“Dear friends, I warn you as “temporary residents and foreigners” to keep away from worldly desires that wage war against your very souls. Be careful to live properly among your unbelieving neighbors. Then even if they accuse you of doing wrong, they will see your honorable behavior, and they will give honor to God when he judges the world. For the Lord’s sake, submit to all human authority—whether the king as head of state, or the officials he has appointed. For the king has sent them to punish those who do wrong and to honor those who do right. It is God’s will that your honorable lives should silence those ignorant people who make foolish accusations against you. For you are free, yet you are God’s slaves, so don’t use your freedom as an excuse to do evil. Respect everyone, and love the family of believers. Fear God, and respect the king. You who are slaves must submit to your masters with all respect. Do what they tell you—not only if they are kind and reasonable, but even if they are cruel. For God is pleased when, conscious of his will, you patiently endure unjust treatment. Of course, you get no credit for being patient if you are beaten for doing wrong. But if you suffer for doing good and endure it patiently, God is pleased with you. For God called you to do good, even if it means suffering, just as Christ suffered for you. He is your example, and you must follow in his steps. He never sinned, nor ever deceived anyone. He did not retaliate when he was insulted, nor threaten revenge when he suffered. He left his case in the hands of God, who always judges fairly. He personally carried our sins in his body on the cross so that we can be dead to sin and live for what is right. By his wounds you are healed. Once you were like sheep who wandered away. But now you have turned to your Shepherd, the Guardian of your souls.”
I LOVE how this section starts. In verse 11, Peter calls us “foreigners” or “exiles.” But what does that really mean for us? Have you ever traveled out of the country? While you were away, you might have felt what it’s like to be a foreigner—someone who doesn’t quite fit in because everything around you is different. As a foreigner, you’re aware that you’re in a place that isn’t your home. You might feel out of place, cautious, and always reminded that you belong somewhere else.
This is exactly how we should be living as Christians. Just like a traveler in a foreign land, we’re not meant to fully blend in with the world around us. Our true home is with God for all of eternity, and that should shape the way we live in the here and now. Our values, our actions, and our hopes should all reflect our citizenship in God’s Kingdom, even when the world around us doesn’t. Just as a foreigner’s different ways might stand out, our lives should stand out in a way that points others to God, showing them that we belong to something greater. We aren’t home. So we shouldn’t live as if we are.
Peter then instructs Christians to respect and submit to authorities, not because they are perfect, but because it honors God. He emphasizes that freedom in Christ is not a license to do whatever we want but an opportunity to serve God and others. Christians are to show respect to everyone, love fellow believers, fear God, and honor those in leadership. We are light in the darkness of the world. We stand out.
Peter also addresses those who suffer unjustly, in this context servants, encouraging them to endure hardship with patience, just as Christ did. Jesus, though innocent, suffered without retaliating and entrusted Himself to God. By following Christ’s example, Christians are called to endure suffering for doing good, which brings glory to God and draws us to love God more. As we relate to His suffering, we can understand more of his love because the reason for his unjust suffering is me and you!