Aliens reminded of their position
A few quick notes on the first epistle written by Peter. |
| Attribution to: Repoort |
Resident Aliens (1)
In the very first verse of the book I stumbled into a poetic truth. The epistle is written "To those who reside as aliens," Truly, we as Christians are resident aliens. This is a vivid term for who we are: resident aliens. We are here because we've been placed here, not because we belong. We are here on a working visa, not for our comfort. We are as aimless as we are attached & we should not be marked by either term.A Quick Reminder (3-9)
Peter continues with a marvelous reminder of the mercy & grace of God in the person of Christ. As a result of His work, we have salvation. It was not easy or simple or cheap, but it is free. Remember, even our faith is an outcome of His work.
The Positional Argument Begins (10-22)
Peter lays out the foundation for the argument that we are now in a position of privilege & responsiblity concerning God's word. The knowledge we have is complete, & we are responsible for what we know. He says our lives should be marked by certain characteristics like...
- Holiness (14-16) Given our privilege, we now take on the responsibility of holiness in order to please God.
- Love (22) We have been guided into God's truth. As a direct result of that experience, we should be full of love for one another. It should be a natural outpouring.