Leading The Way - Devotional for April 15
April 15, 2025
Justified at the Cross
By Michael Youssef, Ph.D.
Read Romans 3:21-28.
Did you know the Bible says God used to stroll in the Garden of Eden during the cool of the day (see Genesis 3:8)? It’s not hard to imagine Adam and Eve enjoying long walks with their heavenly Father. Just think of the intimacy they must have enjoyed before the fall, the closeness they must have experienced—the joy, the peace, the perfect contentment!
But Adam and Eve lost that perfect relationship, that beautiful, priceless intimacy with their Abba Father. They trusted the words of the serpent and ate from the forbidden tree. It’s impossible to calculate the loss the human race experienced that day.
However, the Gospel declares that what was broken can now be made whole. Because Jesus took the wrath our sin deserves, God the Father now looks upon His children through the prism of Christ, and instead of seeing our sin, He sees the righteousness of His perfect Son. When we come to Him in faith, trusting Jesus for our salvation, He credits the Son’s perfect life to our account. That’s what the Bible means when it says we have been “justified by faith” (Romans 3:28).
The sin that once separated us from the holiness of God has been dealt with, once and for all. That means you and I can now draw near to God once again. We can walk with our heavenly Father and enjoy the intimacy that was lost all those millennia ago. What incredible Good News we have to both enjoy and share!
Prayer: Father, thank You for making a way for me to draw near to You once again. Forgive me for forgetting the remarkable gift it is to spend time with You. May I prioritize time with You each day and encourage others to draw near to You, the source of all comfort and fulfillment. I pray in the name of Jesus. Amen.
“For we maintain that a person is justified by faith apart from the works of the law” (Romans 3:28).
Learn more in Dr. Michael Youssef’s sermon The Folly and the Power of the Cross, Part 2: LISTEN NOW | WATCH NOW
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Listen to Dr. Michael Youssef on today's broadcast of Leading The Way at OnePlace.com.
Watch Dr. Michael Youssef on this week's broadcast of Leading The Way at LightSource.com.
