Regaining true love (agape)

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

We live in a time of unparalled evil, and it is bound to have a polluting effect on us. I have a saying that goes like this, "When you live in a sewer, you don't mind the smell." Jesus foretold us of this time, but we who believe ought to take it as warning:

"And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold." -Matt. 24:12.

Can you spot this hardness of heart within yourself? How do you react to news of tradgedies? Are you watching television, and movies which ought to be offensive to Christian faith?

Abraham's nephew, Lot, chose to live within the Sodom and Gomorrah area, as we see in Genesis 13:10. 13:13 tells us that this was an exceedingly wicked place! What Lot did, he did initially because of the geographic locale; it was a good place for his cattle. Yet he also came to greatly regret the move;

"For if God... turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrha into ashes condemned them with an overthrow... And delivered just Lot, vexed with the filthy conversation of the wicked: (For that righteous man dwelling among them, in seeing and hearing, vexed his righteous soul from day to day with their unlawful deeds;)... The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptations..." - See II Peter 2:4-9.

Is your soul vexed by the evil that you witness around you? Has "bad company" corrupted your good morals (I Cor. 15:33? Have you separated yourself for the Lord's sake (II Cor. 6:17), or have you yielded to walking in the counsel of the ungodly, standing in the way with sinners, and sitting in the seat of the scornful (Psalm 1:1,2)?

God warns us in His Word that in these last days, men will be lovers of their own selves (II Tim. 3:1,2). This is an apt description for today,  for both within, and outside of the professing church of Christ. There are so many who seem to be loving in Christ, but their false expressions of genuine Godly CHARITY (I Cor. 13) never go beyond what is absolutely convenient for them! Our example ought to be that of Christ, in the Garden of Gethsemane; denying self, taking up our cross daily, and then following God's leading.

The Bible also gives prophecy of the period of salvation which would be wrought through Christ;

"Then will I sprinkle clean water upon you, and ye shall be clean: from all your filthiness, and from all your idols, will I cleans you. And a new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh. And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments, and do them." - Ezekiel 36:25-27. Are these verses describing you?

Revelation 2:1-5 addresses the church of Ephesus, and has many good things to say about them. Yet for this shortfall, the leaving of their first love, they needed repentance; without repenting, they would be LOST. I dare say that today, we are nowhere close to what the church of Ephesus had in righteousness. Instead, we have permissiveness.

"There is a generation that are pure in their own eyes, and yet is not washed from their filthiness." -Prov. 30:12.

Is your soul vexed for the evil you witness in this world? Do you hate your life in this world (John 12:25), and long to be with the Lord (II Cor. 5:6-8)? Pray for the Lord to open your eyes, and to remove the stony places of your heart. Stop trying so hard to "get along" with everyone, and start letting your light shine for Christ! If your heart is right with the Lord, you won't be getting popularity awards, anyhow!

"An unjust man is an abomination to the just: and he that is upright in the way is abomination to the wicked." - Prov. 29:27.

In addition to spotting what is evil, you will also need the Holy Spirit's sensitivity to minister to the actual needs of others. I could give you abundant examples of the forthrightly proclaiming "Christian" who just absolutely could care less about helping those around them (Matt. 25:31-46)! I guess Christian service is what they pay others to do for them, when they place $ in the offering plate!

Brethren, time is fast running out. It is high time that we get serious about living the faith that we profess, or we will be counted amongst the goats separated out for judgment.

"Wherefore lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, and receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls. But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves." - James 1:21,22.