I saw the dead, both great and small, standing in front of the throne. Books were opened, and then another book was opened, which was the book of life. The dead were judged by what they’d done, which had been recorded in the books.
Each of you has received a gift that you can use to serve others. You should use it as something that God has trusted you with. These gifts come in many forms.
We must all stand before Christ to be judged, and then each of us will receive what we deserve for the things we did while we were in our bodies, whether they were good or bad.
So don’t judge anything before the appointed time. Wait until the Lord returns, and he will bring what’s now hidden in the dark out into the light. He’ll show the real reasons why people do what they do. At that time God will give each person the praise they deserve.
The Lord answered, “Suppose a master gives one of his servants the job of giving the other servants their food at the right time, as a faithful and wise manager.
“When evening came, the manager of the vineyard told his foreman, ‘Call the workers in and give them their pay. Begin with the ones I hired last and end with the ones I hired first.’