GUARDING YOUR AFFECTION FOR HIM
“Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent” (Revelation 2:5).
Jesus is saying: “Think back to what you were like when I first saved you. You rejoiced that I came to live in your heart! You couldn't wait for church on Sunday and you spent all your free time digging into My word, learning about My love for you. You never considered prayer to be a burden, because I meant everything to you. You loved Me more than life itself. But now you've fallen away from all that. I get so little of your time now, so little of your attention. You've grown cold toward Me. Something else has your heart!”
Look at the serious warning in this verse: “Repent . . . or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent.” For many years theologians have tried to soften this warning, wanting it to mean something different. But it cannot be softened—it means exactly what it says.
Jesus is saying to us: “If you claim to have the fire of God, and yet I am no longer the delight of your heart, I will take away every bit of light you have! No matter what good works you do for Me, you will no longer be My witness. I simply won't recognize anything you do because you have lost your love for Me.”
Is your love for Jesus exclusive? Do you regularly take quality time to be with Him? Or have other things crept into your heart, taking up your thoughts and affections?
Jesus is asking you right now to repent and start over. He wants you to stop and realize, “Wait a minute. I see how this thing has crept into my life and it is robbing me of my exclusive love for Jesus. I can't let this go on any longer. Lord, forgive me! Light my candle anew.”
Go back to your first love today. Ask Him for grace and strength to begin again to guard your affection for Christ.
Jesus is saying: “Think back to what you were like when I first saved you. You rejoiced that I came to live in your heart! You couldn't wait for church on Sunday and you spent all your free time digging into My word, learning about My love for you. You never considered prayer to be a burden, because I meant everything to you. You loved Me more than life itself. But now you've fallen away from all that. I get so little of your time now, so little of your attention. You've grown cold toward Me. Something else has your heart!”
Look at the serious warning in this verse: “Repent . . . or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent.” For many years theologians have tried to soften this warning, wanting it to mean something different. But it cannot be softened—it means exactly what it says.
Jesus is saying to us: “If you claim to have the fire of God, and yet I am no longer the delight of your heart, I will take away every bit of light you have! No matter what good works you do for Me, you will no longer be My witness. I simply won't recognize anything you do because you have lost your love for Me.”
Is your love for Jesus exclusive? Do you regularly take quality time to be with Him? Or have other things crept into your heart, taking up your thoughts and affections?
Jesus is asking you right now to repent and start over. He wants you to stop and realize, “Wait a minute. I see how this thing has crept into my life and it is robbing me of my exclusive love for Jesus. I can't let this go on any longer. Lord, forgive me! Light my candle anew.”
Go back to your first love today. Ask Him for grace and strength to begin again to guard your affection for Christ.