"I know your works, your labor, your patience, and that you cannot bear those who are evil. And you have tested those who say they are apostles and are not, and have found them liars; and you have persevered and have patience, and have labored for My name's sake and have not become weary. Nevertheless I have this against you, that you have left your first love. Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent and do the first works . . ." —Revelation 2:2-5
Christians typically think of falling away from the Lord as engaging in gross sin. If somebody sins terribly, we say they have fallen.
Perhaps they used to come to church, but now they spend their time down at the bar. They have fallen.
Then there's the person who used to be dedicated to their spouse, but now they are committing the sin of adultery. They have fallen.
But we rarely think of someone who is still sitting in the pews on Sunday mornings as someone who has fallen. They must be right with the Lord, we think, because I still see them at church doing all the things that Christians are supposed to do.
But don't be fooled. Look at Revelation 2, Jesus tells the church of Ephesus, "You are active. You are persevering. You are discerning. You are busy. But you have left your first love" (see verses 3–4).
Realize this: you can sit in the pew and be fallen, because you have withdrawn from the passion that you once had for God.
This is an important point to understand. Losing your first love is at the root of all sin. If you have fallen, repent and return to the passion you once had.
Copyright © 2008 by Harvest Ministries. All rights reserved.
Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture taken from the New King James Version. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Bible text from the New King James Version is not to be reproduced in copies or otherwise by any means except as permitted in writing by Thomas Nelson, Inc., Attn: Bible Rights and Permissions, P.O. Box 141000, Nashville, TN 37214-1000
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