Colossians 2:6-7 NLT‬
[6] “And now, just as you accepted Christ Jesus as your Lord, you must continue to follow him. [7] Let your roots grow down into him, and let your lives be built on him. Then your faith will grow strong in the truth you were taught, and you will overflow with thankfulness.”

We cannot leave this topic without considering a vital aspect of our knowledge and experience of God’s love.

In Jesus’ letter to the Ephesian church, He had an issue with the very people to whom Paul wrote his letter.
It seems that these people had slipped away from the root of their service and ministry. They were just doing things without the pure motive of love for Jesus.

‭Revelation 2:1-4 NLT‬
[1] “Write this letter to the angel of the church in Ephesus. This is the message from the one who holds the seven stars in his right hand, the one who walks among the seven gold lampstands:
[2] I know your deeds, your hard work and your perseverance. I know that you cannot tolerate wicked people, that you have tested those who claim to be apostles but are not, and have found them false. [3] You have persevered and have endured hardships for my name, and have not grown weary.
[4] Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken the love you had at first.“

“First love”… what is the implication here? We must look elsewhere for its meaning. Does “first love” mean the love these believers had for Jesus when they first believed, or does it mean something else?

John’s first letter throws light on what the Bible means by “first love”.

‭‭1 John 4:10, 19 NIV‬
[10] “This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins….
[19] We love because he first loved us.”

“First love”, then, refers to the one who first did the loving!

How important that we understand this principle! Our love for God has its roots in His love for us, not the other way around. Our love for God is our response to the love which gave His only Son as an atoning sacrifice for us.

Without a root, the fruit of our love for God will wither and die.

The Ephesian Church had abandoned, let go, sent away (Greek word ‘aphiemi’) the love they had in the beginning of their relationship with Jesus. They had forgotten how great God’s love was for them. They were acting mechanically, not dynamically, out of duty, not love.

How did Jesus restore Peter after his tragic denial of his relationship with his Master? Not “Peter, why did you deny me?” or “I’m putting you on probation until you prove your loyalty to me!”

‭John 21:15 NIV‬
[15] When they had finished eating, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon son of John, do you love me more than these?” “Yes, Lord,” he said, “you know that I love you.” Jesus said, “Feed my lambs.”

Three times, Peter denied Jesus. Three times, Peter reaffirmed his love for Jesus. Restoration accomplished! Would Peter ever forget that moment on the beach?

Repeatedly, the Bible reminds us that our love for Jesus must be rooted in His love for us. Only then will we remain steadfast through all the tests and trials we face on our journey towards eternity. We can only remain rooted in the love of God if we constantly cultivate an awareness of that love in every circumstance.

‭John 15:5-6, 9-10 NIV‬
[5] “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. [6] If you do not remain in me, you are like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned….
[9] “As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. [10] If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commands and remain in his love.

If the love of God, shown so vividly to us in what Jesus did for us, is not the root of our love for Him, whatever we do for Him will be nothing but empty and fruitless, fit only for the fire.

So, Paul prays, in response to the revelation of God’s great and cosmic plan of salvation…

‭Ephesians 3:14-19 NLT‬
[14] “When I think of all this, I fall to my knees and pray to the Father, [15] the Creator of everything in heaven and on earth. [16] I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources he will empower you with inner strength through his Spirit. [17] Then Christ will make his home in your hearts as you trust in him. Your roots will grow down into God’s love and keep you strong. [18] And may you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is. [19] May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God.”

When I think about my own past, and the many” good works” I’ve done that were nothing but worthless and empty actions, without love for Jesus, what can I do about them?

I see a mental picture of myself walking barefoot along a sandy road. Someone walks behind with a leafy branch in his hand, obliterating my footsteps as I walk. That’s God’s mercy! He blots out all my failures and doesn’t remember them.

‭1 John 1:7 NLT‬
[7] “But if we are living in the light, as God is in the light, then we have fellowship with each other, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, cleanses us from all sin.”

What can I do to remain constantly, in Jesus’ love?

‭Jude 1:20-21 NLT‬
[20] “But you, dear friends, must build each other up in your most holy faith, pray in the power of the Holy Spirit, [21] and await the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ, who will bring you eternal life. In this way, you will keep yourselves safe in God’s love.”