The Path of PerseveranceSample

Beloved I beg you as sojourners and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts which war against the soul, having your conduct honorable among the Gentiles, that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may, by your good works which they observe, glorify God in the day of visitation. 1 Peter 2:11-12

The early believers who were scattered throughout the Roman Empire were rejected, misunderstood, judged, and accused as wrong. Here, they have become outcasts, and Peter owns that narrative, pushing the reader to see that although they are wandering without a physical home, they are all being built together into a spiritual house. For Christ is our living stone, who was also rejected indeed by men! However, in the middle of man's rejection, don’t you know that you are chosen and precious to God? Peter conveys that the identity of a foreigner, sojourner, and pilgrim is perfect for the believer as we are not of this world. Our citizenship is that of Heaven. So let's live as though that were true, rejecting sin and living holy unto the Lord. And here is the holy catch: this integrity to living out the gospel is what will cause the unbeliever to glorify God. “By your good works which they observe.” Imagine a candle burning in a dark room; as long as the flame is lit, the entire room is marked by its light. This is the call of 1 Peter 2. We are invited to be a flame that brings light to a dark world that seems lost in darkness despite the trial resting on our doorstep. Why? Because we have a Shepherd and overseer of our soul! The chapter ends with the reminder that our hope is founded and rests upon the revelation of Jesus Christ. (1:13)

1. Where in life have I felt rejected, misunderstood, or accused, and what does it look like to “come to Him?”
2. How can I live as a “living stone” being built into a spiritual house with Jesus as the cornerstone? What changes do I need to make to become more connected to a body of believers?
3. What could it look like in my life to live as a “foreigner” whose citizenship is in Heaven?