Leaving one’s first love is a concept that comes from Revelation 2:4, where Jesus tells the church in Ephesus “But I have this against you, that you have abandoned the love you had at first.” This verse is referring to the Ephesian church losing their passionate devotion and love for Christ that they had when they first believed. Here are some key points to understand about this concept of leaving your first love:
1. It refers to believers losing their initial zeal and passion for Christ
The Ephesian church was commended by Jesus for their hard work, perseverance, and doctrinal purity (Revelation 2:2-3). However, Jesus had this charge against them – that they had left or abandoned the love they had at first. The Ephesian church was diligent in ministry but lacking the motivation of love behind it. They went through the motions but lost their initial excitement and passion for serving Christ.
Likewise, believers today can get so caught up in Christian activity that they lose sight of their love for Christ that initially propelled their service. Church attendance, bible reading, worship, and ministry can become dry routine. The busyness of life can cause us to drift from the simple devotion we had when first saved. Leaving your first love means allowing your devotion for Christ to grow cold and dutiful compared to the fiery passion you had when first believing.
2. It leads to compromising Christian commitment and witness
The result of leaving your first love is a compromised Christian life and testimony. When our love for Christ weakens, we become vulnerable to compromise and sin. Our witness is damaged because we lack the passion and conviction that backed our evangelism earlier. Settling into complacency, we are content with a mediocre faith rather than the zeal we had at first.
This was true for the Ephesian church too. Though they looked good on the outside, their declining love for Christ allowed false teaching to creep in (Revelation 2:6). They left their first passion, and subsequently began departing from Christian commitment in doctrine and deed. Like a marriage where the couple no longer does the thoughtful things they used to, the Ephesian church’s devotion to Christ had become a dry ritual rather than a loving relationship.
3. It requires remembering, repenting, and returning to our first devotion
Jesus’ solution for those who have left their first love is to remember, repent, and return. He told the Ephesian church “Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent, and do the works you did at first” (Revelation 2:5). To recapture lost love, we must look back and remember the joy of salvation, repent of our complacency, and return to the unquestioning service we gave at first.
We remember the grace that saved us, the passion we had reading God’s word, and the urgency we felt to share Christ. We repent of letting that fire die down into duty. Then, we return to the Word, spend time with Jesus in prayer, and serve with the wholehearted devotion of our early walk. We do the works we did at first – seeking God’s face through spiritual disciplines and overflowing with love for Him and others.
4. It is a danger for all believers that must be guarded against
The temptation to leave your first love is universal for followers of Christ. No matter how long we’ve walked with God, we are prone to grow stagnant in our love. Church history is littered with examples of fervent movements of God that slowly declined into ritual. Therefore, we must actively fight to maintain our first love for Christ. We shouldn’t assume we are immune to growing cold.
A strong love for Christ is a mark of true saving faith. But it is possible for believers to retain doctrinal orthodoxy yet lack an active devotion to Jesus. We must heed Christ’s warning to revive lukewarm love, not just assume all is well. Examining our hearts and asking God to rekindle our passion for Him is crucial to finish the Christian life well. “Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord.” (Romans 12:11)
5. It removes the motivation for serving Christ and others
When our love for God grows cold, we lose our motivation to serve and sacrifice for His kingdom. The Christian life becomes more about keeping rules and traditions rather than wholehearted devotion to God. Selfless acts of service dry up, because they are no longer compelled by love.
The Ephesian church continued their doctrinal purity and perseverance, but without the fuel of love behind it. They served out of duty rather than delight. Their hearts had grown distant from Christ, so they lacked the passion that drove their work earlier. Their declining love removed the incentive to labor sacrificially for God and others. The church functioned only externally, while internally lacking the fire of their first devotion.
6. It reveals a heart becoming spiritually self-reliant
Beneath leaving our first love is a subtle shift to self-reliance over relying on God. We begin to run on our own strength rather than living in constant dependence on Christ. Success in ministry and comparisons to others can feed this self-sufficiency where we feel we have “arrived.” Pride and complacency seep in without us noticing.
In our zeal we cling tight to Christ, but as we spiritually mature we start relying more on our biblical knowledge, discipline, and giftedness. Slowly our need for Jesus’ power fades. Prolonged self-reliance leaves us drained and dry. Our hearts wander as we begin to function independently from intimate fellowship with Jesus that we desperately needed at first.
7. It threatens our ultimate salvation if there is no repentance
Jesus warned the Ephesian church that unless they repented, He might remove their lampstand – an image of losing their salvation and witness. Declining love that is not dealt with can eventually lead to being cut off from Christ eternally. Just being doctrinally sound is not enough, the heart must remain on fire.
This is not teaching we can lose our salvation, but that a cold distant heart may indicate the presence of false conversion. Jesus says those who overcome and remain loyal to Him to the end will be saved (Revelation 2:7). True believers repent of leaving their first love and seek restoration. Continual indifference to Christ gives evidence that our faith may not be authentic, risking being shut out of God’s kingdom.
8. Returning to our first love renews joy, zeal, and spiritual empowerment
When we actively stir up love and devotion for Christ after it has waned, there is renewed joy and spiritual vigor. We experience revival in our relationship with Jesus as we rekindle that fire of wholehearted worship, praise, and service out of love for Him. Doing the works we did at first brings back the zeal and conviction that had diminished.
Just as couples can reinvigorate strained marriages by reconnecting and choosing love, so believers reconnect with unadulterated love for Christ. The Christian life again overflows from a heart burning with love for Jesus, driving us to God’s Word, prayer, fellowship, worship, and sharing the gospel. The joy of our salvation returns as our first love is rekindled.
9. It requires avoiding comfort, Complacency, Compromise
Actively guarding against leaving our first love means avoiding complacency, compromise, and comfort. It is easy to get comfortable in our faith and coast on past passion. Compromise creeps in as we lower conviction and holiness standards. Complacency kills our spiritual zeal and dulls our love for Christ.
We must fight spiritual apathy, sin patterns, and laziness that attempts to weaken our devotion. Setting goals for bible reading, scripture memory, evangelism, and giving keeps us actively engaged. Accountability partners help warn of creeping compromise or complacency. Staying focused on eternity and the reward of Christ keeps fire in our hearts that temptation seeks to extinguish.
10. It is examined through assessing our private devotion vs public service
A good litmus test of whether we have left our first love is comparing our private devotion to God versus our public service and works. If our private prayer life, worship, and biblically intake has declined, but public ministry remains strong, that indicates a performance-based faith over intimate relationship.
The Ephesian church looked good on the outside, but inwardly lacked spiritual depth and fellowship with Christ. We must ensure our works flow out of vibrant, intimate time with God rather than dry discipline and duty. If private devotion suffers, public works will eventually wither. But a heart ablaze for Christ in secret overflows with loving service and worship.
Summary
Leaving our first love for Christ is a subtle, serious issue believers must be vigilant against. It is a drift from initial devotion and passion. This dangerous decline is remedied through remembering, repenting, and returning to unadulterated love and zeal for Christ. Actively fighting complacency and compromise, assessing our private spiritual depth, and choosing daily love for Jesus renews fire and empowers Christian living. Our first love for Christ must endure all of life if our salvation endures for eternity.