The Truth About Conscience:
The Unwritten Law Written on Your Heart
You Can't Tie Down What's Written Inside
Have you ever wondered why even people who've never read the Bible still know right from wrong? Why does an atheist business owner get upset when employees steal from him? Why do unsaved parents still expect their children not to lie to them?
The answer lies in a profound biblical truth that removes every excuse mankind tries to make before God.
The Universal Law Nobody Can Escape
In Romans chapter 2, verse 12, the Apostle Paul makes a striking declaration: "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."
Here's what's remarkable—and perhaps uncomfortable—about this passage. You can tie a man to his bed, and he'll rightly blame you for his inability to walk. That's an external bondage with an external cause. But Paul is addressing something far more serious: an internal bondage that nobody else can be blamed for.
As the scripture continues in verses 14-15: "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."
God's Perfect Justice System
Think about this for a moment. The Jews had an advantage—they received the written law from Moses. But what about everyone else? Could the Gentiles argue, "Well God, it's not fair to judge us—You didn't give us the law!"?
Not so fast.
God, in His perfect justice, reveals that He wrote something on every human heart. It's not the Mosaic law, but it's an unwritten law that your conscience bears witness to. This is why:
Business owners instinctively know stealing is wrong
Parents naturally expect honesty from their children
Even criminals have a code of conduct among themselves
Every culture throughout history has had concepts of right and wrong
You see, God isn't trying to trick anybody. He's not playing games. He's laid out clearly that whether you have the written law or not, you have a law written in your heart, and your conscience bears witness to it.
The Real Problem: We're All Lawbreakers
Here's where it gets personal. Romans 2:13 states: "For not the hearers of the law are just before God, but the doers of the law shall be justified."
Now, before anyone starts thinking this means salvation by works, let's be crystal clear. The Bible plainly teaches in Galatians 2:16: "Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified."
So what's Paul saying? The "shall be" is future tense. The law—whether written on stone or written on hearts—serves a purpose. It shows us we're sinners. It brings us to the point where we realize we can't keep it perfectly.
You do good, you do good, you do good... then you do wrong. And when you look back honestly, even the "good" things you did had wrong motives. The law doesn't save us—it shows us we need saving.
No Exemptions, No Excuses
We're coming into tax season, and everyone's looking for exemptions. But when it comes to God's judgment, there are no exemptions available:
If you're a Jew: You can't claim exemption—you have the written law
If you're a Gentile: You can't claim exemption—God wrote His work on your heart
If you're religious: Your knowledge without obedience condemns you
If you're secular: Your conscience bears witness against you
As James 1:22 warns: "But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves."
The Solution: Imputed Righteousness
Here's the glorious truth that changes everything. You're not going to hell because you broke the Ten Commandments—you're going to hell because you're a sinner by nature. But God offers something incredible: His imputed righteousness credited to your account.
Imagine going to the bank on Monday morning and finding a million dollars deposited in your account that you didn't earn and don't deserve. That's a weak illustration of what God does when He credits His righteousness to you through faith in Jesus Christ.
Luke 1:6 tells us about Zacharias and Elisabeth: "And they were both righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless." Notice the order—they were righteous before God first, and as a result, they walked in His commandments. It's not clean up your life to get to God; it's God cleanses you, and then you want to walk with Him.
The Conscience: Your Built-in Witness
Your conscience is like spiritual glasses. The truth doesn't change whether you wear them or not, but with them, everything becomes clearer. People resist God's Word because they love being blind—they love their sin more than they love truth.
But here's what's sobering: God is going to judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ (Romans 2:16). That conscience you've been ignoring? It's been bearing witness all along. Every time you've done wrong and known it was wrong, every time you've excused yourself or accused others—it's all recorded.
The Call to Action
Don't let anyone give themselves an exemption. Don't let them get away with excuses. Their conscience knows better, and deep down, so do they. The law—whether written or unwritten—wasn't given to save us. It was given to show us we need a Savior.
Only Jesus Christ can say, "Thy sins be forgiven thee; arise, take up thy bed, and walk." Only Jesus can provide what the law demands but cannot give—true righteousness and justification before God.
The question isn't whether you have enough knowledge or whether you've kept enough commandments. The question is: Will you stop making excuses and admit you need the righteousness that only Christ can provide?
🎧 Want to dive deeper into this powerful teaching? This blog post only scratches the surface of this profound expository preaching from Romans chapter 2. Listen to the complete sermon for comprehensive verse-by-verse Bible teaching that will challenge and encourage your faith. Experience the full impact of this biblical exposition as it was meant to be heard!
Listen to the Full Message Here 📖
This sermon represents authentic expository preaching at its finest—taking God's Word verse by verse and applying its timeless truths to our modern lives.