The Seven Churches and the Kingdom Today
Topic: Ephesus: The Revelation to the Sons of God
Scripture: Revelation 2:1-7; 1 Corinthians 7:32; 2 Corinthians 6:14-18
Greetings Kingdom Citizens and Sons of God:
When we look at the church at Ephesus, Jesus ends His letter in Revelation 2:7:
“He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches, To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God.”
Now the key phrase is “he that overcometh”. Overcomes what? The world and make it to the end! See the only way you can overcome the world is by reconciliation to the Father, by Jesus Christ. This is why the ought against the church at Ephesus was that they left their first love. See the people at Ephesus allowed the world and their hearts to grow cold and they left their first love. The fire that once burned inside for Christ has grown cold and this was evident in the work they were doing. Who did we say their first love is? Jesus Christ. Jesus arranged these churches in His address to them in a particular order and at the end we will see the entire picture.
Jesus says that the ones who overcome will He give to eat of the tree of life. Jesus is the one has all power (Revelation 1:20-Revelation 2:1) so to the one that overcome they will eat of the Tree of Life, never to die again. The Tree of Life was located in the Garden of Eden in Genesis. We know that the Garden of Eden was a type and shadow of the Body of Christ. It is in the Body of Christ where God and man fellowship. Hence where God is, that is where paradise is. So there is restoration from the fall in the Garden. God is now reversing the curse perpetrated by Adam on man to restore him back in sonship and everlasting life with the Father.
So the first stage in the maturation of the sons of God is that they are to love the Lord FIRST! The way you show love to the Father is by obedience (John 14:15) and do the work that He has called us to do. So many people say they are a child of God but they really, by their action, do not love the Lord. When God has asked them to come out from amongst the heathens and unbelievers and be ye separate (2 Corinthians 6:14-18) and he finishes that scripture by saying if you do that then shall God be their Father and they shall be His sons and daughters. You cannot say on one hand that I love the Lord and still be in sin and be perpetually backsliding and making every excuse in the book to why. You must love the Lord first and do His work first.
As I was growing and maturing to a man and dealing with relationships, unless both people truly love the Lord first, then they will only validate each other and instead of the Lord doing that. You must first love the Lord. You cannot effectively learn how to show love to one another until you learn to love the Lord for yourself. Many people make the mistake of looking for a mate instead of allowing God to send them. For this to happen you must be working and doing the Will of God first.
1 Corinthians 7:32: “But I would have you without carefulness. He that is unmarried careth for the things that belong to the Lord, how he may please the Lord:”
So those who are unmarried, naturally and spiritually, care for things that belong to the Lord and how he may please the Lord. So the first stage in the maturation of the sons of God is Love the Lord first!
At the Father’s Service,
Elder Calvin Calhoun Jr.
