Romans Chapter 2 Vs. 15

God's Judgment and the Law

Which shew the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and their thoughts the mean while accusing or else excusing one another;) Rom 2:15

shew the work... Keeping Law by Nature

Their keeping the law by nature proves they have the law written in their hearts. The conscience bears witness of obedience or condemns for disobedience, proving God has not left people without light sufficient to justify or condemn in the judgment (Rom. 2:15-16). It does not say here that keeping the law, or doing by nature what the law requires, saves the soul in either case. People have to be born again in addition to this to be saved.

their conscience also... Literal meaning “with knowledge.” That instinctive sense of right and wrong, that produces guilt when violated. In addition to an innate awareness of God’s law, men have a warning system that activates when they choose to ignore or disobey that law.

Paul urges believers not to violate their own consciences or cause other to because repeatedly ignoring the conscience’s warnings desensitizes it and eventually silences it.

Moral Gentiles by their actions show that the requirements (lit., “the work”) of the Law are written on their hearts. This is confirmed by their consciences, the faculty within human beings that evaluates their actions, along with their thoughts that either accuse or excuse them of sin. This is why Paul called such Gentiles a law for themselves (Rom. 2:14). Without knowing the written law of God, people in pagan society generally value and attempt to practice its most basic tenets. This is normal for cultures instinctively to value justice, honesty, compassion and goodness toward others, reflecting the divine law written in the heart.