The Lord Jesus is looking for fruit. He’s looking for works in the lives of believers. We have been saved by grace, but we’ve been “created unto good works which God has before ordained that we should walk in them.” And friends, there’s something wrong with your faith if it doesn’t produce works. That’s the thing you remember that James says. This man said, “You show me your faith without your works, I will show you my faith by my works.” Now works is not works of law; works of faith. Saving faith produces works. Calvin said, “Faith alone saves, but the faith that saves is not alone.” It produces something.

The Lord doesn’t find very much here to commend. In fact, He says to this church, “Wake up and watch out, and establish the things that remain which were about to die, for I found no works of thine fulfilled; (that is, perfected) before my God.” Now this is a tremendous verse here in view of the fact that the rapture could take place at any moment. Now, actually, the date is not set nor even the period in which He will come. And the reason for that is the church is to constantly be on the alert for His coming.

He’s going to “give him a crown of life,” and this is a special crown for those who suffer. I’d like to just say that to so many people that are listening today. You’re on a bed of pain, and you’ve wondered. Well, He’s got something good for you someday. You’re going to get something that no one else will be getting except those in your group. James had said this, if you recall, back in James 1:12: “Blessed is the man that endureth temptation (or testing): for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him.” And that crown of life means you’re going to really live it up someday. My friend, what a glorious thing is in prospect. May God bless you.

“Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen ….” First, remember. Memory is a marvelous thing. A memory is something God has given us, as has been said, “so we can have roses in December.” But here in California, we have them because we all got short memories out here, and we have the real roses. But memory is a marvelous thing. Someone said, “It’s a luxury that only a good man can enjoy.” Remember. Do you remember when you were converted? Do you remember what a thrill it was? And what the Lord Jesus meant to you? And have you become cold and indifferent? Have you gotten away from Him today? Are you in a backslidden condition? Remember. Remember where you were, and you can get back there.

You and I can’t conceive the intense and enthusiastic devotion to the person of Christ that the early church had. We are so involved in methods. I get rather amused at all of these band-aid courses that are making band-aid believers. And they’re the problem today, and a great many people think if they get a few rules, and they think that solves the Christian life. May I put it in a nutshell? Do you love Jesus Christ? And I don’t care what your system is, they all come to naught if you don’t love Him. And if you love Him—well, some systems are better than others, but most any system will work if you love Him. That’s the important thing.

We come to the second chapter of the book of Revelation. Now he says, “And has borne, and has patience, and for my name's sake has labored, and has not grown weary.” What does He mean? He said before that they had grown weary, and now He says they haven’t grown weary. Well, this is one of the great paradoxes of the Christian faith, and I think I can illustrate it by what Dwight L. Moody once said. When he came home after a campaign, he was worn out. His family begged him not to go to the next one, and he told them; he says: “I grow weary in the work, but not of the work.” And there’s a lot of difference. You can get weary in the work of Christ, but it’s tragic if you get weary of the work of Christ.

Now friends we come back to this wonderful third chapter of Malachi, verse 6: “For I am the Lord, I change not; therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed.” But He’s a gracious God. God is a God of judgment, but He’s also gracious. The reason that they hadn’t been absolutely obliterated as the Edomites were was because of His grace, because God is gracious. And He’s gracious because He never changes. And thank God for that. God today is still a God of judgment. That’s a terror to the wicked. But He’s also a God that never changes in reference to His grace. And that is a comfort to any that’ll accept the grace of God.

The believers in the early church were in love with Christ. They loved Him. And to the church on its high plane, into which a coolness was creeping, Christ says, “Nevertheless I have against thee that thou art leaving”—not have left, but you’re leaving—"your best love.” And the question that the Lord asks all of us is, “Do you love Me?” He’s not asking, “Are you going to be faithful? Are you going to give? Are you going to do something?” He’s asking do you love Him? Then He’ll tell you that you’re to obey Him and there’ll be something for you to do. He’s not asking, “How much are you going to give?” It’s very clear. He said, “If you love Me, keep My commandments.” And we love Him because He first loved us.

The Lord Jesus Christ is the unabridged edition of God. He talked of grass and wind and rain and fig trees and fair weather and made it His delight to bring heaven and the earth together. He spoke of lilies, vines, and corn, the sparrow and the raven, “and words so natural and so wise were on men’s hearts engraven.” When I listen to Him, I hear God. When I see Him do something, I know what God does. When He weeps at a tomb, I know how God feels. When He laughs, I know how God feels. When He shows concern, I know how God feels. And that’s the only way I’ll know.

A great many folk think today that if they could climb high enough, they’d get to God. My friend, you can’t climb high enough to get to Him. He came down low enough for you to know Him. The Talmud said, “The idol seemed so near; yet it is so far. Jehovah seems so far, and yet so near.” That’s only true in the person of His Son. That’s only true when He became a man—that men could come and know God. He’s the alphabet of God. And as the alphabet of God, He spoke for God. "I have not come to speak for Myself. I’ve come to say the things that He’s told me to say.” God was in perfect harmony.