This study was first taught on December 23, 2018

Topic: The Assessment of the Churches (4): The Church of Ephesus (Remember from Where You Have Fallen)

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Background
In our study two weeks ago, we saw “What Leaving Your First Love Is”. Having earlier seen that our First Love is the One Who ever loved us enough to die, to save us—the Lord Jesus Christ; we saw that the word “leaving” or “left” speaks of an abandonment, a forsaking, a putting away, indeed, a divorce (which God hates), having been betrothed to Christ (2 Corinthians 11:2). We also noted that “leaving your first love” carries the notion of a waning of our love for the Lord, rather than a waxing, even to the point of extinction!

So, what is it that the Lord is seeing that we are not seeing, that made Him make such a statement about the church of Ephesus, and indeed, that He is making such a statement about the church today? We noted the following:
• He is seeing disaffection among believers because of tribulations and persecutions;
• He is seeing many who are offended and thus betraying the name of Christ [they say, “God has not done this or that for me, so why be faithful”!];
• He is seeing many being lured away by false prophets;
• He is seeing abounding iniquity (rampant lawlessness) leading to a cooling/waning of their love for Him, caused by persecution or pleasure;
• He is seeing believers who are not keeping His word at all; and some others who are selective about what they like, what makes sense to them, and what they consider contemporary of the word of God;
• He is seeing believers who do not love the brethren—denominations causing segregation and building human kingdoms in the church;
• He is seeing believers with a renewed waxing love for the world;
• He is seeing church leaders cavorting with the world and leaving the flock malnourished;
• He is seeing the love of God which was shed abroad in our hearts through the Holy Spirit, fluttering, and in some cases, extinguished—no more zeal for the house of God; no more deep concern for the church of God;
• He is seeing a resurgence of the flesh and our inability to bring forth the fruit of the Spirit—love, joy, peace, longsuffering, etc.;
• He is seeing hypocrisy—people singing “I love You” with their lips, ostensibly to Him, but their hearts are elsewhere; people serving out of fear of hell, rather than out of love for God.

Finally, we say from the biblical example of Amaziah, how it is possible to do the right things but not with a right heart before God. Once the heart is not right before God, everything emanating therefrom will be rejected, even though it may seem right—it will be leaves without fruit!

Scripture Text(s)
Revelation 2:5
In the light of what the Lord has seen of the church today, He gives a remedy—repentance! Recall that this is not judgment, but an assessment and evaluation meant to enable us make amends, so that we don’t fall into judgment and condemnation! True repentance must begin with where we are and acknowledging how far away we are from the mark!
Human memory is short, but the word of God in its assessment seeks to bring us to remembrance of what is forgotten or missing.
Genesis 3:9; Luke 15:17; Psalm 37:23-24; Proverbs 24:16a; Hebrews 6:4-6; Galatians 5:4; 2 Peter 3:17; 1 Timothy 4:1-3; 2 Timothy 4:10a; Luke 15:11-21 cf 1 Samuel 15:1-35; Hebrews 12:15-17; 2 Corinthians 7:7-11; Ephesians 2:6; 5:8; 1 Corinthians 6:9-11; 2 Peter 2:22; 2 Corinthians 6:14-17; Joel 2:12-13; Isaiah 58:3-11; Luke 3:7-14; Hosea 6:1-3; 14:1-2; Luke 18:10-14.

Conclusion
We have tried to distinguish between ‘a fall’ and ‘a falling away’—in the case of the former, which the Lord is referring to, repentance is possible, whereas in the latter, repentance is impossible. Thus, the Lord’s call is to remember from where you have fallen, not fallen away! Also, genuine repentance must begin with a realization that one has indeed fallen, occasioned by a remembrance of where one once was, and a desire to return to where one had fallen from. Hence, the need to remember from where you have fallen. This realization should now trigger godly sorrow, which will lead to genuine, heart-felt repentance not to be repented of. So, call to remembrance from where you have fallen, rend your heart, bring words worthy of repentance, and return to do the first works of a heart that is right before God, and then you and your works shall be accepted by God.

In Genesis 4:6-16, Cain did not heed God’s counsel to repent; instead he went to have a chat with Abel, and in the exchange, killed him (because sin had entered in, since he did not do the first works); and he fell away from the presence of God! May we learn from the lesson of Cain, and turn to God in true repentance!

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