So they show that the work of the law is written on their hearts, their consciences also bearing witness, and their thoughts either accusing or defending themin that they show the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience testifying with them, and their thoughts among themselves accusing or else excusing them)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;)in that they show the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience bearing witness therewith, and their thoughts one with another accusing or else excusing them);
3 sermons cite this verse
… And the wonderful thing about God's law is it's written upon the heart. Romans 2 verse 15, which show the work of the law written on the heart, the conscience bearing witness. when you witness to an unsaved person there is a judge on the courtroom of their mind that will agree with the commandments that independent impartial judge that conscience which means with knowledge common with science is knowledge will agree with the commandments you know it's wrong to lie don't you you know it's wrong to steal commit adultery murder it's all written on the heart God has given light to every man the Holy Spirit convicts of sin righteousness and judgment sin which is transgression of the law righteousness which is of the law and judgment which is by the law John Wycliffe, the Bible translator said the highest service to which a man may attain on earth is to preach the law of God how foreign is that to modern evangelism the highest service to which a man may attain on earth is to preach the law of God Martin Luther said the first duty of the gospel preacher is to declare God's law and show the nature of sin. …
… 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. According to this text, there are three things that are true of every one of you in this room. Three things. And not only are these three things true for every single person, this side of the pulpit and on that side of the pulpit, but these three things are true for every person you will meet this week, every person you encountered in this last week, every person you see at work, every person you see at school, every person in your family. These three things are true. They may not know that they're true. They may have a different explanation for why they are true, but these three things are true of everyone everywhere. …
1. What principle in man is assisted in convincing him of his desert of eternal punishment? No new principle is infused. Natural men have only natural principles; and therefore all that is done by the Spirit of God before regeneration is by assisting natural principles. To observe, therefore, in answer to this inquiry, That the principle, which is assisted in making natural men sensible of their desert of wrath, is natural conscience. Though man has lost a principle of love to God, and all spiritual principles by the fall, yet natural conscience remains. Now there are two things, which are the proper work of natural conscience. One is to give man a sense of right and wrong. A natural man has no sense of the beauty and amiableness of virtue, or of the turpitude and odiousness of vice. But yet every man has that naturally within, which testifies to him that some things are right, and others wrong. Thus if a man steals, or commits murder, there is something within, which tells him that he has done wrong; he knows that he has not done right. Rom. ii. 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 show 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.” And the other work of natural conscience is to suggest the relation there is between right and wrong, and a retribution. Man has that in him, which suggests to him, when he has done ill, a relation between that ill and punishment. If a man has done that which his conscience tells him is wrong, is unjust, his conscience tells him that he deserves to be punished for it. Thus natural conscience has a twofold power; a teaching, or accusing, and a condemning power. The Spirit of God, therefore, assists natural conscience the more thoroughly to do this, its work, and so convinces a man of sin. Conscience naturally suggests, when he has done a known evil, that he deserves punishment; and being assisted to its work thoroughly, a man is convinced that he deserves eternal punishment. Though natural conscience does remain in the man since the fall, yet it greatly needs assistance in order to its work. It is greatly hindered in doing its work by sin. Every thing in man, which is part of his perfection, is hindered and impaired by sin. A faculty of reason remains since the fall, but it is greatly impaired and blinded. So natural conscience remains, but sin, in a great degree, stupifies it, and hinders it in its work. Now when God convinces a sinner, he assists his conscience against the stupefaction of sin, and helps it to do its work more freely and fully. The Spirit of God works immediately upon men’s consciences. In conviction their consciences are awakened. They are convinced in their consciences. Their consciences smite them and condemn them. …