Page 116 - Radical Love by Linda Robinson_FEB2025

RADICAL LOVE

passionate love (or first love) you had for me at the beginning. Think

about how far you have fallen! Repent and do the works of love you did
at first. I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place of

influence if you do not repent... The one whose heart is open, let him
listen carefully to what the Spirit is saying now to all the churches. To

the one who overcomes, I will give access to the feast on the fruit of the

Tree of Life that is found in the paradise of God.”

Ephesus actually means “desirable” or “darling.” Every Christian is

desirable to the Lord—He paid the highest price for us so that He could
have a Bride who loves and cherishes Him above all else.

The Greek word for first in the context of being one’s “first love” is

protos, meaning foremost, best, paramount, supreme, crowning. Jesus
has to be our foremost concern. We can see from the text that, despite

all their good works and effort, the Lord threatens to remove His
presence from their midst if they do not make the main thing the main

thing—which is to love Him before family, ministry, status, and even
ourselves.

This is nothing less than what He deserves.

My research also discovered that Ephesus is the word a Greek
bridegroom would use to describe the girl he desired to marry. What an

incredible privilege—that the God of the whole universe, the Creator
of all things, whether seen or unseen, our “All-Sufficient One,” has a

desire to be totally united with us. It is incredible—and it is true.

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