LOVE’S COMPLAINING – Charles Spurgeon
LOVE’S COMPLAINING
“Nevertheless I have this against you, that you have left your first love. Remember, therefore, from where you are fallen, and repent, and do the first works; or else I will come to you quickly and will remove your lampstand from its place—unless you repent.” Revelation 2:4, 5.
Introduction: The Work of the Great High Priest
It was the work of the priest to go into the Holy Place and to trim the seven-branched lamp of gold—see how our Great High Priest walks in the midst of the seven golden candlesticks—His work is not occasional, but constant. Wearing robes which are at once royal and priestly, He is seen lighting the holy lamps, pouring in the sacred oil, and removing impurities that would dim the light. Hence, our Lord’s fitness to deal with the Churches, which are these golden lampstands, for no one knows so much about the lamps as the person whose constant work it is to watch them and trim them. No one knows the Churches as Jesus does, for the care of all the Churches daily comes upon Him. He continually walks among them and holds their ministers as stars in His right hand. His eyes are perpetually upon the Churches, so that He knows their works, their sufferings, and their sins—and those eyes are as flames of fire, so that He sees with a penetration, discernment, and accuracy to which no other can attain.
Jesus’ Perception of the Church
We sometimes judge the condition of religion too leniently, or else we err on the other side and judge too severely. Our eyes are dim with the world’s smoke, but His eyes are as flames of fire. He sees the Churches through and through and knows their true condition much better than they know themselves. The Lord Jesus Christ is a most careful Observer of Churches and of individuals—nothing is hid from His observant eyes. As He is the most careful Observer, so He is the most candid. He is always “the faithful and true Witness.” He loves much and, therefore, He never judges harshly. He loves much and, therefore, He always judges jealously. Jealousy is the sure attendant of such love as His. He will neither speak smooth words nor bitter words, but He will speak the Truth of God—the Truth in love, the Truth as He, Himself, perceives it and as He would have us perceive it. Well may He say, “He that has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says unto the Churches,” since His sayings are so true, so just, so weighty! Certainly, no observer can be so tender as the Son of God. Those lamps are very precious to Him—it cost Him His life to light them. “Christ loved the Church and gave Himself for it.” Every Church, to our Lord, is a more sublime thing than a constellation in the heavens—as He is precious to His saints, so are they precious to Him. He cares little for empires, kingdoms, or republics. His heart is set on the Kingdom of Righteousness, of which His Cross is the royal standard. He must reign until His foes are vanquished and this is the great thought of His mind at this present, “From this day on expecting till His enemies be made His footstool.” He ceases not to watch over His Church—His Sacrifice is ended, but not His service in caring for the golden lamps! He has completed the redemption of His bride, but He continues her preservation.
The Importance of Jesus’ Presence
I therefore feel, at this time, that we may well join in a prayer to our Lord Jesus to come into our midst and put our light in order. Oh, for a visit from Him such as He paid in vision to the seven Churches of Asia! With Him is the oil to feed the living flame and He knows how to pour it in according to due measure. With Him are those golden snuffers with which to remove every superfluity of naughtiness so that our lights may so shine before men that they may see our good works and glorify our Father who is in Heaven! Oh, for His Presence, now, to search us and to sanctify us—to cause us to shine forth to His Father’s praise! We would be judged of the Lord that we may not be condemned with the world! We would pray, this morning, “Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts; and see if there is any wicked way in me and lead me in the way everlasting.” All things are naked and open to the eyes of Him with whom we have to do, and we delight to have it so! We invite You, O Great High Priest, to come into this, Your sanctuary, and look to this, Your lamp, this morning!
Christ Perceives the Faults of His Church
In the text, as it is addressed to the Church at Ephesus and to us, we note three things. First, we note that Christ perceives—“I know your works…nevertheless I have this against you.” Secondly, Christ prescribes—“Remember, therefore, from where you are fallen and repent,” and so forth. Thirdly, Christ persuades—persuades with a threat—“I will remove your candlestick out of its place”—persuades, also, with a promise, “To him that overcomes will I give to eat of the Tree of Life, which is in the midst of the Paradise of God.”
I. Christ Perceives the Flaws in His Church
Our Lord sorrowfully perceives the faults of His Church—“Nevertheless I have this against you,” but He does not so perceive those faults as to be forgetful of that which He can admire and accept, for He begins His letter with commendations, “I know your works, and your labor, and your patience, and how you cannot bear them which are evil.” Do not think, my Brothers and Sisters, that our Beloved is blind to the beauties of His Church. On the contrary, He delights to observe them. He can see beauties where she, herself, cannot see them. Where we observe much to deplore, His loving eyes see much to admire. The Graces which He, Himself, creates, He can always perceive. When we, in the earnestness of self-examination, overlook them and write bitter things against ourselves, the Lord Jesus sees, even, in those bitter self-condemnations, a life and earnestness and sincerity which He loves. Our Lord has a keen eye for all that is good. When He searches our hearts, He never passes by the faintest longing, or desire, or faith, or love of any of His people. He says, “I know your works.”
The Seriousness of Love Declining
But this is our point at this time, that while Jesus can see all that is good, yet in very faithfulness He sees all that is evil. His love is not blind! He does not say, “As many as I love I commend,” but, “As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten.” It is more necessary for us that we should make a discovery of our faults than of our virtues. So notice in this text that Christ perceives the flaw in His Church, even in the midst of her earnest service. The Church at Ephesus was full of work. “I know your works and your labor, and for My name’s sake you have labored, and have not fainted.” It was such a laborious Church that it pushed on and on with diligent perseverance and never seemed to flag in its Divine mission. Oh that we could say as much of all our Churches! I have lived to see many brilliant projects lighted and left to die out in smoke. I have heard of schemes which were to illuminate the world—but not a spark remains. Holy perseverance is a great desire!
The Ephesus Church’s Decline in Love
In these 33 years, we thank God He has enabled us to labor and not to faint. There has been a continuance of everything attempted and no drawing back from anything. “This is the work, this is the labor,” to hold out even to the end. Oh how I have dreaded lest we should have to give up any holy enterprise or cut short any gracious effort! Until now the Lord has helped us. With men and means, liberality and zeal, He has supplied us. In this case, the angel of the Church has been very little of an angel from Heaven, but very much of a human angel, for in the weakness of my flesh and in the heaviness of my spirit have I pursued my calling, but I have pursued it by the help of God! By His Grace I continue to this day and this Church, with equal footsteps, is at my side—for which the whole praise is due to the Lord who faints not, neither is weary!
The Fall From First Love
Having put my hands to the plow, I have not looked back, but have steadily pressed forward, making straight furrows—but it has been only by the Grace of God! Alas, under all the laboring, the Lord Jesus perceived that the Ephesians had left their first love—and this was a grievous fault. So it may be in this Church—every wheel may continue to revolve and the whole machinery of ministry may be kept going at its normal rate—and yet there may be a great secret evil which Jesus perceives that may be marring all. But this Church at Ephesus was not only laborious, it was patient in suffering great persecution. He says of it, “I know your works and your patience, and how you have borne, and have patience, and have not fainted.” Persecution upon persecution visited the faithful but they bore it all with holy courage and constancy—and continued still—confessing their Lord.
The Importance of Love in the Church
This was good and the Lord highly approved it. But yet, underneath it, He saw the tokens of decline—they had left their first love. So there may seem to be all the patient endurance and dauntless courage that there should be and yet, as a fair apple may have a worm at its core, so may it be with the Church when it looks best to the eyes of friends. The Ephesian Church excelled in something else, namely, in its discipline, its soundness in the faith and fidelity towards heretics, for the Lord says of it, “how you cannot bear them which are evil.” They would not have it! They would not tolerate false doctrine. They would not put up with unclean living. They fought against evil not only in the common people, but in prominent individuals. “You have tried them which say they are Apostles and are not and have found them liars.” They had dealt with the great ones; they had not flinched from the unmasking of falsehood. This Church was not honeycombed with doubt. It laid no claim to breadth of thought and liberality of view. It was honest to its Lord. He says of it, “This you have, that you hate the deeds of the Nicolaitanes, which I also hate.”
The Call to Repentance
This was grand of them—it showed a backbone of truth. I wish some of the Churches of this age had a little of this holy decision about them, for nowadays, if a man is clever, he may preach the vilest lie that was ever vomited from the mouth of Hell and it will go down with some! He may assail every doctrine of the Gospel; he may blaspheme the Holy Trinity; he may trample on the blood of the Son of God and yet nothing shall be said about it if he is held in repute as a man of advanced thought and liberal ideas! The Church at Ephesus was not of this mind. She was strong in her convictions; she could not yield the faith nor play the traitor to her Lord. For this, her Lord commended her and yet He says, “I have this against you, because you have left your first love.”
II. Christ Prescribes a Solution
The Savior’s prescription is couched in these three words—“Remember.” “Repent.” “Return.” The first word is Remember. “You have left your first love.” Remember, then, what your first love was and compare your present condition with it. At first, nothing diverted you from your Lord. He was your life, your love, your joy. Now you look for recreation somewhere else and other charms and other beauties win your heart. Are you not ashamed of this? Once you were never wearied with hearing of Him and serving Him. Never were you overdone with Christ and His Gospel—many sermons, many Prayer Meetings, many Bible readings—and yet none too many! Now sermons are long, services are dull and you must have your jaded appetite excited with novelties. How is this? Once you were never displeased with Jesus, whatever He did with you. If you had been sick, or poor, or dying, you would still have loved and blessed His name for all things.
III. Christ Persuades to Return
The Savior holds out a promise as His other persuasive. Upon this I can only dwell for a minute. It seems a very wonderful promise to me—“To him that overcomes will I give to eat of the Tree of Life which is in the midst of the Paradise of God.” Observe, those who lose their first love, fall, but those who abide in love are made to stand. In contrast to the Fall which took place in the Paradise of God, we have man eating of the Tree of Life and so living forever!
Conclusion: The Reward of Love
If we, through Grace, overcome the common tendency to decline in love, then shall we be confirmed and settled in the favor of the Lord. By eating of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil, we fell. By eating of the fruit of a better tree we live and stand fast forever! Life proved true by love shall be nourished on the best of food—it shall be sustained by fruit from the garden of the Lord, Himself, gathered by the Savior’s own hands!
May the love of Christ in us grow ever stronger, as we love Him who is our First and Last.