Today’s reading: Romans 8:12-25; Leviticus 2:13

You shall not allow the salt of the covenant of your God to be lacking from your grain offering.

Leviticus 2:13

When God talks about a “covenant of salt”, He may be reminding us that His covenant lasts forever, just as salt preserves food so it lasts longer (see 2 Chronicles 13:5).

We know the Old Testament Israelites were no better at keeping God’s laws than we are today. God had to remind them that even though they often did not keep their word, God always keeps His.

And God instructed them that, when they offered their various sacrifices for sin, they should purify and make those sacrifices acceptable to God with salt, just as salt makes flavorless food edible.

Even though our struggle with sin is no less than the early Israelites, we should remember that we live under a new covenant given by Jesus (see Matthew 26:28). We also have been given the Holy Spirit by our baptism (see John 3:5-6).

Therefore, as the Apostle Paul writes in the text for today, we will be glorified with Jesus. He even goes so far as to call us “heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ” (Romans 8:17).

Our takeaway then should be that we will receive forgiveness for our sins only by the grace of God given through the suffering, death and resurrection of His Son Jesus. Therefore, we should continue to hear and study the Word of God and participate in the Sacraments on a regular basis. Our faith will then receive the salt of the new covenant of Jesus.

Prayer:

Dear Lord Jesus, we pray in your name please guide and direct us as we continue in preserving our faith in You as our only means of gaining eternal life.

Contributed by Paul Obermann