God discriminates

In Scripture, judgment means more than 'punishment'. When God judges nations, He punishes His enemies, but that is not all He does. Judgment also means that God comes near to discriminate, to make distinctions. In Scripture, judgment is pictured not only by the image of a wine press, but also by the image of the winnowing fan (Lam 1:15, Matt 3:12, 17). When God judges, He seperates sheep and goats, wheat and tares. The apostle Peter wrote of one particular period of judgment, 'the earth and its works will be discovered' (2 Peter 3:10). Times of judgment reveal the hearts of men and force them to make choices, they are drawn into conflict with those who make different choices. To live in a time of judgment is to live in a time of conflict.  

(The Kingdom and the Power: Rediscovering the Centrality of the Church, Peter J. Leithart p3)