elect exiles, part 02
1 Peter 1:1: Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, To those who are elect exiles….
Peter begins his letter with an amazing summary of the Christian life, which also happens to express the essence of Core Community Church. In just 2 words, Peter pieces together the theological foundation and visible expression of living as a Christian: elect exiles. The theological foundation is our election – God sovereignly, graciously, and lovingly choosing to rescue us from our sin, bring us into His light, and grant to us the opportunity to love others. The visible expression is our identity as exiles. Our new birth, brought about by God’s election, creates a brand new identity in us even though we continue to live in the same culture.
We already looked at what Peter meant by election, but what does he mean by exiles? Have they been forced to pack up their bags, move to an unwelcome place, and suffer there for a time? Have they been banished to isolation on a lonely island? This isn’t just a question for the original readers of Peter’s letter. It is a question for any Christian today, anyone who has been “born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ” (1 Peter 1:3).
The Greek word Peter chose to use parepidemos, which simply refers to a stranger, someone living in a foreign land. Peter uses it here and in 1 Peter 2:11 in connection with our identity as sojourners. But how are Christians who grew up in the same culture they continue to live in after being born again, still able to be considered strangers? We are already familiar with the customs of our culture. We are already in tune with the language, economy, sociology, and psychology of what surrounds us. We have not been geographically displaced, have we?
We haven’t been geographically displaced, but we have been completely and wholly spiritually displaced. Peter spends time in his letter talking about the Christian’s true home, namely, heaven. Peter tells us our inheritance is kept in heaven for us (1 Peter 1:4). Our inheritance is no longer wrapped up in earthly parents, but we await our inheritance from our heavenly Father. He tells us that the Holy Spirit we have received was sent from our homeland, heaven (1 Peter 1:12). Our power for living is no longer coming from our self-exertion, but it is coming from the heaven-sent Holy Spirit. He tells us that our Savior, our example to follow has gone into heaven (1 Peter 3:22). Our model for living is no longer earthly men or women, but He is the One who has gone into heaven and it seated at the right hand of God. In short, our identity is no longer based on our past – whatever they may be. Now, because of our new birth in Jesus, our identity is based on our future.
This fundamental change in our identity is also highlighted by Peter’s fascination with hope. He says,
- We are born again to a living hope (1 Peter 1:3).
- Our hope should be set on the grace revealed when Jesus returns (1 Peter 1:13).
- The cross of Christ produces hope in God (1 Peter 1:20-21).
- Holy women are characterized by hope in God (1 Peter 3:5).
- Our hope is what should make us distinct from others, leading to our friends questioning our hope (1 Peter 3:15).
Hope is a confident trust in a promised future reality. As Christians, our hope is secure because the One who made the promises always keeps them. We know that our future is secure. Once again Peter is telling us over and over again that our identity is now shaped by our future – not by our past. This is incredible news for all of us!
If heaven is our new home, and our identity is shaped by our future instead of our past, what does this produce in us? How, then, do we live? Well, that is why Peter wrote this letter. Peter introduced his main concepts in just 2 words, but he then chose to unpack those 2 words in the following 104 verses. This is the development of 1 Peter, all pointing back to our identity as elect exiles: firmly rooted in the theological truth of election, graciously living in our culture as exiles.
