“(for not the hearers of the law are just before God, but the doers of the law shall be justified. For when the Gentiles, which have not the law, do by nature the things contained in the law, these, having not the law, are a law unto themselves: which shew the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and theirthoughts the mean while accusing or else excusing one another;)” (Romans 2:13-15)

In the middle of Paul’s explanation of total depravity, he makes a remarkable statement that refutes the idea that men must preach to lost souls in order for them to achieve righteousness and heaven.

Paul reminds us that God said He would write His laws on the hearts of men in the new birth, which is a work done totally by the Holy Spirit without the use of any means or human instrumentation (Jeremiah 31:33).

The evidence that God has done this is that men, who have never heard the word of God declared, do the things found in the word of God!


The natural man, as Paul has before proven, does not do this. Therefore, if you find a person who is doing the righteous things of God, they are obviously born of the Spirit of God.

There is also an internal testimony to those who are born of the Spirit. Their conscience now works properly. It doesn’t just point out if they are right or wrong, it now convicts them when they sin and gives them comfort when they do good.

These righteous acts do not make them just before God. These are evidences that God has already justified them.