1 Peter 2:11-25 (NIV)

11 Dear friends, I urge you, as foreigners and exiles, to abstain from sinful desires, which wage war against your soul. 12 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.
13 Submit yourselves for the Lord’s sake to every human authority: whether to the emperor, as the supreme authority, 14 or to governors, who are sent by him to punish those who do wrong and to commend those who do right. 15 For it is God’s will that by doing good you should silence the ignorant talk of foolish people. 16 Live as free people, but do not use your freedom as a cover-up for evil; live as God’s slaves. 17 Show proper respect to everyone, love the family of believers, fear God, honor the emperor.
18 Slaves, in reverent fear of God submit yourselves to your masters, not only to those who are good and considerate, but also to those who are harsh. 19 For it is commendable if someone bears up under the pain of unjust suffering because they are conscious of God. 20 But how is it to your credit if you receive a beating for doing wrong and endure it? But if you suffer for doing good and you endure it, this is commendable before God. 21 To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps.
22 “He committed no sin,
and no deceit was found in his mouth.”
23 When they hurled their insults at him, he did not retaliate; when he suffered, he made no threats. Instead, he entrusted himself to him who judges justly. 24 “He himself bore our sins” in his body on the cross, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; “by his wounds you have been healed.” 25 For “you were like sheep going astray,” but now you have returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.

Reflection:

When we think of a foreigner, we may think of a recent immigrant who just doesn’t get the new land’s ways. Instead of waving hello, that person might bow or kiss our cheeks. We can tell they’re a foreigner because they seem to be operating on a different system. And that’s who we are now that we have been called by God for His purposes. We live among all the people but we have a new system that we live by. We no longer live by flesh or sinful desires- that was the old system. We have the new system, the new reality of the Spirit living in us and living for God’s good and ultimately for His glory. And all this is being consistent with who we are in Christ, following in His steps.

Response:

Let’s pray that we will continue to live as foreigners in this world that as we’ve been made new in Christ, we will ask the Lord’s help to live by the Spirit, by the new reality of who are in Christ and to follow Christ’s example so as to bring glory to God.