I also established my covenant with them to give them the land of Canaan, where they resided as foreigners. ~Exodus 6:4-5
Foreigners. Exiles. Strangers. These are words that describe ancient Israel under slavery in Egypt, but they also describe us here and now. As followers of Jesus, it is appropriate that we should not quite fit into a world overflowing with open rebellion against God, his creation, and his ways.
The Apostle Peter was aware of this reality and wrote, in 1 Peter 2:12: “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.”
This is a call to live peaceful, good, ethical lives, following Christ even if it costs us our reputation or it leads to accusations of wrongdoing (or wrongheadedness). It’s a beautiful vision, that Christians would live such beautiful and compelling lives that pagans would naturally be drawn to it, and even “glorify God on the day he visits us.”
We should notice the “on the day he visits us” language. The Apostle Paul reminds the church in Philippians 3:20 that our true citizenship is in heaven, and this is the final layer of our identity as foreigners and exiles. A world in chaos and rebellion cannot be our ultimate home—but “on the day he visits us,” Christ will make all things new, and “as it is in heaven” will come to the world—our true home.
- How do you feel like a foreigner or exile? Where are you truly at home?