Exiles: A Study in 1 Peterናሙና

In today’s post-modern culture, this passage is most likely seen as troublesome for many people. Yes, it’s talking about how God sees gender roles and what His ideal design for a marriage looks like, but if you only take this passage at face value, you’re missing what Peter is really talking about here: how to live an authentic life of faith in a culture where faith may not be accepted.

Now, through most of this passage, Peter is applying that scenario to marriage, but we can see the heart of what he’s getting at and apply it to culture as well. Peter is merely stating that people are rarely won over to the faith through flashy words and trendy clothes - they’re looking for conduct. Do you really talk the talk AND walk the walk? Clothes and jewelry and talk are all external aspects that we adorn ourselves or project with, but your heart is what matters the most when it comes to living a sold out life of faith to an unbelieving culture - whether it’s in a marriage, a relationship, friendship, school, or family.

So take a moment and perform a spiritual audit on yourself: how are you living as an exile in your current context? Are you overcompensating with flashy, outward appeal or are you focusing on the internal aspects of your faith and living a faith life that people notice as authentic? But let’s not shy away from the literal aspect of this passage that talks about marriage, so if you are married, take heed to Peter’s words here. Wives and husbands should work to submit to and honor one another and operate within the confines of how God wired a marriage. To have a better understanding of what that may look like, read Ephesians 5:25-33. But no matter if you’re married or not, go out into your relationships and culture today with the mindset of letting your authentic conduct lead people into God’s grace.