Christ threatens the Ephesian church with the loss of a lampstand. The loss of a lampstand means expulsion from the fellowship of the Body of Christ. A spiritual fall is serious if one is unable to get back up or is not motivated to do so. Sin will soon begin to corrupt the mind and can quickly become a way of life. Salvation is at stake. At the very moment a sinner needs closeness with God, he instead can find himself opening up to the influence of satan the devil, which only compounds the danger. Jesus wisely threatens the Ephesian church with the loss of a lampstand as a forceful and compelling warning to provoke a heightened sense of urgency to remember and repent while there is still time.

He threatens to remove their lampstand, their place in the church, if they fail to repent. Removing the lampstand means they are this close to losing their place. This problem is a salvational issue because He threatens to take their salvation away because of their hard, callused, always-fighting attitude.

The concept of a removed lampstand emerges from the letter to Ephesus in Revelation 2, serving as one of several sobering illustrations used to examine whether there is genuine cause for concern about spiritual complacency, despite official rejection of doctrines like eternal security. Christ commends the Ephesians for positive qualities but voices a serious controversy: they have left their first love, retaining the form of devotion without its substance. His warning is unambiguous and carries no idle threat, since God is faithful to everything He says. If they do not repent, He will remove their lampstand from its place. The lampstand functions as a symbol of the light and witness that a group, or an individual, gives before others, though that witness depends entirely on Christ's ongoing activity within the life of the person or congregation. Christ is the source of the fuel, the "oil," that enables the lamp to burn. When He is neglected, no matter how gradually, there simply is not enough oil to sustain the flame, and the light becomes feeble to the point of uselessness or goes out entirely. The group or individual then fails to represent Christ as He desires, and the lampstand is taken away. A crucial and unsettling feature of the Ephesian condition is that rudimentary spiritual activity can continue even as the lampstand's removal looms. Prayer, Bible study, and other outward disciplines of a disciple's life may persist, creating a false sense of security. This connects directly to the broader warning drawn from Zechariah 7:4-5, where God penetrates the pretense of the people's fasting by asking whether it was truly done for Him, exposing that good spiritual works can be performed out of habit or self-interest rather than genuine devotion. In the same way, prayer, Sabbath-keeping, service, and other good works can be maintained "not really for Him," even while the relationship with Christ quietly deteriorates and something else, whether the world, an offense, or a pet doctrine, gradually displaces Him at the center of one's life. This image of the lampstand thus reinforces the larger theme that familiarity with truth, correct doctrine, or the outward habits of religious life offers no guarantee of security. It stands as a direct, personal warning that spiritual vitality can dry up unnoticed, and that Christ, who alone supplies the oil that keeps the light burning, will remove what no longer reflects Him if the underlying relationship is not restored through genuine repentance and renewed love.

The proper contrite attitude together with being a witness of righteousness, through the grace of all God's gifts in action, is the difference between uselessness and eternal life for us. We are all standing together before God by election as firstfruits to continue in patient labor, overcoming the evil, carefully weighing the Word of God in perseverance, without becoming weary in walking the walk. Ten years before the events of Genesis 15, Abram at 76 submitted himself to God's judgment for the sake of peace, and let Lot choose what physically looked to be the best territory. On Lot's part, here is another decision driven by the mind of men based on what is seen that did not work out very well either. Brethren, we have taken so much time here because we needed to see over the expanse of time Abraham's, as well as Sarah's faith grew in the grace and knowledge to more carefully consider God's solutions to things and not their own. Over decades they were also developing the mind of God as evidenced in a number of places. Although perhaps not as pointedly here, as in other places, there is a lesson for us in seeking God's favor. Here in Genesis 18:3 the word translated favor is the Hebrew word khane, 2580 in Strong's Concordance and can be subjective (kindness, favor) or objective (beauty). In the Hebrew this word first appears one time prior to this in Genesis 6 where we read, But Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord. Grace may very possibly be the correct translation here, because as we saw in the last sermon, God showed His mercy to all men as part of the whole package of His grace given to Noah to continue His plan to bring all men to repentance, salvation, and knowledge of the truth, even in the face of such catastrophic times. However, in the New English Translation, you will find the same sentence translated as, But Noah found favor in the sight of the Lord. Because they rightly noted that in a marginal reference that the phrase find favor in the eyes of is the Hebrew idiom meaning to be the object of another's favorable disposition or action; to be a recipient of another's favor, kindness, mercy. The marginal reference goes on to say in citing Bible references, the favor/kindness is often earned (that is right!), coming in response to an action or condition. Right now we will be turning to two of those references just to drive home the point and especially since the second one is quite germane to this firstfruits season. Turn to Proverbs 3, and as you do, keep in mind God's words in Isaiah 66. Now with this in mind, and God's strong desire to grant His favor to those who have the humble attitude of the publican, we will be reading Proverbs 3. The more we lean on Him and the truth of His Word rather than our own limited understanding the more likely He will grant His favor, and not just any old favor, but rather the way of thinking like He thinks as a way of life; a carefully considered witness to His righteousness and His way of life! Now please turn with me to another very simple but very appropriate scripture during this firstfruits season, one that is part of the cycle of scriptures that are rehearsed this time of year. Also please keep in mind that we are looking at favor as seen in God's Word, as a response to an action. Please turn with me to Ruth 2. Brothers and sisters, as we go through this count to the Feast of Firstfruits and carefully consider our own walk as the elect of God, perhaps we have seen that the focus of the original question was wrong. For us, it should not be, What is the difference between grace, mercy, and favor? They are all part of the package God is using to help us, and eventually all men along the way. The real focus should be right where we began, the attitude of the beaten. Are we walking this walk as the resurrected Christ commands maintaining the humble, teachable, child-like attitude, and love for our awesome Creator, while trembling at His Word? If we are, then in faith we grow in