Revelation 2:4 Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken the love you had at first.
Why do humans not keep to their words and commitments? Why do we “forsake the love you had at first”? We see this all the time in relationships. A man and woman will fall in love, but after a few years or even dozens of years, they “fall out of love.” People have no commitment. They live for the moment. They live for the feelings they have right now. Past commitment means nothing.
Since it seems to be human nature (as inherited from Adam and Eve) that our love lives for the moment, we must work extra hard to make sure our love is earnest, authentic, and fresh. Jesus is talking about the love the Ephesians had once when they came to faith in him. There is excitement and sincerity. But unlike the seed that grew but was choked by thorns or was snatched by birds in Mark 4, we must establish our love and commitment deeply so that we can live healthy lives as believers. We cannot base our love for God on emotions or circumstances because they will come and go, based on the situation in which we find ourselves. Rather, our love must be based on the commitment of faith. Faith is strengthened by relationship which is nurtured by prayer, devotions, fellowship, and the means of grace.
Something went wrong in Ephesus that caused the believers there to lower their commitment. Their initial love was growing weak and needed to be strengthened.
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