Vignettes From The Pearly Gates (Additional posts)

                                          VIGNETTES FROM THE PEARLY GATES

If you have already accepted Jesus Christ as your Lord and savior, and if you remain faithful to God's will in your life, nothing can snatch you away from the Lord. Hear His promise. "My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish, and no one shall them out of My hand." (John 10: 27-28)

                                           VIGNETTES FROM THE PEARLY GATES

If you have not yet accepted Jesus Christ as your Lord and savior, please do so now before it is already too late. "Seek the Lord while you can find Him. Call on Him now while He is near. Let the wicked change their ways and banish the very thoughts of doing wrong. Let them turn to the Lord that He may have mercy on them. Yes, turn to our God, for He will forgive generously." (Isaiah 55: 6-7)

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"If any of you needs wisdom to know what you should do, you should ask God, and He will give it to you. God is generous to everyone and He does not find fault with them. When you ask for something, do not have any doubts. A person who has doubts is like a wave that is blown by the wind, and tossed by the sea. A person who has doubts is thinking about two different things at the same time and can't make up his mind about anything." (James 1: 5-8)

   
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Anxious`about something dreadful that might happen to you? Losing sleep on a frightful possibility that might happen to you? Here's the solution to your problem. "Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus." (Philippians 4: 6-7)

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PSALM 23 (Chapters 1 - 6)
"The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want. He makes me lie down in still waters. He restores my soul. He leads me towards paths of righteousness for His name's sake. Even though I walk in the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil. Your rod and your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil, my cup overflows. Surely, goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life. And I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever."

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Love conquers all. Hear what Paul says about love. "If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, if I have faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing." (1Corinthians 13: 1-3)


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Be vigilant and careful in what you believe in so that you may not be deceived. "Be careful not to allow anyone to captive you through an empty deceitful philosophy that is according to human traditions and the elemental spirits to the world and not according to Christ. For in Him all the fullness of deity lives in bodily form and you have been filled in Him, who is the head over every ruler and authority." (Colossians 2: 8-10)


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As much as possible, be at peace with everyone you know, forgiving their offenses as much as God has forgiven yours. "Always be humble and gentle. Be patient with each other, making allowance for each other's faults because of your love. Make every effort to keep yourselves united in the Spirit, binding yourselves together with peace." (Ephesians 4: 2-3)


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 2nd Commandment
“You shall not make for yourself an image in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below. ⁵ You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the parents to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me, ⁶ but showing love to a thousand generations of those who love me and keep my commandments."


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We must love one another because that is the command of God to us. "A new command I give you: Love one another as I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are My disciples, if you love one another." (John 13: 34-35)


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As long as we are walking in the will of God and having accepted Jesus Christ as our Lord and savior, nothing can ever separate us from the love of God. "For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord." (Romans 8: 38-39)

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Walk in total obedience to the will of God in your life. "So that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith, and that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled up to the fullness of God." (Ephesians 31: 17-19)

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Faced with an extreme trial that tends to destroy your faith in the goodness of God? "Consider it pure joy my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything." (James 1: 2-4)

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Faced with an over powering temptation that you feel you could no longer resist? "Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and hope to the end or the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ. As obedient children, not fashioning yourselves according to the former lusts in your ignorance." (1Peter 1: 13-14)   

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Be sure to make Bible reading a priority activity of your day. Why? Because...."All scripture is God breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work." (2Timothy 3: 16-17)

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Who are those who will surely enter the gates of heaven? Here's the answer. "Who may ascend into the hill of the Lord? Or who may stand in His holy place? He who has clean hands and a pure heart. Who has not lifted up his soul to an idol. Nor sworn deceitfully. He shall receive blessing from the Lord. And righteousness from the God of his salvation." (Psalms 24: 3-5)

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These are the rewards for those who will walk in the will of the Lord. "Blessed is the one who does not walk in the step with the wicked or stand in the way that sinners take or sit in the company of mockers; but whose delight is in the law of the Lord, and who meditates on His law day and night. That person is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither- whatever they do progress." (Psalm 1: 1-3)  

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It is not a matter of us choosing God but of God choosing us. "You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit, fruit that will last. And so whatever you ask in My name, the father will give you." (John 15:16)

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These are the greatest commandments of God. "Jesus said unto him, 'Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like unto it. Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.'" (Matthew 22: 37-40)

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 Not because everybody is doing it means God approves of it. Be careful in choosing the path you will take in life. "Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is- His good, pleasing and perfect will." (Romans 12:2)

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Unable to bear the terrible strain of the trial you are bearing? Praying to God to take away the trial which has caused you untold  miseries? Hear God's answer. "My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weaknesses." (2Corinthians 12: 9) 

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                      VIGNETTES FROM THE PEARLY GATES

If you trust the Lord with your very life, these are what He will do for you. "If you say, 'The Lord is my refuge,' and you make the Most High your dwelling, no harm will overtake you, no disaster will come near your tent. For He will command His angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways; they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone." (Psalm 91: 9-12) 

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These are the promises of the Lord to those who really love Him. "Because he loves Me, says the Lord, 'I will rescue him, I will protect him, for he acknowledges My name. He will call on Me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble. I will deliver and honor him with long life. I will satisfy him and show him my salvation." (Psalm 91: 14-16)

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God has a perfect plan for the life of everyone. Everything that happened to us is good because God allowed that to happen in accordance with His plan for our lives. The stern lessons we may have encountered in life were the results of our going the opposite way from where God wants us to go. "And we know that in all things, God works together for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose." (Romans 8: 28)  

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Cling to the Lord for your safety because He promised that..."When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze. For I am the Lord your God, your savior."
(Isaiah 43: 2-3a) 

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These are the two greatest commandments of God as announced by Jesus Christ. We must follow not only the first but also the second in order to please God and do His will in our lives. "Jesus replied: 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: "Love your neighbor as yourself. All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments." (Matthew 22: 37-40)

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Be compassionate and patient with one another, forgiving the mistakes of others as God has forgiven you. "Put on then, as God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts , knowledge, humility, meekness, and patience, bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive." (Colossians 3: 12-13)

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Do not be dismayed nor be afraid of your enemies for the Lord has made a promise to you. "The Lord is my light and my salvation- whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life- of whom shall I be afraid? When evil men advance against me to devour my flesh, when my enemies and my foes attack me, they will stumble and fall. Though an army besiege me, my heart will not fear; though war breaks out against me, even then will I be confident. One thing I ask of the Lord, this is what I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord and to seek Him in His temple."
(Psalm 27: 1-4) 

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Not sure whether you will have eternal life after you die? Do you want to make sure that you will attain eternal life after your death? Then do this. "He who believes in the Son has eternal life; but he who does not believe the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of  God abides in him." (John 3: 36) 

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                      VIGNETTES FROM THE PEARLY GATES

You are now a new creation in Christ, so leave behind all sinful habits that will separate you from God. "Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator." (Colossians 3: 9-10)  

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 Put your trust in the Lord and walk in His will and this is what He will do to you. "But blessed is the one who trust in the Lord, whose confidence is in Him. They will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes, its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit." (Jeremiah 17: 7-8)

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God's mercies and love for you will never end. Never hesitate to come to the Lord and confess your sins to Him. He will pardon you if your confession is sincere. "The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; His mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness."
(Lamentations 3: 22-23)

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                      VIGNETTES FROM THE PEARLY GATES
We must pray and strive for the fullness of the Holy Spirit. "That He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man, that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith, that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height- to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God." (Ephesians 3: 16-19)

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To all who have already accepted Jesus Christ as their Lord and savior and have already surrendered their lives to Him, these are what you must do. "Therefore as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues, put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity." (Colossians 3: 12-14)

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Do all your works with diligence and with a singleness of purpose as though you are doing it for the Lord. "Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving."  
(Colossians 3: 23-24) 

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"Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of your body you were called to peace. And be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God. And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him." (Colossians 3: 15-17)  

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Walk in the way of the Lord and also do good. God is no respecter of persons. "God will give to each person according to what he has done. To those who by persistence in doing good seek glory, honor and immortality, He will give eternal life. But for those who are self seeking and who reject the truth and follow evil, there will be wrath and anger. There will be trouble and distress for every human being who does evil."
(Romans 2: 6-9) 

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We are called by the Lord for righteousness and holy living. "I, the Lord, have called you in righteousness; I will take hold of your hand. I will keep you and will make you to be a covenant for the people and a light for the gentiles, to open eyes that are blind, to free captives from prison and to release from the dungeon those who sit in darkness. I am the Lord: that is My name! I will not give glory to another or My praise to idols."
(Isaiah 42: 6-8)  

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We have no fear if we are walking in the ways of the Lord because this is what He promised. "The Lord is my light and my salvation- whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life- of whom shall I be afraid? When evil men advance against me to devour my flesh, when my enemies and my foes attack me, they will stumble and fall. Though an army besiege me, my heart will not fear; though war breaks out against me, even then will I be confident." (Psalm 27: 1-3)  

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If we are walking in the will of the Lord, there is always peace in our hearts. "Therefore, since we have been made right in God's sight by faith, we have peace with God because of what Jesus Christ our Lord has done for us. Because of our faith, Christ has brought us into this place of undeserved privilege where we now stand, and we confidently and joyfully look forward to sharing God's glory." (Romans 5: 1-2) 

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Fear the Lord and walk in His ways and this is what He will do for you. "But the eyes of the Lord are on those who fear Him, on those whose hope is in His unfailing love, to deliver them from death and keep them alive in famine. We wait in hope for the Lord; He is our help and our shield. In Him our hearts rejoice, for we trust in His Holy Name. May your unfailing love rest upon us, O Lord even as we put our hope in you."
(Psalm 33: 18- 22) 

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The Lord will create a New Jerusalem. "Behold I will create new heavens and a new earth. The former things will not be remembered nor will they come to mind. But be glad and rejoice forever in what I will create, for I will create Jerusalem to be a delight and its people a joy. I will rejoice over Jerusalem and take delight in My people; the sounds of  weeping and crying will be heard on it no more." (Isaiah 65: 17-19)

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Love is not just a feeling. It is a decision we make to be committed to the one we love no matter what the circumstances maybe. Love should be centered in Christ to make it work and last a lifetime and beyond. "Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails."
(1Corinthians 13: 4-8) 
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Beware of false prophets and false teachers who will introduce misleading and erroneous doctrines among you. "But there were false prophets among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you. They will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the sovereign Lord who bought them- bringing swift destruction on themselves. Many will follow their shameful ways and will bring the way of truth into disrepute. In their greed these teachers will exploit you with stories they have made up. Their condemnation has long been hanging over them, and their destruction has not been sleeping." (2Peter 2: 1-3)

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As God's people, holy and beloved, lead a righteous life so that people may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven. "Dear children, do not let anyone lead you astray. He who does what is right is righteous, just as He is righteous. He who does what is sinful is of the devil, because the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the devil's work. No one who is born of God will continue to sin, because God's seed remains in him; he cannot go on sinning, because he has been born of God." (1John 3: 7-9)

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We must seek enlightenment from the Lord and live by the mighty power of Christ's resurrection from the dead. "The eyes of your understanding being enlightened, that you may know...what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His mighty power which He worked in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places." (Ephesians 1: 18-20) 

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When we received Jesus Christ as our Lord and savior and have surrendered our lives to Him, we were marked by the Holy Spirit as a guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God's possession. "And you also were included in Christ when you heard the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation. When you believed, you were marked in Him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God's possession to the praise of His glory." (Ephesians 1: 13-14)   

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                  VIGNETTES FROM THE PEARLY GATES

When we have accepted Jesus Christ as our Lord and savior and after we have been born again, we are declared as children of God and co-heirs with Jesus Christ in the kingdom of heaven. "How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know Him. Dear friends, now we are all children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when He appears, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is. Everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself, just as He is pure." 
(1John 3: 1-3)  

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Put into practice the lessons you learned from the word of God, for in doing so, you will be like a wise man building his house on a rock as a firm foundation. "Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and put them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against the house; yet it did not fall, because it has its foundation on the rock. But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain came, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against the house, and it fell with a great crash." (Matthew 7: 24-27)

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"His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through the knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and goodness. Through these He has given us His very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires. For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith, goodness, and to goodness, knowledge, and to knowledge, self control, and to self control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love. For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. But if anyone does not have them, he is nearsighted and blind, and has forgotten that he has been cleansed from his past sins." 
(2Peter 1: 3-9)  

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The Lord wants us to cast all our cares to Him for He cares about us. "God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble. Humble yourselves, therefore, under God's mighty hand, that He may lift you up in due time. Cast all your anxiety on Him because He cares for you. Be self controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that your brothers throughout the world are undergoing the same kind of sufferings."
(1Peter 5: 5b-10)  

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As much as possible, we must live in harmony and peace with one another. "Finally, all of you, live in harmony with one another; be sympathetic, love as brothers, be compassionate and humble. Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult, but with blessing, because to this you were called so that you may inherit a blessing. For, 'Whoever would love life and see good days must keep his tongue from evil and his lips from deceitful speech. He must turn from evil and do good; he must seek peace and pursue it. For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous and His ears are attentive to their prayer, but the face of the Lord is against those who do evil."
(1Peter 3: 8-12)   

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Never for a moment think that you have a better plan for your life than what God intends for you. He knows everything, so much more than we could ever know. So better to humble ourselves and meekly obey His leading for our lives. "For My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways, declares the Lord. As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways and My thoughts than your thoughts."
(Isaiah 55: 8-9) 

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"Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In His great mercy He has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade- kept in heaven for you, who through faith are shielded by God's power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time. In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that your faith of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire- may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed." 
(1Peter 3: 3-7)