In the classical tradition of Thomas Aquinas, Natural Law and God’s Law (often called Divine Law) are not opposing forces but two distinct ways we access God’s ultimate wisdom. While they share the same source, they differ in their delivery and their specific purpose for humanity.
Natural Law is the moral order “written on the heart.” It is discovered through human reason and the observation of the natural world. Because it is inherent to human nature, it is universal; you don’t need to belong to a specific religion to recognize that murder, theft, and dishonesty are fundamentally wrong. It provides the “common ground” for civil society, allowing people of diverse backgrounds to agree on basic justice and human rights. Its primary goal is the temporal flourishing and peace of human society.
God’s Law, by contrast, is known through special revelation, such as the Holy Scriptures or the Ten Commandments. It includes truths that human reason alone cannot reach, such as the specific requirements for worship or the spiritual path to salvation. While Natural Law governs our outward earthly conduct, God’s Revealed Law aims at our “supernatural end”—our eternal relationship with the Divine. It addresses the heart and the soul in ways that logic alone cannot satisfy.
Ultimately, these two laws work in harmony. Theologians argue that God provided Revealed Law because human reason is often clouded by bias or error. In this sense, the Bible acts as a “clearer map,” confirming what our conscience suggests but often fails to follow perfectly. Together, they form a complete picture of morality: one that guides our life here on earth and one that points toward eternity.
