Articles, Bible Questions and Discipleship Guides

No fire lasts forever. 

This is good news when it comes to wildfires. No matter how far a wildfire might spread—the largest ones can cause millions of dollars of property damage and displace thousands of homeowners—it will eventually stop. 

This is bad news if you’ve ever been camping in the cold. You may go to bed with a warm fire near your feet, but you wake up the next morning freezing—your fire couldn’t survive once you stopped attending to it. 

Even the most famous fire, the one that claims to be an “eternal flame,” can’t live up to its name. Located in Arlington National Cemetery at the gravesite of President John F. Kennedy, the eternal flame is supposed to burn 24/7, every day of the year. 

But the eternal flame has actually been extinguished twice: once by a group of catholic school children who tried blessing the flame with holy water and ended up putting it out; the second time was due to heavy rain and flooding. 

Jesus knows that our faith can often be like that flame of fire. Faith can burn hot and bright at the beginning—when we are first saved—but without proper care and maintenance, our faith can be reduced to smoldering embers. That’s why, in His letter to the church at Ephesus, the apostle John relayed a challenge from the Lord. The challenge was directed to a local church in Ephesus, a church with a dying flame. 

John records Jesus’ words: “But I have this against you, that you have abandoned the love you had at first. Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent, and do the works you did at first” (Revelation 2:4-5). 

Ray Stedman wrote profoundly on this verse, applying this challenge to our modern-day churches: “You listen to the word of God or to a powerful sermon, … and you feel you have heard it all already. You become critical of others. You become complainers. You become more selected in your friendships. … focused on ourselves, our own agenda, our own programs and our own interests. … we have all been ‘Ephesians’ in our faith at one time or another.” 

Have you ever experienced what Stedman describes in your own life? Maybe you’re seeing the flame begin to burn low in your church. 

Every Christian can relate to the fiery emotion and passion following our salvation, or some recent rededication to Christ. We even describe it as being “on fire for God.” But let’s admit that it’s hard to maintain this flame. We become too familiar with our faith, Scripture reading becomes mundane; our love for others can cool when annoyances occur or disagreements arise. 

Whether you find yourself in a drought spiritually, or need tools to equip a brother or sister who is struggling, let’s use the roadmap written by Jesus to rekindle the fire of love in our lives and in our churches. There are three key mile-markers to highlight on this roadmap: 

REMEMBER 

It’s easy to forget that initial feeling of salvation, isn’t it? Especially if you were saved as a child or teenager, and now you are older in life. For most Christians, those first weeks after salvation are filled with spiritual conversations and investigations. We told strangers in the supermarkets about Jesus, we poured through the Scriptures for hours on end. 

And then, slowly, the flame of “newness” burned low as life and schedules got in the way, and we forgot to tend the fire that ignited our faith. 

Even the apostle Paul had to remind Pastor Timothy, “Fan in to flame the gift of God …” (2 Timothy 1:6). 

So, remember those early days. Write your testimony and make it available to children, grandchildren, and co-workers. Repeat the truths of the gospel to yourself, no matter how well you know them. We should never become so familiar with our faith that we no longer marvel at the love of God. 

REPENT 

Have you considered the fact that “losing your love” is a sin. I think many Christians view this as a natural part of the human experience, not something that needs to be repented over. We are used to our emotions waxing and waning like the cycle of the moon. We go to a church camp, and our emotions soar, but then we slog through the work week and our passion simmers. 

Jesus is clear to this church: lacking in love is a sin that requires repentance and change. And that’s because the kind of passion and love Jesus is talking about here isn’t an emotion, it is a choice. 

We choose to love fellow Christians not because we want to, but because we are called to, regardless of our circumstances. 

We choose to orient our lives around the Word of God because when we understand the extent of God’s love for us, we can’t imagine doing anything else. 

RETURN 

Jesus’ final challenge to the Ephesian believers is to “do the works you did at first.” As 21st century Christians, we should be doing the same works. So, what are they? 

Love God; love others. 

Four simple words that require a lifetime of choices and hard work. 

How do you know if you are faithfully pursing love? 

For starters, you’ll stand out in your culture, like a fire in a dark field. The choices you make, the company you keep, the entertainment you allow, the language you use, and the kindness you show toward others— especially when wronged—will be a remarkable distinction to those around you. 

When you faithfully pursue a life of love for Christ and others, your testimony will spread. Everyone around you will detect that you’re different. You can then explain that the source of your flame is the Lord Jesus, to whom you belong. 

Finally, you will grow in sanctification, like a fire that refines gold. Fellow believers will see evidence of maturity in godliness, holiness, and love, as you fan the flame of love for Christ.