Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ,
1 Peter 1:1 NIV
To God’s elect, exiles scattered throughout the provinces of Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia and Bithynia,
Peter uses two terms to describe the recipients of this letter. They are God’s elect, his chosen ones. But they are also exiles scattered around the world. Being chosen is comforting. But being an exile is unsettling. It means we are away from home. We are not where we want to be. And there is a longing to go home.
And this term is an apt description for God’s elect. This world, as it is now, is not our home. We are only temporary residents here, foreigners and aliens (1 Pet. 2:11). And there should be a longing within us for our real home.
And that is our great hope. That one day, we will leave this life of exile behind and join our Lord in the home he has prepared for us (John 14:2-3). As God’s elect, that longing for home, and the end of our exile, should always be in our hearts and minds.
In the meantime, as we live in exile, we can follow Jeremiah’s advice to the Jewish exiles living in Babylon (Jer. 29:4-7). Settle down and live in this world. Be productive. And pray for the world around you. Yet, at the same time, do not live like the world around you. Live as citizens of the kingdom of God. Live lives that bear witness to our Lord and that will glorify him (1 Pet. 2:11-17). Always remember whose you are, and where home really is.
