The Secret Thoughts of All

Note the "Filioque" in the fresco
on a wall in the Vatican. 

Scripture:

Rom. 2:12   All who have sinned apart from the law will also perish apart from the law, and all who have sinned under the law will be judged by the law. ¹³ For it is not the hearers of the law who are righteous in God’s sight, but the doers of the law who will be justified. ¹⁴ When Gentiles, who do not possess the law, do instinctively what the law requires, these, though not having the law, are a law to themselves. ¹⁵ They 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 ¹⁶ on the day when, according to my gospel, God, through Jesus Christ, will judge the secret thoughts of all.

Observation:

It was really easy to point fingers at the pagan Gentiles and the ways in which they lived their lives. The Gentiles did not have the law of God that the Jews possessed, but both groups of people stood in danger of judgement for the ways in which they lived their lives. The use of the word “justification” here is interesting because it is referring to future judgement, not about entrance into salvation. “When God graciously receives us as sinners, he asks nothing except faith. But from that moment on we enter into a new responsibility. God expects us, as the recipients of his gift, to bear the fruits of grace. Faith is not a license to sin “(NBBC). This relates to both Jews and Gentiles because even those who have not been exposed to the law of God have been exposed to a natural law that God has “written on their hearts.” 

Every person on earth has a responsibility to live according to the light which they have received from God. Choices or decisions are made along the way in terms of how our lives will be lived. There is acceptance or rejection of God’s written, or natural law. Eventually there will be a day of judgement where God will examine, not only on the actions, but also the thoughts of all people, which will either accuse or excuse. “God demands nothing less than holiness of heart and life; neither fine words nor merely outward displays of piety will do (Godet 1883, 126). He will judge the secrets of human hearts by Jesus Christ” (NBBC). 

Application:

It’s amazing how for centuries humanity has been creating entertainment that deals with the battle between good and evil. Whether ancient dramas, operas, written works, and in the last century — films. Just look at “Star Wars” and the galactic battle between good and evil. Why is that the case? Maybe it’s because what Paul writes here is really true — that all humans have an understanding of natural law that is written on our hearts and that it takes intentional action to ignore that law. There truly is a decision to be made — whether to do what is right, or to follow what Paul would call “the flesh.” 

Look at the current fighting between Russia and Ukraine. The atrocities that have been discovered have been simply appalling. By following the desires of “the flesh” villages have been pillaged, the women raped, and others tortured. We don’t have to have God’s law to tell us that this is wrong, but natural law tells us that this is beyond the pale. All the world agrees that this is humanity following “flesh” rather than the law of God that is written on their hearts. 

War brings out extremes, but how do we act in times of peace? I’m really challenged by the final line that God “will judge the secret thoughts of all.” The reality is that if God judges my secret thoughts — there are some pretty ugly things that will be seen. I have to confess that there have been times that I have struggled with having the right attitude and I need the Lord’s help to love and accept in the same way that he would. There have been things that I have said in my mind that I would not say out loud. Does that really make any difference? God help us! We need the empowering of the Holy Spirit to transform, not only our actions, but our minds as well. We need to be cleansed through and through — over and over again — washed daily in the stream of the Holy Spirit. Then, and only then, can we walk daily in the light of God’s law — both written and natural. For Christians we have responsibility to participate in both. 

Secret thoughts that are harbored against others will eventually come to light in our words or actions. If we think that we can get away with maintaining secret thoughts and that they will not impact our lives, we are only fooling ourselves. Allowed to remain, our secret thoughts will eventually become a cancer that will eat away at us. When we get to Romans 12 we will hear Paul talk about the renewing of our minds and the transformation that can happen through the power of the Spirit. He’s setting us up for finding the solution. If this is our problem — then God can solve it! 

Prayer:

Lord, shine your light into the crevices of my mind and transform the secret thoughts into your thoughts. Amen.