Romans 3:21-26
“A Sense of Worth”

Introduction
1. Where do you find your worth? Women many times find their worth in home, family,
friends. Men find their worth in their jobs.
2. Dr. Lewis Smedes for years a professor at Fuller Theological Seminary: anyone who can see
the need of people today must recognize that the malaise of our time is an epidemic of
self-doubt and self-depreciation. Those whose job it is to heal people’s spiritual problems
know that the overwhelming majority of people who seek help are people who are sick from
abhorring themselves. A prevailing sense of being without worth is the pervasive sickness of
our age. (1973)
3. Are you looking for worth and value?
4. Romans 3:21-26 tells us worth and value is a gift:

Are you looking for worth and value?
I. THE POSSIBILITY OF A SENSE OF WORTH 3:21
A. The Contrast But now
1. All that could not be produced by man is now provided for man.
2. We are all sinful. Now salvation is provided. At this moment of deflation…nothing
can fill this God-shaped emptiness. Nothing can appease a holy God. I am not
ashamed of the Gospel for it the power of God to salvation to everyone who
believes. (Rom 1:16)
3. There is hope!
B. The Cure A righteousness from God
1. A Righteousness In this part of Romans it does not refer to what we do, but what we
are. It is to be right with God.
2. The real meaning underlying this word is found in the word, “Worth.” People are
looking for a sense of worth. The Gospel announces it is given to us. We can receive
it, but we can never earn it. It is From God!
3. By faith in Jesus Christ, He gives us a sense of worth and acceptance.
4. Note:
*It Is A Gift! Of God There is no way anyone can measure up to God’s
standards. For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God. (Rom. 3:23)
*It Is From Grace! Apart from the law Law is doing something for God. Doing
something for God is never enough. No amount of self-effort can appease a
holy God. No system can satisfy a holy God.
*It Is Great! Witnessed by the law and prophets This isn’t something new. The
Jew knew in his heart he didn’t measure up. The Old Testament system pictured
by a series of sacrifices which foreshadowed the death of Jesus and the coming
Lamb.

Are you looking for worth and value?
II. THE PATH TO A SENSE OF WORTH 3:22-24
The righteousness of God is expressed in four different aspects:
A.A Living Person By faith in Jesus Christ
1.It is by faith in Christ Himself that you come into this standing. This gift involves a living person. But as many as received Him…(John 1:12) That if thou shalt confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord and believe in you heart…you will be saved (Rom 10:9,10) Behold I stand at the door and knock if anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in…(Rev. 3:20)
2.There is no other way of bringing one a sense of worth or a right standing before God than by faith in Jesus Christ.
B.A Lifting Principle All who believe
1.Rightness is not automatically applied. Some teach that all will be saved whether they believe or not. They are saved by Christ’s death.
2.Satan believes in God. Is he saved? Believe involves responding to the message and commitment to the Person of Jesus Christ.
3.You must personally believe. In the Old Testament faith had three meanings: a) To put your full weight on an object. b) To roll your burden upon c)To take refuge in.
4.What good is a gift if you don’t take it? As you take it only then does it become yours.
C.A Liberating Precept Justified freely by His grace 24
1.Justified means, ‘to declare or treat as righteous.’ It is a legal term: to secure a favorable verdict…to acquit…to vindicate…to declare right.
2.How? God does it! If you add anything that man must do you destroy the gift. We are justified, made right, declared to have worth in His sight by His grace. God does everything!
3.Relax…enjoy…God must do it at salvation and beyond. All you can do is abide in Him.
D.A Loving Purchase Through the redemption that is in Jesus Christ
1.Redemption is a term of the slave market. We were purchased out of a slave market and set free!
2.This freedom was bought on the cross. Freedom becomes ours as we allow the cross principle to operate. ‘I’ must die!!
3.Christ accomplished all the work. We are brought face to face with the cross!

Are you looking for worth and value?
III. THE PLATFORM TO A SENSE OF WORTH 3:25-26
The How and Why of this Gift:
A.The Source In whom (Jesus Christ) God
1.In sin and sinning God is the offended party.
2.He must provide the solution to the problem.
B.The Satisfaction Propitiation
1.Propitiation means, ‘satisfaction’. In the Old Testament it was the ‘mercy seat’.
2.God presented Jesus as a ‘sacrifice of atonement.’ God provided His own satisfaction. Jesus Paid It All! He is the ‘mercy seat’. He is satisfying a righteous,
holy God.
3.Through faith…We say, ‘yes’ to God’s provision by His blood. For He hath made
Him, who knew no sin, to be sin for us, that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him. (II Cor 5:21) He became what we were, so we could become what He is.
C. The Sufficiency 25b-26
Why this had to happen.
1.Where is God’s justice? For centuries it appeared that God was doing nothing. He seems to be doing nothing.
2.The last great judgment was the Flood. The Cross says, God is just! All the stored up punishment that we deserved is poured out on His Son on the cross. God spared not His own Son.
3.There is no compromise when He forgives.

‘Self worth’ there is none until we come to Jesus!
Worth is not what I have, but Who has me and who I am!
This worth begins and ends with Jesus Christ!