Romans: Man without Excuse: The Conscience That Condemns

This month we will explore the third of five articles that examine Roman’s Chapter 2 that address the following subjects:

The Certainty of Divine Judgement: vs 1-4
The Credits of Wrath We Accumulate: vs 5-11
The Conscience That Condemns: vs 12-16
The Confidence That Fails: vs 17-24
The Circumcision That Counts: vs 25-29

We have also looked at four of the seven principles of how God judges man thus far:

According to truth: vs 2-4
According to accumulated guilt: vs 5
According to works: vs 6-10
Without respect of persons vs 11-12

This month we will look at The Conscience That Condemns as well as two additional judgement principles that God uses:

6. According to the secrets of the heart: vs 15-16

7. According to one’s profession (reality): vs 17-19

For a complete examination of these subjects, consider going back and rereading the first two articles which deal with “The Certainty of Divine Judgement” and “The Credits of Wrath We Accumulate.“

The Conscience That Condemns

Paul now takes up the subject of our conscience. We are certainly unique in God’s creation in terms of having a conscience. We are able to anticipate the future in our thinking and project forward in time to the potential consequences of our actions, even as we act them out. It is this unique ability that causes our very conscience to condemn us, even though we try very hard to silence and “sear” our conscience so that we can enjoy our sin.

I have owned many dogs (and a few cats) over the years and have observed a form of conscience in my dogs (but cats do not have a conscience!). After they have done something they know is wrong (by their training), they can be scolded and they will slink and grovel and try to get back into our good graces. That seems like a conscience. But deeper observation on my part reveals three things: (1) while tearing the toilet paper roll up and TPing my house with it – they are without conscience and having a grand old time. (2) When caught, they act repentant, but are they repentant or are they reacting to our clear displeasure in both voice and expression? (3) Training is needed to shape a dog’s behavior and treats and praise work best in reshaping behavior, thus, leading to the conclusion that conscience in an animal is more reward focused than with mankind. More on this later.

Paul is going to clarify the uniqueness of man’s conscience and how our very own conscience will condemn us before a holy God because of our sin even if we don’t know God’s perfect law but only have a moral code taught to us outside of the law that we still don’t keep.

Romans 2:12-16:

For as many as have sinned without law shall also perish without law: and as many as have sinned in the law shall be judged by the law; (For not the hearers of the law are just before God, but the doers of the law shall be justified. For when the Gentiles, which have not the law, do by nature the things contained in the law, these, having not the law, are a law unto themselves: Which show the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and their thoughts the mean while accusing or else excusing one another;) In the day when God shall judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ according to my gospel.

Let’s examine these verses one at a time:

Verse 12 Notes: “For as many as have sinned without law shall also perish without law: and as many as have sinned in the law shall be judged by the law;”

How many times have we heard the argument that “how unfair God is to condemn the poor lost sinner in Africa (or anywhere else we wish to cite) because they didn’t know the gospel or about Jesus Christ as Savior.” Paul is going to address that argument directly in these next verses by pointing out that God is absolutely just, and if you want to label Him with more human traits, He is absolutely fair. He will judge every person according to the truth and light that they have been given. If given the law, then by the law; if not given the law, then by whatever moral code they were given.

To those outside the influence of the Bible and the written law of God, they will be judged without the law being held against them, but will be judged by the right and wrongs that they do understand and believe. Even headhunters know that it is wrong to kill another of their tribe (therefore killing is bad) or take another’s woman, or lie when being questioned, or steal another’s tools or goods, etc. God justly applies the code of conduct they do ascribe to and will, in every case, find them wanting and a life full of sin and violations.

And to those that know the law and, by extension the Bible both New and Old Testament, He will judge them by their knowledge of the Scriptures and whether or not they kept them. Mind you, I doubt a Jew who never read the New Testament will be judged against the teachings of Jesus. But no one living is able to keep the law that they do know and that will be enough to condemn them.

The main point of this verse is simply that all will be judged justly and according to the knowledge they have learned of right and wrong.

For the record, I reject attempts by atheists and agnostics to throw in relativism and local morals. Man has enough truth regarding lying, killing, stealing alone that condemns everyone without Christ.

God’s Judgement Principle Number 5: According to Actual Obedience of the Law

Verse 13 Notes: “(For not the hearers of the law are just before God, but the doers of the law shall be justified.”

Keeping this discussion on topic of comparing those with the law versus those without the law, Paul points out that knowing the law is simply not enough to save a man from just judgement. We must be doers of the law. Note, not keepers of the law but doers of the law. We know that to be justified before God, we must be doers of the whole law perfectly.

Doer is the Greek word poietes (Strong’s G4163) and means a performer, one who performs the act mentioned. Not just one who guards (keeper), but a doer, a performer of the law.

So here Paul is continuing his argument but focused on Jewish people in that your knowledge of the law is simply not good enough. You must be doers of that law to be justified before a holy God.

Verse 14 Notes: “For when the Gentiles, which have not the law, do by nature the things contained in the law, these, having not the law, are a law unto themselves:”

So that Paul’s Jewish readers can’t find fault with being singled out or try to force the argument that Gentiles must needs be judged by the same law that they are judged by, Paul adds here in verse 14 that whenever Gentiles behave in accordance with the law without knowing the chapter and verse, it is because they have a knowledge of right and wrong and naturally obey or disobey that knowledge of right and wrong. When they do right, they are in effect fulfilling the law in that area of the law that they are obeying.

And a corollary of this point by Paul is that that every behavior becomes a “law unto themselves”, or in other words, they carry about within themselves a body of law based on the truth of right and wrong that they do have.

Verse 15 Notes: “Which show the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and their thoughts the mean while accusing or else excusing one another;)”

Verse 15 follows the point that Paul is making about the Gentiles that such behavior proves that truth regarding right/wrong is written in their hearts and their conscience. The youngest child when confronted on an issue, no matter how innocent and no matter if with or without knowledge of the law, if he/she perceives that they are in trouble will make a decision: do I hide the truth or do I confess the truth?

Their conscience may not be fully developed, but he/she will know that to hide the truth is wrong and to confess it is right. Their desire to avoid what they believed is trouble usually compels them to lie and hide the truth in hopes of avoiding correction. They inheritably know they have done wrong, but do it anyways.

So what Paul is saying here is that a person’s own conscience acts as a witness against them when they violate it.

Finally, Paul points out that conscious thinking has taken place, even if only for an instant, as that person decides to lie or tell the truth. To sin or not sin. Therefore, their thought processes condemn them as well when they choose to sin, to lie, to steal.

Even animals have a form of conscience. I watched one of our dogs look all round to see if the owner (another dog) of a particular hidden bone was around. When not seeing her, she stole the bone and ran off. Our current dog knows her furniture boundaries and constantly tests them by putting a paw on the couch and then looking to see if we stop her. Cats may be the exception to this rule regarding conscience.

God is just and impartial. He will as a judge administering the law judge every man, not according to his privileges or victimhood, but according to his works and the knowledge of truth which he has possessed. On these principles, it is His very design to show that no flesh living can be justified.

Some might say: “‘The doers of the law shall be justified;’ says the apostle. ‘But the heathen do the law, therefore they shall be justified.'” thus attempting to tie verses 13 (pointing to Jews) and 14 and 15 (pointing to Gentiles) together forming a wrong conclusion. This, however, is not the conclusion at which the apostle is aiming. He is not teaching the method of justification, or arguing to prove that the Gentiles, as well as the Jews, may be doers of the law, and, thus, be justified in the sight of God. But rather no one is justified by themselves, Jew or Gentile, in God’s sight.

“All have sinned and come short of the Glory of God.” Only Jesus Christ is the exception to this statement.

God’s Judgement Principle Number 6: According to Secrets of the Heart

Verse 16 Notes: “In the day when God shall judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ according to my gospel.”

Verses 14 through 16 are all one thought with multiple facets. The final facet of this discussion of knowledge versus doing, of conscience and thoughts, of God’s Law versus knowledge of right and wrong without the law is summarized in this sixth principle, that of God’s perfect judgement on Judgement Day.

“In that day . . . shall judge”: krino (Strong’s G2919) is Greek future tense (Zodhiates, 1992, p. 503) and refers to the final judgement that men will face before God.

It refers to the fact of a final judgement which is declared to be in accordance with the gospel or a part of that message which Paul was commissioned to deliver.

“According to my gospel” includes the truth that there is a judgement day coming, and all will appear before the throne of Christ or the Great White Throne found in Revelation 20:11.

That Jesus Christ is to be connected with krino, God will judge the world through Jesus Christ as given in our Savior’s own declaration, “The Father judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgement unto the Son.” Sometimes this judgement is referred directly to the Messiah as in:

1 Corinthians 4:5: “Therefore judge nothing before the time, until the Lord come, who both will bring to light the hidden things of darkness, and will make manifest the counsels of the hearts: and then shall every man have praise of God.”

2 Corinthians 5:10-11: “For we must all appear before the judgement seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad. Knowing therefore the terror of the Lord, we persuade men; but we are made manifest unto God; and I trust also are made manifest in your consciences.”

2 Timothy 4:1: “I charge thee therefore before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing and his kingdom,”

Observations:

- Man may, indeed, forget things that he/she has done
- Man may excuse those things through some polluted logic
- Man may seemingly get away with sin in this world
- But all those secrets will one day be revealed by God Himself at the Judgement, either at the Judgement Seat of Christ of at the Great White Throne Judgement.

Some Takeaways for Us as Believers:

We are reminded that God judges according to seven just principles.
That whether Jew or Gentile, knowing the Bible (law) or not, all will be justly judged in accordance to those principles.
That Paul was careful to share in many of his letters as he unfolds the gospel that judgement is coming and that Jesus Christ will be the one who judges.
Even if we have forgotten all the sins we ever committed, they will be reveled at the Judgement.
Our conscience may be silenced and/or seared, but that will not be an excuse on that day.
All have, indeed, sinned and come short of God’s glory and standard – on one is justified before God except Christ.
Christ has made a way of escape from the wrath to come! He is the only name and way under Heaven by which men may be saved. He took our sins upon Himself on the cross and, thus, the judgement and punishment we justly deserved. Those who accept the gift of forgiveness and eternal life through Jesus Christ will not have to worry on that judgement day. Our sins are paid for – washed by the blood, sent from God’s conscience as far as the east is from the west!

Be saved today if you have not already accepted Christ as your Savior!!!

Maranatha!

Bro. Joe

References

Strong, J. Strong's Hebrew and Greek Dictionaries. Meyers, R. (2005). e-Sword. [computer software] . Franklin, TN: Equipping Ministries Foundation. (Original work published 1539)

Zhodiates, Dr. S. (Ed.). (1992). The Complete Word Study Dictionary: New Testament. Chattanooga, TN: AMG Publishers.

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