ROMANS 2:13-16 "DOERS," NOT "HEARERS" To hear the law of God read or to read it for one's self, does not mean a person is pleasing God. There is greater responsibility to obey when greater privilege has been given. The judgment of God is according to performance of what one knows and the light of truth one has. "To whom much is given, much is required." The truth of God does nothing for a person who does not obey it. To rest in a false sense of peace because of one's knowledge of truth is a great deception that will lead to great condemnation. The "doing" of the law does not clear us from the guilt of sin, but is the response of one who knows that is what God's judgment calls for.
All over the world in the many cultures that differ from others, people care for the sick, restrain from murder and in other ways are a law to themselves because as moral beings they are aware of right and wrong. They are not fulfilling the "work" of the law, the written words, but there are standards the human conscience establishes. In spite of those inward workings of conscience, people do not live up to their own standards. Human beings are stubborn, willful people and often choose to cross the parameters and barriers of our own making for the sake of pleasure, personal advantage or just because a prohibition is there. Even when the law is written, there is the need of "the work of the law" within to make one do what is right.
We all have to admit to our sinful humanity because none of us have lived up to any standard of righteousness, written or not. Often, we fail to live up to our own standards, much more to God's standards. So the judgment of God's is according to what we do, not what we hear. And there is another judging principle - the secrets of the heart. All secret things will be brought into the light of God's holiness. Every believer will be brought to the judgment seat of Christ where the "hidden things" will be brought into the light, and the "counsels of the heart" will be seen for what they are. The motives behind the "doing" will be examined and praise from God will be righteous and just praise.
Those who are unsaved and unforgiven will have their secrets judged by the Lord Jesus Christ, the Righteous Judge, appointed by God to expose the secrets of men. There is no redemption for sin offered there. No one is exempt from that judgment even if they didn't have the privileges others had. Those of greater privileges will have more severe judgment because of the favor that was shown to them which they rejected. The choice to sin is the subject that is being judged. All have sinned by nature, but the choice to not obey the creation of God, the goodness of God and one's own conscience, leaves one openly condemned.
"Christian" privilege and "Christian" profession will not cover the choice of not trusting Christ as one's own personal Savior nor living out that personal testimony before men. Those who didn't have that privilege of hearing the Gospel, will be judged by the law written in their hearts. Judgment will be based on the accusation or approval of one's own conscience and conduct. There is a righteous work written in the heart of everyone that is maintained by the conscience each one has. Long before there was a written law, the law was in the heart of man. From that law no one can escape.
Many, stop at the gods of this world to worship what they can see; Or make with their hands a carving to depict the god they want to be. But these are only excuses to avoid the working of conscience within; For God has implanted in everyone an innate consciousness of Him.
In order to stifle the conscience mankind has imposed His own thought; Not admitting to the honest seeker God will reveal what His grace has wrought. In every nation and people those who truly seek Him will always find, He is there to reveal Himself to every heart and every searching mind.
We have the problem of being willful and wanting things in our own way. To submit to a righteous and holy God means to admit we have gone astray. This disturbs our peace and our conscience and makes us to face our sin. Then we find we are condemning ourselves and we must put our faith in Him.
Not everyone has the same light, to whom much is given, much is required. Some have only the personal evidences, others have the Word of God inspired By the Holy Spirit who clarifies things that once were dark, And who helps is to believe on Him, or from that great light to depart.
The Gospel that is preached brings light that is accepted or refused. Everyone has opportunity to have faith in God, no one has an excuse. But to turn away from the light of the Gospel is a greater condemnation; Because Gospel truth when received, results in the soul's salvation.
In a way it is much easier to believe when the whole message comes to our ears. The creation, goodness and conscience voices speak to our inner fears. So, the Gospel is good news to all men but it must be personally believed. Those who never heard it must put faith in Him according to the light they received.
"Gracious God, my heavenly Father: I do thank Thee for giving me the privilege of hearing Thy Gospel all of my life. And I thank Thee for allowing me to tell it to others. May Thy light and Thy truth be proclaimed and reach many dark hearts today. In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, Amen."
CONSCIENCE There is no excuse for people to not understand the fact of responsibility to divine authority. God has placed in the heart of every person, the part of our human spirit called “the conscience” to make us aware of the right and wrong of situations that come across our paths. The natural course of mankind generally is to do what pleases me at the moment rather than what I know is right. It is so easy for the conscience to be ignored. After that comes the searing of the conscience, and then it seems that the light goes out of the conscience.
The blinding of the conscience is no excuse for wrong behavior or belief, because it is my choice to obey or disobey it at the beginning. When we make a choice of any kind, we must accept the consequences of that choice and all that follows afterward. How sad it is when we do not take advantage of that built in regulator that He has placed within us. From all religions, walks of life, nationalities, and cultures will come people before the Judge of all the earth to face Him who they had ignored.
“Father in heaven: I want to be able to take advantage of this inbuilt messenger of righteousness Thou hast placed in every person Thou hast created in Thine own image. If there is some way, I can help this be awakened in people during public speaking or some serving method, then please make it known to me. In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen. “
SECRETS OF MEN A day is coming in which sinners shall stand; Made plain by God, but misunderstood by man; In which the law within men or the law of the land; Will condemn the sinner, as God has planned.
It was not His will that men be lost; Just look at Calvary, and see the cost He placed on sin, when on the cross, All our iniquities were laid on Christ.
In a coming day, Jesus Christ on the throne, Will pass judgment on those who would not own Christ as Savior, but thought they would go it alone; And said about hell, “There really is none.”
God is just, and gives all men time, To consider creation that they might find Evidence to be seen, and truth line by line; And put faith in the Savior of all mankind.
Excuses won’t work in that coming day; Standing before Him, you will have nothing to say; He is the One who the price of sin did pay; He is the only Life, Truth and The Way.
The law of the lawless is in the heart; The law of the lawful that makes conscience smart; According to the Gospel that was preached from the start; Demands we keep it fully, not just a part.
When the day finally comes to judge the secrets of men; All will be revealed when men stand before Him. He knows what’s been hidden, all is open then Before the eyes of Him who judges earth and heaven.
“O God in heaven who revealeth secrets: the facts of the Gospel that have been delivered to me, are such that I must warn men that all will be exposed when they stand before Jesus Christ. In our day people seem to think that God is going to overlook almost every thing. They must be warned that You are going to reveal every thing – even their secrets. In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, Amen.”