Getting Your Priorities Right

And now these three remain: faith, hope and love.But the greatest of these is love. (1 Cor 13:13)

In the book of Revelation the most frequently read chapters, 2 and 3, are where Christ dictates letters for seven Christian churches in the region of Asia.

​The first letter is addressed to the church in Ephesus, whom Christ describes as:
 

• Hard working
• Patiently enduring 
• Intolerant of evil people
• Discerning
• Hate the Nicolatians

 
Reading such commendable qualities can cause some confusion when we read the next verses:

“But I have this complaint against you. You don’t love me or each other as you did at first! Look how far you have fallen! Turn back to me and do the works you did at first. If you don’t repent, I will come and remove your lampstand from its place among the churches.” (Revelation 2:4-5)

​On the surface, the penalty seems somewhat harsh, even extreme, but only until we realise the deeper significance. Let’s look at  what that is.

In Matthew 22, we read of two occasions where the Pharisees and Saducees tried to trap Jesus by setting before Him questions that would certainly lead to either his arrest by the Romans or condemnation from the Jews. Having foiled both these attempts, the Pharisees approached Him again, and said: “Teacher, which is the most important commandment in the law of Moses?” (Matthew 22:36) 
​
​Jesus answered simply: 

“‘You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul and all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. A second is equally important.‘Love your neighbour as yourself.' The entire law and all the demands of the prophets are based on these two commandments.” (Matthew 22:37-40)

Jesus reveals the most important priority is about relationship: our relationship with God far surpasses any other priority in life, even what we do for Him. 

“Correct theology, action, and even suffering are just an empty shell of Christian life if dynamic love is absent.”  (NLT Study Bible Footnotes Revelation 2:4)

“If dynamic love is absent”… The Ephesians were ‘doing’ the right things but had allowed their inner relationship with Christ to become tarnished. This letter serves as a warning for us today. Like the Ephesian church, our churches can have have many commendable qualities… but do we love Christ ? 

“The most important thing we can do in life is love God and love others.” 
Watchman Nee

​Pauline Anderson