I had a friend who thought that Romans 2:14-15 - (Indeed, when Gentiles, who do not have the law, do by nature things required by the law, they are a law for themselves, even though they do not have the law. They show that the requirements of the law are written on their hearts, their consciences also bearing witness, and their thoughts sometimes accusing them and at other times even defending them.) –indicated that Gentiles who didn't hear about Christ had a chance of salvation if they kept the law of themselves. While theoretically true, Paul reminds us that keeping the law is something no human does.
[This is a great reminder for me that we must be careful to keep texts in context. Isolating a verse from its context leads to problems. We always need to read the surrounding verses and sometimes surrounding chapters.]
Back to my musings… verse 20 makes our human situation clear: Therefore no one will be declared righteous in God's sight by the works of the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of our sin (20).
Whether we follow the law of God or the law written on our hearts, we will do so imperfectly. Therefore will break our law and fall short of the glory and will of God, thus we all need a savior. We cannot save ourselves because breaking any element of the law breaks the entire law.
But there is good news to balance the bad news of our lawbreaker status. Romans 3:23 states the problem: for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. And the next verse states God's solution: and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.
We are justified through Jesus… through faith in Jesus. Alleluia. Now that is a verse I can sing about.
Praise to the Lord, the Almighty, my Savior and Redeemer. I lift Your name and sing Your praise for saving me and all who believe. Thank You, Father. Thank You, Jesus. Thank You, Holy Spirit. In Your name I pray. Amen.
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