Climbing or Falling?

Revelation 1-4 

“Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken your first love. Remember the height from which you have fallen! Repent and do the things you did at first…”

Revelation 2:4, 5

If the kingdom of God were a mountain, and our love for God was symbolized by a hike and climb to the summit of that mountain, have we climbed higher or dropped lower on the mountain this year?

Jesus’ words to the Church in Ephesus, the leading church in the region of Asia, were that they had fallen in their first love for God. Their outward perseverance and discernment of sin was not matched by their inward love and passion for God. The systems and structures of church had replaced the fire of inward devotion and first love for God. 

They hadn’t just slipped a little, they had forsaken their first love and fallen. 

Remember the heights of first love?

This altitude is attainable again if we humble ourselves and repent and if we practice again the behaviors of pure devotion to Christ.

Will we look up, fix our eyes on Jesus, and invite his empowering Spirit to fill us with the love to climb again?

“Jesus, let us climb, for your glory.”