City Life Starter

Written by Scott Fiddler

The Word

“For when the Gentiles who do not have the Law do instinctively the things of the Law, these, not having the Law, are a law to themselves, in that they show the work of the Law written in their hearts, their conscience bearing witness and their thoughts alternatively accusing or else defending them…”

Romans 2:14-15

Exegesis

Here is how C.S. Lewis describes it:

But the most remarkable thing is this. Whenever you find a man who says he does not believe in a real Right and Wrong you will find the same man going back on this a moment later.  He may break his promise to you, but if you try breaking one to him he will be complaining “It’s not fair” before you can say Jack Robinson.

     People—regardless of whether they are Christian, Muslim, Buddhist, Atheist, or Agnostic—know two things: 1) there is a transcendent moral standard; and, 2) they do not comply with that standard. In the first two chapters of Mere Christianity, Lewis persuasively drives home the first point, and he does so without ever referring to the Bible. Lewis doesn’t need to refer to the Bible because, as the Apostle Paul states, those who have never read the Bible know what is right and wrong because their consciences constantly remind them. It takes very little to convince people that they do not live up to the standard. No one really argues that they always comply with the standard; instead they will say things like, “Well no one is perfect,” which only proves the point.

Application

Understanding this should make Christians confident in sharing the Gospel. Convincing people there is a higher law and they are not complying with it is like trying to convince people the world is not flat. In addition, Jesus promised us the Holy Spirit would aid in convicting people of His law and their failure to comply. See John 16:8. People are guilty, they feel guilty, and they know they are guilty. In other words, they are primed to hear the good news that Jesus is the answer to their guilt.

Prayer

Pray this week that the Lord will give you an opportunity to share the good news of Jesus with someone suffering under the weight of their guilt.