When Gentiles, who do
not have the law, by nature do the things in the law, these, although not
having the law, are a law to themselves, who show the work of the law written in
their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and between themselves their
thoughts accusing or else excusing them. Romans 2:14-15
Introduction
At the time of Moses God gave the Hebrews a set of
instructions called God’s Law. Ordinarily, God’s Law refers to the Ten
Commandments or Decalogue. This is the Moral Law. However, from the time of
Moses to the time of Christ the body of God’s Law also included civil or
judicial and ceremonial applications.
Ceremonial Law
Ceremonial Law included
the sacrificial system which revolved around the Tabernacle and then the Temple. This was fulfilled
when that which it typified appeared. Jesus Christ is THE Lamb of God who takes
away the sin of the world. The Ceremonial
Law, therefore, was the Gospel or the Good News in picture form, and as
such, was displayed to the Hebrews throughout Old Testament times. It is no
longer needed now that that which it depicted has come. The Ceremonial Law’s connection
to the Moral Law was that it illustrated what needed to be done to atone for
sin, i.e., for the individual’s (and the nation’s) breaking of the Moral Law in
thought, word and deed.
Judicial or Civil Law
Judicial or Civil Law was simply the application of
the Moral Law on a national level, covering such things as how, when and where
God was to be worshiped and how the Hebrews were to interact with each other.
The Judicial or Civil Law was no longer needed when the nation of Israel was dissolved after Christ’s death and
resurrection, but more particularly when the Temple, as predicted by Jesus, was destroyed.
The Hebrews were commanded to take the Gospel into all the world.
Soon Gentiles began to be engrafted into the same vine as
believing Hebrews as the Gospel began to spread throughout the world beginning from
Jerusalem. Thus
Israel
was no longer a nation with national borders but became that ever-expanding spiritual
entity called the Church. The Church is the outward and albeit imperfect
expression on earth of the Kingdom
of Heaven. However, whether
Jew or Gentile, both are one under the headship of Christ Jesus. That which
remains of ancient Israel’s Judicial
or Civil Law is its general equity or
principles.
The Moral Law
The Moral Law is
that which is summarised in the Ten Commandments and is summarised again in the
command to love God and your neighbour as yourself. The Moral Law is an outward
expression of the character of the triune God. The Father loves the Son and the
Spirit. The Son loves the Father and the Spirit. The Spirit loves the Father
and the Son. Each Person in the Godhead loves God. Thus God from all eternity
loves God and His neighbour as Himself.
The Image of God
Only Man is made in the image and likeness of God. Thus Man
has been designed and engineered by God to love God and his neighbour as
himself. It is when the individual fails to do this that the individual
experiences pangs of conscience. The Apostle Paul under inspiration of the Holy
Spirit says, “When Gentiles, who do not have
the law, by nature do the things in the law, these, although not having the
law, are a law to themselves” Romans 2:14. In other words, God’s Law previously
had been given only to the Hebrews. However, even though the Gentiles do not
have God’s Law they are still able by nature, i.e., naturally, to do things
taught in God’s Law – things like looking after the elderly, the sick and the
infirm. They may honour parents and condemn adultery, stealing and lying. Thus,
they that do not have the (written) Law, as Paul goes on to say, “show the work of the law written in their hearts.”
Therefore, God’s Moral Law, (which reveals God’s character), is written on the
heart of every human being.
The Conscience
The Apostle goes on to say how the Moral Law operates in the
heart of the individual, i.e., “their conscience also bearing witness, and
between themselves their thoughts accusing or else excusing them.”
Our conscience judges our thoughts, words, and actions. If we do not meet the
moral standard, our conscience accuses us. Thus our conscience is like a little
policeman we carry around in our head, who either accuses or excuses us when we
involve ourselves in moral decisions and actions.
Summary
In summary, the Moral Law given by God through Moses to the
ancient Hebrews on tablets of stone is the same Moral Law that is written on
the heart of every human being. Our conscience accuses us, not because there is
something wrong with God’s Law, rather because there is something wrong with
each one of us. The Apostle says that, “we suppress the truth in
unrighteousness.” Romans 1:18b. This is to say that because we are fallen we
try to keep an internal lid on what may be known of God, (i.e., His character
as expressed in His Moral Law as it written in our hearts and witnessed to by
the external Ten Commandments).
The Two Ways God Reveals Himself
There are two ways in which God reveals Himself to fallen
humanity. The first is twofold: The things He has made and our conscience. And
the second is the Scriptures. However, since we are fallen creatures the former
cannot properly be understood without the latter. Thus, the Ten Commandments,
which are written on stone, confirm that which is written on the heart. In
other words, the subjective can be confirmed only by the objective. However, in
order to effectively silence an accusing conscience one first has to be
reconciled to the Author of the Moral Law!
Military Context
For decades and perhaps centuries those involved in military
conflict have encountered people displaying what used to be known as “Shell
Shock”, then “Battle Fatigue” and now “Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder” (PTSD). PTSD
has been defined as, “A fear – victim reaction to a perceived life threat. It
has clinical symptoms of flashbacks, nightmares, hyper-vigilance,
dissociation.” Then, in America
in December 2009, a slightly different (but perhaps related) disorder began to
be discussed. It was referred to by psychologist as “Moral Injury.” It has been
stated that, “Moral Injury is an inner conflict based on moral self assessment
of having inflicted or failed to prevent significant harm. Its symptoms are
excessive guilt, loss of meaning, anger and shame.”
“As ‘moral injury’ is more an
existential and spiritual crisis than a psychological dysfunction,
psychologists have pointed out the limited therapeutic impact that standard
cognitive interventions can offer. The suggestion that effective assistance
for moral injury involves some sort of confession and forgiveness within a
moral framework has moved the discussion into territory usually covered by
chaplains. The implicit faith-based and moral set of assumptions which
under-gird pastoral transactions in chaplaincy are precisely what appears to be
needed in repairing moral injury.”
Conclusion
Like all moral
dilemmas “Moral Injury” is a problem of the conscience. Oswald Chambers got it right when he said, “Conscience is
the internal perception of God’s Moral Law.” Therefore anyone with a conscience
is aware of God’s Law. The Apostle Paul says, “The Law was our tutor to bring
us to Christ, that we might be justified by faith” Galatians 3:24. Thus, the
accusing conscience, by revealing God’s Moral Law on our heart, demonstrates to
the individual their need for Christ, the Saviour of sinners. Therefore, the
inner conflict of conscience can be remedied by Jesus Christ revealed only in
the Gospel.
