Focus: Love Beyond Denial

Text: Rev.2:5

"Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent…"

No problem is solved until it is solved from the root. A disease is not cured by simply treating its symptoms. This is the point Jesus is making here in this text. He says to the church in Ephesus, "Thou hast left thy FIRST LOVE. Remember therefore FROM WHENCE THOU art FALLEN, and REPENT, and do the FIRST WORKS…" (Rev.2:4,5). You see my point? God always takes us back to where we missed it in order to help us get it right or get back on track.

Divine judgment is given right where sin has occurred. It is not wisdom for one to increase his speed after missing his way, but it is wisdom for him to trace his way back to where he missed it.

The church in Ephesus abandoned their first love, and it was by that love that they did their first works. Their first love was love on fire, love full of energy and surging with compassion. It was pure and deep love for Christ. Now their hearts are calloused and their love has waxen cold.

We must constantly check our faith and love temperatures and be sure that we are not suffering from spiritual atrophy and apathy.

Let's learn a spiritual truth from Peter's experience.

*The place of denial

John writes, "And the servants and officers stood there, who had made a FIRE OF COALS; for it was cold: and they warmed themselves: and Peter stood with them, and warmed himself" (Jh.18:18). It was there at the fireplace that Peter denied his master thrice - Jh.18:25-27.

*The place of renewal

Then after the master Jesus resurrected from the dead, He came to Peter at the sea of Tiberias, and here is John's report: "As soon then as they were come to land, they saw a FIRE OF COALS there…"(Jh.21:9). Are you following the chain of thought? Here is another fireplace. In the first fireplace Peter denied his master, and now in this fireplace Peter owns up his sin and reaffirms his love for Christ. The master Jesus brings him back to the fireplace, because there's need for him to repent and be restored, and even reassigned to the ministry. It is here at the fireplace that Jesus asked him three times, "Lovest thou me…?" And three times Peter replied, "Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee." And also, three times Jesus said, "Feed my sheep." The number three is playing out here. Why? Because three times Peter denied his master. Now love has conquered. Peter still loves his master. His denial was an act, not a character. Peter is not defined by his denial, but by his love for Christ. His denial is a past tense, but his love for Christ is a present reality.

*The fireplace of Christ 

Christ has a fireplace for all of us. He knows how to take us back memory lane in order to help us deal with our guilt and receive His forgiveness, healing and restoration. He knows how to bring us back to the foot of the cross where we can see our sins clearly, repent of them and move on with a renewed vigor and a new sense of ministry that is totally born out of God's love.

O, how we constantly need the fireplace of Christ - the place of divine provision and pardon, the place of restoration and reassigned mission! I can hear the Lord saying to all the Peters of today, 'If you still love Me, then forget about the past denial, and continue with me. I still have work for you to do for Me, even the work of tending My flocks.' Love beyond denial. Amen.

by Bishop Moses E. Peter