"Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love," REV 2:4.

To rightly understand our Saviour's admonition against leaving our first love we must remember what He said in MAT 22:37, "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment."

When we harbor anything in our hearts that comes between us and our lovely Saviour, He is no longer our first love.

Our Lord will not sit in second place in our hearts! The Lord said of the church of Ephesus that they had many good works and labors of love, "...and hast patience, and for my name's sake hast laboured, and hast not fainted. Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love," REV 2:2-4.

Jesus said, "He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me," MAT 10:37.

Martha truly loved her Lord, but her heart was overcharged with serving. For this Jesus reproved her saying, "Martha, Martha, thou art careful and troubled about many things: But one thing is needful: and Mary hath chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her," LUK 10:41-42.

Mary loved her Lord with 'all [her] heart, and with all [her] soul, and with all [her] mind,' while Martha's heart, soul and mind were cumbered with serving.

Jesus warned in MAR 4:19 against letting, "...the cares of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the lusts of other things," become our first love. Jesus said in JOH 14:23, "If a man love me, he will keep my words." When Jesus is our first love our motives are not selfish, but we will keep His commandments out of love for our Saviour and not for merit. Then Jesus says, "...my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him."

One leaves his first love when he barters God's Holy Word for philosophy or human reasoning. There are so many things that are held sacred which are not of God's origin, nor based upon His Word.

There are so many rituals and traditions of man which become one's first love, but the Lord says, "When ye come to appear before me, who hath required this at your hand, to tread my courts? Bring no more vain oblations...your appointed feasts my soul hateth: they are a trouble unto me; I am weary to bear them," ISA 1:12-14.

Our Saviour admonishes His church who has left its first love, "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," REV 2:5.

Oh, beloved, that our hearts might cry unto the Lord with David in PSA 139:23-24, "Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting."

When our Saviour is our first love, we will desire to come to the light that our 'deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God,' JOH 3:21. "Many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many. And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold. But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved," MAT 24:11-13. Amen.