Human Conscience and Salvation: Romans 2:12-16
“12) For all who have sinned without the Law will also perish without the Law, and all who have sinned under the Law will be judged by the Law; 13) for not the hearers of the Law who are just before God, but the doers of the Law will be justified. 14) For when Gentiles who do not have the Law do instinctively the things of the Law, these, not having the Law, are a law to themselves, 15) in that they show the work of the Law written in their hearts, their conscience bearing witness and their thoughts alternately accusing or else defending them, 16) on the day when, according to my gospel, God will judge the secrets of men through Christ Jesus. Romans 2:12-16
We have been following Pauls arguments that the whole world is lost apart from the gospel. In Romans 1:18-32, he presented the case that every advanced human civilization willfully turned its back on God. His description applied to the prep flood era as well as post flood civilizations like the Medes and Persians, Greeks and Romans. They knew about the God of Creation but willfully trampled Him under foot.
Then in Romans 2:1-11, Paul turned his attention on the religious hypocrisy of the Jewish religious leaders. They knew the difference between right and wrong, and even condemned others for doing wrong; but they quickly engaged in the same sinful deeds. Paul concludes that there is no partiality with God (Vs 11), so their condemnation is just.
Paul now turns his attention to the morally good who have never had the chance to hear the gospel. (See Romans 2:12-16) These might fit the category of the isolated and possibly the uneducated people of the world. Paul acknowledged that human conscience can be a powerful tool for good. God has put it within every human. It might be defined as an innate intuition about good and bad, right and wrong.
But there are two problems with saying that these people are automatically saved and accepted by God based on human conscience. First, human depravity is universal. Romans 3:10 says, “there is non righteous, not even one.” Though there are some morally good people who follow human conscience, they are still sinners by nature and by personal choice. Human conscience alone has never given birth to moral perfection.
Second, if you start down the road of works based salvation, how do you know who is saved and who is lost? When does a person arrive at salvation? For that matter, if human conscience can save people, why did Jesus die on the cross? Why didn’t He just teach people to be morally good and follow their conscience?
My personal take on Romans 2:15-16 is that when the secrets of the human heart are exposed by the light of the gospel, sin and depravity will eternally stain the souls of the morally good. Being good is commendable, but is does not pay our eternal debt. According to Paul’s gospel, the “wages of sin is death.” (Romans 6:23) Human Conscience falls short of producing salvation.
Daily Bible Commentary By Terry Baxter: Cofounder of GoServ Global
FAQs
What is the meaning of Romans 2 12 16? ›
This means that at this very moment, wherever an unbeliever is on the earth – whether he has heard the gospel or not – he is already under divine wrath. Every person is either a believer in Christ, or under divine wrath. There is not another category in which someone could find themselves. There is no middle ground.
What is the conscience in Romans 2? ›Romans 2:15 New Century Version (NCV)
They show that in their hearts they know what is right and wrong, just as the law commands. And they show this by their consciences. Sometimes their thoughts tell them they did wrong, and sometimes their thoughts tell them they did right.)
Paul is explaining that the Gentiles also have a law so to speak by which they will be judged. Paul explains in this section that the Gentiles can be condemned without the law because their conscience (which is the work of the law written in their hearts) is enough to condemn them.
What does the Bible say about the human conscience? ›Each must follow his or her own conscience on such debatable matters that are not clearly taught in Scripture. The fourteenth chapter of Romans deals with debatable matters in which a person's own conscience must become the rule of their conduct (see Romans 14:1).
What is the lesson of Romans 12 16? ›Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position. Do not be conceited. NASB Be of the same mind toward one another; do not be haughty in mind, but associate with the lowly. Do not be wise in your own estimation.
What does Romans 2 16 mean? ›Sin is sin, whether we have been given an explicit list or not. Paul writes that, according to his gospel—the gospel of Jesus Christ—this will include a judgment of the "hidden things" of people. God will judge thoughts and secrets, as well as actions. Also, this judgment will be by Jesus Christ.
What is the main point of Romans 2? ›Chapter Summary
Romans 2 springs a trap on any religious person who read Paul's lists of sins at the end of Romans 1 and thought it wasn't about them. Paul calls them out for making themselves judges when they are also guilty. He shows that God will judge everyone, including those under the law, based on their works.
Romans 2:15 in Other Translations
15 They demonstrate that God's law is written in their hearts, for their own conscience and thoughts either accuse them or tell them they are doing right.
Sinners without the law of Moses to follow—the Gentiles—will die and be judged by God without the law, because their sin is still sin. Sinners under the law—Jewish people who adhere to the rituals and sacraments of the law of Moses—will be judged by God according the law of Moses when they die.
What is the meaning of Romans 2 14 16? ›Romans 2:14–16. "When Gentiles, who do not have the law, by nature do what the law requires, they are a law to themselves, even though they do not have the law. They show that the work of the law is written on their hearts, while their conscience also bears witness" (vv. 14–15a).
What is the meaning of Romans 2 12 13? ›
Paul is asserting in this section that there is only one true authority who will judge deeds, and that is Jesus Christ. Paul will emphasize that God accepts us as His children solely because He chooses to. His acceptance is without condition, and is received by faith (John 3:14-16; Romans 4:3-5).
What is the meaning of Romans Chapter 2 13? ›Romans 2:13 For it is not the hearers of the law who are righteous before God, but it is the doers of the law who will be declared righteous. It primarily means that it is not the people who received God's law (namely the Jews in reference to the Torah) who are righteous but those who obey God's law.
What is human conscience? ›The concept of “conscience", as commonly used in its moral sense, is the inherent ability of every healthy human being to perceive what is right and what is wrong and, on the strength of this perception, to control, monitor, evaluate and execute their actions [25].
What are the 3 types of conscience? ›'Certain conscience' is the complete absence of doubt in whether our decision is good or bad. 'Doubtful conscience' limits our ability to make a choice between good or bad. 'Delicate conscience' is very meticulous and careful about our decisions.
Where is the human conscience? ›Where is your conscience located? Scientists say it's in your brain. In fact, brain scans have revealed what experts call a “moral network” in the human brain. This is made up of three smaller networks, each of which carries out an important function.
What is the reflection of Romans 12 16? ›Live in harmony with one another. Do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly. Never be wise in your own sight. Verse 16 shows us how to get along together in church.
What is the renewed mind of Romans 12 2? ›Paul tells us to abandon the chase for pleasure, possessions, and status—to stop living like everyone else. Instead, he urges us to be transformed from the inside out. Specifically, he writes that we must be changed in how we think, to have our minds renewed so that we can begin to understand God's will for our lives.
What does it mean to humble yourselves before the Lord? ›To humble oneself is to acknowledge God as Lord and to obey as servant. In order to do so, then, the Son had to take “the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men” (Philippians 2:7). “We, as creatures, must obey our Creator, and he, as our brother, did the same.”