Love leads into many good works.24 It grows many other virtues. It builds up beautiful relationships. All these are important, but they must never squeeze aside the Person at the center of our love.25
Think of an earthly family. A husband and wife get married. They lavish attention on each other. Then children are born and these parents make a common mistake: They focus so fully on their children that they neglect each other. They feed the parent-child relationships, but let the husband-wife relationship starve. When the children grow up and leave, the marriage breaks apart. Why? The parents had cut the roots that made the fruit possible. The first relationship – the marriage itself – was buried beneath the other relationships.
The same thing can happen to us. That which is good, or important, or even essential, can push aside the first and foremost relationship, love for the Lord Himself. “But if anyone loves God, he is known by God” (1 Corinthians 8:3). On that love all else depends, therefore it deserves to be nurtured above all else.
Love is either growing or dying, and the latter was happening at Ephesus. This surprises us when we hear Jesus describe His family there: “I know your works, your toil and you patient endurance, and how you cannot bear with those who are evil…” (Revelation 2:2). They were doctrinally straight. They were very active. Yet Jesus also knew they were falling.
But I have this against you, that you have abandoned the love you had at first. Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent, and do the works you did at first. If not, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place, unless you repent (Revelation 2:4-5).
24. Research Subject – Good works: Matthew 5:2-4,16; 12:12; 25:34-46; Luke 6:27,35; John 5:17,29; Acts 9:36; 10:38; 26:20; Romans 2:7,10; 2 Corinthians 5:10; 9:8; Galatians 6:9-10; Ephesians 2:10; 4:12; 6:8; Colossians 1:10; 3:17,23; 2 Thessalonians 2:17; 1 Timothy 2:10; 5:10,25; 6:18; 2 Timothy 2:21; 3:17; Titus 2:7,14; 3:8,14; Hebrews 10:25; 13:16,21; James 2:18; 3:13; 4:17; 1 Peter 2:12,15,20; 3:11,13,17; 4:19; 3 John 1:11; Revelation 2:2,5,19; 14:13; 19:7-8; Psalm 37:3,27; Ecclesiastes 3:12; Isaiah 38:3; Micah 6:8; cf. Ephesians 5:11; Romans 3:12; 13:12; Hebrews 6:1; 9:14; Titus 1:16; Jeremiah 4:22