Is God Just?

Romans 2:12-16

¹² When the Gentiles sin, they will be destroyed, even though they never had God’s written law. And the Jews, who do have God’s law, will be judged by that law when they fail to obey it. ¹³ For merely listening to the law doesn’t make us right with God. It is obeying the law that makes us right in his sight. ¹⁴ Even Gentiles, who do not have God’s written law, show that they know his law when they instinctively obey it, even without having heard it. ¹⁵ They demonstrate that God’s law is written in their hearts, for their own conscience and thoughts either accuse them or tell them they are doing right. ¹⁶ And this is the message I proclaim—that the day is coming when God, through Christ Jesus, will judge everyone’s secret life.

Conscience. That moral sense of right and wrong within each one of us. It’s a common question: What about those who never hear about Jesus; what will happen to them? This passage speaks to that as Paul is speaking to believing Jews who are living under the law instead of grace and yet their actions may not be reflecting their faith and so will be judged by the law. Paul is trying to get them to understand that we all have God’s law – a moral compass – ‘woven into the very fabric of our creation’ (MSG v14-16), and so those who do not have the law (or have faith in Jesus) follow this moral compass and so keep God’s commands or not, by their conscience.

Paul also reminds us that God the Father is the ultimate judge of hearts, as all will come before him. As people of faith in Jesus, we have the Holy Spirit also assisting us, correcting that moral conscience, to follow the teachings of Jesus and live our best lives before him. I know that my conscience certainly needed correcting when I first became a Christian.

For those who have never heard of Jesus, we can be sure that God the Father is just; He will deal with those through Jesus Christ, as he will us. It is those who have heard the good news of the gospel and choose to reject it that are in jeopardy.

Father God, I am so grateful that you are a Just God. I know your heart is for all to know Jesus (2 Peter 3:9) and yet you have also put your moral sense of right and wrong within our hearts to guide us through life. Father, thank you for your grace to us in sending your Son; thank you, Jesus, for paying the price for my sin. Father, my heart is in your hands. Amen

Written by Suzie Hodgson