Romans 2:12-16 – “For all who have sinned without the law will also perish without the law, and all who have sinned under the law will be judged by the law.  For it is not the hearers of the law who are righteous before God, but the doers of the law who will be justified.  For when Gentiles, who do not have the law, by nature do what the law requires, they are a law to themselves, even though they do not have the law.  They show that the work of the law is written on their hearts, while their conscience also bears witness, and their conflicting thoughts accuse or even excuse them on that day when, according to my gospel, God judges the secrets of men by Christ Jesus.”

This text begs the question, “what is the purpose of the Law”?

The law was given to the Jewish people of Israel in the Old Testament primarily through Moses, but also through the other prophets.  The law revealed the purpose and will of God, but at a larger level, the law pointed to who God was Himself.  For example; we knew when the law said, “You shall have no other gods before me.” (Ex 20:3), that God is ultimate – there is none greater to be known and worshipped.  The law, in all its perfection, was not meant to show the level of righteousness required for salvation, but to point us to salvation in the Righteous One, Jesus Christ.  Thus the law was meant to be a great blessing.

Unfortunately, every one of us is sinners.  Instead of hearing the law, and delighting in God, we each turned away from the righteousness of God to pursue our own sinful desires.  This is what Paul says later in Romans 7:7-11 – “What then shall we say? That the law is sin? By no means! Yet if it had not been for the law, I would not have known sin. For I would not have known what it is to covet if the law had not said, “You shall not covet.” But sin, seizing an opportunity through the commandment, produced in me all kinds of covetousness. For apart from the law, sin lies dead.  I was once alive apart from the law, but when the commandment came, sin came alive and I died.  The very commandment that promised life proved to be death to me.  For sin, seizing an opportunity through the commandment, deceived me and through it killed me.”

So in short, the purpose of the law is to expose the sin of your heart, so that no one will go before God claiming to be righteous.  The law was given so that you would lose all hope in yourself and hope in the Righteous One, Jesus Christ.  Galatians 3:21-23 – “Is the law then contrary to the promises of God? Certainly not! For if a law had been given that could give life, then righteousness would indeed be by the law.  But the Scripture imprisoned everything under sin, so thatthe promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe.”

So what about those without the law?  If the law came in to reveal the righteousness of God, exposing the sin of all men, what of those who did not hear the law?  You hear it all the time.  What about the person in the jungle who never hears about God?    It may seem at first that the scripture above giving these people an “out”, but it is not.  Paul has already addressed that all men have turned from God in chapter 1 immediately before this passage.  All those without the written law know God through what has been made.  Further, there is an understanding of basic morality in all men, written on their hearts.  Many refer to this as their conscience.  It may be permissible to do many things in different cultures, but none of them glorify stealing your neighbors possessions or stealing/sleeping with his wife.  If those things occur, they are merely an outward manifestation of how sinful those people are, just as we all are apart from the grace of God.  What does God say?  Matthew 25:43-45 – “I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not clothe me, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.’ Then they also will answer, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to you?’  Then he will answer them, saying, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.'”   Moreover, Galatians 5:14 – “Forthe whole law is fulfilled in one word: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”  God will judge those without the law on what they did know of Him through creation, which we know is a lot from Romans 1, and how they loved their neighbor.

So God is just.  He will judge righteously with justice, but we know that none save those who hope in the perfect Righteousness of Christ shall be saved.  This is why we are told in Isaiah 52:7 – “How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him who brings good news, who publishes peace, who brings good news of happiness, who publishes salvation,who says to Zion, “Your God reigns.”  If you love your friends, if you love your family, if you love those around you, if you are burdened for the nations; preach them the gospel.  Delight yourself in the Lord, and proclaim His victory over sin and death to all.  Do not be burdened by words, do not be anxious for a response, simply proclaim the truth that we are all dead in our trespasses, but God has ransomed His people through Jesus Christ on the cross, dead, buried, risen again to eternal life, and all who come to Him in repentance of sins shall be saved – Our God Reigns.  Let all who would come, come.

Grace and Peace,

Adam