The heart of Peter’s epistle written to the early church which was likely enduring, or about to endure, Roman persecution at the hands of Nero can be found in the second chapter:

11 Dear friends, I urge you as strangers and exiles to abstain from sinful desires that wage war against the soul. 12 Conduct yourselves honorably among the Gentiles, so that when they slander you as evildoers, they will observe your good works and will glorify God on the day he visits.

13 Submit to every human authority because of the Lord, whether to the emperor as the supreme authority 14 or to governors as those sent out by him to punish those who do what is evil and to praise those who do what is good. 15 For it is God’s will that you silence the ignorance of foolish people by doing good. 16 Submit as free people, not using your freedom as a cover-up for evil, but as God’s slaves. 17 Honor everyone. Love the brothers and sisters. Fear God. Honor the emperor. — 1 Peter 2:11-17 (CSB)

We see two big ideas in these verses.

We are to live as exiles in the world (v. 11)

This world in its present form is not our home. We live here as exiles. As strangers. As foreigners. This is not the first time Peter references this truth in his letter (see 1:1 and 1:17). The repetition is because this is a key concept for us to hold onto.

Think about the misery we experience when we live as if this is our home. Our attempts to fit in with the world around us often leads to sin. Our perspective that this world as it is is the best there is often leads us to live without joy.

Peter is not saying that we should live as hermits, separated from this world—what he says next makes it clear that we are to live in the world, but not be a people of the world. We are to engage. This is our temporary home. But we need to always fix our gaze on our true home—our permanent one.

We can learn about how to live as exiles from God’s instructions to ancient Israel when they were taken into captivity.

4 This is what the Lord of Armies, the God of Israel, says to all the exiles I deported from Jerusalem to Babylon: 5 “Build houses and live in them. Plant gardens and eat their produce. 6 Find wives for yourselves, and have sons and daughters. Find wives for your sons and give your daughters to men in marriage so that they may bear sons and daughters. Multiply there; do not decrease. 7 Pursue the well-being of the city I have deported you to. Pray to the Lord on its behalf, for when it thrives, you will thrive.” — Jeremiah 29:4-7 (CSB)

We are to live life “as normal” while working toward and praying for the welfare of the place of our exile. But we can never lapse into seeing this life now as all there is. There is a much better home in our future.

Imagine if our kids came to understand this sooner rather than later. Imagine if they came to understand that they are exiles and that the world’s allures are fleeting and superficial. Imagine if they lived in the now with their gaze fixed on the future.

We are to live as models of the Kingdom (v. 12-17)

Life in exile is hard, but it is not without purpose. Not only are we to live “normal life” as Jeremiah shares, but we are to live as models of God’s Kingdom. We want others to see that the world’s systems are broken. We want them to see that there is a better way, to live according to Kingdom principles. In short we are to be countercultural.

How do we respond when we are wronged? If we were of the world, we would get even. But that is not what the Kingdom is about. The Kingdom is about radical, scandalous forgiveness. It is about grace and mercy. So when we are wronged, we forgive. We love. We turn the other cheek. Why? So that we might be walking doormats? By no means. So that others might come to see God working in us and through us and want what, or better who, we have.

Do you see the gift that this is to us? The world cannot make sense of hard times. But we Kingdom people can. God can use even the hardest of situations to bring Himself glory (see the cross). We may not see it happen as we are enduring hardships, and the hardships will still be hard. But we can know without question that God will use that situation. It has purpose. It has meaning. It is not in vain.

Again, imagine if our kids knew this. Imagine if they were prepared for how to handle difficult situations. For many, those difficult situations are not in the distant future, but in the near future, or even in their present. Imagine if they were prepared for these seasons of suffering. Properly braced for whatever might come. What a gift we can share with them.

Worshipful reverence and awe, not cowering dread, define a right fear of the Lord … When we fear the Lord rightly, we do so not as those who are terrified of him. Christ, our Mediator, assures us that we may approach the throne of God with confidence.” — Jen Wilkin

Jen Wilkin, None Like Him (Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2016) [eBook].

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