“First Love” (Rev 2:4)

“Nevertheless I have somewhat against you, because you have left your first love” (vs4).

Union and communion with Christ is the FIRST love of the child of God, the KNOWLEDGE and fellowship of Him.

We didn’t love a creed, system, or even DOING for Him, but we loved, like the Song of Solomon illustrates, to hear Him, know Him, be with Him, and learn of His love to us, to FELLOWSHIP in matchless grace (Rom 5:5, 11).  Then, for whatever reason, we GET DISTRACTED and forget Jesus Christ to earn favor, impress people, and exalt ourselves. We’ll go to “touch not; taste not; handle not” religion and deny ourselves food and drink (Col 2:21-22). We’ll go to LICENTIOUSNESS and labor to please ourselves in the world because Christ is gone, and in these things, we see how FAR we’ve fallen - “Remember therefore from where you are fallen, and repent, and do the first works; or else I will come unto you quickly, and will remove your candlestick out of his place, except you repent” (Rev 2:5). Christ Himself - not preaching, prayer, service, doctrinal accuracy, impressive behavior, etc, but Christ HIMSELF is our delight and joy - “It was but a little that I passed from them, but I found him whom my soul loves: I held HIM, and would not let him go, until I had brought him into my mother‘s house, and into the chamber of her that conceived me“ (Song 3:4). We love to SEE Him in His beauty, and thereby, now we can obey Him, now we can preach, now the praying is a delight.

We labor to SEE Christ, and from this union and communion all else in Christianity flows.  The highest acts of worship are always by faith in Jesus Christ… the faith that POSSESSES and enjoys Christ, that counts Him more precious and generous than all, that BELIEVES unto the reception of the EXPERIENCE of Christ… it is the first love of the elect; it is the knowledge of Christ and the quickening of the soul - “Tell me, O you whom my soul loves, where you feed, where you make your flock to rest at noon: for why should I be as one that turns aside by the flocks of your companions“ (Song 1:7).  If we are wise, then we’ll seek this gift, day by day, until we leave this world, for God will give.