When a person who does not have the law of God- live a life following all of God's ways, they are doing by nature what is in the law given to others- these are God's. Make no mistake, God truly knows the heart of every single human being that has ever lived and that will ever live. No person who has lived their life in God will be lost to Him by the fact they did not have the law of God. Their lives are a testimony to what the law contains. Not a single person will be God's simply because they put a label upon themselves or are given a label by others from birth. You can strut about declaring your Christ following walk as something making you God's, but in truth you could be far from God- your words do not make truth out of a lie. All of us are saved by the grace of God through Christ Jesus, not by any action we take.
Romans 2:14 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
Keeping the law by nature, how pure that love for God must be.
Those who choose to embrace unrighteousness, whether they have the law or not, will be lost to God- it works both ways. They can't claim ignorance of the law as their excuse for unrighteousness.
Accountability rests on all of us individually.
May God keep us in Him always! Please, Lord, we would be Yours!
(Excerpt- EJ Waggoner)
'And so the second chapter proceeds to show that all will be subjects of God's righteous judgment, "for there is no respect of persons with God."
Thus we are brought to a confirmation of the fact that God is impartial, by a comparison of the two classes in the Judgment.
12 For as many as have sinned without law shall also perish without law; and as many as have sinned in the law shall be judged by the law 13 (for not the hearers of the law are just before God, but the doers of the law shall be justified. 14 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; 15 which show the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and their thoughts the meanwhile accusing or else excusing one another); 16 in the day when God shall judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ according to my gospel.
Without Law, and in the Law.
Although it is quite certain that when the Lord comes the second time there will be no people on the earth who have not heard the preaching of the word, it is a fact that thousands and millions have died without ever having seen or heard of the Bible. They are the ones to whom the apostle refers as "without law." Yet it is plainly set forth that they are not absolutely without law, but only without the written law. The fact that they have some knowledge of the law is stated in the verses following, and is proved by the fact that they are counted sinners; but "sin is not imputed where there is no law." Rom. 5:13.
All Sin Punished.
Whether we have had the written law or not, all are alike counted sinners. "The wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men." Rom. 1:18.
The heathen are declared to be without excuse; and if they who have not the written law are without excuse, they who have the law in their hands are of course far more inexcusable. God is just. "We know that the judgment of God is according to truth against them which commit such things." Yet all who sin, whether in the law or without the law, are to be punished.
This is sufficient to show that "without law" does not mean without any knowledge of God. The first chapter settles that. The trouble with too many who read this statement that all shall be punished, and who think that it does not seem just, is that they forget, or are ignorant of, what is contained in the first chapter. It is a great mistake to take any single verse of the Bible and separate it from its connection.
They Shall Perish.
That is declared to be the fate of the wicked. The apostle Peter tells us that the world is "reserved unto fire against the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men." 2 Peter 3:7. What is meant by "perish?" It means just the opposite of living forever. On one occasion some people told Jesus of the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices, and Jesus replied, "Except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish." Luke 13:1-3. Again we read, "The wicked shall perish, and the enemies of the Lord shall be as the fat of lambs; they shall consume; into smoke shall they consume away." Ps. 37:20. Therefore the statement that those who sin shall perish means that they shall die, that they shall be utterly extinct, that "they shall be as though they had not been." Obad. 16.
Strict Impartiality.
That means strict justice. Sinners will be punished, whether they live in heathen lands or in so-called Christian lands. But no one will be judged by that of which he knew nothing. God does not punish men for violation of a law of which they knew nothing, nor does he hold them accountable for light that they have not had. It is very plain that those who have the law must know many things that are not known to those who do not have it in written form. All men have light enough to know that they are sinners; but the written word gives those who have it a knowledge of many particulars of which those are ignorant who do not have it.
Therefore God in his justice does not hold the latter accountable for many things for which the former will be judged. "As many as have sinned without law shall also perish without law; and as many as have sinned in the law shall be judged by the law." The man who has rejected light, whether it be little or much, is obviously guilty.
The Root of Sin.
To some it seems unjust that those who have had but comparatively little light should suffer death for their sins, the same as those who have sinned against the greatest light. Their difficulty arises from the fact that they do not consider what sin really is. God alone is good. Luke 18:19
Luk 18:19 And Jesus said unto him, Why callest thou me good? none is good, save one, that is, God.
He is the source of goodness. Whatever goodness ever appears in man is only the working of God in him.
But he is also the source of life. With him is the fountain of life. Ps. 36:9.
Psa 36:9 For with thee is the fountain of life: in thy light shall we see light.
God's life is righteousness; therefore there can be no righteousness apart from the life of God.
Now it is evident that if a man rejects God, he effectually cuts himself off from life. It matters not that he has had but comparatively little knowledge of God, if he rejects that light he rejects God, and thus rejects life. And by rejecting the little that he has seen of God, he shows that he would reject God in any case. Sin is simply separation from or rejection of God; and that means death.
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