Have you ever spent time living in a place very different from where you grew up? At first it feels very disorienting. You have to learn new customs, new wa250pxys of speaking, new routines in daily life. Over time, though, that experience often gives you a fresh perspective, not only on the new place, but also on your old home.
Peter tells us that something like this has happened to us spiritually. When God brought us into his light through Christ, he made us “foreigners and exiles.” We didn’t cross . . . . a border or move to another country. Instead, our whole way of life changed. Once we lived according to human nature, without lasting hope. Now we belong to God. In Christ, we are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession (1 Peter 2:9).
That word “foreigner” can sound negative. It can suggest not fitting in or being out of place. But for the Christian, this “foreignness” is a gift. It means we no longer belong to the darkness. Our values and hopes are shaped by Christ, not by the patterns of the world around us.
Because of that, Peter urges us to take our souls seriously. Sinful desires are harmful. They wage war against us. This may sound obvious, but there are plenty of people who don’t pay attention to the condition of their soul. We care for our souls as the most precious thing God has given us in Christ, our Savior.
So be thankful today. God has brought you into his light. Even if that makes you “foreign” here, you already belong fully to him. He has redeemed you for your eternal home.
Dear friends, I urge you, as foreigners and exiles, to abstain from sinful desires, which wage war against your soul. (1 Peter 2:11)