This study was first taught on December 30, 2018

Topic: The Assessment of the Churches (5): The Church of Ephesus (Overcoming What Overcame Ephesus)

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Background
Having spoken of the abandonment of their first love, the Lord called the church of Ephesus to repentance. He asked them to remember from where they had fallen—that is, to cast their minds back to when their relationship with Him was right and to see how far they have fallen!

We saw that there is a difference between ‘falling’ and ‘falling away’. For, whilst the latter refers to those who have left the kingdom of God completely, the former is about one who has left his first love though still in the kingdom. For someone who has ‘fallen away’, he sins and enjoys it, he has no care whatsoever for the things of God anymore and is not interested in repentance; but one who has ‘fallen’ is sorrowful about his condition, he still engages in the things of God, and seeks to get back to God. However, even for those who have fallen, there is a difference between godly sorrow, which is sorrow on account of sin, and worldly sorrow, which is sorrow only because he was caught!

The Lord called the church of Ephesus to sorrow after a godly sort so that their repentance can be genuine and not one that will be repented of at some future time. Remembering from where we have fallen, thus helps us to arrive at the point of true repentance, which is a rending “of the heart, and not the garment”—a contrition and brokenness because of sin.

We are not to be like Cain, who, instead of sorrowing for his sin, went on to kill his brother because of envy/jealousy. True repentance always has works, and the fruit of righteousness to display. May the Lord help us to come to true repentance, with the works and fruit of righteousness in manifestation!

Scripture Text(s)
Revelation 2:5, 7
Still on the theme of repentance, we see that the genuine repentance of the Ephesian Christians held two promises—the retention of their lampstand (immediate and here on the earth), and, partaking of the fruit of the tree of life (future and in heaven)! The latter is premised on their overcoming and takes for granted that they had repented and that their lampstand was intact in its place among the churches. As we draw the curtain on the church of Ephesus’ assessment by the Lord, we shall be looking at how to overcome for eternity!
The church of Ephesus was essentially the one standing in the way of evil overcoming Ephesus. Thus, if the church is overcome, the city or locality would also be overcome by evil. It is therefore important that we appreciate that the church is planted in a place is so that evil does not overrun and overcome that place! Therefore, as long as the church in a locality overcomes, evil cannot overrun that locality, for the light of God is still present, and there is opportunity for sinners to come to the light for salvation, deliverance, and righteous living!
Matthew 5:14-16; 1 John 1:5-9; Proverbs 28:13; 13:9; 20:20; John 8:12; 9:5; Genesis 2:8-9, 15-17; 3:22-24; 4:3-7; 1 John 3:11-18; Revelation 22:1-5; 12:11.

Conclusion
The church of Ephesus did that which was right, but not out of love—they were thus engaged in rituals rather than in relationship with God. If we are to overcome what overcame them and have the light of God continue to shine and push back evil in our localities, we must cause to be open, all the channels or conduits of love that we have cut-off by our ungodly living. We must turn to God in repentance, occasioned by our looking back on how far we have fallen and a desire to return to God.

May God grant us the grace to return to Him through genuine repentance, so that we would partake of the tree of life in eternity, and have the light of God, in our localities to push back evil here on the earth!

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