FIRST LOVE AND FIRST WORKS
D. M. Welch
Revelation 2: 4, 5 (to “works”); Ephesians 1: 3, 4; 2 Timothy 2: 21, 22; John 20: 1 (to “dark”), 13–17
One had an impression as to first love and first works. It seems that they are very closely linked here in this passage in Revelation. We ended the reading earlier in the afternoon with
“Grace with all them that
love our Lord Jesus Christ in incorruption”, Ephesians 6: 24. I think it was said that that was first love. It does not say how many, but it says, “with all them”. In 2 Timothy 2 we have
“with those” (2 Timothy 2: 22); we do not have that in 1 Timothy. It was not necessary to discriminate in the early days of the church as to who to be with, but in 2 Timothy the “with those” comes in. What light that church at Ephesus had! The apostle Paul left them with tears, having spoken of grievous wolves coming in and men rising up from among themselves speaking perverted things. They were specially affected by the word that they would never see his face again. How he had represented his Master in an affectionate way! What influence he had upon them! They were in such a state that they could receive the epistle to the Ephesians, which we have reviewed something of in the previous meeting. Eventually, a decline came in, and it came in not long after that meeting between the elders of Ephesus and the apostle to the gentiles recorded in Acts 20. So, while we may know certain things; as those elders did, and it is a great privilege to have the epistle in our hands and to be set together in that way, yet the bond of perfectness is love.
I wondered if first works and first love really go together. We could look at these scriptures to see if we can find an example of one in whom these features were found in reality. It speaks in 2 Timothy of a pure heart, something closely linked to first love and first works. It is in my mind, beloved brethren, that a pure heart is very much needed, and very simply to me it means that I have no other motive, nothing mixed. Seeing the breakdown is affecting, but there is something glorious going through. It requires a pure heart and to pursue “with those that call upon the Lord out of a pure heart”. It says in 2 Timothy, regarding separation, that such an one would be prepared for every good work. Being prepared for every good work, it was necessary for such an individual to pursue certain things; and I think in this way, of pursuing righteousness, faith, love and peace
with others we prove first of all that there is a pure heart in some measure in activity, and secondly, that we answer in some measure to first works. Also mentioned in the reading was the unity of the Spirit, “using diligence to keep the unity of the Spirit in the uniting bond of peace”, Ephesians 4: 3. Reference was also made to the unity of the faith. Pursuing the things in 2 Timothy 2: 22 leads to keeping the unity of the Spirit and the desire to come into the unity of the faith. It is one’s impression that the unity of the faith is linked with first works, as is separation; that is being prepared to take up divine things in a day of outward breakdown and scattering. A pure heart leads us into taking that step. The apostle remembered Timothy and his tears; things were breaking down publicly but he was given the moral pathway through it. We cannot presume anything; we cannot have the assembly in its outward public grandeur, but we can have every feature that belongs to the assembly, if we are set for it, and move in first works and first love.
In Ephesians 6 it is a military stance. A military man, if he is a good leader, knows his object and the enemy too; he knows the area of operations; he knows what is available to him; he knows his vulnerable points and he is set to defend those. God, I believe, is desiring such persons to stand in the middle of the ground and survey everything from that basis. It is not assuming, or presuming, but loving Christ, and loving and keeping what belongs to Him. A captain of a ship, when enemies came to take his ship said, You are not taking my ship, then he grabbed the anchor with his hands and they cut his hands off; there was a rope, so he kneeled down and took the rope in his mouth, and they cut his head off. I think such devotion becomes us, but whether we are set for it is a question. These worthies that have gone on and regained the ground—How much do we appreciate them laying down their lives for the brethren? It is a matter of being set for what is precious to Christ, and not accepting anything less; our
hearts as large as possible, but in first works keeping our feet in a narrow path. It is a challenge to any one of us to maintain first works. Repentance is to mark us all the way through. We have to remain vigilant, not only as to the enemy’s efforts to take the ground, but to take it through me. What is going to maintain us on the way?
First works is our individual responsibility and links, I think, with the unity of the faith. We think of our dear brother Mr. J. Renton and some of the things that he left; the brethren here were privileged to be with him and know some of these things to a much deeper extent than the rest of us. How tenderly he insisted that it is the day of the individual; that is to say, Am I making this good for myself? Is this true of me? Am I keeping His word and not denying His name? Am I keeping the word of His patience? Our brother had an impression, that the opening of that address to Philadelphia was like the beginning of the recovery, the opened door, when they were coming out by droves in the last century. Many did not know perhaps why they were doing that. He said he believed the latter part of the address is right down to our day. Are we set in the patience of the Christ and keeping His word? What is going to maintain us on this ground, in the complete position morally? I am not talking about presuming to have some kind of position ecclesiastically; I am talking about. Am I in the good of these things? What is the depth in my own soul of these things? I might be able to talk about it much, and we do need the intelligent side; that is again, I believe, linked with first works and the unity of the faith, and earnestly contending for the faith once delivered to the saints, that is the whole body of truth. The distinctive and precious light of the dispensation has been put into our hands, but O, to know the depths of it! O, to know the preciousness of it and to value and keep it! The daughters of Zelophehad did, they valued the inheritance. But what is going to maintain us? Will it be a pure heart, first love, first works? It is striking to me that at the end of the epistle to the Ephesians we have that verse, “Grace with all them that love our Lord Jesus Christ in incorruption”, Ephesians 6: 24. I think it links with a pure heart and first love.
Where do we find an example of such a one with a pure heart and in the good of first love?
Mary came while it was still dark. Do you think there was any other motive in her heart but the One whom she loved? No other motive, nothing mixed, and she was set to be attached to that One. Some have said she might not have been very intelligent; maybe so, but I suggest she was living up to the light that she had; she would have held the Lord, but more than that it was what He was to her. It is not so much what He was in meeting the sin question, but it is what He was personally to her. She could not bear the thought of being without Him—Where have they laid my Lord? She would not be without Him. She was set for everything that pertained to Him, and her heart was fully engaged with it but the disciples went to their own home. Perhaps John in writing, in penning those words, would feel sorry about them going to their own home.
What an example Mary was! I believe she is typical of true assembly affection. The first word that the Lord said to Mary was “Woman”. It takes us right back to Genesis chapter 2,
“Woman”. Then He calls His own sheep by name personally; each one is brought into this, we love His quickening touch, He calls His sheep by name. He says, “Mary”. She gets the message for His brethren. How it should affect us having the status of being Christ’s brethren! The brethren belong to Christ. What a message she received. I believe there is a lot in those words, “go to my brethren and say to them, I ascend to my Father and your Father, and to my God and your God”. Assembly affection was conveyed by Mary and a relationship revealed to her that is so blessed. It is spoken of in Ephesians 1; the conferred relationship that was in the mind and heart of God before the world ever was; so that He should have men in relation with Him, have them for Himself, sons by adoption—“my Father and your Father, and to my God and your God”—God with man in that order of manhood. What a wealth was in this message to Mary, and she was able to contribute that as she returned to the company with such a word.
I believe Mary is a wonderful example of a saint of God, typifying a person with a pure heart; going with them, who in separation, belong to the Lord, doing first works; nothing deterring her in her affections, as moved by first love. She had to have the Lord, and she set herself to be attached to Christ, she even went to the tomb when it was still dark. She could have done other things but she did not. What an example for us, to help us on the road, to help us rise in our spirits as to the kind of thing we are set in, how wonderful it is. Not a greater thing will there ever be than our relationship with the Father; then in the enjoyment of it on our side in the conditions of eternal life, and being set together “with all them”, to stand and to withstand. We do not want to lose this meantime, as we anticipate that final battle in heaven, when Michael and his angels fight and prevail and the accuser of the brethren is cast out. May we not be used by the enemy to accuse our brethren. It is true we fail, and we oftentimes leave ourselves open because of our failures, perhaps letting down some of the defence. I do believe that, while it is one universal defensive struggle and conflict in the epistle to the Ephesians, the victory will be brought through and based upon those who are set in their attachment to Christ and affection for Him, and are set together as overcomers.
I just commend these remarks to you. It is such a privilege to be together in the light of all this, and we cannot speak in detail or draw from very much depth of experience about these wonderful things. God has in mind Christ, and all who are in association with Him.
Revelation 12 looks on to a day to come when He will have His earthly rights and His earthly people for His own pleasure, when He comes to rule. This poor world has gone on in sin; men are trying desperately in various ways to resolve issues so that they can go on in self-will. It is not going to work, it is going to come down. Christ is going to take everything over, it will be in accordance with the mind of God.
Everything in God’s mind for that Man is going to be won including the present time of conflict. May the Lord help us to follow “with all them that love our Lord Jesus Christ in incorruption”, to make the thing good to ourselves in first love and first works, for His name’s sake.
Address at Edinburgh
12 March 1994