When Love Grows Cold - Letter to Ephesus

To the Church in Ephesus -  Revelation 2:1-7

To the angel of the church in Ephesus write:

These are the words of him who holds the seven stars in his right hand and walks among the seven golden lampstands. I know your deeds, your hard work and your perseverance. I know that you cannot tolerate wicked people, that you have tested those who claim to be apostles but are not, and have found them false. You have persevered and have endured hardships for my name and have not grown weary.

Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken the love you had at first. Consider how far you have fallen! Repent and do the things you did at first. If you do not repent, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place. But you have this in your favor: You hate the practices of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate.

Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who is victorious, I will give the right to eat from the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God.

Devotional Reflection on the Letter to the Church in Ephesus

When Jesus opens His letters to the churches, He begins with Ephesus, and since we know he doesn’t do anything without purpose, we should linger here and reflect on why.

Ephesus was the capital city of a Roman province in Asia. It was a significant center of trade and culture with major roads connecting to all the other significant cities in Asia Minor.

Ephesus was known for its amphitheater, the largest in the world, designed to hold up to 50,000 spectators. Home to the Temple of Artemis, one of the seven wonders of the ancient world, Ephesus was a place where light and darkness collided daily. So to be a follower of Jesus in this city meant being set apart and going against the cultural norms. 

The Apostle Paul spent more time in Ephesus than almost anywhere else. For nearly three years he preached there and Acts tells us that the word of the Lord spread powerfully, so much so that idol makers began to lose business. The Holy Spirit caused disruption in that community and people's lives were being changed. We know that this church was forged in spiritual warfare.

So when Jesus addresses the church in Ephesus in Revelation 2, He is speaking to believers who knew truth, who had endured hardship, and who did not compromise easily. He commends them for it, we read they tested those who claimed to be apostles and found them false. 

There is an interesting echo here of Revelation chapter 6—the opening of the first seal. A rider on a white horse goes out conquering, representing an outward appearance of righteousness and authority. Now whether viewed symbolically or prophetically, the idea connects: not everything that looks holy is sent by God. The Ephesians understood this. They examined teaching. They tested spirits. They were not naïve. On the surface they were faithful followers.

And yet.

Jesus saw something not visible to the human eye, he saw their heart and he called it out. He said:

“You have forsaken the love you had at first.” (Strong's Greek: 26. ἀγάπη (agapé) -- 116 Occurrences)

Not you’ve lost it. Not it faded accidentally. But, that it was forsaken.

This love, the word used is agapē. Which is not just an emotion or enthusiasm. but a wholehearted, self‑giving devotion. The kind of love that fueled their early obedience and made their endurance joyful.

It is hard not to hear an echo of Jesus’ question to Peter after the resurrection (John 21:15): “Do you love Me?” 

Not, Are you still serving...do you love Me?

The church in Ephesus was doing the right things, believing the right things, standing against the wrong things—but somewhere along the road, they had fallen out of love and shifted into obligation.

To make it more relevant to our time, in a recent interview Christine Caine, a prominent Christian leader and humanitarian shared a personal story about a temptation she had faced. She explained how for the first time in 37 years of being a Christian, she had wrestled with whether she still wanted to do it anymore, because she knew the cost associated. She had reasoned that with all she had accomplished for the kingdom, if she kept her business going and didn’t do anything really bad she could just kind of turn on cruise control and “cruise her way into eternity” she could “tap out in her heart” and nobody would know, but what stopped her was the realization that Jesus would know,  even if the world didn’t. If we’re honest, that temptation is real for many of us, it can be easy to lose our intimacy with the Lord while still performing for him. 

Now getting back to the Ephesians; Jesus also mentions the Nicolaitans—those whose practices the Ephesians hated, just as He did. While Scripture doesn’t give exhaustive detail, this group is commonly understood to have promoted compromise—blurring the line between grace and license, liberty and indulgence. The Ephesians rejected their teachings, and rightly so. Yet resisting error has nothing to do with being in love.

Then Jesus calls them to do something simple, but costly:

“Remember. Repent. Return.”

Repentance here is not about doing more works, because they already had works. It is about a change of heart posture. He was calling them to turn back to love as the source. Because without love, humble service means nothing. 

Paul confirms this when writing to the Corinthians when says “We can speak truth, endure hardship, give sacrificially—but without love, it profits nothing. Love is patient. Love is kind. Love does not keep a record of wrongs. Love rejoices in truth, but it never delights in separation from God.

Jesus is not threatening the Ephesians because He is harsh. He is warning them because He is loving. He desires a loving and intimate relationship with his children, not just a vigilant one.

And perhaps that is why Ephesus is first.

Because before persecution increases, before deception multiplies, before seals are opened and history moves forward—Christ addresses the heart of His people.

Truth matters. Discernment matters. Endurance matters.

But love—agapē love—must be first.

And so like the Ephesians, may we ponder:

We are doing many things for Him… But have we forsaken the love we had at first?

Let’s pray. 

Heavenly Father, Spirit of the Living God we thank you for your loving kindness, that calls us out of darkness and draws us into your wonderful light. Lord I pray that you would search our hearts, test our motives, know our anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in us and lead us in the way of your everlasting love (Ps 139: 23-24). Teach us to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives here and now, while we wait for the blessed hope—the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ (Titus 2: 12-13). While we wait may the meditations of our heart and the words of our mouth be pleasing in your sight (Ps 19:14). In Jesus name, Amen.