Living as Chosen Exiles: Growing in Christlikeness

Sep 13, 2026

Devotional

Day 1: Citizens of Heaven Stationed on Earth’s Outpost

The Christian life carries a paradox: we occupy physical space here but hold eternal citizenship elsewhere. Like soldiers deployed overseas, our primary allegiance shapes our priorities, investments, and mission. Peter calls believers "chosen exiles," emphasizing their temporary residency in a world that misunderstands their true identity. Growth begins by releasing death-grips on temporary comforts to invest in eternal realities. This tension isn’t meant to isolate but to reorient—every interaction becomes an embassy of heaven’s values. [51:26]

Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, to those chosen, living as exiles dispersed abroad in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia. (1 Peter 1:1, CSB)

Reflection: What earthly interest or comfort have you prioritized this week that competes with your heavenly citizenship? How might your daily choices shift if you saw your home as an outpost for eternity?

Day 2: Threefold Cord of Divine Workmanship

Spiritual growth isn’t self-improvement—it’s cooperation with a triune God actively shaping you. The Father chose you before creation, the Spirit sanctifies you through conviction and renewal, and the Son’s blood covers every failure. This divine collaboration turns stumbling believers into masterpieces. Resistance comes when we mistake holiness for personal effort rather than yielding to their synchronized work. Surrender isn’t passivity—it’s plugging into a power grid beyond human limits. [57:13]

Chosen according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through the sanctifying work of the Spirit, to be obedient and to be sprinkled with the blood of Jesus Christ. (1 Peter 1:2, CSB)

Reflection: Which Person of the Trinity do you most struggle to trust with your growth—the Father’s sovereignty, the Spirit’s refinement, or the Son’s forgiveness? Why?

Day 3: Watching Life’s Parade from Heaven’s Helicopter

Human perspective sees only the marching band passing directly in front of us—the immediate pain, delays, or chaos. God’s view from above reveals the entire parade route: how suffering trains endurance, delays build anticipation, and chaos becomes a canvas for glory. Peter’s exiles needed this aerial view to endure persecution. Spiritual maturity thrives when we trade ground-level frustration for trust in the Director who choreographs even detours. [01:11:35]

We know that all things work together for the good of those who love God, who are called according to his purpose. (Romans 8:28, CSB)

Reflection: What current hardship feels like a disordered mess from your ground-level view? How might heaven’s perspective reframe it as purposeful formation?

Day 4: Sanctification’s Stumble-and-Rise Rhythm

Growth in Christlikeness isn’t a straight upward line but a jagged graph of failures and grace. Like a toddler learning to walk, each fall becomes a lesson in relying on the Spirit’s grip rather than self-balance. The blood of Jesus doesn’t just cover past sins—it actively cleanses present stumbles, turning shame into fuel for dependence. Maturity isn’t measured by fewer falls but by quicker repentance and deeper gratitude for the lift back up. [01:18:57]

If we confess our sins, he is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. (1 John 1:9, CSB)

Reflection: When did you last “fall” in a recurring struggle? How did you experience Christ’s lift back up—or are you still lying there, refusing His hand?

Day 5: Jazz Masters and the Discipline of Fundamentals

Kurt Elling’s jazz breakthrough came not from raw talent but mastering scales and chord theory. Similarly, spiritual depth requires returning to basics: Scripture immersion, prayer as dialogue, and community accountability. These unglamorous drills prepare us for life’s improvisational challenges. Peter’s readers needed doctrinal foundations to face persecution. Growth stalls when we chase spiritual “solos” without daily rehearsing gospel fundamentals. [01:27:56]

Make every effort to supplement your faith with goodness, goodness with knowledge, knowledge with self-control, self-control with endurance, endurance with godliness, godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love. (2 Peter 1:5–7, CSB)

Reflection: Which spiritual fundamental (prayer, Scripture, fellowship) have you neglected as “basic”? How might reinvesting there unlock new maturity?

Sermon Summary

Peter opens First Peter by calling believers “chosen exiles,” and that little phrase gives the foundation for growing in Christ likeness. Christians still live here, work here, raise families here, and deal with all the stuff of this world, but this world is no longer home. The paradox of the Christian life is that believers are in the world without being of the world. Heaven is home, so worldly success, possessions, and even good things cannot become the things that hold the heart.

Peter also shows that God is not distant, uninvolved, or unaware of what His children are facing. God the Father knows His people, knows their struggles, and works even the hard things together for good. The foreknowledge of God may raise questions that nobody can fully put in a box, because God stands outside of time while people live inside it. God sees the whole parade when His children can only see what is right in front of them.

The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit all work in the life of the believer. God the Father chooses according to His foreknowledge and works all things for good. The Holy Spirit sanctifies, setting believers apart unto God and continually calling them toward obedience. Christian growth does not move in a straight line, because believers still stumble, confess, get back up, and keep walking with the Lord. The Spirit speaks, convicts, and leads, and growth comes as believers listen rather than grieve Him.

Jesus Christ cleanses His people through His blood. Christ’s sacrifice paid the sin debt once for all, and every sin a believer confesses is still covered under the blood. The devil may bring up failure and accuse a child of God, but the blood of Jesus answers every charge: paid in full. Christ gives His people a clean conscience so that failure does not have the final word.

The Trinity is not just a hard doctrine to put on a shelf. God’s triune nature is the reason believers can rest in the Father’s care, yield to the Spirit’s work, and stand secure in the Son’s cleansing blood. Like a musician who must return to the fundamentals before real growth can happen, Christians need these foundational truths. Fruit does not come by sheer willpower. A flower blooms when it receives water, nutrients, and sun, and Christlike fruit grows as believers abide in Christ, hear His voice, and obey.

Key Takeaways

1. Live here, but hold heaven close [54:48] Peter calls believers exiles because salvation changes where the heart belongs. Earthly responsibilities still matter, but earthly interests cannot become ultimate. The Christian life requires faithful presence in the world without surrendering to the world’s values. [54:48]
2. God is personally at work [59:24] God does not leave His children alone to perfect themselves through effort and frustration. Behavior modification may change appearances, but only God brings life transformation. Surrender makes room for the Father, Son, and Spirit to do what human striving cannot accomplish. [59:24]
3. The Spirit grows believers through obedience [01:18:57] Sanctification is not a straight, flawless climb upward. The Holy Spirit convicts, believers confess, and grace restores them to faithful walking. Spiritual maturity comes through hearing His voice quickly and responding without hardening the heart. [78:57]
4. Christ’s blood answers every accusation [01:21:33] Jesus did not merely make forgiveness possible; He paid the debt in full. The devil’s accusations lose their power when confessed sin is met with Christ’s finished work. A clean conscience rests not in personal performance, but under the blood of Jesus. [81:33]
5. Foundations produce Christlike fruit [01:23:13] Fruit cannot be forced by determination alone, any more than a flower can make itself bloom. God’s truth nourishes growth as believers abide in Christ and yield to His work. The fundamentals of faith give roots to a life where the fruit of the Spirit can blossom.

## [83:13]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[34:51] - Introduction to First Peter
[39:17] - Growing in Christlikeness Through Suffering
[40:24] - Are You Where You Ought to Be?
[43:45] - Three Foundations for Spiritual Growth
[44:14] - Chosen Exiles in a Foreign Land
[54:48] - In the World, Not of the World
[55:58] - God Is Active in His Children
[61:13] - The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit
[67:14] - The Father Works All Things for Good
[76:01] - The Spirit’s Sanctifying Work
[79:41] - Christ’s Blood Cleanses Sin
[83:13] - Returning to the Fundamentals
[87:56] - Hearing and Obeying God’s Voice

Bible Study Guide

Bible Reading

1 Peter 1:1-2
“Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ: To those chosen, living as exiles dispersed abroad in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, chosen according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through the sanctifying work of the Spirit, to be obedient and to be sprinkled with the blood of Jesus Christ. May grace and peace be multiplied to you.” [44:14]

John 17:14-16
“I have given them your word, and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. I am not praying that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one. They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world.” [54:48]

Romans 8:28
“We know that all things work together for the good of those who love God, who are called according to his purpose.” [01:12:34]

1 John 2:15-17
“Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For everything in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride in one’s possessions—is not from the Father but is from the world. And the world with its lust is passing away, but the one who does the will of God remains forever.” [53:36]

Observation questions

In 1 Peter 1:1-2, what three descriptions or works are connected with the Father, the Spirit, and Jesus Christ?
What does Peter call believers, and what does that word communicate about where believers truly belong? [49:09]
In John 17:14-16, what does Jesus ask the Father to do for His followers, and what does He not ask Him to do?
According to 1 John 2:15-17, what are some of the things in the world that believers are warned not to love, and what does John say is happening to the world?

Interpretation questions

What does it mean for a Christian to be “in the world” without being “of the world”? How can someone be faithfully present at work, school, or in the community without letting the world’s values rule the heart? [54:48]
Romans 8:28 says God works all things together for good, not that all things are good. How might this truth give a believer hope while they are still walking through something painful or confusing? [01:14:25]
The Spirit sanctifies believers “to be obedient.” Why is spiritual growth more than simply trying harder to look like a better person? What is the difference between behavior modification and life transformation? [01:00:02]
Christ’s blood covers sin, yet believers are still called to confess and turn from sin. How do forgiveness and ongoing repentance work together to give a believer a clean conscience? [01:21:56]

Application questions

What earthly thing is most likely to grab your heart right now—success, money, comfort, possessions, approval, control, or something else? How would remembering that heaven is home change the way you hold that thing? [54:04]
Where do you feel most tempted to fit in with the world’s values? What would it look like to remain loving and present there while still living as a citizen of heaven? [55:01]
Think about a difficulty you are facing or have recently faced. How does knowing that God sees the whole “parade,” while you only see part of the road, help you trust Him with what you cannot understand? [01:10:29]
Is there an area where you have been relying mostly on willpower to change—such as anger, worry, words, habits, or relationships? What might surrendering that area to God’s work look like this week? [01:00:09]
When the Holy Spirit brings a sin, attitude, or needed action to mind, what usually makes it hard for you to respond quickly? What is one specific response of obedience you sense God calling you to take? [01:17:14]
When past failure comes back into your mind, do you tend to hide, excuse it, or believe that you are disqualified? How can confession and the truth “paid in full” reshape your response? [01:21:33]
What simple practices help you recognize God’s voice more clearly—Scripture, prayer, quiet, fellowship, or obedience in small things? Which one could you give renewed attention to this week? [01:28:52]

Sermon Clips

40s

#ForgivenAndClean

“Listen. Anytime the devil does that to you and he comes and reminds you of your sin, if you trusted Christ as your savior, then just if you haven't already confessed it to him, acknowledge it to him, repent of it, and then think of that sin as being paid in full, friends, because it is. covered under the blood. And so, that, you can then live with a pure heart and a clean conscience before God. Friends, because that is what Jesus has made available to you. Amen? Continual cleansing from and covering of your sin.”

36s

#FruitByTheSpirit

“Listen, you cannot by your own willpower produce the fruit of the spirit in your life. You know, it's like a it's like a flower sitting there and going, I'm gonna bloom. Doesn't happen. But what does happen? As that flower is watered, as that flower gets nutrients, as that flower gets sun, the fruit, the growth happens automatically.”

50s

#TransformationNotPerformance

“So, when you feel discouraged, when you feel frustrated because you're not where you want to be as a Christian or you're not where you believe you ought to be as a Christian, when you feel like you don't know how to get there. I don't know how to grow. I've done it. I don't know. When you when you've tried and tried and tried and not gotten the results you want, stop thinking it depends upon you. Yes. Stop spinning your wheels with what you think you need. That may or may not be right. Stop trying to just perfect yourself. Otherwise, what you're gonna end up with is behavior modification instead of life transformation.”

35s

#InWorldNotOfIt

“Here's the deal. We need to learn to live in this world because we're in it, but we should not be of the world. That's the paradox. That as Christians, our home is not the world, our home is heaven. But we're here, and God's left us here for this certain amount of time. We don't know why and how long, I don't know. But, so the paradox is that God wants us to live in the world, but not be of the world.”

41s

#HeavenIsHome

“So what Peter is wanting them to understand and accept and to buy into is this truth that they were now citizens of heaven even though they were still living here on earth. And friends, the same thing is true for us. Amen? If you are a child of God, if you have trusted and responded to the gospel and trusted in Jesus Christ as your Lord and savior, then friends, this world is not your home. You are not a permanent resident here. And the truth of the matter is nobody's a permanent resident. Amen?”

30s

#EternityOverEarthlySuccess

“Listen, I I hope my children succeed. I hope they do well and make lots of money here on this earth and and stuff. But you know what? The truth of the matter is I really don't care about that stuff. I want them to know Jesus. And I want them so that they're gonna spend eternity with him. That's the most important thing for any of us. And so we should not hold onto this world so tightly.”

34s

#SurrenderAndAbide

“And instead, friends, surrender your heart, your life, your everything to letting him do his work in you. Let him set you apart for his good work. Let him cleanse you and sanctifying you. Focus on abiding in him. Focus on getting into the word, friends. Focus on listening to his spirit day by day, friends, because he is at work in you.”

27s

#EmbraceChristianParadox

“And friends, if we're gonna grow to be Christ like, if we're gonna grow to be holy as he is holy, if we're gonna get rid, as as as Brian talked about this morning, get rid of the sinful lusts and the desires and all those things, and we're gonna have victory over those things, then our mindset has got to be that we've gotta embrace this paradox of the Christian life that we are in the world, but we should not be of the world.”

Ask a question about this sermon

South Side Baptist Church This sermon · AI assistant

How should Christians live as exiles in the world

How do Father Son and Spirit cooperate in salvation

How does sanctification differ from behavior modification