Romans 2:14

Here is the text.

How did the requirements of the law get written on their hearts? Is this something that is true of all men, by default, Jews and Gentiles alike? No, it is not, as is demonstrated by scripture.

The above is from Jeremiah and is speaking of the Jews, but it demonstrates that they did not have the law written on their hearts. God promised He would write it on their hearts after He punished them.

You can try to isolate that passage if you wish, but it only takes one exception to prove that man does not have the law written on his heart by default.

 

Either you are correct in your reasoning, or Paul is...

Rom 1:16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.
Rom 1:17 For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith, as it is written, "The righteous shall live by faith."
Rom 1:18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth.
Rom 1:19 For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them.
Rom 1:20 For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse.
Rom 1:21 For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened.
Rom 1:22 Claiming to be wise, they became fools,

 

There was a time when you could go into just about any small town in the USA and find most folks living there, Christian and non, behaving "in a Christian manner." You couldn't tell Christian from non just by talking to them, observing them, for the most part. Everyone was just being nice. They may not have been knowingly following Christian convictions, but they followed a certain convention. There are some mighty nice Mormons all over Utah. That's how depraved folks follow the law.

It is getting harder and harder to find a town like that today. I remember one, where I walked to and from school, a city mile, never once being afraid. I go back there from time-to-time, but the old school house is gone, replaced by the Police Department building. Back then, there was one Town Marshall, with little to do.

:tear: