Written on the Heart

Sermon Title: Written on the Heart

Series Title: Journey’s Road Map

Text: Romans 2:12–16 (ESV)

Introduction

There’s a joke about a man pulled over for running a stop sign. He protested to the officer, “But I slowed down!” The officer shook his head and said, “Sir, the sign says STOP, not slow down. Would you like me to slowly write you a ticket?”

That’s exactly the kind of excuse-making Paul addresses here. Whether someone has God’s written Law or only the witness of conscience, slowing down isn’t the same as stopping. We can’t excuse ourselves by claiming ignorance or by minimizing sin.

Romans 2:12–16 tells us that God’s standard is impartial. The Law written on stone tablets and the Law written on human hearts both leave us accountable.

Point 1: Those Without the Law Are Still Accountable (v. 12)

Paul says, “All who have sinned without the law will also perish without the law, and all who have sinned under the law will be judged by the law.”

Gentiles, who didn’t have the Mosaic Law, are still judged for their sin because God’s truth is evident in creation and conscience. Sin is not erased by ignorance.

Illustration: A student can’t say, “I didn’t know there was a test, so I shouldn’t fail.” The standard still stands. In the same way, Paul says all people are accountable before God—whether they’ve read the Bible or not.

Application: We can’t shift blame to lack of knowledge. The problem isn’t information; it’s rebellion. Even without the Law of Moses, every heart knows it has fallen short.

Point 2: Hearing the Law Is Not Enough (vv. 13–14)

Paul continues: “It is not the hearers of the law who are righteous before God, but the doers of the law who will be justified.”

This is a direct rebuke to those who thought possessing the Law was enough. Paul says it’s not the listening but the living that matters. And ironically, Gentiles sometimes obey parts of the Law instinctively, proving that God’s standard is written into every heart.

Illustration: Having a gym membership card doesn’t make you fit. You can carry it in your wallet, show it to your friends, even frame it on the wall—but unless you actually go and exercise, it does you no good.

Application: Church attendance, Bible knowledge, or Christian family heritage do not make us righteous. Only a faith that leads to obedience shows evidence of being right with God.

Point 3: God Judges the Secrets of the Heart (vv. 15–16)

Paul drives home the point: “They show that the work of the law is written on their hearts, while their conscience also bears witness… on that day when, according to my gospel, God judges the secrets of men by Christ Jesus.”

Even the hidden things are exposed. Conscience testifies to God’s standard—sometimes accusing, sometimes defending—but ultimately, God sees not just actions, but motives. And Paul says judgment will be “by Christ Jesus.” The One who died to save will also judge in righteousness.

Here’s where a voice from C.S. Lewis is helpful. In Mere Christianity he wrote:

“Human beings, all over the earth, have this curious idea that they ought to behave in a certain way, and cannot really get rid of it.”

Lewis’s point matches Paul’s: there is a moral law written on the heart of every human being. We can suppress it, we can deny it, but we cannot erase it.

Illustration: Security cameras don’t just record what happens—they reveal what really went on when no one thought they were being watched. God’s judgment is like that, but deeper—it peers into the hidden motives of the heart.

Application: Don’t rely on appearances. Cultivate integrity before God. Ask: Does my heart align with the truth I claim to believe? Because God sees not only our actions, but the secrets behind them.

Conclusion

Romans 2:12–16 leaves us without excuse.

Those without the Law are accountable because God’s truth is written in creation and conscience.

Those with the Law are accountable because it’s not hearing but doing that matters.

And all are accountable because God judges the secrets of the heart.

But the same passage that exposes our guilt points us to our hope: judgment will be “by Christ Jesus.” The Judge is also the Savior. The One who knows every secret offers mercy to all who repent and believe.

So the question is—will you keep making excuses, or will you come honestly before Christ, the One who knows your heart and offers to cleanse it?

Amen.