Jesus Told The Church At Ephesus to 'Return to Your First Love' Jesus Said If They Did Not Repent, Their Lampstand Would Be Removed
Revelation 2:4-5
4 But I have this against you: You have abandoned your first love.
5 Therefore, keep in mind how far you have fallen. Repent and perform the deeds you did at first. But if you do not repent, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place.
abandoned
Strong's Concordance
Definition - To send away, to leave, to forgive, to permit, to abandon
Word Origin - Derived from ἀπό (apo, meaning "from") and ἵημι (hiēmi, meaning "to send" or "to let go").
Usage - The term ἀφίημι is used in various contexts in the New Testament, often translated as "forgive" in the context of sins or debts, "leave" in the context of departing or abandoning, and "permit" in the context of allowing something to happen.
The Greek word Jesus used for abandoned confirms that some in Ephesus who were once believers at some point turned away from, and left, their first love.
have fallen
Strong's Concordance
Definition - To fall, to descend, to perish, to fail
Word Origin - A primary verb
Usage - The verb πίπτω is used in various contexts in the New Testament, often describing physical falling, but also metaphorically to indicate spiritual or moral failure, judgment, or destruction
Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
fail, fall down
A reduplicated and contracted form of peto (pet'-o); (which occurs only as an alternate in certain tenses); probably akin to petomai through the idea of alighting; to fall (literally or figuratively) -- fail, fall (down), light on.
Jesus' words clearly reveal that one-time believers are capable of abandoning, and falling away from, their faith, and in fact, were in danger of having their lampstand removed.