How is the law written on everyone's heart?

We agree to the extent that Gentile believers are in the spiritual house of Israel, but prior to having reasons for glorifying God for His mercy they were not believers. There are Gentile believers and then there are Gentile non-believers. There is a distinction with how they are referred to. Simply referring to “the Gentiles” does not carry the connotation that they are believers. The distinction is subtle in my perspective.

How Paul referred to them in Romans 2 is such that he was referring to non-believing Gentiles who show “the works of the law” not “the law” written in their hearts.

At this point in the thread my question is what is the difference between “the works of the law” written in the heart and the “the law” written in the heart?

Thanks Runningman. The term Gentiles is not always used to mean believers. We agree on that. For example, 1 Peter 4:3 or Rev 11:2. At those times it is used to mean the unsaved, the heathen.

However, in Romans chapter 2, God is simply showing that having the written law is not the issue to be saved. Having the law in one's heart is the issue to be saved. Most instances of the term Gentiles in that chapter, Romans 2, are of Gentiles who are saved;

But he is a Jew, which is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit, and not in the letter; whose praise is not of men, but of God.

But glory, honour, and peace, to every man that worketh good, to the Jew first, and also to the Gentile:

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:

Here is a one case, though, where the term Gentile is showing an unsaved person in chapter 2. It reads: "Tribulation and anguish, upon every soul of man that doeth evil, of the Jew first, and also of the Gentile;"

Jesus has made us adopted heirs with Israel, let us not be bogged down by hair splitting words This leads only to disputes.

God uses a wee, little, teenie, tiny pen to write His Laws on our hearts......

Nothing is impossible for God

I think even non-Christians have Natural Conscience as a God-given Guide, which helps them know things like adultery, murder etc are wrong. But conscience is weak and often falls into error.

Christians, in the New Covenant, are indwelt by the Holy Spirit, and He is a far Greater Guide, Who guides us into all Truth without error. May we always listen to His Voice. In Jesus' Name. Amen.

I think the understanding that every man is born with a "conscience" "reason' "morality" so they have a general understanding of what is right and wrong.

As well, there are certain laws in nature that can be discerned by the natural mind. If you read the writings of the ancient Greeks you will see where they are deducing natural law, what is good, what is in man's best interest.

Certainly, the ancient Romans had developed a system of justice and laws based on natural law.

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The reference below is deliberately misquoted. Watch for the revision.

• Rom 2:14-16 . . For when Gentiles, who do not have the law, by nature do
the things in the law, these, although not having the law, are a law to
themselves, who show My law written in their hearts,

There's an importance difference between the work of the law and My law.

Now I'm pretty sure it's okay to concur that when folks are a law to
themselves, they do not have My law written in their hearts; and it's been
that way almost since the very beginning due to the forbidden fruit incident.

• Gen 3:22 . . And the Lord God said: Behold, the man is become as one of
us, to know good and evil

That verse is stating that when Adam tasted the forbidden fruit, he became
his own authority in matters related to good and evil, i.e. right and wrong.

NOTE: Genesis is one of the five books of Moses; known as the Pentateuch.
It is a valid portion of the Jews' law, though not often categorized as such.
Gentiles commonly refer to "the law" as the four books of Exodus, Leviticus,
Numbers, and Deuteronomy and typically omit Genesis; which I sincerely
believe is a big mistake because it is in the early chapters of Genesis where
we find "the work of the law" mentioned in Rom 2:14-16.
_

Okay I understand that clearly I think and if so then I agree. The unbelievers don’t have God’s law written in their heart. That’s what I’ve suspected all along but Paul is difficult to understand for sure.

Intersting.

If an unbeliver knows it's wrong to murder where does that come from?
If an ubeleiver knows it's wrong to commit adultery where does that come from?

Many unbelivers love their neighbours and do good. Where does that come from?

amen to that

“That is, They which are the children of the flesh, these are not the children of God: but the children of the promise are counted for the seed.

For this is the word of promise, At this time will I come, and Sarah shall have a son.”
‭‭Romans‬ ‭9:8-9‬ ‭

“Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins,

and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.

For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call. And with many other words did he testify and exhort, saying, Save yourselves from this untoward generation. Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls.”
‭‭Acts‬ ‭2:38-41‬ ‭
“And the scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the heathen through faith, preached before the gospel unto Abraham, saying, In thee shall all nations be blessed. So then they which be of faith are blessed with faithful Abraham. that the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ; that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.

Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made. He saith not, And to seeds, as of many; but as of one, And to thy seed, which is Christ. For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus. For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ.

There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus.

And if ye be Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise.”
‭‭Galatians‬ ‭3:8-9, 14, 16, 26-

Christ is the son of promise throughout the ot , the promised son of God , we who are in him have taken that identity upon ourselves making us the seed of Abraham and hiers according to the promise made to him because we’ve taken the name of Christ upon ourselves and received remission of sins and become the children of promise , the sons who were to be born in Christ

This promise was always to gentiles as well as israel “all nations “

“And the scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the heathen through faith, preached before the gospel unto Abraham, saying, In thee shall all nations be blessed.”
‭‭Galatians‬ ‭3:8‬ ‭KJV‬‬

Paul’s referring to this

“Now the LORD had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father's house, unto a land that I will shew thee: ..,,,and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed.”
‭‭Genesis‬ ‭12:1, 3‬ ‭

the promise grew under and by melchezideks blessing

“And Melchizedek king of Salem brought forth bread and wine: and he was the priest of the most high God. ( before the levites we’re established and law was given )

And he blessed him, and said, Blessed be Abram of the most high God, possessor of heaven and earth: and blessed be the most high God, which hath delivered thine enemies into thy hand. And he gave him tithes of all.”
‭‭Genesis‬ ‭14:18-20‬ ‭KJV‬‬

And the promise grew

“And Abram fell on his face: and God talked with him, saying, As for me, behold, my covenant is with thee, and thou shalt be a father of many nations.

Neither shall thy name any more be called Abram, ( flesh ) but thy name shall be Abraham; for a father of many nations have I made thee.

And I will establish my covenant between me and thee and thy seed after thee in their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be a God unto thee, and to thy seed after thee.”
‭‭Genesis‬ ‭17:3-5, 7‬ ‭KJV‬‬

that’s not a promise to the flesh israel but to the church and the promise grew and the son is born a figure of Christ to later come

“And the angel of the LORD called unto Abraham out of heaven the second time, and said, By myself have I sworn, saith the LORD, for because thou hast done this thing, and hast not withheld thy son, thine only son: and in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed; because thou hast obeyed my voice.”
‭‭Genesis‬ ‭22:15-16, 18‬ ‭KJV‬‬

And the promise grew in his descendant David

“And it shall come to pass, when thy days be expired that thou must go to be with thy fathers, that I will raise up thy seed after thee, which shall be of thy sons; and I will establish his kingdom. He shall build me an house, and I will stablish his throne for ever. I will be his father, and he shall be my son: and I will not take my mercy away from him, as I took it from him that was before thee:

but I will settle him in mine house and in my kingdom for ever: and his throne shall be established for evermore. According to all these words, and according to all this vision, so did Nathan speak unto David.”
‭‭1 Chronicles‬ ‭17:11-15‬ ‭KJV‬‬

And so David foresaw the lord and wrote his psalms pertaining to him

“The LORD said unto my Lord, Sit thou at my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool. The LORD shall send the rod of thy strength out of Zion: Rule thou in the midst of thine enemies. Thy people shall be willing in the day of thy power, In the beauties of holiness from the womb of the morning: Thou hast the dew of thy youth. The LORD hath sworn, and will not repent, Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchizedek.”
‭‭Psalm‬ ‭110:1-4‬ ‭KJV‬‬

eventually

“His name shall endure for ever: His name shall be continued as long as the sun: And men shall be blessed in him: All nations shall call him blessed.”
‭‭Psalm‬ ‭72:17‬ ‭KJV‬‬


He came and so we begin the gospel with the understanding Jesus came for all nations to redeem all who believe to God through his blood and by his everlasting word

the son of David , the son of Abraham the son of Gods promise the loving word come to pass in the earth

“The book of the generation of Jesus Christ, the son of David,

the son of Abraham.”
‭‭Matthew‬ ‭1:1‬ ‭KJV‬‬

He is the promised come to pass and the promises are to all nations by this method

“And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come.”
‭‭Matthew‬ ‭24:14‬ ‭KJV‬‬

“And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.”
‭‭Mark‬ ‭16:15-16‬

This is how we’re born as Gods chosen and elect people as simple as it sounds

.

Humanity was created with a conscience patterned after its maker's
conscience.

• Gen 1:26-27 . . And God said: Let us make man in our image, after our
likeness . . So God created man in his own image, in the image of God
created he him; male and female created he them.

So then, even without formal instruction, humanity came into being
instinctively knowing what agrees with God and what doesn't.

Then came the forbidden fruit incident, wherein humanity's conscience lost
its divine quality and became humanistic.

• Gen 3:22 . . And the Lord God said: Behold, the man is become as one of
us, to know good and evil

The thing is: humanity didn't lose its instinctive knowledge of what agrees
with God and what doesn't, but humanity did lose its innocence. i.e.
humanity became argumentative.

• Rom 2:15 . .Their thoughts alternately accusing or else defending them.
_

And where does the knowledge of good come from in the natural man?

It comes from just learning morals from friends, family, and society. Secular society generally frowns on murder, cheating, and being hateful; that’s all cultures.

Seems like it only applies to the church.

I believe the Jeremiah passage refers to the new birth whereas the Romans 2:14, 15 passage is simply in natural terms how the non religious Gentile lives up to his conscience just as much as the religious Jew.

Thank you, and God bless you always.

Israel is Israel
Gentiles are gentiles
Christians are christians
Please keep this in mind of your studies.😉😉

Yes. That’s what I was trying to tell someone. Romans 2:14,15 is referring to unsaved, unregenerate, unbelievers:

Romans 2:14,15
14For 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: 15Which 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

The Gentiles have “the works of the law” written in their hearts. The “works of the law” is just a way of saying that those are the actions necessary to obey the law. Roman’s 2:14, says that by their nature (not because God wrote the law in their hearts) do the things contained in the law. That means they learned about the things contained in the law from a different source.

For example, not murdering presents a survival advantage for communities. Not lying builds trust and is good for communities. Not stealing builds trust and is good for communities. So it isn’t surprising that people without God’s law written in their hearts would eventually happen to chose the things written in God’s law, too, because those things are more preferable.

And you also thanks for sharing and God bless you indeed

amen we were created like God in our nature and will he had already seperated light and dark good and evil and He toldManto protect their minds and hearts “ whatever you do don’t eat this fruit and partake of this conflicting knowledge of good and evil or you’ll die “

knowledge is what is within us we were very good in the beginning but then became wicked later the Bible is about how mankind was given dominion on earth d then corrupted in tbier mind and heart by forbidden knowledge later d led astray from this

“And God saw every thing that he had made, and, behold, it was very good. And the evening and the morning were the sixth day.”
‭‭Genesis‬ ‭1:31‬ ‭

to this just ten generations into them multiplying on earth

“And GOD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. And it repented the LORD that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him at his heart.

And the LORD said, I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth; both man, and beast, and the creeping thing, and the fowls of the air; for it repenteth me that I have made them.

And God looked upon the earth, and, behold, it was corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted his way upon the earth. And God said unto Noah, The end of all flesh is come before me; for the earth is filled with violence through them; and, behold, I will destroy them with the earth.”
‭‭Genesis‬ ‭6:5-7, 12-13‬ ‭KJV‬‬

when we took satans word in Eden we corrupted the creation and ourselves the Bible is a story about Jesus redeeming mankind from this state of in and death eve we are conflicted between doing good and evil thinking good and evil desiring good and evil like your saying

we were never meant to be conflicted we were created in the knowledge of Christ desiring d knowing good but being ignorant and disconnected from protected from evils knowledge by Gods command of love and safety Satan corrupted this understanding me enticed the. Into sin and death and the state of conflict where it’s a struggle for us to do good consistently because of this curse

“I find then a law, that, when I would do good, evil is present with me. but I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members. O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?”
‭‭Romans‬ ‭7:21, 23-24‬ ‭KJV‬‬

this wasn’t mans original state we had no struggle because we we made very good in our nature it took satans deception to corrupt them and lead the. Into sin