Remember From Where You Have Fallen, and Repent By Rick Renner

Remember From Where You Have Fallen, and Repent
By Rick Renner

The following is an adapted excerpt from Chapter Five, “Jesus’ Message to the Church of Ephesus,” in Rick Renner’s recently published book, A Light in Darkness, Volume 1. Click here to order your copy of this fabulous book.

Learn more about Rick Renner and RRM.

We must regularly allow the Holy Spirit to search our hearts and reveal whether or not we are still on fire for the Lord as we once were. It may be a painful revelation to realize that we have become doctrinally sophisticated yet powerless. However, if we are willing to remember from whence we have fallen and then to repent, we can be spared the tragedy of becoming irrelevant to our generation.

‘Remember’

This is precisely why Jesus said to the Ephesian church, “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” (Revelation 2:5). Notice the three things Jesus urged the church at Ephesus to do in order to correct their backslidden condition: 1) remember, 2) repent, and 3) do the first works.

It was essential that the Ephesian believers remembered their place of departure if they were to return to the vibrant relationship they once experienced with Christ. Therefore, He urged them to “remember.”

When a church becomes older and more structured, polished, refined, and doctrinally developed, it can become so engaged in ministry business that it runs the risk of forfeiting its zeal and spiritual fire. What was once held as precious often becomes routine. And as the leadership and church members become accustomed to the precious Holy Spirit in their lives, too often they unintentionally begin to simply “traffic” in the things of God. It is difficult to find a single mature Christian who hasn’t had to fight this temptation as his or her sinful past gradually becomes a distant memory. It’s a subtle backsliding that occurs in the very act of serving God.

The church of Ephesus had a great deal to remember:

• Their deliverance from idol worship.
• Their liberation from evil spirits.
• The many miraculous healings that occurred in their city.
• The great bonfire where they burned all their occult books and magical incantations.
• Their public repentance before a pagan crowd.

From the inception of the Ephesian church, these early believers were renowned for their passion for Jesus, their willingness to sever their new lives in Christ from their pagan past, and their aggressive missionary zeal. All of this was a part of their glorious history.

In its early years, this church burned like a spiritual inferno, and the vibrancy and excitement of these Ephesian believers inspired the same passion in other churches and spiritual leaders. But as the years passed, the zeal the Ephesian church had once possessed for the things of God slowly ebbed away. Knowledge increased, but the believers’ fiery passion for Jesus diminished. Undoubtedly, as the church grew, so did its members’ schedules, routines, habits, customs, and traditions. The subtle backsliding that often occurs when Christians become consumed with serving God began to take hold in this great church. The Ephesians were so busy serving Jesus that they lost their intimacy with Him. It is also likely that they experienced a loss of joy in their service, since joy is impossible to maintain without a vital connection to the Savior.

Revelation 2:4 says the Ephesian believers had lost their “first love” — in other words, the simplicity and passion that marked their early love for Jesus Christ. This tells us how far they had unintentionally drifted from the spiritual zeal that once characterized them. For this reason, Jesus went on to tell them, “Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen…” (v. 5). Christ urged them to stop everything they were doing in order to “remember” the precious fellowship they used to enjoy with Him before they became so spiritually sophisticated.

The word “remember” comes from the Greek root mneia. In ancient literature, this word denoted a written record used to memorialize a person’s actions; a sepulcher; a statue; a monument;or a tombstone. It is very significant that the word mneia can be translated a sepulcher. This suggests that the Ephesian believers’ early experiences with Christ had become buried by 30 years of activity. Thus, Jesus urged them to dig through the clutter of their schedules, routines, and activities so they could “remember” their vibrant beginning. Like dirt on a grave, the busyness of ministry had buried what was once precious to them. Using the word “remember” — the Greek word mneia — Jesus implored them to unearth those early memories when their faith was tender and new, to dig deep in order to recall and recover their powerful past. Once they remembered, they would be able to see how far they had drifted from the spiritual fervency that had marked their beginnings.

However, the word “remember” (mneia)also refers to a statue or a monument.Thistells us that some memories should forever stand tall in our lives and never be forgotten. The purpose of a statue or monument is toput living people in remembrance of a significant historical event or person. That statue or monument is intended to memorialize a historical event or a deceased hero so future generations will never forget.

Statues, monuments, and tombstones are made of metal or stone; therefore, they endure many years without any human effort or upkeep. Generations can come and go, but because statues and monuments stand tall, it is still possible for present generations to look upon the faces of deceased heroes and read the inscriptions that describe their past actions and contributions. As long as a statue or monument remains in its place, it will stand as a reminder to future generations.

However, memories must be deliberately maintained and cultivated if they are to remain vital in our hearts and minds. And if significant memories are not deliberately passed on to future generations, they become lost under the overgrowth of life, just like a neglected grave with no tombstone. It doesn’t take long before the location of such a grave is completely lost. People will walk across it without even knowing that the remains of a precious person lie buried beneath their feet.

Like an unmarked grave, important memories are easily forgotten. Adults forget their childhood; nations forget their heritage; and Christians forget their early beginnings with Jesus. In Revelation 2:5, we discover that churches can forget their past. Years of activity and Christian service can so consume a congregation’s energy and strength that they begin to forget the great work of grace God performed in their hearts. Weariness, busy schedules, and a constant stream of new programs to implement all have the ability to wear down a body of believers — turning their activity for God’s Kingdom into spiritual drudgery and reducing what was once fresh and exciting into a monotonous, religious routine. Soon their early memories of coming to Christ are buried under an overgrowth of activity and spiritual weeds, and they forget how wonderful God’s grace was when it first touched their hearts.

The word translated “remember” in this verse is in the present active imperative, which means Jesus wanted the Ephesian believers to be continually mindful of their past. What God had done in their midst was a wonderful memory that needed to be memorialized among them for all generations. And if they took an honest look at their hearts and compared their present to their past, they would see what Jesus knew about them — that they had fallen from the zeal and spiritual passion that had once burned in their hearts. Regardless of the adulation the Ephesian church received from other churches and spiritual leaders throughout the Roman Empire, Jesus could see the true state of this body of believers — and He said they were “fallen.”

‘From Whence Thou Hast Fallen’

Jesus continued in His admonition to the Ephesian church: “Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen….” The word “whence” is the Greek pothen, which points back in time to a different place or a different time.It is intended to draw one’s attention back in time to where he came from, to what life was once like, or to a specific moment or experience in the past.

Outwardly, everything looked great in the Ephesian church, but Jesus knew that its leadership and members had lost the spiritual passion that once burned so intensely in their hearts. For this cause, He told them that they were “fallen.”

The word “fallen” means a downfall from a high and lofty position. The Greek tense doesn’t describe the process of falling; rather, it refers to one who has already completely fallen and who is now living in a completely fallen state.

For the past 30 years, the church at Ephesus had hosted the world’s greatest Christian leaders, experienced the power of God, and become more advanced in spiritual knowledge than any other church of that time. The Christian world looked at this congregation as the ideal church. However, we must never forget that what can be carefully hidden from human eyes can never be concealed from Jesus. Hebrews 4:13 tells us that “…all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do.” Jesus is often unimpressed with the things that impress us because He often sees a different picture than we do. Others may have been impressed with the heritage of the Ephesian church and its roster of famous personalities — but in Jesus’ eyes, it was “fallen….”

Spiritual smugness is an attitude that deceives a person into thinking more highly of himself than he ought to think (Romans 12:3). Often this self-congratulatory attitude emerges among those who “think” they are more advanced, educated, or spiritually sophisticated than others. It is a spiritual pride that blinds one from seeing his own areas of shortcoming and need as he once did and causes him to be overly impressed with himself.

This is a spiritual affliction that the enemy attempts to use against every successful minister or church. It was such a serious problem in the Corinthian church that Paul sternly rebuked them for thinking too highly of themselves. Deeply disturbed by the cocky attitude and spiritual smugness of the Corinthian congregation, the apostle commanded them to repent. Otherwise, he warned them, he would have to come to them with a rod of correction (see 1 Corinthians 4:21).

It is vital that we take this as a divine warning that directly pertains to our own walk with God. We must understand that our own opinion of ourselves or the high opinion of others concerning us is not a trustworthy measure. Proverbs 16:2 says, “All the ways of a man are clean in his own eyes; but the Lord weigheth the spirits.” According to this verse, flesh is always prone to be self-congratulatory and to excuse its own failures and weaknesses. But there is nothing hidden from Jesus’ sight; He sees it all from the beginning to the end. All the public relations in the world will not change what Jesus sees in a person’s heart. Therefore, it is what Jesus Christ knows about us that is most important — not what we or others think and say about us.

The church at Ephesus had a glorious past and a famous name. It was large, well known, and recognized by others as a spiritual leader and a model church. Nevertheless, Jesus saw the situation very differently from what human eyes could see.

We must never forget that what can be carefully hidden from human eyes can never be concealed from Jesus’ eyes. Hebrews 4:13 tells us that “…all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do.” In addition, Psalm 94:9-11 states, “He that planted the ear, shall he not hear? he that formed the eye, shall he not see? He that chastiseth the heathen, shall not he correct? he that teacheth man knowledge, shall not he know? The Lord knoweth the thoughts of man, that they are vanity.” Jesus is often not impressed with the things that impress us. He often sees a different picture than others see. Others may have been impressed with the heritage of the Ephesian church and its roster of famous personalities — but in Jesus’ eyes, it was “fallen.”

If this illustrious ancient church with its list of remarkable accomplishments could be called “fallen” by the Head of the Church, it is clear that any church, regardless of its notable beginning or enduring fame, can also be “fallen.” This means one’s past is not a guarantee for the future. If an individual or a church is not completely devoted to doing whatever is necessary to retain spiritual passion, it is likely that over time, the initial passion will slowly dissipate, as was the case with the church of Ephesus.

That is why Jesus lovingly pointed the Ephesian believers backward in time, reminding them of the spiritual vibrancy they once possessed but had lost. Then He enjoined them to take action to rekindle their fire. If they would recognize the religious routine into which they had fallen — and allow this knowledge to produce conviction of sin about their backslidden condition — they could repent and turn the situation around.

Repentance demands acknowledgement of sin and agreement with God concerning our condition. Admitting we have done wrong is the first step in repentance. That acknowledgement is difficult, but the pain it produces is part of the process that leads us to repentance.

Thus, Christ pleaded with the Ephesian believers to remember what they had lost. Once they acknowledged the height from which they had fallen, they would be in a position to take the next step of true repentance.

‘And Repent’

Jesus went on to say in verse 5, “Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent….”

The word “repent” is the Greek word metanoeo, which is a compound of meta and nous. The word meta means to turn,and the word is nous is the word for mind, intellect, will, frame of thinking, opinion, or general view of life. When the words meta and nous are combined together, the new word depicts a decision to completely change the way one thinks, lives, or behaves.This doesn’t describe a temporary emotional sorrow for past actions; rather, it is a solid, intellectual decision to turn about-face and take a new direction, to completely alter one’s life by discarding an old pattern and embracing a brand-new one.

As noted above, the word nous — the second part of the word metanoeo — means the mind. This is a very important component of the Greek word translated “repent” because it tells us the decision to repent originates in the mind, not in the emotions. Although emotions may accompany repentance, they are not a requirement. True repentance involves a conscious decision both to turn away from sin, selfishness, and rebellion and to turn toward God with all of one’s heart and mind. It is a complete, 180-degree turn in one’s thinking and behaving….

The idea of an across-the-board transformation is intrinsic to the word “repent.” If there is no transformation or change of behavior and desire in a person who claims to have repented, it is doubtful that repentance ever truly occurred. Repentance brings about a conversion to truth so deep that it produces a life change.