Scripture to Read: Revelation 2:6
Our Lord Jesus Christ gave His loving rebuke to the church at Ephesus and us in Revelation 2:4-5. Then our Lord gives another word of affirmation to the believers in Ephesus and exhorts them for hating the deeds of the Nicolaitans. We don’t have a lot of information on the Nicolaitans, but we do find the Nicolaitans mentioned again in Revelation 2:15. In Revelation 2:15, our Lord Jesus Christ links the practices of the Nicolaitans with those who listened to Balaam, as referred to in Revelation 2:14. In Numbers 22-24, those who followed Balaam used the Midianite women to seduce the men of Israel to get the Israelite men to worship false gods. So, the practices of the Nicolaitans were related to immorality and idolatry. Our Lord lets us know that the believers in Ephesus hated immorality and idolatry and He exhorts them for doing so. We must also hate immorality, idolatry, and all other sins. Hating sin helps protect us from walking in sin, but we must love those who are living in sin. All sinners need the love, mercy, grace, and forgiveness of our Lord Jesus Christ. To love sinners can only be done if we first love God with all our heart, soul, and strength. If we are not loving God and loving others but only hating sin, that hatred will bleed over into hating the sinner as well. God never wants us to walk away from our first love, Him. His love unites us as believers and builds the bridge to non-believers as well.
Challenge & Application
1. What did God teach you today about what to hate and who to love?
2. How are you putting into practice hating all sin but loving God with all you are and loving all others as yourself?
Don’t forget to pray using the A.C.T.S. (Adoration, Confession, Thanksgiving, Supplication) method!