¹⁴ For when Gentiles who do not have the Law do instinctively the things of the Law, these, not having the Law, are a law to themselves, ¹⁵ in that they show the work of the Law written in their hearts, their conscience bearing witness and their thoughts alternately accusing or else defending them, ¹⁶ on the day when, according to my gospel, God will judge the secrets of men through Christ Jesus.

Reality check: though non-Jews do have “the works of the Law written in their hearts,” know that they should “do instinctively the things of the Law” and “are a law to themselves,” they have a “conscience bearing witness” and “thoughts alternately accusing or else defending them.” All are guilty and know it internally or “instinctively.”

This idea has been subject to much debate and can easily devolve into subjectivity: “Who are you to judge me? In my heart I know that I am right.” Such thoughts do not change reality. Paul asserts, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, that when we all stand before the judgment of God, no hiding or moral philosophizing will help us suppress the testimony of our inner conscience. There will be no justification, because our primary witness will be ourselves.

The first witness on the stand for those who don’t have the Word of God will be themselves. They cannot plead the Fifth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, which says a person cannot be compelled to be a witness against himself. There is no legal authority to which they might appeal in order to decline answering questions that incriminate themselves. In other words, there will be no escaping the conscience and therefore no escaping the damning self-evidence of our own minds accusing us of moral failure.

What is the need or value for the Jews having the Law of God, then? That will come shortly in this discourse, but sufficient for the moment is the point that having the Law did not give the Jews a special inside position relative to God’s judgment. There is a certain irony in this. One would think that logically speaking, if the Jews claimed to have the superior position before God since they have the Law, then they should get the superior judgment, since they would have no excuse for their sinfulness, and that the Gentiles would have more lenience, not having the specific Law of God. However, Gentiles are just as guilty as the Jews. The equality before God goes both ways. The point—and the climax to which Paul is building—is that we all fall short of the glory of God (3:23). God will judge us all, not by outward deeds, per se, but by the inner “secrets” of the conscience—and by this all will be judged sinners.

Lord, I welcome Your searchlight of truth to shine into my life, so that there will be nothing left in the end to expose that has not already been acknowledged.