The Journey of the Outsiders
“But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. Once you were not a people, but now you are God’s people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.” (1 Peter 2:9-10)
The gap between biblical principles and society is ever widening with time. Though this separation has always existed, the alteration of culture is becoming more prevalent, and this stark contrast is seen even more.
Humanism, secularism, and individualism continue to be the lens through which our society makes fundamental decisions. It holds human potential as the highest value, waves the banner of subscribing to no belief in God, and individual reliance in the face of wounds that have been too great to bear within a community.
This is not arrogance or a “holier than thou mentality.” There is simply no room for that in the Christian life, for without His intervention, where would we be? Every believer was found not in a state of holiness but in a sinful condition in which, on our own, we were rendered powerless to save ourselves (Rom. 5:6-8).
We are only called to holiness because of His grace and are empowered for that by living only by the Spirit’s work within our lives.
Thus, the expanding gap is a humble acknowledgment of the separation outlined in Scripture that ought to exist in healthy Christian lives. We are called to be a light. If darkness and light looked similar, how could there ever be an impact for good? How would the broken find hope if the light is dimmed or the darkness ignored?
What does this look like, practically speaking?
In his first letter, the apostle Peter records valuable insight on this topic. First, we are to recall our true identity. We are called to come out from the world, as Scripture calls us:
“a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession.” For what purpose? to “proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light” (1 Pet. 2:9).
In other words, it is for His glory that we were crafted and called into new life. Additionally, if we have been saved by Christ (evidenced by a desire to follow Him), then we are no longer the lord over our lives. Instead, we can rest in the loving arms of the Father (1 Pet. 2:10). We are His. That is where our identity rests.
Second, we are called to align our conduct with our calling as believers. Peter instructs the recipients of his letter to keep doing good what they knew was right. Consequently, the talks of those slandering believers falsely during that time were silenced as the truth of the peaceful works of Christians was abundantly displayed in their everyday lives (1 Pet. 2:12; 15). We are also called to be sober-minded, to think with clarity about the things of God, and understand what is happening in our world (1 Pet. 1:13; 4:7; 5:8).
Lastly, we are taught to set our gaze on Christ at all times. We are invited to reflect on what He has done, worshipping Him through song, learning through His Word, and praying to the God who loves us.
Also, we can take Peter’s encouragement in that our home is in heaven. Repeatedly Peter encourages the believers suffering persecution by referring to them as “exiles and sojourners” (1 Pet. 2:11). This is to remind them and us that they are simply passing through this life. This truth should not bring discouragement to the heart, but through Christ, it should help us focus our attention on what truly matters and to prioritize accordingly.
We are called to be outsiders as followers of Christ. But that also means we have a deep joy that can never be taken away from us. We never truly walk alone, for we have the companionship of the Holy Spirit and a community of believers during our journey on this earth.
And when we get to heaven, our eternal home will allow our souls to truly rest. We will walk confidently in the assurance that we belong in the abundant kingdom of our Father.
Until then, may we live our lives in anticipation of what is to come, bringing focus to our work here on earth that is left to be done. Let us remember our true identity, walk accordingly in proper conduct, and continually set our gaze not upon our feelings but on the God who loves us more than we can fathom.
I pray these words bring encouragement to you today.
Blessings,
