Chapter # 2 Paragraph # 1 Study # 3
August 6, 2023
Broadlands, Louisiana
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Thesis: There are consequences for departing from the "first love", just as there are privileges for living with the "first love".
Introduction: Last week we focused upon the works and labors of the angel of the church in Ephesus and the developed departure from his "first love". This is a statement about this man's gradual shift from his love for God as the primary reason for his labors to his commitment to purity of Truth as his goal in life. We also briefly considered the warning of significant loss.
This evening we are going to look into this warning a bit further.
- I. The Letter To Ephesus.
- II. The Specifics Of Jesus' Message To Ephesus.
- A. "I know ("am fully aware of")..."
- B. BUT I have against you that you forsook the of you first love.
- C. Remember therefore from whence you have fallen and repent and do the first works.
- 1. "Remember" (Present Active Imperative): there are three references to "remember" in This Revelation.
- a. 2:5; our current text.
- b. 3:3; the angel of the church in Sardis who has a reputation of "being alive", but is not.
- c. 18:5; The Lord remembered the iniquities of Babylon.
- d. From whence "You have fallen" (Perfect Active Indicative).
- 2. "Repent" (Aorist Active Imperative).
- 3. "Do (Aorist Active Imperative) the first works".
- D. The consequence of failure: "Now, if not, I am coming to you and I shall remove your lampstand out of its place, if you should not repent."
- E. BUT this you have, that you hate the works of the Nicolaitans which I also hate.
- F. The promise of the privilege of eating from the tree of life.
- 1. The question: are not all who are in the Paradise of God allowed to eat of this tree?
- 2. The most obvious answer: Not all are allowed to eat because they are not in the Paradise of God.
- a. At issue is "eating of the fruit of the Tree of Life".
- 1) There are seven references to "eating" in This Revelation.
- a) This text (2:7) refers to the privilege of eating of the Tree of Life.
- b) The text of 2:17 refers to the privilege of eating of the hidden manna.
- c) The remaining texts do not address these two privileges.
- 2) There are four uses of "xulon" in This Revelation.
- b. Evidently not all in the Kingdom are going to be allowed to enter the City, and, thus, will not have access to the Tree and its fruit (22:14).
- III. The Larger Application.
- A. The one having an ear...
- B. Let him hear what The Spirit is saying to the churches.
- 1. No amount of "commendable works" will alter the fundamental principle of 1 Corinthians 13:1-3.
- 2. If "Love" is absent, the lampstand will be removed: it is better to not have all of the "works" if they are falsely motivated.
