Revelation 2:5 Remember, Repent, Do “Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love. Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent.”
As the result of the indwelling Spirit of God, every “born again” (John 3:1-8) Child of God has and feels a deep rooted “love” for God. However, we still have our carnal nature, and we can become so distracted by the things and cares of this present world that, while we continue to go through the motions of religion, we fail to “Set” our “affection on things above”; and we begin to “Set” our “affection … on things on the earth” (Colossians 3:2), and eventually we become “lukewarm” (Revelation 3:16). Our Lord told the Church at Ephesus, that they must “Remember” and “repent … or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent”. He told the Church at “Laodicea”, “I will spue thee out of my mouth” (Revelation 3:16). The Lord is telling us, that if we continue on our present course and do not lovingly and adoringly put Him “first” (Matthew 6:33), we are in great trouble. For, without our “candlestick” [Spirit of God in our Church] we are spued out into this carnal world to guide and provide for and deliver ourselves. Without our “candlestick”, we will eventually get so low and so unbearably miserable that we “would” even eat with “the swine” because “no man” of this carnal world has any real interest in us, once they’re finished with us, we are cast away to ruin (Luke 15:16). In a similar time, the Lord sent a message to Israel by Jeremiah, “If thou wilt return, O Israel, saith the LORD, return unto me: and if thou wilt put away thine abominations out of my sight, then shalt thou not remove.” (Jeremiah 4:1)! And even before that time, the Lord told king Solomon, “If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.” (II Chronicles 7:14). And our Lord Jesus Christ told Jerusalem, “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not! 38 Behold, your house is left unto you desolate. 39 For I say unto you, Ye shall not see me henceforth, till ye shall say, Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord.” (Matthew 23:37-39). And, lest we think these warnings do not apply to us, Paul wrote, “For if God spared not the natural branches, take heed lest he also spare not thee. 22 Behold therefore the goodness and severity of God: on them which fell, severity; but toward thee, goodness, if thou continue in his goodness: otherwise thou also shalt be cut off.” (Romans 11:21-22)!