Sugar and Salt
05/17/24 • 4 min
1 Listener
READ: ROMANS 8:1; HEBREWS 4:14-16; 1 JOHN 1:8–2:2
I’d just arrived in a new-to-me country on the other side of the world. I had left a sweltering summer in Florida, where I lived...and landed in a blustery New Zealand winter to begin a year of ministry. A missionary couple offered their home for my first few days there. When I trudged into their house, I wanted nothing more than a cup of hot tea. After getting my tea just right, I spotted what I assumed to be a tiny sugar bowl near the stove. I spooned some sugar into my cup and took the first delightful sip. Only my tea wasn’t delightful; it was dismal. I’d mistakenly added salt, not sugar. It was a mistake I never made again at this family’s house.
Some errors are harder to leave behind, though. There are days when I’ve found myself doing the same wrong things over and over, such as doubting God’s goodness or acting out of fear instead of faith. It can lead me to wonder in disappointment—when will I learn?
Sometimes our sins surprise us, like a mouthful of salty tea, but God isn’t ever surprised by our sin. He knows everything we do, think, or say, and He knows that we’ll all struggle with sin until Jesus returns. So, until that day, God’s instructions to His people are not to hide our sins, but rather to acknowledge those wrongdoings to Him. We don’t need to be afraid to come to God with our sins, because being God’s people means we have received forgiveness from sin and entered a relationship with Him through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. So, when we confess our sins to God, we experience reminders of His lovingkindness: that Christ took the penalty for our sin on Himself, and we don’t face that any longer (1 Peter 2:24).
That evening in New Zealand, I could have chosen to try to hide my mistake and drink salty tea. Instead, I poured it out and started fresh. God gives us fresh starts, too. In Jesus, we’re free from condemnation. Through faith in what Jesus has done for us, we are freely accepted by Him, and free to take new steps of obedience even after we fail. • Allison Wilson Lee
• When do you find it difficult to confess your sin to God? How could it be encouraging to remember that God is never surprised by our sin? He calls us to confess our sins to Him often. Even though we’re not even aware of all our sins (Psalm 19:12-14), it’s so good to come to Jesus in our weakness and rest in His forgiveness and in the Spirit’s power to help us move forward in love (Galatians 5:13-16). Consider taking a moment to confess any sins that come to mind.
Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus... Romans 8:1 (NIV)
READ: ROMANS 8:1; HEBREWS 4:14-16; 1 JOHN 1:8–2:2
I’d just arrived in a new-to-me country on the other side of the world. I had left a sweltering summer in Florida, where I lived...and landed in a blustery New Zealand winter to begin a year of ministry. A missionary couple offered their home for my first few days there. When I trudged into their house, I wanted nothing more than a cup of hot tea. After getting my tea just right, I spotted what I assumed to be a tiny sugar bowl near the stove. I spooned some sugar into my cup and took the first delightful sip. Only my tea wasn’t delightful; it was dismal. I’d mistakenly added salt, not sugar. It was a mistake I never made again at this family’s house.
Some errors are harder to leave behind, though. There are days when I’ve found myself doing the same wrong things over and over, such as doubting God’s goodness or acting out of fear instead of faith. It can lead me to wonder in disappointment—when will I learn?
Sometimes our sins surprise us, like a mouthful of salty tea, but God isn’t ever surprised by our sin. He knows everything we do, think, or say, and He knows that we’ll all struggle with sin until Jesus returns. So, until that day, God’s instructions to His people are not to hide our sins, but rather to acknowledge those wrongdoings to Him. We don’t need to be afraid to come to God with our sins, because being God’s people means we have received forgiveness from sin and entered a relationship with Him through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. So, when we confess our sins to God, we experience reminders of His lovingkindness: that Christ took the penalty for our sin on Himself, and we don’t face that any longer (1 Peter 2:24).
That evening in New Zealand, I could have chosen to try to hide my mistake and drink salty tea. Instead, I poured it out and started fresh. God gives us fresh starts, too. In Jesus, we’re free from condemnation. Through faith in what Jesus has done for us, we are freely accepted by Him, and free to take new steps of obedience even after we fail. • Allison Wilson Lee
• When do you find it difficult to confess your sin to God? How could it be encouraging to remember that God is never surprised by our sin? He calls us to confess our sins to Him often. Even though we’re not even aware of all our sins (Psalm 19:12-14), it’s so good to come to Jesus in our weakness and rest in His forgiveness and in the Spirit’s power to help us move forward in love (Galatians 5:13-16). Consider taking a moment to confess any sins that come to mind.
Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus... Romans 8:1 (NIV)
Previous Episode
Sugar and Salt
READ: ROMANS 8:1; HEBREWS 4:14-16; 1 JOHN 1:8–2:2
I’d just arrived in a new-to-me country on the other side of the world. I had left a sweltering summer in Florida, where I lived...and landed in a blustery New Zealand winter to begin a year of ministry. A missionary couple offered their home for my first few days there. When I trudged into their house, I wanted nothing more than a cup of hot tea. After getting my tea just right, I spotted what I assumed to be a tiny sugar bowl near the stove. I spooned some sugar into my cup and took the first delightful sip. Only my tea wasn’t delightful; it was dismal. I’d mistakenly added salt, not sugar. It was a mistake I never made again at this family’s house.
Some errors are harder to leave behind, though. There are days when I’ve found myself doing the same wrong things over and over, such as doubting God’s goodness or acting out of fear instead of faith. It can lead me to wonder in disappointment—when will I learn?
Sometimes our sins surprise us, like a mouthful of salty tea, but God isn’t ever surprised by our sin. He knows everything we do, think, or say, and He knows that we’ll all struggle with sin until Jesus returns. So, until that day, God’s instructions to His people are not to hide our sins, but rather to acknowledge those wrongdoings to Him. We don’t need to be afraid to come to God with our sins, because being God’s people means we have received forgiveness from sin and entered a relationship with Him through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. So, when we confess our sins to God, we experience reminders of His lovingkindness: that Christ took the penalty for our sin on Himself, and we don’t face that any longer (1 Peter 2:24).
That evening in New Zealand, I could have chosen to try to hide my mistake and drink salty tea. Instead, I poured it out and started fresh. God gives us fresh starts, too. In Jesus, we’re free from condemnation. Through faith in what Jesus has done for us, we are freely accepted by Him, and free to take new steps of obedience even after we fail. • Allison Wilson Lee
• When do you find it difficult to confess your sin to God? How could it be encouraging to remember that God is never surprised by our sin? He calls us to confess our sins to Him often. Even though we’re not even aware of all our sins (Psalm 19:12-14), it’s so good to come to Jesus in our weakness and rest in His forgiveness and in the Spirit’s power to help us move forward in love (Galatians 5:13-16). Consider taking a moment to confess any sins that come to mind.
Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus... Romans 8:1 (NIV)
Next Episode
God Sees You
READ: ISAIAH 43:1-7; MATTHEW 10:29-31; JOHN 10:1-18; 1 CORINTHIANS 12:27
Have you ever felt invisible? Like no one knew who you were? Sometimes it seems like other people have really great relationships and a bunch of people to hang out with. There are some people who fit into groups with ease, and there are others who find themselves watching from a distance more than they’d like.
It’s lonely. It’s isolating. It’s discouraging. Trying to find your place in this world can be hard. It can take more time than we’d like. It can feel defeating.
But God knows your name. He knows who you are. And He loves you. He doesn’t care whether or not you’re in the in-crowd. He doesn’t care if you have the best ability when it comes to sports or music. None of that makes Him love you any more or any less.
He created you for a purpose, and you matter more to Him than you could ever know. He sees you, He knows you, and He values who you are. • Tynea Lewis
• When have you felt left out? In times like these, Jesus invites us to come to Him. Remember, He befriended all kinds of people, but He especially sought out those who weren’t part of the in-crowd, people like ordinary fishermen, hated tax collectors, and zealots with questionable reputations, not to mention He was friends with women, who were generally looked down upon in society, and He touched people who were considered “unclean” outcasts and healed them. (If you want to dig deeper, just start reading one of the Gospels: Matthew, Mark, Luke, or John.)
• Jesus sees each one of us, even when no one else does. Because God cares about us so much, Jesus died and rose again so everyone who trusts in Him can become part of God’s family. How could it be comforting to know that, even when we don’t feel like we have a place we fit in the world, Jesus says we belong to Him and we have an important place in His kingdom and family?
• How can resting in the assurance of being known and loved by God help us reach out to others who may be feeling lonely or unseen? (Romans 15:7)
• What is the purpose God created us for? One way Christians have answered this question is in the Westminster Shorter Catechism: “to glorify God and to enjoy him forever.” (If you want to dig deeper, read Psalm 86; Isaiah 60:21; Romans 11:36; 1 Corinthians 6:20, 31; Revelation 4:11 and Psalms 16:5-11; 144:15; Isaiah 12:2; Luke 2:10; Philippians 4:4; Revelation 21:3-4.)
“Do not be afraid, for I have ransomed you. I have called you by name; you are mine.” Isaiah 43:1b (NLT)
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