G od gave to the Jews through Moses, the law inscribed on tables of stone. The Jews were privileged in that “unto them were committed the oracles of God” [Romans 3:2]. The Psalmist also made this distinction. God “sheweth His word unto Jacob, His statutes and His judgments unto Israel. He hath not dealt so with any nation (i.e. Gentiles): And as for His judgments, they have not known them” [Psalm 147:19-20]. While Gentiles were not given the inscribed law to govern their lives, they nevertheless, “shew the work of the law” – meaning they demonstrated in their daily lives and interactions that they were morally conscious. They were governed by a moral code. This moral code under which the Gentiles lived might not be the same in letter to the law of Moses, but it was not contrary to the Mosaic law. It was this moral code imprinted on their hearts which would be the grounds for the Gentiles to accuse or excuse one another. The fact that in the absence of an inscribed law, we can still pass moral judgments on the actions of another person in accusing him or vindicating him points to the innate and indestructible moral nature – the work of the law of God in our hearts. God, in His mercy, has not made us indifferent to morality and ethics, right and wrong, truth and falsehood. That is the common grace that He gives His creatures so that we, being evil, “know how to give good gifts unto (our) children” [Luke 11:13]. But to believers, our heavenly Father has further given us the Holy Spirit to direct our lives so that we need not walk in the dimness of our own conscience but in the light of His Spirit [Galatians 5:16, 25].
LESSON
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.
THOUGHT
If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. – Galatians 5:25
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