Romans 2:12-16 - “All who sin apart from the law will also perish apart from the law, and all who sin under the law will be judged by the law. 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. (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. They show that the requirements of the law are written on their hearts, their consciences also bearing witness, and their thoughts sometimes accusing them and at other times even defending them.) This will take place on the day when God judges people’s secrets through Jesus Christ, as my gospel declares.
God says that ALL who do not have the written law are going to PERISH. Not get another chance.
It is those who obey the law, who will be declared righteous. Who is that?
Romans 3:23 - “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.”
Nobody. At this point, some will say “that’s not fair”. To which God says “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. They show that the requirements of the law are written on their hearts, their consciences also bearing witness, and their thoughts sometimes accusing them and at other times even defending them”
Those who do not have the law, are still law-breakers. They prove that they know God’s law when the refrain from doing evil. They further prove that they know God’s law when they break it, and their conscience convicts them.
You really need to read your Bible more carefully. The first three chapter of Romans are written to condemn all men - those with the law (Jews) and those without the law (Gentiles). All are guilty. Which builds to a crescendo in Romans 3:10-18
“There is no one righteous, not even one;
there is no one who understands;
there is no one who seeks God.
All have turned away,
they have together become worthless;
there is no one who does good,
not even one.”
“Their throats are open graves;
their tongues practice deceit.”
The poison of vipers is on their lips.”
“Their mouths are full of cursing and bitterness.”
“Their feet are swift to shed blood;
ruin and misery mark their ways,
and the way of peace they do not know.”
“There is no fear of God before their eyes.
Our mouths are now to be collectively shut, in fear and trembling. Then comes the good news of Romans 3:21-24
“But now apart from the law the righteousness of God has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. This righteousness is given through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference between Jew and Gentile, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.”
Praise God for His glorious grace, in sending Jesus Christ to save us!
I am aware that the old law condemned all who did not have the law. This is the reason for the new law, by which Christ himself broke the gates of hell, to free the righteous.
Abraham believed in God, and so it was credited to him as righteousness. Any Gentile who does not know God, who obeys his conscience will be saved by the Grace of our Lord and saviour. As Abraham, as Noah once were saved by the Grace of God.
If they know God, they must accept him to be saved. Our God can save those whom he will save. He is not bound by our actions, as he can read the hearts of the righteous.
The reason we have a conscience is so that those who are without the law still have knowledge of the law. Thus those who are without the law are condemned by their conscience, or saved by their conscience.