Romans 2:14-16, Power of the Human Conscience
Romans 2:14-16 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: 15 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;) 16 In the day when God shall judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ according to my gospel.
It is interesting, Apostle Paul observed, God made man with a conscience that is able to judge his own actions by the law which God placed in his heart. He knows good from evil, right from wrong, having a moral conscience within him. If he does wrong, his conscience gives him no peace. And if he is right, he knows there is no rebuke against him. It is a faculty of self-reflection and self-judgement that God places in man that enables him to evaluate himself honestly.
How is that possible? Because God made man in His very image – Genesis 1:26 And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.
Before I became a Christian, I found myself lacking, deficient, but could not tell what was lacking! Observe how the Apostle Paul is preparing to present the gospel to the unsaved by revealing what God has marvellously done to create man with a God-given conscience. He presents to us the intimate and endearing place we have in the sight of our Creator God.
The psalmist by God’s special revelation in Genesis 1:26 declares the puzzling, unworthy and yet special place he felt he has in this vast universe, “When I consider thy heavens, the work of thy fingers, the moon and the stars, which thou hast ordained; 4 What is man, that thou art mindful of him? and the son of man, that thou visitest him? 5 For thou hast made him a little lower than the angels, and hast crowned him with glory and honour. 6 Thou madest him to have dominion over the works of thy hands; thou hast put all things under his feet: 7 All sheep and oxen, yea, and the beasts of the field; 8 The fowl of the air, and the fish of the sea, and whatsoever passeth through the paths of the seas. 9 O LORD our Lord, how excellent is thy name in all the earth! (Psalm 8:3-9).
It is with an awakened conscience made good by God through Jesus Christ that Apostle Paul stood before Ananias the high priest in Jerusalem to declare in good conscience that Jesus Christ is the living and true God. He was slapped in the mouth. He retorted in Acts 23:3 …God shall smite thee, thou whited wall: for sittest thou to judge me after the law, and commandest me to be smitten contrary to the law? His conscience will not allow him to deny his Christ. He received Jesus’ personal commendation, Acts 23:11 And the night following the Lord stood by him, and said, Be of good cheer, Paul: for as thou hast testified of me in Jerusalem, so must thou bear witness also at Rome.
What a wonderful testimony for our emulation to fear God rather not fear man. This is the power of an awakened conscience. Amen.