Romans 2:14–16 (KJV)
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 shew 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.
Summarized Philosophical View
Every human being possesses a moral compass inscribed by the Creator Himself. Paul teaches that even those without Scripture have an inner awareness of right and wrong—“the law written in their hearts.” This moral knowledge testifies that morality is not a social construct or evolutionary accident but a reflection of God’s moral nature. The conscience bears witness to divine reality, proving that ethics and truth are inseparable from the existence of God.
“He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the LORD require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?” — Micah 6:8 (KJV)
Apologetic Devotional
In this profound passage, Paul answers one of the oldest philosophical questions: How do we know right from wrong? The apostle’s answer is elegantly simple and theologically seismic—because God has written His law on every human heart. Conscience is not a social invention but a divine imprint. The Gentile, though without the Mosaic Law, “does by nature the things contained in the law.” This “nature” is no blind instinct—it is the echo of God’s moral order within human reason.
J. P. Moreland and William Lane Craig call this universal moral awareness “the inner witness of moral realism,” stating, “Our sense of moral obligation is best explained by the existence of a personal God whose character is the paradigm of goodness.”. If there were no God, moral duties would be illusions—preferences without authority. Yet even atheists appeal to justice, love, and dignity. The very outrage they feel against evil betrays an unacknowledged moral lawgiver.
Norman Geisler puts it succinctly: “A moral law requires a moral lawgiver. To deny this is to affirm morality while destroying its foundation.”. When the conscience speaks, it is the Creator’s voice resonating within the creature. This inner tribunal—our thoughts “accusing or else excusing”—reveals that man is a moral being living in a moral universe, accountable to a moral God.
Alister McGrath beautifully links this to the human longing for meaning: “Our moral awareness points beyond ourselves to the One in whose image we are made; it is the signature of transcendence upon the human soul.”. Conscience, then, is not a mere feeling of guilt—it is a window into divine order, a trace of Eden still glowing in the fallen heart.
C. S. Lewis famously made this the starting point of his apologetic in Mere Christianity: “If there were a controlling power outside the universe, it could show itself inside us as a law urging us to do right and making us feel responsible.”. Lewis called this the “Tao,” the moral law common to all humanity—a universal standard that cannot be explained by materialism but only by divine authorship.
Michael Wilkins observes that this passage also anticipates the final judgment: “Conscience bears witness now, but Christ will judge perfectly then.”. Moral awareness is thus both revelation and warning: God’s goodness is evident in the conscience, but so is His justice. The “secrets of men” will be judged not by social standards but by Jesus Christ, who embodies both law and grace.
Paul’s logic is unyielding: if the moral law exists, then God exists; and if God exists, then we are accountable to Him. Modern culture suppresses this truth by redefining morality as personal preference, yet conscience refuses to be silenced. It whispers even in the skeptic’s heart, reminding all that goodness is not invented—it is discovered. The same God who inscribed His law within us also wrote His mercy across the cross, inviting sinners to forgiveness through Christ.
When we listen to conscience rightly, we hear not condemnation alone, but invitation—the call to return to the moral and rational harmony for which we were created.
Supporting Scriptures:
Genesis 1:27 | Psalm 19:7–9 | John 1:9 | Titus 2:11–12
Reflection & Response
- How does my daily awareness of right and wrong remind me of God’s reality and presence?
- Do I allow conscience to lead me toward repentance—or do I silence it when it convicts me?
Sources
- Moreland & Craig, p. 424: “Our sense of moral obligation is best explained by the existence of a personal God whose character is the paradigm of goodness.”
- Geisler, p. 345: “A moral law requires a moral lawgiver. To deny this is to affirm morality while destroying its foundation.”
- McGrath, p. 156: “Our moral awareness points beyond ourselves to the One in whose image we are made; it is the signature of transcendence upon the human soul.”
- Lewis, Mere Christianity, Book I, ch. 1: “If there were a controlling power outside the universe, it could show itself inside us as a law urging us to do right and making us feel responsible.”
- Wilkins, p. 181: “Conscience bears witness now, but Christ will judge perfectly then.”