As strangers in the world

Read 1 Peter 2:11

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So Christians are the new temple, the new priesthood, the new people of God (2:5,9) and this calls for a new way of living. Part 1 of the letter has established the basis of holiness and love in the Christian’s life and in Part 2 he will give more specific application of how that should work out in practice. The people of God must live godly lives of high integrity and good behaviour.

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God’s people live in the world but they are not of it (Jn.17:15-18). This letter is addressed to “strangers in the world” (1:1) and the same word is again used here. It emphasises that we are temporary residents in this world for our true homeland is in heaven (Gen.23:4; Ph.3:20). So “live your lives as strangers here in reverent fear” (1:17). This requires putting off all that’s ungodly (2:1) and Peter again now urges us “to abstain from sinful desires” (cf. Gal.5:16).

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He says this out of love for them (Beloved) because otherwise they’re in spiritual danger. Sinful desires “wage war against your soul” (cf. Jas.4:1). Toying with temptation may seem harmless but “the acts of the sinful nature” work against “the fruit of the Spirit in our lives” (Gal.5:19-24). We reap what we sow (Gal.6:7-8).