Throughout Romans we’ve seen Paul warn us about the danger of resting in our works rather than resting in the glorious work of Jesus Christ. It is all too easy to believe that we have the power to make ourselves right before God, when in fact we fall terribly short. The greatest danger is actually what Jesus warns us of in Revelation 2:1-7. Here Jesus is speaking to the church at Ephesus. Time and time again they were commanded by Paul to guard the truth and protect the flock as false teachers would come in or even arise among their ranks to lead people astray. In an effort to protect the flock, they had done so well that according to Revelation 2:4 they had inadvertently lost their first love, a love for Jesus Christ. Unfortunately they had “obeyed so well” that they actually forgot who they were serving, Jesus Christ. They lost sight of the work of Christ and resting in that glorious work that they became all consumed in this new work of protecting the church. How easy it is for us to participate in the work of God and yet miss the greater work he has already done for us in Jesus Christ. Church, let us not fall prey to performing and missing precious grace we have already been given in Jesus Christ. May we regularly seek Jesus Christ and plead with him to renew our love for him on a daily basis. Without this love, our faith will falter. May we turn back and remember the glorious grace of Jesus Christ and simply rest in the work of the gospel so that our love might be fanned into a flame for Jesus Christ.
Pastor Derek