Resident Alien
Resident Aliens
1 Peter 2: 11-12 Dear friends, I urge you, as aliens and strangers in the world, to abstain from sinful desires, which war against your soul. Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us.
There can be no question that those of us who are Servants of the Master, Jesus do not seem to “fit in” to the culture about us. The real truth is that all of us should feel as though we are “misfits” in a culture that glorifies sinful lifestyles and behaviors but this feeling of not fitting in does not exclude us from loving and caring for those who are the ones who seem to “fit” better than we.
It is curious to note that the two words in the original language of the New Testament translated as “aliens and strangers” both indicate a person who is only a “temporary resident.” How true, for as citizens of the Kingdom of God we will not ultimately make this world our permanent home. We are, in every sense, merely passing thorough.
In our world today an “alien” is considered someone who has come here, to our country, with every intention of staying. Whether legally or illegally they are desirous to become permanent residents with benefits. As resident aliens of our Heavenly Kingdom we have no desire to stay long term but to find a new home in another place where eternity overtakes time and light completely dispels darkness.
As a consequence, we must not be drawn in to the thinking or lifestyles of the culture which Peter said, “war against our souls.” Instead, we must learn to “abstain (literally “keep our distance”) from sinful desires and in doing so live such good lives among the pagans (and that is exactly what the rest of the culture outside of Christ is in fact) that they will see our example and give glory to God. Meaning, our words and our witness much match up and we must be able to say with the apostle Paul, “follow me, as I follow Christ.”
So, as resident aliens living in the Kingdom now but not yet, is our sole desire to bring glory to God and thus let our lives “preach” the Good News to the residents?