Every one of us draws conclusions about other people we meet and even about people whom we have only minimal knowledge. We get a first impression of others when we first meet them or learn of them. We base our conclusions about others on clues that we get from their personality, statements, clothing, behavior, acquaintances, beliefs, etc. (Matt. 7:20). Sometimes our judgements are valid, and some times they are flawed. Sometimes the conclusions we draw at first blush have to be revised, either for better or for worse, when we learn more. The Lord, however, is never mistaken about what He knows of us.

In the letters to the seven churches of Asia (Rev. 2,3), one of the statements the Lord repeatedly makes is “I know thy works.” In fact, He repeats this seven times, showing His perfect knowledge of the condition, not only of these congregations, but of the church all over the world at all times. The Lord knew them better than they knew themselves. He also knows us better than we know ourselves.

To take just one example, to the angel of the church at Ephesus, the Lord said, “I know thy works, and thy labour, and thy patience, and how thou canst not bear them which are evil: and thou hast tried them which say they are apostles, and are not, and hast found them liars” (Rev. 2:2). The Lord knew and approved of the vigilance for doctrinal purity of the Ephesus church of Christ. Some brethren today, however, would not approve of the Lord’s approval of those who “try” false teachers and certainly would not approve of calling them liars. But this is what the church at Ephesus did and the Lord approved of them.

They also did not faint or give up on the Lord or the truth when the times were tough. One of the hardest things for us to do as Christians is to stay the course when everything seems to be going against us. It takes tremendous courage and confidence to stay the course when everyone else is telling you that you are wrong or ridiculing you. Noah, having been a preacher of righteousness, may have faced this kind of opposition building a massive boat where no rain had fallen (II Pet. 2:5). But he worked anyway and finished his work and was saved from destruction. Nehemiah faced enemies who wanted to get him to quit the Lord’s work and meet on the plains of Ono but he said,”Oh no! I am doing a great work so that I cannot come down” (Neh. 6:1-9). The wall was built and the work completed. These men did not faint nor fail. Neither should we.

But what the brethren at Ephesus missed was they had lost the zeal with which thy had once served the Lord. The Lord said, “Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love. [5] 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” (Rev. 2:4-5). While they were doctrinally sound, they apparently lost their love for the Lord which affected their works. Their works were no longer appropriately motivated.

What the Lord required them to do was to repent and start all over and do the “first works.” When we find ourselves in a similar situation, we must also heed the Lord’s warning. When we first obey the Lord, we generally have great zeal and enthusiasm that motivates us to want to be doctrinally correct, wherever that may lead us, and to do more. But as we face opposition and the harsh realities of hardened hearts, we often loose our own enthusiasm and become more like the nay sayers and often compromise the truth to be accepted. We can restore the zeal we once had by doing the things we once did when we had that zeal.

We must get back to the basics, because the Lord knows our works. He knows our hearts. He does not make mistakes. May we be able to say at the end of our days, “I have glorified thee on the earth: I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do” (John 17:4).

“Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: [24] And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting” (Psalm 139:23-24)

Eric L. Padgett