Addressed to Christians living as aliens, the letter of First Peter has always resonated with me. It seems appropriate that we should think of ourselves as living between two home countries: our homeland on earth and our home with God in heaven. For me that means I take seriously my witness to Christ as an American citizen who loves his country, just as I expect a Christian born and raised in China would love her country and bear witness to Christ as a citizen in her homeland.
Yet we are also citizens of heaven, intended to live fully with God and that cannot be completely expressed this side of history. As long as we walk this earth, Christians will experience longing for God that will be realized at the end of history. This tension is important to maintain. If we believe that the full kingdom of God will be realized before the judgment of Christ we will be susceptible to various utopian schemes and illusions, trying to establish God's reign by our power. On the other hand, if we don't understand that the kingdom of God is to be lived out in human history we lapse into an escapism that neglects our present stewardship for a future calling.
As Peter put it so well we reside here as aliens "chosen according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, by the sanctifying work of the Spirit, to obey Jesus Christ and be sprinkled with His blood" (1 Peter 1:2). God is cleansing us now to obey Christ where we reside as citizens, yet our hearts long for a reunion in heaven.
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