W.A. Mayer's Blog: The Color Stream Goodreads Blog

Galatians 3:11-19

INHERITORS OF THE PROMISE

(Gal 3:11) But that no man is justified by the law in the sight of God, it is evident: for, The just shall live by faith.
(Gal 3:12) And the law is not of faith: but, The man that doeth them shall live in them.
(Gal 3:13) Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree:
(Gal 3:14) That the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ; that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.

We are not under ceremonial law, as contained in the precepts of Leviticus. Our Savior has perfectly fulfilled them on the behalf of the Jewish people, whom He represented from His birth until His death. The law of ordinances is then abrogated on their behalf; and we Gentiles have never been placed under its thrall. As to the curse that is uttered against every one, whether Jew or Gentile, that offends against the moral code declared in the Ten Commandments at Sinai, our Savior has redeemed us from that by becoming accursed for us.

There is nothing for us to do but to trust in His finished work, and to enter upon the same heritage of blessed service as was unfolded to Abraham in Gen 12:1-13.

The Mosaic dispensation was a parenthesis in God’s dealings with man. It was intended to produce conviction of sin. When God’s ideal is held up before us, we become conscious of our deformities and our sins, and are driven to Christ.

Let us see to it that we are truly united to Him who is the predicted seed of Abraham; for as we stand in Him, we become heirs to all the wealth of promise which is contained in the ancient covenant, made to the father of all who believe.

THE ONE ESSENTIAL FOR ALL - The Way of Love

1Co 13:1  Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal. 
1Co 13:2  And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing. 
1Co 13:3  And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing. 
1Co 13:4  Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up, 
1Co 13:5  Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil; 
1Co 13:6  Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth; 
1Co 13:7  Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things. 
1Co 13:8  Charity never faileth: but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away. 
1Co 13:9  For we know in part, and we prophesy in part. 
1Co 13:10  But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away. 
1Co 13:11  When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things. 
1Co 13:12  For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known. 
1Co 13:13  And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity. 

With what wonder his amanuensis must have looked up, as the Apostle broke into this exquisite sonnet on love! His radiant spirit had caught a glimpse of the living Savior. Jesus sits for His portrait in these glowing sentences, and of Him every clause is true. Substitute His name for love throughout the chapter, and say whether it is not an exact likeness.

With Paul love stands for that strong, sustained, and holy subordination of self for others, which begins in will and act and is afterward suffused by emotion, as a cloud lying in the pathway of the rising sun. But if you want the divine love, you must get it after the manner of the bay which opens its bosom to the incoming tide.

God is love, and if you would love, you must abide in Him and He in you. Love is better than miracles, gifts, or philanthropy, 1Co 13:1-3. Love is the parent of all that is most delightful in the moral sphere, 1Co 13:4-7.

Love is the best of all, because it is eternal. All else will perish. Our highest attainments will be as the babblings and playthings of childhood. But when we are in touch with the reality of things, love will be all in all.

PRODUCE THE FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT


That Christ has freed us from the Law as a means of salvation does not free us from moral restraint, but brings us under the constraint of a higher law, the law of love. We do not keep this law to be saved; but, being saved, we keep it out of love toward Christ. The power of the new life is the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. Unite yourself with His life that you find rising up within you. Live in the Spirit. A child was much disappointed because when she took a cupful of water out of the blue lake, it did not look blue in the cup; so her teacher told her to throw the cup into the midst of the lake and leave it there. As we live and walk in the Spirit, we are safe.

The Holy Spirit brings influences to bear which act upon the germs of sin, as a disinfectant upon the germs of disease. If we yield ourselves to these influences, and are filled with the Spirit of Jesus, we shall be delivered from the self-life, which the Apostle describes as the flesh. As Jesus is more and more formed in us, the new flower and fruitage of the risen life will appear, while the corrupt works of the flesh will shrink and drop away,

Psalms 92:1-15

GLADNESS AND GROWTH

The inscription alludes to the suitability of this psalm for the Sabbath day. Psa 92:1-3 contain the general statement of the desirability of praise and thanksgiving. Psa 92:4-5 suggest that God’s work in creation, providence, and grace should elicit perpetual thanksgiving; but that the thoughts and purposes which underlie them are too deep for our fathoming.
Two classes of men are here mentioned: the brutish and wicked, Psa 92:6-9; the servants of God, Psa 92:10-15. The former are like grass, which soon grows to maturity and is then cut down; the latter are as the palm and cedar. There is no part of the palm which is not utilized in some way. The cedar is one of the largest of living trees. A thousand years is no uncommon duration, and its fiber is practically incorruptible.

The witness of an aged saint to the faithfulness of God is very delightful. When Charles H. Spurgeon was a young man, he was preaching upon this subject in his grandfather’s pulpit. Halfway through the sermon, the veteran man of God advanced to the front and said, “My grandson is preaching what he has read and heard about; but I have proved for eighty-four years that God is faithful to His servants and true to His Word.”

Psalms 92:1-15

GLADNESS AND GROWTH

The inscription alludes to the suitability of this psalm for the Sabbath day. Psa 92:1-3 contain the general statement of the desirability of praise and thanksgiving. Psa 92:4-5 suggest that God’s work in creation, providence, and grace should elicit perpetual thanksgiving; but that the thoughts and purposes which underlie them are too deep for our fathoming.
Two classes of men are here mentioned: the brutish and wicked, Psa 92:6-9; the servants of God, Psa 92:10-15. The former are like grass, which soon grows to maturity and is then cut down; the latter are as the palm and cedar. There is no part of the palm which is not utilized in some way. The cedar is one of the largest of living trees. A thousand years is no uncommon duration, and its fiber is practically incorruptible.

The witness of an aged saint to the faithfulness of God is very delightful. When Charles H. Spurgeon was a young man, he was preaching upon this subject in his grandfather’s pulpit. Halfway through the sermon, the veteran man of God advanced to the front and said, “My grandson is preaching what he has read and heard about; but I have proved for eighty-four years that God is faithful to His servants and true to His Word.”

Philippians 4:10-23


“MY GOD SHALL SUPPLY EVERY NEED”

The Apostle had been glad to receive the gifts of his friends, because these evidenced their earnest religious life. It was fruit that increased to their account. On his own part he had learned one of the greatest of lessons-contentment with whatever state he found himself in. This is a secret that can only be acquired by our experience of life in the will of God. When once the soul lives in God and finds its highest ideal in the fulfillment of His will, it becomes absolutely assured that all things which are necessary will be added. All things are possible to those who derive their daily strength from God.
It is wonderful to hear Paul say that he abounded, Php 4:18.

A prison, a chain, a meager existence! The great ones of the world would have ridiculed the idea that any could be said to abound in such conditions. But they could not imagine the other hemisphere in which Paul lived; and out of his own blessed experience of what Christ could do, he promised that one’s every need would be supplied. God’s measure is his riches in glory; and his channel is Jesus Christ. Let us learn from Php 4:18 that every gift to God’s children which is given from a pure motive is acceptable to Him as a fragrant sacrifice. That reference in Php 4:22 shows that Paul was making good use of his stay in Rome!

Willing to Seek Him

The story of David and Bathsheba is one of the most notorious accounts in King David's life (2 Samuel 11-12). After choosing to forgo battle with his troops and lounging about lazily in his palace, the king sees a beautiful woman bathing from his roof. What follows is adultery, conspiracy, and ultimately — murder.

When David is confronted by Nathan the Prophet, he admits his sin. It's in this darkness that he experiences anguish (Psalm 51).

Which then brings us to the joy of Psalm 32.

Here, David rejoices in the mercy the Lord has shown him. After describing the benefits of forgiveness and confession, the point of view takes a meaningful turn in verse 8 with Yahweh becoming the speaker. He says, "I will instruct you and show you the way to go; with my eye on you, I will give counsel."

The significance of that shift is no accident.

David put this story in motion by not seeking God's instruction, teaching or counsel. Instead, he listened to his own desires. He wanted to control his life, and in a sense, God let him. The results speak for themselves.

Now, after repentance and forgiveness, David's soul has regained fellowship with the Lord. And in verse 8, God is telling us a benefit of that fellowship: His loving guidance — not distant or generic, but tailored to every detail of who you are and where you've been.

When we're in right relation with God, He won't hide His way from us.

When we don’t know which way to go, He will instruct us.

When we don’t see how we can carry out what He’s called us to, He will teach us.

When we need someone in our corner, He will counsel us.

The question is whether we're willing to seek Him.

Jesus Heals a Man Born Blind


1: As he went along, he saw a man blind from birth. 2: His disciples asked him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?”
3: “Neither this man nor his parents sinned,”said Jesus, “but this happened so that the works of God might be displayed in him.

The Urgent Call

Have you ever shared the Good News of Jesus with someone in your life?

When Jesus was teaching and training the twelve disciples, he often used imagery and metaphors that were part of their culture to communicate important truths to them. In Matthew 9:37-38, Jesus relates the work that He is doing to a farmer’s work in the field.

Jesus says that the people who do not know Jesus are like a field of grain that's ready to be harvested. But, there are not enough workers to go and harvest among the fields. Jesus says to pray that God would send more workers to gather the harvest.

Essentially, there are people who are ready and willing to hear and respond to the Gospel message—the hope that Jesus brings for every person. But when Jesus says "the workers are few" (Matthew 9:38), what He really means is: there are not enough people sharing the Good News with others.

As Christians, we are entrusted with the free gift of eternal life, and we’re tasked with sharing that message with others. However, many Christians keep their faith to themselves.

We are to be bold in sharing the message of the cross with other people so that they can experience new life in Jesus, too.

Take a few minutes today to consider what small step you can take to begin sharing Jesus with other people. Pray for God to give you courage, and then step out and begin sharing with others.

Fully Forgiven

Imagine a grand choir echoing a single anthem.
Each distinct voice adds to the chorus, creating a symphony filled with anticipation. Their melody spans generations; they sing of a Savior whose name brings forgiveness and hope!

This song of eternity is described by Peter: “All the prophets testify about him that everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name” (Acts 10:43 NIV).

The prophets, whose ancient voices echoed God's plans and purposes, stood as witnesses to this ultimate promise: Christ’s forgiveness isn't just a possibility—it's a reality for all who believe.

As believers in Jesus Christ, we can find encouragement standing on the foundation laid by these prophetic voices. We stand assured that through the name of Jesus, forgiveness is granted, and reconciliation is made possible with God and others. But we’re not onlookers! We are active participants in this grand choir, singing with hearts full of gratitude, hope, and confidence in the unifying power of Christ’s forgiveness.

Jesus paid the price for your past, present, and future. What would it look like for you to fully embrace this forgiveness for your sins?