Hi Ray,
> I wanted to thank you for your web-site as it has been a huge blessing for me in answering so many questions scriptually and logically. I was
> wondering if you had an answer to a questions that I have wondered about and have been asked by my friend:
In Romans 2:12-15 it speaks about the Gentiles conscience judging them. My friend says that this verse proves that those who died before hearing the gospel are then judged according to how they lived - did they follow their God-given conscience. I refuted this as o me it means that there is another way to salvation than Jesus Christ but can you help me understand what this verse is saying then?
Please keep writing and sharing your faith on this site... you have truely
challenegd the 'basics' of my faith and made me think about why I believe
some of th things I do... have I just grown up with this belief or is it God's word?
Thanks again Ray and God bless!!
Sean
Dear Sean:
These verses have nothing to do with salvation, but rather with judging. All mankind has a conscience. All cultures on earth teach that it is wrong to kill within their own tribe or clan, or to steal, or to rape, etc. One doesn't need to have a law stating that it is wrong to murder in order for people toknow that it is wrong to murder.
God gave Israel laws, so that there was a known penalty for the breaking of these laws, because where there is no law, there is no transgression of law even though there is sin, as in my example above.
Cain murdered Abel, but God did not have Cain stoned to death for doing so.
And so it matters not whether those with a law continue to break that law, or those without a law keep some of the things contained in a law, the bottom line is they are both guilty of sin and will be judged accordingly.
Those worthy of many stripes will receive many, and those worthy of fewer stripes will receive fewer, but slavation is ONLY through Jesus Christ.
God be with you,
Ray
