How does suffering relate to God's judgment in the house of God?

In 1 Peter 4:17, Peter states that judgment must begin at the house of God, implying that the sufferings of Christians serve to test and prove their faith. This judgment is not punitive but is intended to reveal and strengthen the genuine faith of believers, as they are shaped into Christ's image through their trials. It is a divine process whereby God’s grace sustains and validates their faith, preparing them for the day of judgment. Those who endure these trials manifest their identity as God’s elect, while also showing the stark contrast with the fate of the ungodly, who remain untested and unrefined.