Can You Lose Your Religion?

Unto the angel of the church of Ephesus write; These things saith he that holdeth the seven stars in his right hand, who walketh in the midst of the seven golden candlesticks; 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: And hast borne, and hast patience, and for my name's sake hast laboured, and hast not fainted. Nevertheless 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. But this thou hast, that thou hatest the deeds of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate. He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God. (Revelation 2:1-7)

Thought For Today:

Do you truly understand the beliefs, teachings, and principles that your church upholds? Or do you simply accept everything that is said without question? The church at Ephesus appears to be a model church, adhering to the lessons they were taught. Jesus acknowledged their hard work, patience, and intolerance for evil. They even tested those who claimed to be apostles and exposed them as liars. They persevered for the sake of Jesus and never faltered. It all sounds like a model church, but Jesus had one issue with them. They had lost their initial passion. 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. But this thou hast, that thou hatest the deeds of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate." Notice, they had left their first love. Although they were working hard in the vineyard, their love for Jesus remained unshaken. However, they had lost their love for the truth, leading them to adopt the doctrine of the Nicolaitans. This doctrine allowed the consumption of food that had been sacrificed to idols and even permitted fornication. It's essential to note that even if you're working for the Lord, if your church's doctrine doesn't encourage you to separate yourself from the world and lead a holy and righteous life, you may unknowingly be following the doctrine of the Nicolaitans. Paul told the church at Corinth, "Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God" (1 Corinthians 6:9-10). If someone were to ask whether a person can lose their salvation, the answer is clear: the church of Ephesus was in danger of losing theirs if they did not repent. Jesus said, "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." The Apostle John warns us to be discerning of false prophets, saying, "Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world" (1 John 4:1). Serving Jesus and being part of a church community involves so much more than just music and good preaching - it's about living, teaching, and obeying the truth. Only the truth will suffice.