Resurrection & Acceptance

Everyone wants to be seen as valuable. We have a desire to be right, to justify our existence. Whether through our attempts to forge our own glory or to borrow glory from another, deep down we are longing for acceptance and validation. But what if rather than having to prove and perform and promote yourself you could simply rest in the security of the resurrected and vindicated Jesus? In this Easter sermon on Romans 4:25, Pastor Luke Herche explains what it means that Jesus was raised for our justification in four points: the resurrection is Jesus’ acceptance; the problems with our performance; the source of true acceptance; and the fruits of freedom and love. Delivered on Easter Sunday, April 5, 2026. ------------------------------- Want to go deeper? Take some time to reflect on the sermon with the following questions: We often find ourselves in “staring contests” with life—trying to prove we are valuable or right or worthy. Which of those “contests” in your own life (at work, at home, or even in your own head) feels the most exhausting right now? Because Jesus was delivered over for our sins and raised specifically for our acceptance, how does his vindication in the resurrection serve as a better defense for you than any excuse or success you could manufacture for yourself? What would tomorrow morning look like if you woke up fully convinced that you no longer had to “justify your existence” because Jesus was already raised for your acceptance? Since you are now free from the need to condemn or compare yourself to others for self-justification, who is one person in your life you can move toward with self-sacrificial love this week, simply because you are already secure in Christ? ------------------------------- allsoulspca.org All Souls (Urbana, IL) is a part of the Presbyterian Church in America (PCA), a Christian, Reformed denomination with historic and theological roots in the Protestant Reformation.