Ephesus

The Lord commends these saints for their labors and patience; their faithfulness in testing those who said they were apostles, and proving them to be liars; their patient continuance in laboring for Christ’s name sake, and not fainting; for their hatred to the deeds of the Nicolaitanes, and intolerance of evil persons. But with all these good qualities the Lord had something serious against them, and could only regard them as “fallen,” notwithstanding all their outward zeal; for they had inwardly declined in affection to Himself.
Thou hast left thy first love {Rev. 2:4}.
This was very deep failure; for it is the affections and desires of our hearts that are to be guarded —
Keep thy heart, etc. {Prov. 4:23}.
We love Him because He first loved us {1 John 4:19}.
It was failure, then, most grievous to the heart of Jesus, and which weakened, if not corrupted, the very spring of all spiritual power. They are exhorted, therefore, to
repent, and do the first works {Rev. 2:5},
and threatened to lose the honor of being God’s witness in the earth, if they turned not from this declining course.
I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of his place, except that thou repent {Rev. 2:5}.
Observe, that repentance and returning to the first works are the prescribed means of restoration; for we must not only know our privileges rightly to feel our responsibilities, but we must also carry out our responsibilities, if we would enjoy our privileges.
The overcomer is encouraged by the promise to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God {Rev. 2:7}: not in the midst of God’s creation, but of God’s own paradise, and may mean not only unceasing satisfaction in Christ, but to share with Him, the last Adam, the life, joy, and blessings of the new creation.