Who Am I Really – Our Moral Compass Knows Right From Wrong

Our Moral Compass Knows Right from Wrong

If you remember, when God created us, He gave us a “moral compass” which means that we already have knowledge of what is right and wrong from God’s perspective. Have you ever felt that small voice deep down inside of you that makes you feel guilty when you go against your “moral compass”?

In the second chapter of the book of Romans, Paul talks about God’s righteous judgment. He is talking about both Jews and Gentiles being judged. In verses 14 and 15, he basically says that even though the Gentiles do not have the law (the Ten Commandments) to live by like the Jews, they still know right from wrong because it is written on their hearts (your moral compass). The scripture says:

“¹⁴When Gentiles, who do not possess the law, do instinctively what the law requires, these, though not having the law, are a law to themselves.  ¹⁵They show that what the law requires is written on their hearts, to which their own conscience also bears witness; and their conflicting thoughts will accuse or perhaps excuse them.”  Romans 2:14-15 (NRSV)

I want you to read it again in the Easy-to-Read Version (ERV):

 “¹⁴Those who are not Jews don’t have the law. But when they naturally do what the law commands without even knowing the law, then they are their own law. This is true even though they don’t have the written law. ¹⁵They show that in their hearts they know what is right and wrong, the same as the law commands, and their consciences agree. Sometimes their thoughts tell them that they have done wrong, and this makes them guilty. And sometimes their thoughts tell them that they have done right, and this makes them not guilty.” Romans 2:14-15 (ERV)

So you see that even though we are all sinners in the eyes of God and separated from Him because of Adam and Eve’s sin, we still have the capacity to be kind and good because of our moral compass. We are basically being nice sinners once in a while, some more than most. However, as we will learn, this does not redeem us in the sight of God. Remember, as humans we can only judge each other by what we see on the outside. God judges by what is on the inside.