It is interesting, Apostle Paul observed, God made man with a conscience that is able to judge his own actions by the law which God placed in his heart. He knows good from evil, right from wrong, having a moral conscience within him. If he does wrong, his conscience gives him no peace. And if he is right, he knows there is no rebuke against him. It is a faculty of self-reflection and self-judgement that God places in man that enables him to evaluate himself honestly.

How is that possible? Because God made man in His very image – Genesis 1:26 And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.

Before I became a Christian, I found myself lacking, deficient, but could not tell what was lacking! Observe how the Apostle Paul is preparing to present the gospel to the unsaved by revealing what God has marvellously done to create man with a God-given conscience. He presents to us the intimate and endearing place we have in the sight of our Creator God.

1) When the Roll Is Called Up Yonder – A Young Girl Is Called Home

A poorly clad fourteen-year old girl, Bessie, the child of a drunkard, was sitting on the steps of a broken-down house in Williamsport, Pennsylvania. Professor James Black (1856-1938), a Sunday-school teacher, saw her there and asked, “Would you like to go to Sunday school?” She replied, “Yes, I would like to go but…” Black answered, “I understand.”

The next day he sent a parcel of clothing to the young girl, including a dress and new shoes. Bessie attended Sunday school that week and continued faithfully for many weeks thereafter. As president of the Youth Society, Black would call the names of members to mark attendance. They answered the roll call by repeating Scripture texts. He always looked forward to Bessie answering to her name when the roll was called.

What Paul is saying is that even though a person may not know God’s law, he will nevertheless be judged by it. Even if he transgressed God’s law unknowingly, he is guilty of sinning before God. He is still culpable! But Paul is bringing a greater indictment against those who know the law of God and wilfully disobeys it. He distinguished between the hearers of the law in verse 13 with the doers of the law. Only the doers of the law would find favour in the sight of God. The hearer who has a head knowledge of the truth and is not convicted to obey it will face God’s judgement.

Our God is an impartial Judge. He is infinite, eternal and unchangeable in His justice. He judges fairly and correctly. There is no misjudgement with God. He renders to every man according to his deeds. We cannot escape the All-seeing eyes of God. All who live in righteousness will receive from Him a righteous man’s reward. All who live an evil life, obey not the truth, will receive God’s judgement – tribulation and anguish!

God is good to allow time for sinners to repent of their sins by delaying His judgement. When a man sins without restrain and think that he can get away with sin time and again, he is hereby warned. Judgement will surely come. God has withheld judgement so that he may have the opportunity to be awakened of his grave danger and quickly repent!

Ruth 4:1-12 Then went Boaz up to the gate, and sat him down there: and, behold, the kinsman of whom Boaz spake came by; unto whom he said, Ho, such a one! turn aside, sit down here. And he turned aside, and sat down. 2 And he took ten men of the elders of the city, and said, Sit ye down here. And they sat down. 3 And he said unto the kinsman, Naomi, that is come again out of the country of Moab, selleth a parcel of land, which was our brother Elimelech’s: 4 And I thought to advertise thee, saying, Buy it before the inhabitants, and before the elders of my people. If thou wilt redeem it, redeem it: but if thou wilt not redeem it, then tell me, that I may know: for there is none to redeem it beside thee; and I am after thee. And he said, I will redeem it. 5 Then said Boaz, What day thou buyest the field of the hand of Naomi, thou must buy it also of Ruth the Moabitess, the wife of the dead, to raise up the name of the dead upon his inheritance.

Truly, Jesus gave the Christian disposition as one who has a poverty of spirit and one who mourns for his sins. This is the beginning of salvation grace when men is willing to humble themselves and repent of their sins and come to Jesus Christ for cleansing. There is only one way that man can have their sins forgiven. In the blood of the Lamb!

Fallen men not only sidelined their Creator by worshipping dumb idols made with their own hands, but their mind become so twisted that the institution of marriage between a man and a woman that God has ordained since time immemorial was overturned. Such shameful passions of utmost perverseness was made a way of life. When such inordinate affections took place, we see in biblical history that God’s judgement was nigh. Sodom and Gomorrah were cities that God judged with fire and brimestones falling from heaven to completely consume these cities.

Matthew 24:9-14 Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all nations for my name’s sake. 10 And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another. 11 And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many. 12 And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold. 13 But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved. 14 And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come.