The Home Missionary Work
A Warning from the Church of Ephesus
The True Witness addresses the church of Ephesus, saying: “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.”
Revelation 2:4, 5
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At the first the experience of the church of Ephesus was marked
with childlike simplicity and fervor. A lively, earnest, heartfelt love
for Christ was expressed. The believers rejoiced in the love of God
because Christ was in their hearts as an abiding presence. The praise
of God was on their lips, and their attitude of thanksgiving was in
accord with the thanksgiving of the heavenly family.
The world took knowledge of them that they had been with Je-
sus. Sinful men, repentant, pardoned, cleansed, and sanctified, were
brought into partnership with God through His Son. The believers
sought earnestly to receive and obey every word of God. Filled with
love for their Redeemer, they sought as their highest aim to win souls
to Him. They did not think of hoarding the precious treasure of the
grace of Christ. They felt the importance of their calling, and, weighted
with the message, Peace on earth, good will to men, they burned with
desire to carry the glad tidings to the earth’s remotest bounds.
The members of the church were united in sentiment and action.
Love for Christ was the golden chain that bound them together. They
followed on to know the Lord more and still more perfectly, and
brightness and comfort and peace were revealed in their lives. They
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visited the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and kept them-
selves unspotted from the world. A failure to do this would, in their
view, have been a contradiction of their profession and a denial of their
Redeemer.
In every city the work was carried forward. Souls were converted,
and in their turn felt that they must tell of the inestimable treasure.
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