May 6, 2026
The devotions over the next few days are based on a rough outline of thoughts for a Sermon series that I have never completed or attempted to preach. It's based on thoughts I have had or questions I have been asked. My prayer is that these reflections will speak to you, and bring some challenge and clarity to your spiritual journey.
Romans 2:14–15
"They show that the requirements of the law
are written on their hearts,
their consciences also bearing witness…”
This week we have been attempting to address the question “Is God Real?” In Acts 17:22–28 the apostle Paul in Athens spoke saying to his listeners God is Real, closer than you think. God is not hiding, He leaves fingerprints everywhere for those willing to look.
Inside every person is a quiet voice that nudges, warns, and sometimes demands to be heard. We call it the conscience. It’s that inner sense we all have that tells us some things in life are good and worth chasing, while other choices are wrong and would be best avoided. I am sure you know what I'm talking about. It’s that feeling that rises inside us when we’ve hurt someone, the urge we feel to speak up, apologize, forgive, or show kindness.
Here is what I find rather fascinating, that this inner moral awareness isn’t limited to one culture, religion, or time period. Across the world, people who have never met, still share a basic sense of right and wrong. While the specifics may vary, there is something that stands out as universal about this.
So, the question we might want to ask is, if this push or pull toward right and wrong is so wide ranging, Where does that come from?
In the New Testament in Romans 2 it says something profound: God has written His law—not on tablets, not on scrolls, not on monuments—but on the human heart. In other words, the suggestion fromthe book of Roamns is that our moral compass is not an "accident"of evolution or a product of "social conditioning". It is a gift. A signature. A whisper from the One who made us.
Consider what I am suggestion in ths way:
Why do we instinctively value honesty?
Why do we feel guilty when we betray trust?
Why do we admire courage and selflessness?
Why do we draw back or recoil at cruelty or injustice?
I believe, these reactions result from something deeper than our personal preferences, they originate from an inner sense that we are made for goodness. Think of it, even when we fall short of embodying goodness, we still recognize that in some way or other we missed the mark, and feel we can do better.
I have heard it said,
Here is what I find rather fascinating, that this inner moral awareness isn’t limited to one culture, religion, or time period. Across the world, people who have never met, still share a basic sense of right and wrong. While the specifics may vary, there is something that stands out as universal about this.
So, the question we might want to ask is, if this push or pull toward right and wrong is so wide ranging, Where does that come from?
In the New Testament in Romans 2 it says something profound: God has written His law—not on tablets, not on scrolls, not on monuments—but on the human heart. In other words, the suggestion fromthe book of Roamns is that our moral compass is not an "accident"of evolution or a product of "social conditioning". It is a gift. A signature. A whisper from the One who made us.
Consider what I am suggestion in ths way:
Why do we instinctively value honesty?
Why do we feel guilty when we betray trust?
Why do we admire courage and selflessness?
Why do we draw back or recoil at cruelty or injustice?
I believe, these reactions result from something deeper than our personal preferences, they originate from an inner sense that we are made for goodness. Think of it, even when we fall short of embodying goodness, we still recognize that in some way or other we missed the mark, and feel we can do better.
I have heard it said,
"that our conscience is like a spiritual nerve ending. When we move toward what is good, it resonates. When we move away from it, it aches. And that ache is not meant to shame us, it’s meant to guide us."
I know someone may be thinking, "wait a moment, the voice of conscience can be shaped, dulled, ignored, or distorted." Yes, it is not perfect. But I wonder, if its very existence points to something beyond ourselves. Might it hint that goodness, honesty and intregrity are not some human invention but rather a reflection of a God who cares about justice, compassion, truth, and love.
The beautiful part: the same God who "wrote His law on our hearts" also offers grace when we fall short of goodness. The way I see it is that conscience reveals our need. Grace reveals God’s heart.
Do you suppose it is possible when we feel that inner tug, when something inside of us says, this matters… this is right… this is wrong… this is who you were meant to be, that we are dealing with something or someone far beyond psychological study and thought? What if all this activity we call conscience, might in reality be the gentle voice of the One who formed you, wrote his law on your hearts, and is calling you and me toward the life we were created to live.
I know someone may be thinking, "wait a moment, the voice of conscience can be shaped, dulled, ignored, or distorted." Yes, it is not perfect. But I wonder, if its very existence points to something beyond ourselves. Might it hint that goodness, honesty and intregrity are not some human invention but rather a reflection of a God who cares about justice, compassion, truth, and love.
The beautiful part: the same God who "wrote His law on our hearts" also offers grace when we fall short of goodness. The way I see it is that conscience reveals our need. Grace reveals God’s heart.
Do you suppose it is possible when we feel that inner tug, when something inside of us says, this matters… this is right… this is wrong… this is who you were meant to be, that we are dealing with something or someone far beyond psychological study and thought? What if all this activity we call conscience, might in reality be the gentle voice of the One who formed you, wrote his law on your hearts, and is calling you and me toward the life we were created to live.
Something to Think About
Where do you think our sense of right and wrong comes from, and how have you experienced that inner voice in your own life?
Let's Pray
God,
You’re not afraid of our questions.
You’re not put off by our doubts.
Meet us in what we don’t understand.
And help us see You more clearly—
not just in answers,
but in Jesus.
Amen.
You’re not afraid of our questions.
You’re not put off by our doubts.
Meet us in what we don’t understand.
And help us see You more clearly—
not just in answers,
but in Jesus.
Amen.
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