The Subtlely Of A Spiritual Fall (Part 2).

The Subtlely Of A Spiritual Fall (Part 2). 


It is indeed amazing to see that in Ephesus where the apostle Paul says he had delivered the whole counsel of God, the church/assembly of God's people there had fallen, having left their first love.

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Acts 20:17, 26-27
But from Miletus having sent to Ephesus, he called over to him the elders of the assembly.
Wherefore I witness to you this day, that I am clean from the blood of all,
for I have not shrunk from announcing to you all the whole counsel of God.

Revelation 2:1 & 5
Unto the messenger of the assembly, in Ephesus, write:––These things, saith he that holdeth the seven stars in his right hand, he that walketh in the midst of the seven lamps of gold....Remember, therefore, whence thou hast fallen, and repent, and do the first works; otherwise, I come unto thee, and will remove thy lamp out of its place, except thou repent.


In the Lord's revelation and presentation of himself to Ephesus, the fullness/completeness of message/testimony to the assemblies, is implied...."To the angel of the assembly in Ephesus write: These things says he that holds the seven stars(7 messengers) in his right hand, who walks in the midst of the seven golden lamps(7 assemblies)".

He went on to say to them
"I know thy works and thy labour, and thine endurance, and that thou canst not bear evil men ; and thou hast tried them who say that themselves are apostles and are not, and hast found them liars; and endurest, and hast borne for my name's sake, and hast not wearied: but I have against thee, that thou hast left thy first love. Remember therefore whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works: but if not, I am coming to thee, and I will remove thy lamp out of its place, except thou shalt repent."


In the epistle to the assembly in Corinth, we read scripture say "let him that thinks he stands take heed lest he fall"(1st Corinthians 10:12); a caution against falling but here in Ephesus the Lord is not merely bringing a caution against falling, he rather reveals to them that they had already fallen, having left/departed from their first love. This is just like Paul the apostle saying to the assembly in Galatia "Ye are deprived of all profit from Christ as separated from him , as many as are justified by law; ye have fallen from grace."

The law came by Moses, but grace and truth by Christ; to be fallen from Chist as our first love and foremost obsession, is in essence to be fallen from grace.

All of that zeal for the work/ministry, passion for teaching ministry, fervency and endurance in labour for the Lord's namesake etc. are not the first works. As good as they are, they are only secondary and are nothing but the fruit of the first works, which is devotion to the Lord himself; an affectionate and intimate fellowship & communion with the Lord.

A loss of the first works is in the long run, a loss of everything. If it is no longer in place, every other thing which came/emanated from it, faces the threat of death.

Let us return to our first love and do the first works of undivided, unalloyed and uninterrupted devotion to the Lord himself.

Worship and service becomes spontaneous when the resurrected and living Lord is the obsession of the heart; an overflow of living waters issuing from hearts full of the Lord, and not the dead work of men trying to organise/structure worship and compel service from people who have little or no place for the Lord in their heart.

When worship and service is spontaneously powered by the Lord residing/dwelling in the hearts of men, there we have the life and power of the testimony of the risen and exalted Christ. 

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