First Love

Repenting and Returning to Our First Love: Day 6

18 April 2025

4.1 MINS

Intention

To deepen our reverence for the sinless sacrifice of the Lord Jesus Christ, and out of that gratitude, realign, repent and return to extravagantly loving Him with all our being so that His will is done, His kingdom comes, and His harvest is won!

Scripture

“Christ our Passover lamb has been sacrificed. Therefore, let us observe the feast, not with old leaven or with the leaven of malice and evil, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.”

– 1 Corinthians 5:7–8

“I have this against you, that you have left your first love.”

– Revelation 2:4

Reflection

The sacrifice of our sinless Messiah changes everything.

For 3,500 years, the Jewish people have celebrated Passover. In Exodus 12, God commanded the Israelites to kill an innocent lamb and put that blood on their doorposts. The blood of the guiltless animal protected them from God’s judgment of death.

Unleavened bread is eaten at Passover. Leaven (or yeast) represents sin in the Bible. When Jesus broke bread the night before His crucifixion and said, “This is My body”, that bread had no sin (leaven).

Jesus fulfilled the Passover feast as the ultimate, guiltless sacrifice that removed God’s judgment on us. His unleavened body was bruised, broken and whipped so that we could be healed (Isaiah 53:5; 1 Peter 2:24).

After His Father resurrected Him from the dead, Jesus, as the High Priest, ascended to heaven (John 20:17) and presented His precious blood before the Father (Hebrews 9:12). He poured it on the Mercy Seat of heaven, where it speaks today for every person (Hebrews 12:24). Jesus has paid the price for sin (1 John 2:2) so we can be born again and enter into eternal life.

Having entered eternal life, we can live a lifestyle of repentance and cleansing in a close relationship with Jesus and the Father. We can be freed from our sin and offer ourselves daily as a pure and living sacrifice in willing obedience service (1 Corinthians 5:8).

Recently, in prayer, Jesus posed some questions that stirred my spirit: confronting questions about the state of the Church, our commitment to Him, and our willingness to truly repent.

God has called His people to repentance throughout history. When Hezekiah saw the chaotic state of Israel’s priesthood, he pleaded for atonement. Despite their unworthiness, God heard and healed them (2 Chronicles 30:9–20). Likewise, Esther interceded for her people in the face of destruction, and God delivered them.

Today, God calls His Church to return to extravagantly loving Him, His children and our nation.

Heartfelt repentance is not a mere checklist of sins. Instead, it is an intimate return to the Father, a surrender to His love, and a realignment with His priorities.

Are we awakened to our need for repentance? Or have we grown complacent, allowing idolatry, immorality, and silence in the face of evil to creep into our lives? Even “a little leaven leavens the whole batch of dough” (1 Corinthians 5:6). A little compromise can cause great corruption.

Have we redefined good and evil, conforming to the world’s standards instead of God’s? Have we allowed secular ideologies to replace God’s commands in our education systems? Do we realise our God is a holy God, and He is a God of truth?

Have we forsaken our first love, allowing lawlessness, betrayal, and cancel culture to take root even within the Church? Instead of walking in love and unity, are we engaging in backstabbing and ‘spiritual murder’ (1 John 3:15)? Jesus warns the Church of Ephesus to “remember then how far you have fallen”, as they had lost their first love. He calls them to repent and do the works they did at first (Revelation 2:4–5).

Have we failed to disciple nations and win His harvest (Matthew 28:18–20), preferring our own comfort instead? Have we prioritised personal ambitions over God’s kingdom? Have we ignored Jesus’ commission in John 20:20–23 to receive the Holy Spirit and walk in forgiveness from the heart?

Have we neglected His priorities — our marriages, our families, our children — failing to live according to His Word and teach His truth?

There is hope. God is merciful, and His grace is available for all who turn to Him.

Above all, let us worship Jesus as He truly is – glorified and reigning, powerful, uncompromising, and jealous for our whole hearts (Revelation 1–5). Let us forsake false versions of Jesus that suit our desires and strip Him of His holiness and authority.

As we gaze upon our Passover lamb, “Let us observe the feast… with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth” (1 Corinthians 5:8).

Video

Prayer

Father, reveal afresh to us the sinless sacrifice of Jesus, our Passover lamb. Lead us back to our first love, Jesus Christ.

Awaken our hearts to true repentance.

Out of extravagant love for You, we offer ourselves to You. Work through us so that Your will is done, Your kingdom comes, and Your harvest is won.

Empower us to stand in Your authority, walk in Your wisdom, and worship You in Spirit and Truth, because You, the Lamb, are worthy (Revelation 5:12).

Amen.

Author Bio Hilary Moroney Bio Pic

Dr Hilary Moroney was born in England and has two adult children. She received her doctorate through Fuller Seminary in the USA. She serves as a prayer intercessor and watchman, co-founder and leader of the Canberra House of Prayer for All Nations. Her calling is to pray in Jesus’ kingdom destiny for nations including Israel, governments and indigenous peoples.

Prayer Points and Purpose for Turn the Tide 2025

1. A righteous government that upholds truth and Christian values. 1 Timothy 2:1–4

2. Wisdom for voters to perceive the true agenda of political parties. Proverbs 14:15

3. A church that disciples the nation in this window of grace. Matthew 28:18–20

We invite you to support this prayer campaign to multiply prayer in Australia for the 2025 federal election. Every donation to the Canberra Declaration helps us promote prayer and make a stand for family, faith, freedom, life, and the good news of God’s love through Jesus Christ, His Son.

 

IMPORTANT NOTICE: We invite you to register and participate in the National Day of Repentance on Easter Monday, 21 April (9 AM – 5 PM (AEST)). This event is an integral part of these 21 days of prayer and fasting. View the promotional video here. For more information and to register, click here.

Join us for our nightly Zoom prayer call:

DATES: Every night from Sunday, 13 April to Saturday, 3 May

TIME: 8 PM (AEST), 7:30 PM (SA & NT), 6 PM (WA).

ZOOM URL LINK: zoom.us/j/776881184

ZOOM TUTORIAL: youtube.com/watch?v=pAMDxH_H_Cs

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Photo via Adobe.

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One Comment

  1. Stephen Lewin 18 April 2025 at 7:01 am - Reply

    Thank you Lord for the every working of the blood of Jesus Christ our Lord !

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