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.
He has set a day when he will judge the entire world fairly, and he has appointed a man to be its judge. God has proved this to everyone by raising that man from the dead.”
Since all of this is true, then the Lord knows how to save godly people and keep them safe in times of testing. But he also knows how to keep ungodly people under guard until the day they will be judged and punished.
In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who will judge the living and the dead, and because he and his kingdom are coming, I’m giving you these instructions:
God is able to strengthen you through the good news, which is the message I preach about Jesus Christ. There was a mystery that had been kept hidden for a very long time.
Now there’s a crown waiting for me, the crown that’s given to those who are right with God. The Lord, who judges fairly, will give it to me on the day he returns, and not only to me, but also to all those who are longing for him to return.
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.
Because you’re being so stubborn, and you’re not sorry in your heart for your sins, you’re making God more and more angry with you. The day of God’s anger is coming. Then he will pass judgment openly and fairly.