“Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love”– Revelation 2:4
LIGHT FOR NOW: In an ever-changing world, we have a never-changing God whose love for us is a never-changing love.
It was established in previous study that our key text above (Revelation 2:4) is similar to what John (the same writer of Revelation) said in 1John 4:19 “We love him, because he first loved us”. The Passion Translation gives a closer rendition to the original manuscript, since the word “him” inserted there by the King James translation was not in the original. “Our love for others is our grateful response to the love God first demonstrated to us” (1John 4:19 TPT). This text which is similar to Revelation 2:4 is brings to the fore that God was the initiator of love. When the phrase “first love” was used, he was actually referring to God’s love for us. So, “left your first love” as Revelation 2:4 shows it means to neglect God’s love for you. God’s love is the first love. Further reading of verse 5 of Revelation 2 will show you a word used twice in that verse – it is the word “repent” which means to change one’s mindset. This further buttresses the fact that John was addressing a wrong mindset.
Their negligence of God’s love for them affected their work towards others. This is what he described as first works. Often times, believers struggle with their first works and this is never God’s will for us in Christ. Once our attention is on the depth of the father’s love for us, we will find it easy expressing the same to others around us. Therefore, the phrase “first works” in this context never referred to believers’ love for God, rather God’s love for us which he demonstrated by the sacrificial death and resurrection of Christ. John 3:16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life”. Romans 8:32 “For God has proved his love by giving us his greatest treasure, The gift of his son. And since God freely offered him up as the sacrifice for us all, he certainly won’t withhold from us anything else to give” (TPT version). Glory!
INSTRUCTION:Behold God’s love for you.
CONFESSION:I am highly loved of God, and my mind is fixed on this love he has for me, in Jesus name, Amen.
QUOTE: Man is God’s love object.
DAILY BIBLE READING: MORNING: ROMANS CHAPTER 7; EVENING: ROMANS CHAPTER 8
LIGHT FROM THE WORD 