“He has appointed a day on which He will judge the world in righteousness by the Man whom He has ordained” Acts 17:30-31
Observe four things.
First, God’s Judgment is certain. He has appointed a day on which He will judge, and God always performs what He decrees (Isaiah 46:9-11). The certainty of judgment day is asserted by many Scriptures (e.g. Eccl. 12:14; Jude 14-15; Acts 17:31; Matt. 12:36, 13:40-42, 16:27; 2 Cor. 5:10; 2 Tim. 4:1). It is also required by God’s providence and justice. His holy and wise preserving and governing of His creation, along with His own righteous character demand that God will finally set things right by punishing evil and rewarding good (2 Thessalonians 1:6-7). The certainty of God’s judgment receives testimony from own consciences which accuse and excuse us (Romans 2:15,16), even causing fear of death and the judgment that follows it (Hebrews 10:27). You cannot know which day God has appointed for judgment (Matthew 24:26), but you can be certain that He has appointed a day for judgment.
Second, God’s judgment will be universal. He will judge the whole world. This includes: “the living and the dead” (2 Timothy 4:1), “the small and the great” (Revelation 20:12), “all men” (Jude 1:15), “every man” (Matthew 16:27), and “everyone” (2 Corinthians 5:10). Not only “all those who dwell on the face of the whole earth” (Luke 21:35), but also “the angels...are reserved for judgment...on that day” (Jude 1:6). If God does not spare angels, much less will He spare men (2 Peter 2:4). No one, young or old, rich or poor, wise or foolish, will escape judgment day.
Third, God’s judgement will be righteous. “With righteousness He shall judge the world” (Psalm 98:9). Even the best men judge imperfectly. Man’s judgment is often false and wicked, because men are often “liars” and “evil” (Titus 1:12). God’s judgment will be “true and righteous” (Revelation 19:2), because God abounds in “goodness and truth” (Exodus 34:7). Men fail in their judgments because they are foolish, weak, and partial. God cannot fail in His judgment because He is all wise (Romans 16:7), almighty (Revelation 4:8), and always impartial (Romans 2:11). You can count on God’s righteous judgment.
Fourth, God will judge the world by Jesus Christ. Jesus was ordained to judge the living and the dead (Acts 10:42). This is fitting because He is God and Man, and He died and lives forever. He holds the keys of hell and death (Revelation 1:18), because He died and was raised again to deliver men from hell. On judgment day the world will see Jesus, not as an infant in a manger, nor even as a man on a cross; but as a Judge seated on a throne (Matthew 25:31, Revelation 20:11-12). Whatever has been sown before that day will be reaped on that day (Galatians 6:7-8). There will be no time for repentance on that day (Revelation 22:11). It will not be the day of salvation, but the day of judgment (2 Corinthians 6:2). If you will be saved on that day, you must be saved before that day. The question for you today is: when you see Him on that day, will He know you (Matthew 7:23; John 10:14,27; 1 Corinthians 8:3)?