"Football is not a matter of life and death, it is more important than that."
Final Judgment
For it is time for judgment to begin with the family of God; and if it begins with us, what will the outcome be for those who do not obey the gospel of God? 1 Peter 4:17
And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that will never fade away. 1 Peter 5:4
Peter has a lot to say about judgment. The good news is that for us as we trust in what Christ has done for us, there is no condemnation. There is a promise that we will receive a crown of righteousness, which will never fade away. At the funeral of golfer Payne Stewart, his friend, Paul Azinger, quoted 2 Timothy 4:7 - personalizing the words. He said, "Payne Stewart has fought the good fight, Payne Stewart has finished the race, Payne Stewart has kept the faith. Now the crown of righteousness is given to Payne Stewart". And unlike any sporting trophies that you or I or Payne Stewart have ever won, this crown will never fade away.
Moving on from there we must ask, if God so hates sin that he judges His own redeemed people, what will be the end of those who do not know Him. It is, I believe, a timely reminder for us to think about our non-Christian friends. Do we really believe that they will face the wrath and judgement of a holy God? If we don't we need to read this passage again. If you do believe it, it must motivate us like never before to pray for them and to warn them.