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1 Corinthians 4:5 |
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Therefore judge nothing before the time, until the Lord come, who both will bring to light the hidden things of darkness, and will make manifest the counsels of the hearts: and then shall every man have praise of God.
Note 3 at 1Co 4:5: This, of course, is not saying that God will give praise to even the ungodly. This is referring to those who have their works abide the fire of God's judgment (see notes 3-4 at 1Co 3:13). Those individuals will receive praise from God.
What an awesome thought! It's conceivable to think that others would praise us for good deeds that we've done, but to think that the Lord Himself would praise us is amazing. This is especially true when Paul went on to say in 1Co 4:7 that any good thing that we have did not originate from us. It was a gift from God.
This praise from God is more indicative of God's love and grace than it is of our faithfulness. It will certainly be an honor to hear the God of the universe praise us openly in front of every person who has ever lived, but there will not be inflated egos as a result. It will be very clear that all the glory goes directly to God.
