Regaining Your First Love
One thing that stands out in Christ’s message to the angel of the church of Ephesus is a poignant appeal for balance.
God earnestly desires for His people to reflect His perfect character. He is counting on us—His followers—to rightly represent Him to a fallen, confused world. This beautiful character of love might aptly be summarized as the perfect balance of justice and mercy. God’s righteousness is revealed in His ability to “be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus” (Romans 3:26). In His unchanging law is revealed His justice. And His mercy is revealed in how He tenderly justifies the repentant sinner.
This topic will be touched upon throughout these readings for the Week of Prayer. As we consider what is involved in the loss and regaining of the “first love” experience, a perpetual problem comes to mind: The frequent tendency of God’s people throughout history to err by tipping the scale in the balance of character on either of two sides:
1.Being too heavy on the side of justice, so that mercy is not exercised as fully as it should be.
2.Being too heavy on the side of mercy, so that God’s moral law is lightly regarded.
The Pharisees in Christ’s day erred on the first side. Apostate Protestantism today errs on the second side. Neither presents the healthy balance of God’s true character.
In Christ’s appeal to early believers as depicted in Ephesus, it would appear that the believers started off quite well but then may have begun to err on the first side.
As Reformers, we, too, are zealous for perfection. There is certainly a good reason for this, for Christ has indeed bidden this generation to develop a perfect character. After all, “when the character of Christ shall be perfectly reproduced in His people, then He will come to claim them as His own.” 1 So, we expect perfection from one another, and we hold one another accountable to reach that goal. That is good. However, might we too often be missing an essential part of the picture? Jesus asks, “Why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother’s eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye?” (Matthew 7:3). Our vision may become so clouded—so imbalanced—that we miss out on discerning our own beam while vigorously pointing out someone else’s mote. This is why the message of the True Witness to the angel of the church of the Laodiceans is also needed today. The final message to be borne to this last generation will be a balanced message. It will not be tipped too heavily on either side. “Justice has a twin sister that should ever stand by her side, which is Mercy and Love.” 2
“The last rays of merciful light, the last message of mercy to be given to the world, is a revelation of His character of love. The children of God are to manifest His glory. In their own life and character they are to reveal what the grace of God has done for them.
“The light of the Sun of Righteousness is to shine forth in good works—in words of truth and deeds of holiness.” 3 This is the glorious fruit of a “first love” experience. It’s unmistakable. It’s appealing. Let us eagerly strive for it!