What Does the Bible Say About God’s Judgment?

Psalms 98:9 (NIV): For  he  comes to judge the earth. He will judge the world in righteousness and the peoples with equity.

The Judge: Who Is the Judge?

Our anchor Scripture, Psalm 98:9, says, “For He comes to judge the earth.” This tells us that God is coming to judge the earth.

However, in John 5:22, Jesus explains that the Father has entrusted all judgment to the Son, Jesus Christ. This truth is further affirmed in Acts 10:42, Acts 17:31, and 2 Timothy 4:1, all of which point to Jesus—the only begotten Son of God—as the One appointed to judge the earth.

In other words, while God is the Judge, He has entrusted the work of judgment to His Son, Jesus Christ, who will come to judge the living and the dead.

The Standard: What Is Righteousness According to the Bible?

So, we have seen that Jesus is the Judge. The next question is: by what standard will we be judged?

To understand this, it may help to draw a parallel with our law courts today. In a court of law, people are judged according to the laws of the land. In the same way, God gave His laws and commandments as the standard of righteousness. These laws are summarized in the Ten Commandments found in Exodus 20:2–17.

However, the purpose of the law was not to make us righteous but to teach us the difference between right and wrong until the coming of Jesus Christ. The law defined what sin was. If the law declared something to be wrong, then doing it—whether knowingly or unknowingly—made a person guilty of wrongdoing, or sin. Without the law, we would not know what sin is because the law reveals it.

The problem, however, was that although people could recognize that the law was good and right, they often found themselves unable to keep it. They agreed with the law’s righteous standards, yet still found themselves doing the very things they knew were wrong. This showed that while the law could identify sin, it had no power to make a person righteous.

In fact, a person could keep 99% of the law and fail in just 1%, yet still stand guilty before it. This demonstrates that the law was not given to make us righteous but to reveal how far we fall short of God’s perfect standard.

Scripture teaches that the law served this purpose until the coming of Jesus Christ. After Christ came, righteousness was no longer obtained by keeping the law but through faith in Him. Jesus fulfilled the righteous requirements of the law on our behalf. Since the penalty for sin is death, Jesus willingly died for all humanity, satisfying the law’s demands. Through faith in Him, we are counted as righteous because He fulfilled what we could never fulfill on our own.

That is why the Apostle Paul says in Galatians 3:24, “Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith.” The law was our teacher, pointing us to Christ. It instructed us about righteousness, even though it could not produce righteousness within us.

Paul reinforces this truth in Galatians 2:21 when he says, “I do not set aside the grace of God, for if righteousness could be gained through the law, Christ died for nothing!” If keeping the law could make us righteous, there would have been no need for Christ’s sacrifice.

Therefore, Jesus did not come to abolish the law but to fulfill it on our behalf. He is the fulfillment of the law for righteousness to all who believe in Him.

So, returning to our original question: what standard will Jesus use when He judges the earth? What is the basis of biblical judgment? Simply put, it is righteousness through faith in Him. The determining question will not be whether we perfectly kept every requirement of the law, but whether we placed our faith in Jesus Christ, who fulfilled the law’s righteous requirements for us.

The Judgment: How Will God Judge the World? 

God’s final judgment, therefore, has been greatly simplified. It will ultimately be based on our response to the finished work of Jesus Christ. Did we believe in Him or not?

Jesus Himself explained the reasoning behind this verdict in John 3:19:

“This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but people loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil.”

Jesus was saying that He is the Light of the world. By nature, when people do good things, they are generally willing for those deeds to be seen. They come into the open, into the daylight, because they have nothing to hide. On the other hand, when people do evil, they often prefer secrecy and concealment.

In essence, Jesus is teaching that if a person genuinely desires to do what is right, coming to Him should not be difficult. But if a person is determined to continue in evil, their natural tendency will be to avoid Him and resist coming into His light.

Now, are there people who know they are doing wrong and yet still come to Him? Of course there are. Even among the disciples whom Jesus personally chose was Judas Iscariot, the one who ultimately betrayed Him.

When a person comes to Jesus, two things can happen.

The first is that they receive His correction, repent, and change. A good example is Zacchaeus the tax collector. After welcoming Jesus into his home, many people complained that Jesus was associating with a sinner. Yet Zacchaeus was transformed by that encounter. He declared that he would give half of his possessions to the poor and repay four times anyone he had cheated. Coming into the light exposed his wrongdoing, but it also led to repentance and restoration.

The second possibility is that a person comes into the light, is confronted about their wrongdoing, and yet chooses to continue in it. Judas Iscariot is an example of this. Jesus openly warned that one of His disciples would betray Him. Judas heard those warnings, yet he still chose to carry out his betrayal.

For such a person, there is little more that can be done because they have knowingly rejected the truth they received. This is the warning the writer of Hebrews gives in Hebrews 6:4–6:

“For it is impossible to bring back to repentance those who were once enlightened—those who have experienced the good things of heaven and shared in the Holy Spirit, who have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the power of the age to come—and who then turn away from God. It is impossible to bring such people back to repentance; by rejecting the Son of God, they themselves are nailing him to the cross once again and holding him up to public shame.”

The point is not that Jesus is unwilling to forgive, but that a person who fully understands the truth, experiences it, and then deliberately rejects it has hardened their heart against the very means by which forgiveness and restoration are offered. The issue is not a lack of grace on God’s part, but a refusal to receive that grace.

The Process: What Does the Bible Mean by Judgment with Equity? 

The concept of equity here simply means that judgment will be carried out impartially, fairly, and without favoritism. Jesus’ judgment will be perfectly just. Justice will be administered fairly and without respect of persons.

Jesus Himself said in John 5:30:

“By myself I can do nothing; I judge only as I hear, and my judgment is just, for I seek not to please myself but Him who sent me.”

But how is equity applied when the judgment ultimately comes down to whether a person believed in Jesus or not?

As Christians, we are encouraged not to judge others—especially unbelievers—but to leave judgment to God, who alone knows all things and sees the heart of every person. We are not infallible, but God is. The Apostle Paul speaks about God’s judgment in Romans 1:18–32, a passage I encourage you to read for yourself.

To me, fairness in this context means that everyone is given a genuine opportunity to know God through His Son, Jesus Christ, and then make a personal choice to either receive Him or reject Him. That is what equity looks like.

In Romans 1:19, Paul writes:

“Since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them.”

Paul’s point is that God has made Himself known in ways that are accessible to all people. No one will be able to say that God never revealed Himself at all. Jesus did not live or die in secret. His life, ministry, death, and resurrection were witnessed openly, and His story has been told repeatedly throughout history. The testimony of who He was and who He is continues to be proclaimed across generations and nations.

In fact, His impact on human history has been so significant that for centuries much of the world measured time in relation to His coming. That alone speaks to the mark He left on the world.

Now, I do not say this as a bearer of bad news, but Scripture teaches that there will indeed be an end to this age. Sometimes it may seem far away—after all, it has been over 2,000 years since Jesus walked the earth—but the end will surely come.

And perhaps one of the reasons it has not yet happened is because of God’s desire for equity.

The Apostle Peter addresses this in 2 Peter 3:9:

“The Lord is not slow in keeping His promise, as some understand slowness. Instead, He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish,  but everyone to come to repentance.”

God is simply making sure that everyone has an opportunity to be saved and come to repentance. No one knows the time of the end—not even Jesus Himself. Only the Father knows.

Because God does not want anyone to perish, He continues to extend His patience and mercy. He delays the end to give more people the opportunity to turn to Him. But His patience should not be mistaken for the idea that the end will never come. It will come in God’s appointed time.

We see God’s heart clearly expressed in 1 Timothy 2:4, which tells us that God “wants all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.” This is God’s desire for every person.

Conclusion

In the end, the Bible teaches that righteousness comes through faith in Jesus Christ, not through our own efforts. God’s judgment will be perfectly just, impartial, and fair. Understanding righteousness, judgment, and salvation helps us better understand the heart of the Christian faith and God’s invitation to eternal life through Jesus.

As you have read this, I dare say that this may be an opportunity for you to be saved, if you have not already done so, and to come to the knowledge of the truth. I strongly encourage you to consider Jesus Christ and the salvation He freely offers. If you have not consciously done that before please say this prayer. “Dear Lord Jesus, I admit that I am have sinned and fallen short of your glory. Today, I ask for Your forgiveness. I believe You died for my sins and rose from the dead. I turn from my sins and invite You to come into my heart and life. I ask that You help me to trust and follow You as my Lord and Savior. In Your Name, Amen.”

As for me, I will continue to keep you and all who read this blog in my prayers. My prayer is that God who led you here will perfect all that concerns you, reveal Himself to you more deeply, and guide you into His truth and purpose for your life.

In Jesus’ name, Amen.

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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

What is righteousness in Christianity?

Righteousness is being made right with God through faith in Jesus Christ rather than through our own works.

What is the standard of God’s judgment?

The standard of God’s judgment is righteousness by faith in Jesus Christ.

Who will judge the world?

According to Scripture, God has entrusted all judgment to Jesus Christ (John 5:22).

Is Jesus coming back?

Yes, Jesus will indeed return the judge both the dead and living at the end of the world.

How will God be fair in judgment?

By giving everyone opportunities  to receive Jesus into their lives and be saved.

What does it mean to be saved?

It is to believe in Jesus Christ and to accept Him as our Lord and Saviour.