Compiled By: Lisa K Gonzales
Source: The Life Application Study Bible
11 “Dear brothers and sisters, you are foreigners and aliens here. So I warn you to keep away from evil desires because they fight against your very souls. 12 Be careful how you live among your unbelieving neighbors. Even if they accuse you of doing wrong, they will see your honorable behavior, and they will believe and give honor to GOD when HE comes to judge the world.” ~ 1 Peter 2:11-12
As believers, we are “foreigners and aliens” in this world because our real home is with GOD. Heaven is not the pink-cloud-and-harp existence popular in cartoons. Heaven is where GOD lives. Life in heaven operates according to GOD’s principles and values, and it is eternal and unshakable. The Kingdom of Heaven came to earth in the symbolism of the Jewish sanctuary (the Tabernacle and Temple), where GOD’s presence dwelt. It came in a fuller way in the person of Jesus Christ: “GOD with us.” It spread through the entire world as the Holy Spirit came to live in every believer.
Someday, after GOD judges and destroys all sin, the Kingdom of Heaven will rule every corner of this earth. John saw this day in a vision: – “I heard a loud shout from the throne, saying, ‘Look, the home of GOD is now among HIS people! HE will live with them, and they will be HIS people. GOD HIMSELF will be with them”. – Revelation 21:3 – The new Jerusalem is where GOD lives among HIS people. Instead of our going up to meet HIM, HE comes down to be with us, just as GOD became man in Jesus Christ and lives among us. Wherever GOD reigns, there is peace, security, and love. Our true loyalty should be to our citizenship in heaven, not to our citizenship here, because the earth will be destroyed. Our loyalty should be to GOD’s truth, HIS way of life, and HIS dedicated people. Because we are loyal to GOD, we often will feel like strangers in a world that would prefer to ignore GOD.
Peter’s advice sounds like Jesus’ in Matthew 5:16: – “In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father”. – Matthew 5:16 – We should be a beacon of truth – we should not shut our light off from the rest of the world. If our actions are above reproach, even hostile people will end up praising GOD. Peter’s readers were scattered among unbelieving Gentiles, who were inclined to believe and spread vicious lies about Christians. Gracious, GODly, and winsome behavior on the part of Christians could show these rumors to be false and might even win some of the unsaved critics to the LORD. We should not write off people because they misunderstand Christianity; instead, we should show them Christ by our life. The day may come when those who criticize you will praise GOD with you.
Father, help us to keep away from evil desires because they fight against our very souls. And help us LORD to be careful how we live among our unbelieving neighbors. Even if they accuse us of doing wrong, they will see our honorable behavior, and they will believe and give honor to YOU, Father GOD, when YOU come to judge this world.
Photo: Bar Harbor (Maine)
Photographer: Lisa K Gonzales
Click on the photo to enlarge
