Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, to the strangers scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia. (1 Peter 1:1)
In the opening greeting of Peter’s first letter to the churches, he refers to the people he was writing to as strangers. A stranger in this case is a foreigner, one who comes from another country and resides side by side with the people of the land in which they find themselves. It is an arresting choice of words to say the least. Why does Peter call these people as strangers? He does so because they were, just as every Christian is today who has experienced the new birth. Just as Abram was called out of his home to be a stranger in the land of Canaan (Genesis 17:8), we are called out of darkness into His marvelous light (1Peter 2:9).
Let’s face it Christians, we are changed, like it or not. One of the problems with the church today is that people don’t want to be different. They want to act the same, listen to the same music, speak the same language, and have the same values as the world. Unfortunately when this is our mindset it is very hard for anyone to make a distinction between the saved and the unsaved. This is why unbelieving people laugh when some believers try to give them advice. They see no discernable difference between in the life of the advisor, so the words they hear are hollow and meaningless. If there isn’t a life of conviction and example behind the words, then our council to the world is like a warm bottle of flat soda; not very appealing. When the Christian life becomes something that costs us very little we soon find that we got what we paid for. Being like Christ comes at a price, but the benefits themselves are priceless. Yes, it costs us the world we love so much, but in exchange we experience a Savior who promises, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” (Hebrews 3:5a) In addition we receive grace to live, peace in difficulty, answers in times of crisis, knowledge of how to raise our children, direction in marriage, exhortation to the wayward, and conviction of sin. These are just a few of the good things that a stranger to this world acquires through the new birth.
Lot was for a time a stranger. His story in Genesis 19 is a good example of how a disciple trades an eternal promise to lay a permanent foundation in the comfort of this world. He came to utter destruction, the whole while trying to hang on to things that were passing away. Meanwhile his uncle Abraham was living in a temporary dwelling, a tent, and having the time of his life being blessed beyond measure. He secured promises that extended beyond his earthly life to his heavenly home.
The world may label you as weird, or crazy, or a bible thumper, or many such adjectives that are used by people who reject Christ. Don’t let this stop you from being different. Remember, godliness has never been popular to the masses, and never will be. One thing though that is sure, godliness is very important to God. That’s why the Psalmist in Psalm 4:3 says, “But know that the LORD has set apart for Himself him who is godly.”
“Godliness with contentment is great gain.” (1Timothy 6:6) We will gain much more than we could ever lose by being a stranger to this world. God has made you to be different and in this case different is good. Remember, “Greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.” (1 John 4:4)
