“My little brother always says, ‘It’s not my fault!’” says Ava, 8. “Even when the cookie is still in his hand.”
Excuses are as old as humanity. In Romans 2:12, Paul writes, “For as many as have sinned without law will also perish without law, and as many as have sinned in the law will be judged by the law.” In other words, everyone is responsible before God, whether they know God’s law through the Bible or not.
“God knows what’s in our hearts, so He knows when we do wrong,” says Mason, 9.
That’s right. We may try to wiggle out of responsibility by blaming others or saying we didn’t know better. But God is perfectly fair. He doesn’t judge by our excuses. He judges by truth.
People who grew up hearing God’s word will be judged by the standard they knew. People who didn’t will still be judged by what they knew was right in their hearts. Later in Romans 2, Paul says God’s law is “written in our hearts.” That’s why even people who have never read the Bible know deep down that it’s wrong to lie, steal, or hurt others.
Have you ever noticed that kids don’t have to be taught how to say, “That’s not fair”? God made us with a sense of right and wrong. Our conscience is like an alarm system. It may not always be perfect, but it’s enough to show that we’re accountable.
“God is fair because He doesn’t expect us to know what we haven’t been taught,” says Caleb, 7.
God doesn’t grade us on what we don’t know, but He does hold us responsible for what we do know. If you know the rules of the game but break them anyway, you can’t say, “I didn’t know.” On the other hand, if you don’t know the rule, your conscience still tells you when something isn’t right.
This is why everyone needs God’s forgiveness. Whether you’ve memorized Bible verses since you were little or never opened a Bible, everyone falls short of God’s perfect standard. Romans 3:23 says, “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.”
If the story stopped there, it would be bad news. But the good news is that God provided a Savior. Jesus lived the life we couldn’t and died on the cross to take the punishment we deserved. Because He rose from the dead, He can offer eternal life as a free gift.
That means whether you grew up in church or not, the way to God is the same: believe in Jesus as your Savior. There’s no special entrance for people with more knowledge and no shortcut for people with less. Everyone is responsible, but everyone is also invited to receive God’s grace.
So why is everyone responsible before God? Because everyone has sinned, everyone has a conscience, and everyone will stand before a perfectly fair Judge. But the good news is that God doesn’t play favorites. The ground is level at the foot of the cross. Eternal life is a gift for all who believe in Jesus.
Think About This: God holds everyone responsible because He is perfectly fair. But His grace is available to all who trust Jesus.
Memorize This Truth: “For as many as have sinned without law will also perish without law, and as many as have sinned in the law will be judged by the law” (Romans 2:12).
Ask This Question: Are you trusting Jesus as your Savior, knowing that one day you will give account to God?
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COPYRIGHT 2026 CAREY KINSOLVING
A New Hampshire Press Association member