Scripture Reading: Romans 2:1-16

When Steve Jobs finished designing the first Macintosh computer, he did something special: he asked everyone who helped him design that first revolutionary machine to sign a large piece of paper.  He then took that paper and turned it into an engraving template.  When those first Macs finally rolled off the assembly line, the names of their creators were engraved inside every case.

You couldn’t see the signatures from the outside―and most people never even knew they existed on the inside because few people had any reason to open up a computer in those days.  But if you did open one up and looked deep inside, you’d see them―the signatures of their creators, including “steven jobs.”

But Steve Jobs wasn’t the first one to sign his creation on the inside.  God did it, too, when He created you.  He’s written His name deep inside you.  And if you take a closer look, you’ll find that it’s not just His name that’s written there, but also His laws―His words of instruction to help you live the fullest life possible.

As God said in the book of Hebrews:

“I will put My laws in their minds
and write them on their hearts. 

I will be their God,
and they will be My people”
(Hebrews 8:10b)

The Apostle Paul echoes these thoughts in his letter to the Romans, saying that your conscience “bears witness” to the fact that God has written the requirements of His laws upon your heart.

“Indeed, when Gentiles, who do not have the law, do by nature things required by the law, they are a law for themselves, even though they do not have the law, since they show that the requirements of the law are written on their hearts, their consciences also bearing witness, and their thoughts now accusing, now even defending them” (Romans 2:14-15).

Your conscience has been implanted in your mind by God.  It helps you to consider your options and the outcomes of your actions.  It helps you to regulate your passions and desires, comparing them to God’s passions and desires for you.  When your passions and desires are different than God’s, your conscience kicks in to let you know that something is amiss and needs to be addressed.

But your conscience is a warning indicator only.  You can override it.  You can ignore it.  You still have free will.  But God has put your conscience within you to help you make decisions, if you’re willing to listen to it.  Your conscience is a warning indicator to let you know you’d better check something out before proceeding.

How do you check it out?  By comparing what you’re wanting to do with God’s Word.

Even though God has written His Word on your heart, sometimes you can’t read the writing so clearly.  Your vision gets blurred by your own thoughts and desires.

That’s why God has also given you His Word in black and white―on the pages of the Bible―so you can read it clearly.  That’s why He’s given you His Word in the flesh―in the form of His Son Jesus―so you can know exactly what He says about it.  That’s why He’s given you His Holy Spirit―which Jesus said He would send to His followers after He was gone―to remind you of all the things He has already spoken to you.

I can think of times in my own life―and maybe you can think of times in yours―when I’ve done some things that felt so “right” on one level, but on another level felt so “wrong.”   At those times when I’ve ignored the warning lights and overridden them, I’ve ended up in places that God never wanted me to go.

But at those times when I have taken notice of God’s warning lights and decided to check out what I was doing and compare it to what God wanted me to do according to His Word, I’ve found that it’s way better to do what’s right―even if it means laying down some things that I personally desire.  Whenever I’ve done what I’ve felt God wanted instead, I’ve found that His plans for me are so much better than the plans I had in mind, giving me peace of mind and life abundant.  As someone has wisely said:

A clear conscience makes a soft pillow.

If you’d like to sleep on a soft pillow tonight, I’d encourage you to listen to your conscience.  If there’s something on your heart or mind that has turned on the warning lights, check it out.

Take a look in God’s Word, as written on the pages of the Bible in black and white, and compare what you’re doing with what God wants you to do.  If they don’t match up, a change is in order.  Just thank God for His warning lights and do what’s right, whatever it takes.  As Paul said:

“For it is not those who hear the law who are righteous in God’s sight, but it is those who obey the law who will be declared righteous” (Romans 2:13).

As I was thinking about the idea of Steve Jobs engraving his name inside his computers―and God engraving His Word upon our hearts―I was inspired to write a haiku.  A haiku is a short Japanese poem that doesn’t usually rhyme but is often made up of just 17 syllables―five in the first line, seven in the second, and five in the third.

So here’s my haiku, from God to you:

My name is written

upon your heart awaiting

… rediscovery

God loves you so much that He’s taken the time to write His name on your heart.  He’s written His instructions for you there, too, to help you live the fullest life possible.

If you’d like to renew your mind today, listen to your conscience.  Check out what your conscience is saying and compare it to God’s Word.  Listen to His Son.  Obey His Holy Spirit.  If you do these things, you’ll live!  If you don’t, you risk losing everything, even those things you love the most.

Listen to your conscience―and live!

Will you pray with me?

Father, thank You for writing Your Words on our hearts, and thank You for giving us a conscience to help us know when what we’re doing is different from what You want us to do.  Help us to listen to You, to follow Your Words, and to live the life that You’ve created us to live.  Fill us with Your Holy Spirit to help us to stop doing anything that doesn’t bring glory and honor to You, and to start doing those things that do.  In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Questions for Reflection

1. Read Romans 2:1-16.  Can you remember a time when your conscience warned you that something you were doing was amiss?  What were the results when you either did or didn’t do what your conscience warned you about?

2. Read Hebrews 8:7-13.  While some people might think that their consciences are formed based solely on the conditions in which they were raised, what does this passage in Hebrews, and the above passage in Romans, suggest is the true basis for your conscience?

3. What reason does Paul give for God being so kind, tolerant and patient towards us in Romans 2:4?

4. After reflecting on today’s message, are there any changes you’d like to make in your own life, or any warning indicators that you need to check out according to God’s Word?