“To God’s elect, exiles scattered throughout the provinces of Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia and Bithynia,”
I Peter 1:1
I am blessed to be a part of God’s elect.
It is a “title” I can live with.
The next two descriptive words in the verse above, however, are words
I would normally prefer not to be used about me.
The fact is, they are (or should be) accurate descriptors of followers of Jesus Christ.
Exile is defined as: A prolonged living away from one’s country.
In the first part of verse 19 of Psalm 119 the psalmist writes: “I am a stranger on earth…” When we became believers in Jesus Christ our citizenship changed. That is not to say we do not continue to be good stewards of this earth in which we now live or that we become “freaks” in the culture. Instead, we understand that this ‘world’ is not where I will spend eternity nor to whom I give my allegiance or affections.
‘Exile’ is starting to sound a bit more accurate in describing us!
The second word helps to define our location(s).
We are not concentrated in one country or hemisphere.
We are not unique to Western civilization, the Far East or the continent of Africa.
We are ‘scattered’.
We are scattered so that, in part, we can
spread His good news to the four corners of the world.
Left to ourselves we would not scatter.
We would ‘collect’ together and connect only with like minded people.
It is not wrong to join together with other believers. After all, we know the scriptures tell us not to “forsake the assembling together…”
What is wrong is when we fail to ‘scatter’ throughout our world to be those light bearers and ministers of reconciliation (II Cor.5) we are called to be.
I Peter 1:1
I am blessed to be a part of God’s elect.
It is a “title” I can live with.
The next two descriptive words in the verse above, however, are words
I would normally prefer not to be used about me.
The fact is, they are (or should be) accurate descriptors of followers of Jesus Christ.
Exile is defined as: A prolonged living away from one’s country.
In the first part of verse 19 of Psalm 119 the psalmist writes: “I am a stranger on earth…” When we became believers in Jesus Christ our citizenship changed. That is not to say we do not continue to be good stewards of this earth in which we now live or that we become “freaks” in the culture. Instead, we understand that this ‘world’ is not where I will spend eternity nor to whom I give my allegiance or affections.
‘Exile’ is starting to sound a bit more accurate in describing us!
The second word helps to define our location(s).
We are not concentrated in one country or hemisphere.
We are not unique to Western civilization, the Far East or the continent of Africa.
We are ‘scattered’.
We are scattered so that, in part, we can
spread His good news to the four corners of the world.
Left to ourselves we would not scatter.
We would ‘collect’ together and connect only with like minded people.
It is not wrong to join together with other believers. After all, we know the scriptures tell us not to “forsake the assembling together…”
What is wrong is when we fail to ‘scatter’ throughout our world to be those light bearers and ministers of reconciliation (II Cor.5) we are called to be.
I guess when you stop to think about it
“…God’s elect, exiles scattered…” is sounding pretty accurate after all!
“…God’s elect, exiles scattered…” is sounding pretty accurate after all!
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