In Revelation, John writes letters of guidance to seven churches enduring persecution. His first letter is to the church in Ephesus. John doesn’t coach the church on how to defend itself against opposition. Rather, he focuses on the church’s spiritual health. John commends the church at Ephesus for good deeds and purity, but he also makes it clear that it has fallen away from a fervent love of God. This letter is a reminder that good deeds and purity are necessary parts of a healthy faith, but they cannot stand in as a substitute for loving God. This is also a reminder that God requires faithfulness throughout our lives, not just at points in time.
Ephesus is the only church that also has a letter from Paul recorded in Scripture. In the book of Ephesians, Paul tells the church about how thankful he is for its faith and love. His prayers are for increased wisdom and revelation. When John writes to the Ephesians, he commends them for their hard work, perseverance, deeds, and purity, but rebukes them strongly for forsaking their first love. He commands them to “Repent and do the things you did at first”. Since we have the book of Ephesians to refer to, we can surmise that the church had continued the good deeds it had always shown, but that it had also grown in unhealthy directions. While Paul comments on the church’s “love for all God’s people”, John praises their hatred of the practices of the Nicolatians. While Paul had prayed for greater wisdom, the church seems to be relying on staying power and grit. I think it’s typical of humans to feel justified when we substitute one quality for another and say they are equivalent. John makes it very clear that perseverance is necessary for a life of faith, but, alone, it’s not a sufficient substitute.
For this reason, ever since I heard about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all God’s people, I have not stopped giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers. I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better. I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in his holy people, and his incomparably great power for us who believe. Ephesians 1:15-19a
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. Revelation 2:2-6
I love reading these passages from Ephesians and Revelations. They remind me of times when I have pursued purity and good deeds in a spiritually healthy way. When I say “healthy” I mean I started with the goal of seeing Jesus more clearly, like Paul prayed that the church at Ephesus would do. The verse I have come back to time and time again is in 1 John:
Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when Christ appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is. 1 John: 3-2
This verse reminds me that we live in an “in between” time, between the Garden of Eden and the transformed and eternal world that God promises after this world wears out. It also reminds me that the life God desires doesn’t flow from knowledge that becomes determined action. Rather, we need to see Christ first and foremost; being able to see clearly will transform us. I have experienced transformation as I have seen Christ more clearly and it’s the only route to a pure and healthy life that I’m aware of. As both Paul and John remind us, this transformation is a continuous process, not something that’s accomplished once and for all. I love South fellowship because it’s a church that builds faith, love, and good deeds on a foundation of growing insight and wisdom. Let’s stay the course.
Application
What comes to mind when we think of “purity and good deeds”? Mighty efforts to conform to an ideal standard? Keeping oneself on a tight leash? Falling short or feeling superior to others? Or are they reminders of the transformation that takes place when we take our eyes off ourselves and focus on Jesus?
Pray for South Fellowship in the way Paul did for the Ephesians:
I have not stopped giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers. I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better. I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in his holy people, and his incomparably great power for us who believe. Ephesians 1:15-19a
This song (The Now and the Not Yet) has helped me meditate on 1 John 3:2. You might like it as well.
https://music.apple.com/us/album/the-now-and-the-not-yet/720105020?i=720105952
{Note. This song is highlighted in red on the site.}
by Sherry Sommer
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