to speak but they did have need of something. They were letting their love grow cold. God blew it apart. Many people left and splinter groups popped up. Those who remain were able to work on that repent of any lawlessness and move on with a close relationship with the Savior. My people spiritual Israel are those who have that intimate relationship with Christ the ones that were called to that relationship. They are destroyed for a lack of knowledge because of a gradual withdrawal from the intimacy with Him. Because they have rejected and allowed their love to wax cold Christ will also reject them from being a priest for Him in His Kingdom. Because they have forgotten the law of their God false teachers came in and deceived a lot of people. Because iniquity was abounding in the church they allowed their love to wax cold. People must never allow their love to wax cold. They have days that they are on top of it and zealous and there are times that they get a little slack. They always have to be in a spirit of repentance and always keep God's commandments in their hearts meditate on them and realize that they have to be serious about that. They have to have that loving relationship intimate relationship with Christ. They have to love each other first. They have to keep that loving relationship with each other. This is done by maintaining that loving and intimate relationship with each other and with the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and with the heavenly Father.

In addressing the concept of 'First Love, Leaving,' we turn to the poignant message delivered to the church at Ephesus as recorded in Revelation 2:4-5. Here, Jesus Christ expresses His concern, stating, "Nevertheless I have this against you, that you have left your first love." This signifies a departure from the initial zeal and devotion they once held for God, a waning in the actions that demonstrated their love not only for Him but also for their brethren. The loss of this fervor reflects a diminished relationship with God and a failure to show love through their interactions with one another. Jesus further instructs 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." He urges them to recall their earlier state of devotion, to repent of their current shortcomings, and to return to those initial acts of love and unity. This call to action is not merely about seeking forgiveness but actively engaging in the works that characterized their early faith, with a stern warning of consequences should they fail to heed His command. Reflecting on the early days of the church, as seen in Acts 2:42-47, we observe the first works that defined their vibrant community. They continued steadfastly in the apostles' doctrine, fellowship, breaking of bread, and prayers. They shared all things in common, meeting each other's needs sacrificially, and praised God with gladness and simplicity of heart. These actions bonded them together and strengthened their relationship with God, earning His commendation. Similarly, in Hebrews 13, there is a reiteration of these first works as a remedy for the waning love observed later in the church's history. The call is to let brotherly love continue, to show hospitality, to remember those in hardship, to uphold marriage, to be content and free from covetousness, to adhere to sound doctrine, and to offer continual praise to God. These practices echo the early devotion of the church and are presented as essential to remaining in God's good graces. Thus, the message is clear: to avoid leaving our first love, we must return to these foundational works, actively demonstrating our love for God and for one another through steadfast commitment, communal support, and heartfelt praise.

The Ephesian era had left its first love and was gradually becoming listless regarding spiritual things. They were drifting, becoming hard, becoming without feeling towards Christ because of distracting stresses. The book of Hebrews amplifies and provides reasons for, and advises on, how to recapture that diminishing love. Christ complains in Revelation 2:5 about them leaving their first love. The first blush of ecstasy had passed. The early devotion had cooled. They had been fervently in love with Him, but the love was rapidly cooling. They were distracted from Him. The Ephesian members endured their persecutions and sufferings with bravery, but without love. They were right down the line doctrinally. But they were without any joyful warmth that love would invest in it. Christ tells them to remember what it had been like earlier in the relationship, to repent, and do the first works.

The world today is driven not by love, but by Satan's way of living, marked by greed, hatred, lust, and self-seeking—the way of get, the way of self. What the world truly needs is not the fleeting, worldly idea of love or the passionate entanglements of youth, but the true love of man reflected across all mankind, bringing peace, harmony, joy, happiness, fulfillment, purpose, and brotherly love to heal this entire world. A lack of this true love reveals a deeper void, for hatred, animosity, greed, and wrath stem from another source: the prince of the power of the air. Those who fail to reflect God's love in their lives do not know Him, regardless of their knowledge of Scripture. In the end times, as lawlessness abounds, the love of many will grow cold, influenced by cruelty, persecutions, betrayals, and false teachings. This crumbling world, coupled with brethren drifting apart or losing zeal, puts pressure on us to abandon the fervor of our first love. The danger lies not in a lack of knowledge or understanding, but in a lack of application of what we know we should be doing. A lack of confidence or persistent fear—of job loss, illness, the economy, wars, or the unknown—demonstrates that our love and trust in God are not as complete as they should be. Perfect love casts out fear, and we must work to perfect our love, faith, and trust in Him, knowing He will help us. If we harbor hatred toward our spouses, fellow workers, or others, we do not possess the love of God. The world fails to grasp the depth of love Jesus desires from His disciples. Like the Ephesian era of the church, we risk losing our first love by focusing on the details of our calling while drifting from imitating the heart of Jesus Christ in our relationships with family, church members, and neighbors. We must not let down in maintaining a humble, serving attitude essential for those God selects for His Kingdom. True love requires active belief, not mere acknowledgment, prompting us to grow, apply His teachings, and move toward perfection without harboring grudges or anger toward others begotten by God.

Christ warns the Ephesians that they have left their first love and first works. He urges them to remember from where they have fallen and to repent by doing their first works. Many saints who once defended the truth with zeal have allowed their relationships to deteriorate. They have become jaded, cynical, critical, and bitter toward God and the brethren. Their zeal for purity now pushes people away rather than drawing them to the truth. They see wrong in others instead of forbearing and serving them. Such a state indicates that they have turned from godly principles toward selfishness and accusation. Christ promises that overcomers who regain their first love will eat of the Tree of Life. This reward points to the restoration of pure, loving character in His Kingdom for all eternity.

The theme of first love being left surfaces through the church of Ephesus, referenced in Revelation 2:4-5, where Christ declares, "Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love. 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." This warning is cited alongside the Greek rendering of the passage, emphasizing that Ephesus had allowed its original devotion, ten agapen, to fade despite outward activity and service. This example of Ephesus connects directly to the broader message concerning neglect of God-given gifts. Just as the church at Ephesus drifted from its original fervor and devotion, believers today can allow their spiritual gifts to grow dormant through worldly distraction, spiritual complacency, lack of prayer, fear of failure, discouragement from criticism, and preoccupation with lesser priorities. The leaving of first love is presented as one expression of a larger pattern of neglect that also appears in the Parable of the Talents, where the servant who buried his single talent out of fear was condemned as wicked and slothful, and in Jonah's flight from his prophetic calling. The remedy offered for having left one's first love mirrors the remedy for neglected gifts generally: repentance and a return to the first works. This is tied to Paul's exhortation to Timothy in I Timothy 4:14 and II Timothy 1:6 not to neglect the gift within him but to "kindle afresh" or "fan into flame" that inner endowment received through the laying on of hands. The Ephesian warning thus reinforces the call to self-examination, urging believers to ask whether fear, distraction, or complacency has caused them to abandon the devotion and diligence with which they first received God's calling. Ultimately, the reference to Ephesus's fallen first love functions as a sobering illustration within the sermon's larger emphasis on faithful stewardship. It underscores that neglect is not merely the failure to use a gift outwardly but can also be a quiet erosion of the heart's original love and zeal for Christ. The call to "repent, and do the first works" parallels the sermon's repeated appeals to renew commitment, seek fresh empowerment from the Holy Spirit, and faithfully steward what God has entrusted, so that believers might avoid the fate of a removed candlestick and instead hear, "Well done, good and faithful servant."